Blood Rites by Gwynn White

Author:Gwynn White [White, Gwynn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: 4xOverland Ltd
Published: 2017-02-28T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Fourteen pairs of eyes worshiped Lukan. These men, sitting stiff and upright in their ornately carved wooden chairs lining the walls of the council room, were all that remained of the Sixteen who once served on the High Council.

Below him on the stand, the two smaller thrones belonging to his heirs stood empty. According to reports from Mother Saskia, the traitor Grigor had yet to recover from his beating. She claimed he was barely conscious and that it would be some weeks before he was fit enough to even leave his apartment.

That gave him great pleasure.

And as for that defiant runt Meka—well, he was dead. Any more trouble from Grigor, and he would follow in his brother’s footsteps. After all, what did the succession matter now? Him surviving the Dmitri Curse was all that counted.

As for the other empty seats in the hall? They didn’t worry him, either. Felix and Vasily had been traitors, unlike his surviving councilmen, who hung on his every word and had done so since the reprogramming of their trackers three days before.

Since that time, he had worked tirelessly to secure the palace ice-crystal hub. All the programs, once run through Zakar, had been diverted to the archive. The only person in the empire with free access to that hallowed space was him. That meant no one could tamper with the ice crystals critical to his safety. For the first time in years, he felt safe. Well, almost safe. The final key to ensuring his security lay in the elimination of the scientists in Zakar Province.

He stood from his throne and took the stairs down the podium with his usual grace. He walked down the aisle between the high-backed seats. “I have invited you here today to share something extraordinary with you.” He pointed to the dozen informas, which, on his instructions, Zarot had installed on a table in front of the room.

Those fourteen pairs of eyes locked onto images of ruined buildings, beamed from the few remaining cameras in Gould, the capital of Zakar, where Chenayan industry was centered. He studied each man’s face, seeing nothing but approval in their drooping eyelids and twisted jowls. He grunted his satisfaction.

“On my instructions, the people of Gould have been thorough in their dynamiting. You might wonder why this was necessary.” He spoke for effect; these automatons no longer had the capacity to wonder anything. All they could do was act on commands. “I ordered this destruction to stop our enemies, Axel and Felix Avanov, from getting their hands on our treasures. They would have used our arms and technology against us. You should be pleased I have done this, as it ensures the continued freedom, safety, and protection of you and your families.”

Most of these men had a very limited idea of what went on in Zakar, so they would not fully grasp the treasures he spoke of. That didn’t stop a few of them murmuring their thanks. Others clapped, a slow, discordant sound. He welcomed both as proof positive that the programming of their ice crystals was working.

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