Occult Vengeance: an Explosive Dark Fantasy (Soot Knight: Book 1) by Kell Inkston

Author:Kell Inkston [Inkston, Kell]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-01-08T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen: Precedent

In the royal court’s open garden, the four rulers of the land stand neat and stylish in their sporting outfits. It’s the black queen’s turn.

“Well, it looks as though that didn’t work well at all, did it?” Vaya snips as she taps her croquet ball through a loop, controlling it with nothing else but her mind and her magic.

Maydi, her hair done up brilliantly with braids and pins, is quiet, as she knows who will rise to her aid.

“And I suppose you had a better idea? It’s not like any of us knew he had help from spirits of all things,” Ziru, massive and with a chest straining out of his polo, defends with an accusatory tone.

Vaya scoffs at the very thought of the rebuttal. “Oh? You didn’t think that understanding the problem would be the apt way of solving it?” She shoots a glance over to the well-dressed Karrseth, who simply hums and looks aside, much to her chagrin.

“It was a report of just one man! Do you have so little faith in our men that you doubt they could even take care of something as petty as a half-breed?” Ziru asks.

“A half-breed with witchcraft from the swamp behind hi-“

“And as if your reports from your men would have given you anything more accurate?” Maydi snips with a sharp, decisive tone, she says, stepping over with the bat in her hand to take her turn.

Vaya sighs and tips her head up as she gestures a servant over for her glass of wine. How dare she? “Well look at you, then. Over twenty men dead for your little turn of bravado and the first thing you can talk about is how I wouldn’t have done any better.”

“Vaya,” Karrseth starts with a winsome, congenial tone. “I think we all would have been apt to jump to conclusions with that one,” he says as his wife strikes the ball through a couple of arches. “I’d imagine I would have taken a similar approach.”

“You’re always defending her,” Vaya snips coolly.

“She is my wife,” he says with a hint of irony and a sly glance Maydi’s way.

There’s an awkward silence between the four, when the priest of Vahaidah steps forward.

“My honored lieges, “ he begins. “Despite his recent destruction of the nearby village, we must refrain from jumping to conclusions and blaming each other. You are all qualified in your own ways, exceptionally so, or else none of you would have risen to this lauded throne. Vahaidah has endowed great trust in all of you, giving an equal burden to this next great trial for our honest land.” He nods eloquently, as if approving of his own words. “Let us, instead, look for the solution.”

The four are quiet a moment longer, none of them appreciating correction from the priest, but understanding well that such is his reason for being there with them.

Ziru smiles to himself slyly. He could only imagine how many civil wars the Vahaidahian Priesthood have nipped in the bud

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