The Court War by Violette Malan

Author:Violette Malan [Malan, Violette]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FIC000000 Fiction / General
Publisher: Astra Publishing House
Published: 2023-07-25T00:00:00+00:00

• • •

“You can’t be serious.” Az Pilcuerta’s voice shook, but I thought it was more from anger than from age. Her practitioner’s hand formed a bony fist on the tabletop. “You are proposing that we merely ignore the Red Court’s aggression?”

“What aggression?” Nubin Sonsera said, chewing on the edge of a thumbnail. “They’ve probably just messed up some repairs or maintenance or something. And even if they blew up the bridges on purpose, this isn’t the first time we’ve been isolated from the City, and it probably won’t be the last. We don’t need the City, or the Red Court, for that matter.”

“I’ll remind you that this time the ‘isolation’ isn’t our idea.” Az’s voice sharpened with distaste, but maybe she just didn’t like people who bit their nails. “And I believe I’m correct in saying that in the past the bridges were cut off only after great preparation in terms of laying in food stocks, animals, seeds, et cetera.” She looked at me with eyebrows raised, waited for my nod before continuing. “There’s been no such preparation this time.”

I thought about the chests and cupboards in Medlyn Tierell’s vault. Had he started experimenting with ever-filling vessels for just this type of emergency? Would Fenra agree to use them if we should start running out of food? Clothing? Should I say anything? It would certainly give Fenra some badly needed bargaining power, if nothing else. The others were still talking, so I decided to let it rest for the moment. I couldn’t reveal her secrets without first discussing it with her—even if a part of me still thought they should have been my secrets.

“What do you suggest we do?” Ronan spoke with a mild tone, but I could tell his decision had already been made.

“Negotiate.” Az hit the tabletop with the palm of her right hand in emphasis. “At least find out what precipitated these attacks. Why have they broken the truce?” She fixed her pale eyes on me. “Tamari, you have been talking with representatives of the Red Court. Can you tell us anything?”

“I didn’t see this coming at all,” I told them. “The people I met with were sincerely looking to improve relations between the two Courts. They were disappointed when I told them we would have to postpone our talks.” At least, I thought, Witt had been disappointed. Riva hadn’t been with him at the last meeting—something I hadn’t thought significant until now.

“Do you think that in itself might be the cause of the attack? When their envoys told them about the delay, could that have motivated them?” Ronan was doing his best imitation of an elder statesman.

Before I could answer—in the negative, as I knew from Witt that wasn’t the case—Descar Parta spoke up again.

“Are any of us seriously suggesting that we have anything to worry about? Even if this is an attack—something I’m not at all sure of—the Red Court is just trying to frighten us. Now that they’ve shown us, as they think,

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