By Dark Deeds by Miranda Honfleur

Author:Miranda Honfleur [Honfleur, Miranda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780999485439
Published: 2017-11-02T05:00:00+00:00

Jon rubbed the fine grain of the lacquered table in the High Council chambers. They’d been at it for hours and were no closer to a solution for the violence the light-elves faced from Stonehaven.

“The light-elves of Vervewood came to us in bad faith,” Derric said. Dark circles had settled under his eyes; he had added some of Jon’s duties to his own to help Pons. “They knew they were under threat and withheld that information, trying to trap our kingdom into an alliance. They disrespected our king. We can’t trust them—or any Immortals. They see us as inferior, a tool to be used. Our best options are human alliances. At least we can navigate them more easily.”

“We’ve been crawling in the dark,” Tor said, staring down Derric across from him. “The light-elves have knowledge we need to survive in this new world. If we must fight for that—and by doing so, save a peaceful people—then so be it. We must make a good-faith effort to do what’s best for everyone.”

Auguste shook his head, stroking his pointed gray beard. “At what cost? The light-elves do not speak our language. How do you propose we fight by their side? Language learning has been slow”—a glare at Olivia—“and without communication, we are fighting this war unilaterally.” He folded his hands and turned to Jon. “Our ambassador is already learning their secrets. We won’t need the light-elves. Let them fight their own battles. If they prove themselves strong enough to survive, then we’ll give them the choice of an alliance or annihilation. And if they lose against this Stonehaven, they’ll have weakened our enemy, and their culling will be all the easier. One hand washes the other.”

Olivia scoffed, her narrowed eyes glinting. “I have yet to see Leigh turn his back on the greater good. If you think he will simply plunder an innocent people of their secrets and then leave them to die, you do not know the man.”

“He is a wild mage, isn’t it so?” Auguste raised his eyebrows. “Surely he has the power to take care of the matter, then.”

Olivia tilted her head to eye Jon, her lips pursed tight. One of these days, she would grab Auguste’s pointed beard and give him the thrashing of his life.

Jon fought the twitch of an emerging smile.

“Even a wild mage is not without limits,” Pons interrupted. “His capacity for destruction is great, but if there is any arcanir involved, he will be at a disadvantage. And he is limited to two spells at a time like any other mage. He is only one man.” No replies came. “We should continue researching the Earthbinding. Perhaps we may yet find answers?”

Olivia sighed. “I and my clerks have been working on it, but our library is limited when it comes to ancient texts, and Trèstellan has the most impressive magic library in the country.”

“So we fight their wars for crumbs of knowledge?” Derric fixed an earnest gaze on her, and Olivia folded beneath it. “That’s not an alliance.

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