Meta Gods War 3 by B. Miles (the ebook reader txt) 📕

“Things need to move faster,” she said. “We were going in the right direction, but my father was never going to allow you control of the army without a fight.”

“You thought you had to force his hand?” Cam asked.

“I thought this was the right compromise,” she said. “This way, you can use the army to fight while he still retains his Lordship.”

“Galla,” Cam said, his voice soft. “You accused your father of attempted murder.”

“I did what I had to do,” she said. “I know my father and I know he’s not the man we need in charge. But he’s still the man that raised me, and I don’t want to see him fall in a bloody coup. This can work, Cam, and I knew the fake assassination attempt was the way to do it.”

He shook his head, at a total loss. “How did you do it?”

“Easy,” she said. “I bribed a Warden to come into our room. I told him to bring a sword, told him I’d meet him in the bedroom. He didn’t ask questions, because of course not, I’m the Lord’s daughter. If I want a Warden to show up wearing a pink dress, he’ll do it with a smile on his face.”

“He was never there to hurt anyone,” Cam said, voice choking on the words.

“You did what you thought was right,” Galla said. “He was a strange man in our room at night with naked steel. You had every right to do what you did.”

“Galla,” he said. “I murdered that man. I murdered an innocent man.”

“He’s a sacrifice for the greater good.” She stepped toward Cam, hands out, palms up. “You have to see that, don’t you? One life isn’t worth all the lives that could have been lost if we let this place fall apart in a civil war. If we let my father fight back, the wolves would be able to sweep in and destroy us. One life lost is worth avoiding that fate.”

He stepped back away from her. She was beautiful, so soft and gorgeous, but her eyes were terrifying, and the lengths to which she’d go to get what she wanted made Cam sick.

He understood her words, understood her point. One life to save hundreds or even thousands.

But she wasn’t the one that had burned an innocent man to death.

He shook his head as she started to come closer. She stopped midstride, mouth open, a pleading look on her face as he half turned away, his hand rubbing the bridge of his nose, a headache already beginning to pound at his skull.

“I need to think about this,” he said. “I understand why you did it, but gods damn it, Galla, you used me just as much as you used everyone else. How am I supposed to trust you going forward if you’re going to do something like that?”

“You weren’t ever in danger,” she said. “None of you were. Any of the girls could’ve disarmed him and ended things themselves.”

“That’s not the point,” Cam said. “I’m not a pawn for you, I’m not some tool.”

“You’re not,” she said. “But you are strong, and we need someone strong to step up and lead this place if we’re going to survive what’s coming. I know you hate it. I know you don’t have the stomach for the nastier things that have to be done, which is why I’m going to do them for you, Cam.”

“I don’t need that.”

“You do,” she said, her voice dropping, getting icy. “You really, really do. You can’t be the good guy all the time, not when the fate of our people is at stake. Yes, I got that man killed, and I used you to do it. I’d do it a hundred more times if it meant you’d get control of the army, because I know you’re the one that can lead it to victory. That’s all that matters, Cam, nothing else.”

He looked at her again, his jaw clenched. He knew she was right but it still sliced into his guts like a dagger.

“I’m going to talk to the girls,” he said, “and I don’t want you to follow me.”

“But, Cam—”

“No,” he said. “I don’t care where you go or what you do. I’m going to talk to them and figure out what we’re going to do about you.”

“Just know that I did it for you,” she said. “I did it for you, and for everyone else.”

“Maybe,” he said, turning from her, walking to the door. “But the blood is on my hands as much as it is on yours.”

He left the council room, left Galla alone behind him, the severed and burned head still lying on the table, stinking like charred meat.

7

Cam stood with his back to the room, staring into the hearth. Behind him, Miuri sat with Felin and Key on the couch, Felin’s feet in Miuri’s lap, her legs over Key’s thighs.

“Did she at least seem… apologetic?” Key asked.

“Not at all,” Cam said, staring into the flames. “She seemed to think she’d done the right thing.”

“Maybe she did,” Felin said.

“Fel,” Miuri said, “Galla got an innocent man killed.”

“I don’t see the issue here,” Felin said. “Galla wants to take us to the top of the pack, right? And that’s something we really need, right?”

Cam half turned and tilted his head toward Felin. “Something like that,” he said.

“So then she did what she had to do,” Felin said. “That’s how it is in packs. If you want to be the pack leader, you do whatever you have to.”

“And that’s somehow supposed to be fair?” Miuri asked. “I don’t understand how you can have a system of government based on whoever’s willing to kill the most people.”

Felin waved her hand in the air. “It’s self-selection,” she said. “The strong continue on. But you can’t just be strong, you have to be clever, too. Every once in a while, some asshole ends up the alpha in a pack, but those never last.”

“Doesn’t sound like it could work,” Miuri said.