Veil of Mist by Tessonja Odette

Author:Tessonja Odette
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Crystal Moon Press
Published: 2018-07-03T04:00:00+00:00

21

Decisions

Cora

I stormed into the Great Hall to find the council sitting at the head table. “Why are there men in the dungeon?”

Lord Kevan lifted his eyes from a stack of papers, a corner of his mouth lifting into a snarl. “Good of you to join us, Your Highness.”

“Who are they, and why are they here?” The venom in my tone was obvious, yet Kevan remained unaffected.

“That’s not why we called you to this meeting, Princess Coralaine.”

“Did you think locking me in my room all night and morning would render me mute?”

Kevan continued to scan the papers before him. Lord Ulrich spoke in his stead. “We kept you there for your own well-being, Your Highness. It was clear what happened with your brother had you greatly distressed. We didn’t want you to do anything that compromised your safety.” While Ulrich was the gentler of the two brothers, I knew his kindness was merely an act.

I crossed my arms over my chest to calm the fire that burned through my limbs. “If you don’t want me to endanger myself by seeking my brother, then you better answer my questions here and now.”

Kevan’s eyes met mine with a glare. “The men are prisoners of war, Your Highness. It is common after a battle to take hostages for questioning.”

His condescending tone made me grind my teeth, but at least he was finally giving me answers. To show him my gratitude, I uncrossed my arms and took a seat at the table. “What is to be done with them?”

“We are questioning their loyalty. Those who prove loyal may return to their families. Those who prove to be what I know them to be will be executed.”

I gripped the sides of my seat. “And what is it you know them to be?”

Kevan leaned toward me. “Traitors. Agents of evil. Is that not obvious?”

Ulrich clasped his hands and placed them on the table. “These were men from Morkai’s Royal Force. We can’t simply assume all of them were acting under mind-control as Dimetreus was.”

“And with the most recent developments, I’m starting to doubt even that excuse is enough,” Kevan muttered. The councilmen nodded their agreement.

I felt heat rise to my face as the back of my neck prickled with sweat. “These are men’s lives you are talking about. Many of them are likely innocent!”

“Innocent?” Kevan spat. “You were on the battlefield, were you not? Would you call men who slaughtered your allies innocent? Would you call men who sided with Norun, calling your betrothed a murderer innocent? Would you call men who rise from the dead with sorcery innocent?"

I frowned. “What do you mean they rose from the dead?”

Kevan averted his gaze as if he’d said too much. I looked to his brother.

Ulrich let out an irritated sigh. “Many of the men in the dungeon were mortally wounded. They should have died. They appeared dead on the field. Yet they rose.”

“And without any sign of a wound.” I said the words under my breath and leaned back in my seat.

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