Swarm Magic by Sarah K. L. Wilson

Author:Sarah K. L. Wilson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sarah K. L. Wilson
Published: 2020-10-28T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

I was surprised to see my siblings gathering around Victore and pulling up a chair for him. He sat, hunched over a small mug of tea that Raquella had hurried to put in his hands. He looked like he’d known them for months rather than just a day.

“Is this plan of the Single Wing to take everything at once yours, Victore?” I asked respectfully.

Victore looked to Adigale who smiled and patted him on a bony shoulder.

“We need the girl with the bees,” he told her.

“She’ll be there, grandfather,” Adigale said.

Grandfather?

He looked over us all with watery eyes, not focused on anyone, and then as he stared into his tea he began to mutter. As soon as he spoke, Alect had a quill and parchment and began to write.

“Once the ships are fired you need to be off the docks. There will be chaos there as they try to put out fires. No need to stir them more. Besides, you don’t want to kill citizens. Those are your allies. No, you need them on your side. Leave them to fight their battles against the flames. They can’t beat them, but they must still try. That’s when you secure the gatehouses and towers. Stealth is key. If you can take them without being seen, this is best. Place your teams with care. They strike the moment the flames are in the harbor. The very moment. And that is when your civilians rise up. Not to fight, no, no, to negotiate. You must corner the key people in the city – heads of merchant consortiums, sky binders, healers of repute, High’uns. Your citizens must plead with them to join us – but not right away. They make the plea when the battle is already begun, when the docks are ablaze and the towers taken, when it seems inevitable that we must win. At the same time, you have your people surrounding whoever governs and this part is messy because maybe you like the governor, but you must be decisive. If it is a council, then it draws out longer, but the same strategy applies. You give the governor a single demand and one minute to answer. Surrender or die. If he surrenders, this is good. Be very loud. Show him off as your prisoner. Make it clear the city is yours. If he does not surrender, this must also be loud. Kill him quickly and his body should be put on display so there is no doubt.”

He stopped and sipped his tea and then looked up and I was stunned to see he was still glassy-eyed. “Now, where is Sorrow?”

One of his dark birds fluttered down and landed in his lap. He cooed to it, stroking the head of the bird. He offered it his teacup and the bird dipped its beak in the tea and then preened its spirit feathers.

“Is he always like this?” I whispered to Raquella as she settled next to me, but it was Alect who answered.

“Always. They have me watching him and I write down what he says.

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