Arcanius by Toby Neighbors

Author:Toby Neighbors [Neighbors, Toby]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher: Mythic Adventure Publishing
Published: 2015-05-22T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

Rafe

Grentz hurried back into the small apartment. Rafe had been pacing nervously. He hated that he had no idea where Tiberius and Lexi were. He shouldn’t have let them split up, and his fear was quickly brewing into anger. He looked up in surprise when Grentz rushed into the small room.

“Brutas has returned,” Grentz said, almost as if the news were a relief. “Earl Ageus is well. It’s quite incredible. He looks like his old self, perhaps even better than before. He has taken control and is requesting to see you.”

“Is that a good idea?” Rafe asked.

“You can’t hide forever,” Grentz said. “At least now things will be fair.”

“Tiberius did heal him,” Olyva said. “That has to count for something.”

“Well said,” Grentz agreed. “I think we can be confident that the earl will be fair and understanding.”

“All right, we’ll go,” Rafe said. “Has Tiberius turned up?”

“No, but hopefully he will soon. No one could have missed the return of the sky ship.”

Rafe didn’t agree, but he didn’t argue, either. He knew his friend. If Tiberius were in the middle of working magic, the world could fall down around his ears and he wouldn’t notice. But Tiberius would return to the palace eventually.

They made their way back up to the earl’s audience hall. Rafe could feel the tension in the room the moment he stepped in. There were nearly fifty soldiers in the long hall; half were men from the earl’s war band, and the other half were the earl’s personal guard. Grentz commanded both groups and ensured that Avondale’s security was always seen to, but the armed men didn’t give Rafe any comfort. He had trusted Leonosis once and was betrayed. Rafe had little confidence that the same wouldn’t happen with Earl Ageus, and then the fifty soldiers in the long hall, many of whom Rafe knew personally, would become his enemies.

“Rafe Grentzson,” the earl said in a booming voice. “You have returned.”

Rafe couldn’t help but notice how healthy and strong the earl seemed to be. Even in the months before Rafe and Olyva were banished, the earl hadn’t seemed so robust.

“Yes, my lord,” Rafe said with a slight bow to show his respect. “We needed to ensure that Olyva’s family had a safe haven.”

“Tell me what happened in Hamill Keep,” the earl said.

Rafe hesitated. He knew the truth included magic and the fact that Leonosis had somehow connived his way into garnering the support of all the earls. Neither would be welcome in the best of circumstances, and Rafe knew his and Olyva’s lives hung in the balance.

Before he could answer, there was a loud whistle. Rafe looked over and saw Brutas with one hand stuck in his mouth. The loud shriek had come from him, and the large double doors to the hall were suddenly thrown open.

“Attack them!” Brutas shouted. “Kill my father!”

Brutas was suddenly knocked to the ground and subdued, while the earl’s guard surrounded their liege lord protectively.

“Shield wall!” Grentz bellowed.

Rafe grabbed Olyva’s hand and pulled her forward, toward the earl’s dais.

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