The Queen of Mages (62 page)

Alice followed him to the throne room.
Several of his mages had assembled already, and he sat on the
throne to wait, tapping his fingers impatiently. More of his mages
filtered in, and then a group of them arrived all at once, led by
Lady Helena, she of the black hair and knowing smile. She’d been
only a commoner—a merchant’s daughter or something—when Edon found
her, but as haughty and arrogant as any duchess. She had agreed to
follow Edon on the condition he ennoble her.
Any woman audacious
enough to demand peerage can bloody well have it.

Finally they were all gathered. Edon
dismissed all the mundane guards and attendants, even Helena’s
vala
. This was the first time he’d gathered them all since
his return. They watched him, curious, eager.

“My friends,” Edon began. “We have been
deceived.”

Their curiosity turned to confusion, but the
mages kept silent. Not one of them turned their eyes away from him.
“We all know the Caretaker, and the Aspects. All of you have been
praying to them since you were children. But with the power we
share, this has become a new world, and the Caretaker is an old,
old god. He cannot help us. He cannot guide us. His faith was meant
for those who did not have the true light to guide them.”

They had all pledged their loyalty to him,
and he would reward them for their service. There had been one
mage, unwise enough to refuse his offer, whom Lady Helena had found
in a village to the west. No mage would live who did not swear
fealty. Helena had killed the foolish man, burning him slowly from
the inside out.

“Yesterday we were mere mages. Today we are
the
Zharranai
. The Fire’s Heart. We are the new power in
this world, and we will no longer tolerate the pettiness of our
lessers. We will rule. We will rule as the shining light that
chases away the darkness. We alone will protect Garova from its
enemies.” Every eye was intent on him. Lady Helena’s lips were
parted slightly, curved into that cruel grin of hers.

They could all see what he saw, he was sure
of it. They would act as one, a mighty flame to scour the land
clean of its heresies and lies. None would stand before their
radiance.
Amira will kneel before me. I will break her.

Edon summoned his spark, and floated the
silver bead out over their heads. He could detonate it and kill
them all, and they knew it. They looked up as one at the deadly
argent light glinting above them. “
This
is our destiny. This
is the light that will shine on the whole world,” he said, almost
breathless, standing before the throne that was finally,
rightfully, his.

“This,” he said, putting all his power into
the spark, “is the light of your new god.”

To be continued

in Book 2

of
Mindfire