The Scorched Earth (The Chaos Born) (14 page)

For a moment he considered trying to use Chaos to make the Queen more susceptible to his arguments, but ultimately he decided against it. The more he used magic to try to influence or persuade her directly, the more likely she was to recognize what he was doing. If that happened, she would turn against him and his only recourse would be to crush her will and turn her into a mindless puppet. The cost and effort would be too great; he needed to conserve his strength so he could keep control over the ogre.

“Andar’s defiance put the lives of everyone by the lake at risk,” he continued, hoping to sway her with his words alone. “Gort and Draco were forced to sacrifice their lives to keep the beast from breaking free and slaughtering us all. Their blood is on Andar’s hands.”

“Your companions knew the risks when they joined in the ritual,” the Queen answered, her tone icy. “Like Andar and my
people, they chose to participate despite those risks. Their deaths, while tragic, do not condemn Andar as a traitor.

“Based on your logic,” Rianna continued in the same cold manner, “if it had been my people who perished during the ritual, then you would be the one now accused of treason.”

Orath hesitated, wondering if the Queen knew he had intended to sacrifice her people all along.

She might suspect, but she doesn’t know for sure
, he decided.
She’s clinging to the doubt because she knows I am her only hope of revenge
.

“Andar’s actions nearly unleashed the ogre on your kingdom,” Orath said, hoping an appeal to her sense of duty might be more effective. “He put your subjects at risk.”

“That was never his intent,” the Queen countered, though some of the steel had gone from her tone.

“Intent is irrelevant,” Orath argued. “You’ve seen the destruction that the Ring can unleash. The only way to get it back is to call upon powers even more dangerous.

“You know Andar cannot lead you down this path. That is why you turned to me.”

Orath paused, letting his words sink in. Rianna stood silent, her face emotionless and impassive.

“I asked what you were willing to do to reclaim the Ring,” the Minion reminded her. “You said ‘anything.’ Do you really believe Andar feels the same?”

When the Queen didn’t reply, Orath knew he’d won her over.

“If you still want my help,” he told her, “then your people must give me the same absolute loyalty they give to you. If they hesitate or refuse or disobey—as Andar did—then the powers we are calling upon could destroy us all. If Andar—”

“Enough!” Rianna snapped, holding up a hand to cut him off. “Your point has been made.”

“Andar must pay for his insubordination,” Orath whispered. “You must make an example of him.”

“Do not tell me what I
must
do,” Rianna warned him. “I am still the Queen; I will not take orders from one of my advisers. Even you.”

Orath shrugged an apology, aware she was lashing out in frustration because she knew he was right.

“I have offered my counsel, Your Highness,” he said in his most ingratiating tone. “I trust you will make the right decision.”

When the Royal Guards came for him, Andar didn’t resist. When they told him he was being arrested for treason, he didn’t speak. When they led him from his private chambers to the dungeons beneath the castle, he offered neither objection nor complaint.

He’d seen the confusion and uncertainty in the eyes of the guards. Andar was well respected, both among the common citizens and the castle staff. His reputation was unimpeachable; it was difficult for them to even imagine he was capable of treason.

Yet unlike me
, Andar thought,
they follow orders despite their questions and doubt
.

Left alone in the small, unlit cell, Andar couldn’t help but wonder whose orders they were following: the Queen’s or Orath’s?

In the cold darkness, it was difficult to follow the passage of time. A few minutes could seem like an hour, and Andar had no idea of how long it would be before someone would come to see him. Fortunately, the guards hadn’t felt the need to shackle his hands and wrists, so he was able to find a somewhat comfortable position sitting in one corner of his cell.

He understood the gravity of his situation. Treason was a serious charge, one the Queen could not ignore. Rianna was a just ruler, but her heart had grown hard. She had banished her own son for similar crimes; it would be foolish to expect her to grant clemency to the High Sorcerer. If found guilty, he would be sentenced to either exile or execution.

And I am guilty
.

When questioned, he wouldn’t deny it. He could argue that when he broke away from Orath’s ritual, he had acted in the heat of the moment, trusting his gut. But the truth was, he had been fully aware of the implications and possible consequences. Even now, with time to look back and reflect, he was confident he’d make the same decision again.

But does that make it right? Or am I still a traitor?

Eventually the steel door opened, the light of the dim lantern on the other side as blinding as the heart of the midday sun. Andar was forced to look down and shield his eyes, unable to see who had been sent to try to force a confession out of him.

“Leave us and close the door,” a familiar woman’s voice ordered.

At the sound of the grating hinges, Andar dropped the hand over his eyes and braved the lantern’s light to meet the gaze of Rianna standing over him.

“It is unseemly for the Queen to be alone with a prisoner,” he told her.

“As the Queen, I decide what is unseemly,” she reminded him. “Though I still expect my subjects to stand in my presence.”

Abashed, Andar scrambled to his feet.

“You know why you are here?” the Queen asked.

“I do.”

“Then explain yourself.”

“Orath deceived us,” Andar said after a moment’s silence to collect his thoughts. “He didn’t warn us of the true cost of his spell. I sensed the ritual was killing us; consuming us. I broke away to save myself, and I took the others with me.”

“You didn’t fear this would unleash the ogre on our people?”

Andar shifted uncomfortably.

“I hoped Orath would find another way to contain the beast.”

“I’m disappointed in you, Andar,” Rianna said, reaching out to
place a hand on his shoulder. “You put the lives of you and your fellow mages ahead of what is best for our kingdom.”

“With all due respect, my Queen,” the High Sorcerer replied, his eyes fixed on the floor. “I don’t believe anything that Orath can offer is what is best for our kingdom.”

The Queen sighed and let her hand slip off his shoulder. Slowly she turned away from him and stepped toward the door. But instead of leaving, she stopped and turned back to face him once more.

“I cannot exile you,” she told him. “Not after what happened with … my son.”

She can’t even bear to speak Vaaler’s name
.

“I will not execute you, either,” she told him. “Already rumors are spreading of how you saved the lives of the other mages in the ritual. You have become a hero to the common folk, a symbol of someone who can stand against the deadly powers of Chaos.

“But you did put the entire kingdom at risk by refusing to follow Orath’s instructions. For that, I must make an example of you.”

Andar bowed his head, still confused as to what she intended.

“You are relieved of your position in my court,” she told him, “and you will be held here in the dungeons until I decide on a fitting punishment.”

You won’t sentence me, but you won’t absolve me, either
.

Her reticence to pass judgment confirmed what Andar already suspected: Rianna was lost in a sea of self-doubt and uncertainty.

Orath preys on this vulnerability
.

“Forgive my boldness,” he said aloud, “but who have you chosen to take my place?”

“Lormilar will be elevated to the position of High Sorcerer,” she informed him.

“A good man,” Andar said, though he silently added,
but one lacking the confidence to stand up to Orath
.

“I don’t trust Orath,” the Queen assured him, almost as if she were reading his mind. “But in these dark times we must take whatever allies we can find. Our capital is in ruins and thousands are dead. The people are scared; they need leadership. They need to know I can protect them.”

“Orath can’t help you protect your subjects,” Andar said, shaking his head emphatically. “All he offers is revenge.”

“The most treasured heirloom of the royal family—the most sacred symbol of our kingdom—was stolen from us,” Rianna snapped back. “Plucked from my neck while I slept by my own flesh and blood. Are you saying we should let this offense go unpunished? The savages in the East must be taught a lesson!”

“We don’t even know for sure that Vaaler and the others are allied with the barbarian clans,” he reminded his Queen.

“Whether they are or not, the Ring is too powerful to be left in the hands of another,” she insisted, her voice defiant. “You saw the devastation it brought to Ferlhame. I cannot allow anything like that to happen again.”

“The Ring is gone,” Andar admitted. “But maybe we are better off without it.”

You certainly seem to be
, he thought. The Queen was still gaunt, but she looked much better than the haggard, skeletal creature she had become in the months leading up to Vaaler’s betrayal.

The Queen shook her head, then looked at the floor.

“I saw the Destroyer of Worlds in my dreams before he came to Ferlhame,” she said in a low whisper. “I did not heed the warnings. I did not have the strength to do what had to be done. I have learned my lesson.”

“You’ve seen something,” Andar noted. “More visions.”

“In my nightmares I’ve watched the Destroyer of Worlds feasting with the barbarian tribes. I’ve seen the warriors of the East rise up, all the clans united against a common foe,” she told him. “I’ve seen the Free Cities bow down to the Order and join the
vast ranks of the Southland armies, their soldiers swarming like ants to every corner of the world. I’ve seen Danaan lying dead on the battlefield, the bodies stretched as far as the eyes can see.

“War is coming,” she declared. “We cannot stop it. And we need the Ring to survive.”

Andar wasn’t a Seer, but he understood enough about Chaos to recognize the inherent perils in the Queen’s visions.

“For centuries we have survived by staying hidden in the North Forest,” he cautioned. “We have defended our borders, but we have never gone beyond them. Assembling an army and marching against the barbarians of the East will compel others to see us as a threat.

“It will force them to mass armies of their own. It may even cause the Destroyer of Worlds to unite them and use the Ring against us again.”

“You dare to lecture
me
on the dangers of a self-fulfilling prophecy?” the Queen snorted. “Do you really believe I have not already considered this a thousand times over?

“When I foresaw the Destroyer of Worlds coming to Ferlhame, I did not know what to do,” she explained. “So I did nothing, and what I saw came to pass.

“When I realized my son walked with the enemy,” she continued, “I could have had him killed. But I chose to show mercy instead, and Ferlhame paid the price.

“There is no way to be sure I walk the right path now,” she admitted, her voice once more slipping into the low whisper. “But this is the path I have chosen, and I will not waver.”

With that, she spun on her heel and thumped her hand on the door. It opened a second later and Rianna stepped through, taking the lamp with her. The guard on the other side closed the door behind her, once more plunging Andar’s cell into utter blackness.

K
EEGAN WAS STANDING
close enough to Scythe to see her reaction when she learned Shalana was Norr’s wife. She didn’t say anything else—not to Shalana and not to Norr. But in seconds her expression went from confusion to shock to dismay before settling into a tight mask of cold, hard anger.

He could read Norr’s expression as well—regret and shame. The big man started to reach out his hand toward Scythe, only to think better of it and let it drop away as she turned ever so slightly away from him.

If Shalana saw the exchange, she made no reaction. Instead, she started issuing commands to the rest of her patrol, and within minutes they were on the move again. The pace was steady, but not too taxing, and Keegan was able to keep up without much difficulty. As they marched, his attention kept going back to Scythe.

The Stone Spirits had formed a loose ring around Norr and his companions. The big man was up front, hobbling slightly but managing to stay only a few steps behind Shalana as she led the way. Surprisingly, they didn’t speak.

What kind of wife doesn’t have anything to say to her husband after years apart?

Vaaler was walking close behind Norr, as was Jerrod.

He’s still keeping his distance
, Keegan noted of the monk.
Still worried about drawing unwanted attention my way
.

Scythe had dropped back beside Keegan, though she kept her gaze fixed straight ahead, as if she was trying to burn a hole in the back of Norr’s skull. He turned around only once to check on her, then quickly snapped his head back to the front on seeing the look in her eyes.

Keegan couldn’t stop himself from constantly looking over at Scythe, but she was so intent on Norr she didn’t notice his attention. It was hard to imagine what was going through her head right now. He didn’t fully understand the relationship she and Norr shared, but he knew they were physically and emotionally close.

But not close enough for Norr to tell her about Shalana, I guess
.

Keegan didn’t know what it felt like to be betrayed by someone you trusted. He had gotten over the anger and resentment he’d felt over his father’s brutal death, and since then he’d been too busy studying under Rexol to develop any close attachments besides his friendship with Vaaler. And even though several years had passed, when he came to the Danaan prince for help his friend had done more than Keegan could have ever asked of him.