Spear of Destiny by James Baldwin (little bear else holmelund minarik .TXT) 📕

for Karalti’s hand, hoping to comfort her, but she jerked it away before I even so much as brushed her fingers. She turned and stalked from the room, slamming the door behind her.

“She’s a Queen dragon,” I said, before anyone could make any snide remarks. “The dragons of the Eyrie are her brothers and sisters. They were all born of the same mother.”

“She can’t command them because of the curse placed upon her relatives, correct?” Ignas asked me.

“Yeah.” I struggled with the urge to kick the underside of the table. “We were planning to try and find some way to break the geas before it came to this, but we’re just not strong enough yet.”

“Then the best thing we can do is to fight to win as quickly as possible.” Suri cocked her chin toward the map. “Do that, and we minimize casualties on both sides. There’s only a single company of dragons, and as soon as Lucien figures out that Vlachia can stand toe to toe with them, he’ll pull them back out of the firing line.”

“That is our hope.” Ignas nodded. “Our goal at this juncture is to remove Lucien Hart, then push his forces back through sheer attrition. The Ilian army is as motivated as they are, in part, because their leaders are immortal. If we capture their leader and they scatter as a result, they will be overwhelmed by our numbers.”

“He’s Starborn, though,” Rin said. “You can’t kill him.”

“Obviously not. We will imprison him. We may even smuggle him to your castle, if you have a spare cell.”

“I will be more than happy to brick him up in Kalla Sahasi and pass him food through a slot for the rest of his miserable life,” I said.

“Excellent. And I will send a work crew to assist.” Ignas paused to chuckle. “We have reinforcements coming from Dakhdir and Jeun. A massive show of force will put Hyland in his place, at least for a time: long enough for us to send aid to Gilheim and the Princeling Nations of Hercynia.”

“I don’t know if relying on Dakhdir for anything is a good idea,” I replied. “Sultir whats-his-face is crazier than a shithouse rat. Violetta, who leads the Mata Argis as Baldr’s other lieutenant, was there with her agents. They’re feeding the Sultir’s fear of being deposed by Suri.”

“Deposed? By a Fireblooded?” General Kovacs gave her a curious look. “No offence, my Lady, but the Fireblooded are of low status in Dakhdir. Why should he be concerned about you?”

“She IS Starborn,” Count Lanz said drily.

“I’m the direct descendant of Queen Sachara Ha’Shazir,” Suri replied, ignoring Lanz. “The dynasty overthrown four generations ago in a bloody coup by the Sultir’s ancestors.”

“Ah. Yes. Well, I can see how that would lead to anxiety.” The general’s doughy face creased into thoughtful lines. “We do know that Khemmemu is an unstable man. It has been an issue ever since he inherited the throne. If the Mata Argis are there, your Majesty, can we be certain Dakhdir will honor the terms of the Alliance?”

“We have spies and influencers in the Sultir’s court as well. If he reneges on the Alliance, he knows that Jeun and Vlachia will level devastating trade sanctions,” Ignas said. “Dakhdir is mostly wasteland. Without Vlachian food and Jeun mana, the Sultir’s people will starve. He is nervous, but not foolish. We can always sell our surplus to Jeun, or with our new long-range airships, even to Lys.”

“I’m worried about this,” I said. “Something about the situation feels off to me. Baldr and Lucien are setting something up. They have to know that the Alliance will respond with their fleets in force. They have to expect this response. So why is a small military force inviting a counter invasion?”

“He’s right,” Rin said. “Strategically speaking, it would only make sense for him to invade Revala if he thought he had some kind of edge.”

“He is vastly outnumbered and outgunned. He is also overconfident in his dragons and his fancy Mercurion toys,” Count Lanz said dismissively. “There is no grand strategy in his invasion of Revala. Had he gone west, he might have stood a chance at consolidating an empire that would be of serious threat to the combined might of Jeun, Vlachia, and Dakhdir. But Hyland and Hart are not thinking that far ahead. They are both drunk on the power of being immortal. Why should they care if they lose once or twice? They always have time to wait and try again. They think of themselves as gods. “

“Literally,” I said, shooting Lanz a dark look. “Baldr is the figurehead of the Cult of the Architect. You know, the cult that Andrik was part of?”

My rival Voivode grimaced. “Indeed.”

“Your Majesty: please tell me you’re not going into the area of operations yourself.” Rin looked to Ignas. “Something isn’t right about this. It feels like a setup.”

“Unfortunately, I must. A king does not shelter behind his men: he leads. But what is your opinion, Kovacs?” Ignas looked to his general.

General Kovacs hummed. “It is my opinion that the risk of your participation in the battle is within acceptable limits. With Ebisa standing unsleeping by your side, assassination is unlikely. We are taking all precautions, and Hyland simply doesn’t have the numbers to face us head on.”

“He won’t face you head on,” I said, more urgently. “He’ll maneuver around you and strike at something important. It might not even be Ignas who’s at risk. It might be Taltos.”

“Parliament and His Majesty voted this morning: I will be acting regent while Vlachia is at war, and I assure you that I will not permit any harm to come to my city,” Count Lanz said. “The First Fleet is on standby to defend Taltos.”

“We should have been at that vote.” Suri’s eyes narrowed.

“You were campaigning in Bas, and thus