“Beer tasted nothing like this in my time,” observed Tyrion, eyeing his mug with new admiration.
“Ye can’t get anythin’ like that livin’ as a tree,” commented Chad dryly.
Tyrion snorted. “I might have rethought the choice back then if we had had this to drink.”
Bullshit, I thought. You had no choice. Your family rejected your twisted ideas and your daughter stuck a knife in your back. Despite his attempts at being amiable, I had no intention of forgetting what an utter bastard my ancestor was. His eyes met mine for a moment before he turned them back to his drink. I wondered if he could guess what I was thinking. I hoped so.
“You haven’t answered yet,” said Tyrion. “What do you think of my offer?”
Rather than speak, I used my finger to begin drawing a glowing circle in the air. I followed that with a smaller one within it, and then I began adding the runes that went between the two. I named each as I went, until I had finished. Then I pointed out the two empty areas. “The keys go here and here. One is the key of the destination circle, the other is the key that names the circle you just created.”
Chad looked disgusted. “Are ye really gonna try and teach him that here an’ now? I’m gonna wind up sober again afore I’ve had a chance to get drunk.”
“I have no desire to spend any more time in this man’s presence than necessary,” I said harshly. Then I proceeded to explain the formula for calculating a key to designate a new circle. I never paused or repeated myself, and when I had finished that I drew a finished key. “This is the key for the general-use circle at my castle.” As soon as I was done, I let the glowing symbols fade away.
“How’s he supposed to remember all that rubbish?” asked Chad.
I downed the rest of my beer and gave Tyrion an appraising stare. He had the same flawless memory I did. “He’ll remember. Send word to me if you find them.” Then I turned to go.
The bottle of whiskey on the table was at the forefront of my mind. Chad saw me glance at it and then gave a subtle wink. I knew what he was communicating, but I doubted he knew that I had a second reason for looking at it. I had a strong urge to take it with me. I wanted nothing more than to drink myself into oblivion.
Summoning my inner discipline, I left. I had too many things to do to surrender my wits, and I certainly didn’t want to relax around my homicidal ancestor.
In the background, I heard Chad resume his customary banter. “So, Tyrion, tell me. I know the She’Har elders are trees, but are ye properly described as a hardwood or a softwood?”
Chapter 41
The house was cold and silent as I left the room that held the teleportation circles. It was over two thousand years old, but the walls and roof were still strong. The air was always a comfortable temperature, and despite its age, there was never a hint of dust or mold. Tyrion had laid down the foundation of the Illeniel house in Albamarl, in a time before modern history had even begun.
He had named it ‘Albamarl,’ the Erollith word for ‘white-stone.’ It was a bit of irony that the city was named after it, though I was one of the few people aware of that. Over the twenty centuries since that time, generations of Tyrion’s descendants had built, rebuilt, expanded, and remodeled the place. Each and every stone that made up the walls was enchanted, providing the house with a timeless indestructibility.
I had first come to explore the dwelling in my youth, accompanied by my friends, Marcus, Rose, and Penny. Though it belonged to me, I had never lived there aside from spending a few weeks now and then when I needed to be in the capital for an extended period.
Consequently, I didn’t have many memories in the place, and those I did have mainly consisted of moments with Marcus, Rose, Penny, and occasionally, Dorian. All who are now dead, except Rose, I thought darkly.
My purpose for coming there was twofold. One, I wanted to check on the Queen and my son, Conall. If ANSIS had assaulted Cameron Castle, there was every possibility that they had also attacked the capital. My second reason was that I needed a way to get to my mountain home so I could make sure that my mother and the others had escaped danger before the keep had collapsed.
I could have simply flown. I knew where my secret house was located, obviously, but it would have taken time to get there. By coming to Albamarl, I could use the portal in the Queen’s palace to access my home directly.
Unlike every other dwelling or place that I frequented, there were no teleportation circles in my family’s private residence. I had made a rule concerning that when I built the place. Teleportation circles were a security risk. Anyone who learned the key to a circle could make a circle to take them to it—assuming they were a mage, of course. For that reason the only magical methods of entry to my home were the two portals I had constructed, one leading to my castle (now destroyed), and the newer one that connected to a closet in the Queen’s residence.
A portal is more secure. It can be deactivated. It’s also defensible, whereas you never knew when someone might appear on a circle. That was why the teleportation circles leading to Castle Cameron were all located in the yard outside the keep, within a special building that had guards watching it around the clock.
Descending the stairs to the first floor, I couldn’t help but feel a lonely emptiness sink into my bones. It wasn’t something I had felt there before, but now, thinking of my absent friends, it was inescapable.
I didn’t linger. And once I opened the door to the street, I was glad I hadn’t. My nose immediately picked up the scent of smoke. Things hadn’t been quiet in the capital. The door to my factor’s office across the road was closed and barred, though with my magesight I could sense David Summerfield and his paramour, Sarah Beckins, hiding within. Farther in, I could detect more people hiding in one of the storerooms. Her family, I’ll wager.
Crossing over, I knocked.
“Who is it?” came David’s tense voice.
“It’s me,” I replied. “Your employer. Can you let me in?”
After several minutes of shifting and moving furniture, David finally opened the door a crack, peering out suspiciously. “Is it over?”
“I have no idea,” I told him honestly. “I just arrived. Tell me what happened.”
“Fire, chaos, metal monsters, terror in the night,” muttered David. “I don’t understand any of it. The city hasn’t been safe.”
“Is that why you have Sarah and her family barricaded in with you?” I asked.
David blushed. “They had nowhere safe to go.”
“Relax,” I told him. “I approve of your caution. Can you give me a better description of what’s going on?”
He shook his head. “Sarah’s father said he hasn’t seen anything like it since the God-Stone War. I didn’t see much myself. We locked ourselves in early on, but we heard plenty—thunder, explosions, men screaming.”
I nodded and turned away.
“Where are you going?” he asked worriedly.
“I have to find the Queen,” I answered. “Go ahead and put your barricade back in place. I’ll send word later if the city is safe.” Reinforcing my personal shield, I took hold of the wind and lifted myself into the air.
From high above, it was readily apparent that Albamarl had been through interesting times. Thin plumes of smoke rose from nine different spots, areas that on closer inspection appeared to have burned down the day before. Thankfully, there weren’t any active blazes that I could find.
At the center of the city lay the royal palace, and like Castle Cameron, one of its exterior walls had been destroyed, though the damage was more centralized. In the streets I spotted several tortuses that appeared to have been battered into immobility. Worried, I flew to the main gate and approached slowly—on foot. I had no desire to create a panic by flying in unannounced.
There were several guardsmen on duty, and they bade me to wait. I hadn’t expected that, but their intent became clear when Carwyn, Ariadne’s dragon, appeared a few minutes later. The massive dragon sniffed at me befor
e studying me with wary eyes. “Lower your shield,” he said with a gravelly voice.
That surprised me. “You know it’s me, Carwyn. You can recognize my aythar.”
His voice grew deeper and more threatening. “Lower your shield or prepare to face me. No one enters without being inspected.”
I did so.
A minute later he announced, “He’s alright. Let him in.” Then he left, returning to whatever he had been doing before my arrival.
Inside the palace I saw some signs of damage, but nothing like what had happened to Castle Cameron. Servants and soldiers moved to and fro in a frenzy of activity, reminding me of a hive of bees that had been disturbed. Most of them ignored me as I headed for the throne room.
Benchley met me at the doors. “Your Excellency, the Queen has left instructions in the event you appear. Bear with me for a moment and I will announce you.”
I waited, studying the hallway while he went in. Everything appeared normal, but my eyes picked out some suspicious dark stains on the rose granite walls. Either the cleaning staff had gotten lax or someone had made a considerable mess recently.
The doors opened after only a minute and I was ushered in. Ariadne sat at the end of a long table that belonged elsewhere. The throne room was normally used only for holding court and certain ceremonial affairs. It should have held only one seat, that of the monarch.
Two men stood on either side and slightly behind her, Sir Harold, and my son, Conall. Harold was in full armor and bearing arms. His eyes roved around the room as though he expected an attack from every quarter. His new dragon sat on his shoulders, its tail curling around his neck and trailing down his chest.
My attention was on Conall, though. I had sent him to protect the Queen, but I hadn’t expected him to be standing guard next to her person like this during what was obviously a meeting. He looked almost as alert as Harold, but what worried me was the fact that he leaned heavily against an oak staff. Thick linen bandages wrapped his abdomen, and I could see stains where blood had soaked through.
Since I was distracted by my son’s appearance, it took me a moment to register the people who sat at the table with the Queen. Rose was on one side and Prince Leomund on the other. The two of them were both immaculately dressed. However, while Rose sat straight and attentive, the prince-consort lounged in his chair as though he were at an afternoon social. In contrast to the two of them, Duke Cantley sat in the chair beside Leomund, haggard and disheveled. Functionaries, primarily higher-level military officers, took up the rest of the chairs. They sat on Rose’s side of the table, since most of them answered to her.
Everyone stared at me, as though I had grown horns, so I broke the silence first. “What happened?”
There were several sharp intakes of breath, and Prince Leomund sneered, “Have you no knee for your Queen?” Even Rose was frowning at me, though Ariadne’s face remained carefully neutral.
Shit. It had been a long time since I had been to court, and I hadn’t expected to face such a formal situation. I genuflected, addressing Ariadne, “Your Majesty, forgive my rudeness. Recent events have made me careless.”
“You are forgiven, Count Cameron,” said Ariadne graciously. “Please take a seat and attend us. We have need of your counsel.”
“You are too merciful, Ariadne,” said Leomund, staring at me with a look of disgust. “This cur hasn’t had the grace to attend court in years, and now he marches in as though he owns the place. I am at a loss. Where were you during our recent crisis, Lord Cameron? Would you care to account for yourself?”
“Leo, you go too far,” warned Ariadne.
Duke Cantley decided to speak up. “I too would like an explanation, Your Majesty. From what we have heard, Lord Cameron may be directly responsible for this assault. He should make a good accounting of himself.”
I glanced at Ariadne, waiting until she nodded before I answered, “My estate has also suffered a serious attack—”
“A feeble excuse, Lord Cameron,” interrupted the prince-consort. “Lady Hightower has already informed us that you were absent from the defense of your lands.”
Patience had never been my strongest suit, and my grief and fatigue weren’t helping my self-control. Angry, I lashed out. “And I suppose Your Highness spends every minute in the capital, guarding the crown of Lothion? Or perhaps your hunting lodge was also destroyed? Is that why you seem so out of sorts today?”
Rose’s eyes were warning me to restrain myself, though she showed no other outward sign.
The prince-consort was out of his chair now, enraged. “You dare speak to me so?”
I didn’t bother standing. To do so would have implied the pompous prick represented a threat. “I will show you the same courtesy and respect you have shown me, Your Highness.” Then I turned to face the Queen, ignoring him. “May I continue, Your Majesty?”
Leomund’s throat issued a strangled sound that probably represented outrage. He was too mad to speak. Ariadne waved at him to sit. “Enough, Leomund. This is not the time to be squabbling amongst ourselves. Take your seat and let him continue.” The prince’s eyes shot daggers in her direction, but he sat down.
“As I was saying, Your Majesty, Castle Cameron was also attacked, very likely at the same time as whatever happened here. From what I saw as I came here, the source of the attacks was ANSIS, the same enemy that caused so much trouble in Dunbar a few months ago,” I explained.
Duke Cantley broke in, “What is this ANSIS you speak of?”
“It stands for Artificial Neural Symbiote Integrative System,” I replied.
“And what is that supposed to mean?” demanded the Duke.
“Not much, to us,” I said frankly. “It’s an artificial life form, a self-replicating machine entity, devoid of the force that animates living creatures in our world.”
The prince-consort jumped in then, “And you thought it was a good idea to attack this ANSIS without consulting your Queen first? Your insult to this entity has cost the lives of many good people!”
How did he know we attacked ANSIS? I had explicitly told Conall not to reveal that information before sending him to protect the Queen. His accusation caught me off-guard as I tried to decide how to reply.
But the prince-consort didn’t plan on giving me the luxury to think. He pressed his attack. “You didn’t think we would discover what you had done? You probably also think the crown will forever be dependent upon you and your vassals for magical assistance as well. If it hadn’t been for Tyrion’s timely warning and assistance, we might not be sitting here now to listen to you lie about it.”
Tyrion? What did he have to do with this? Struggling to regain my composure, I spoke up, “It might be easier for me to understand your accusations if I knew what happened here.”
“You’d like that wouldn’t you, traitor? It would make it far easier to construct a believable lie, wouldn’t it?” hissed the prince-consort.
At that point, I came close to using my magic to seal his mouth shut, but the Queen spoke before I lost my temper. “Leomund! Don’t make me warn you again. Lord Cameron has been a loyal servant to the crown for many years…”
Then, the doors of the throne room opened and Benchley stepped in. “The Duke of the Western Isles has returned, Your Majesty, as well as Lord Gaelyn.”
“Please show him in,” responded Ariadne.
Duke of the Western Isles? Who was that? I knew the name and title of every nobleman in Lothion, not to mention Dunbar and Gododdin, and I had never heard of the Duchy of the Western Isles. I craned my head over one shoulder to see who would enter.
Tyrion Illeniel marched toward the table, a faint smirk on his lips when he saw my look of confusion. Beside him was Gareth Gaelyn.
The prince-consort’s brazen attitude toward me was beginning to make more sense, though I still had no idea what was going on. The two new arrivals bowed deeply to the queen and then took seats at the table across from me. Tyrion watched me with a challenging gaze, while Gare
th ignored my presence completely.
Ariadne turned to Rose. “Lady Hightower, would you be so kind as to summarize recent events for the Count di’ Cameron?”
With a regal dignity I would never come close to possessing, Lady Rose stood and addressed the table, “As you wish, Your Majesty. In the small hours of the morning, yesterday, assassins hidden among the royal guard broke into your bedroom. The men are presumed to have been controlled by ANSIS, the entity the Count was just describing. Their attempt on your life might have succeeded if it hadn’t been for the timely intervention of Conall Illeniel and your knight, Sir Harold.
“Shortly after that attack, a still undetermined number of metal monsters invaded the city, destroying several homes and damaging the palace wall. Two of them were dealt with by your dragon, two others by Sir Egan and Sir Thomas, but the bulk of the enemy force was stopped by the Lord Illeniel, the recently appointed Duke of the Western Isles,” finished Rose.
That meant Tyrion had been in the capital before he had come to visit me. “What were you doing here?” I demanded of my ancestor.
Tyrion smiled innocently. “I came to check on my house, and to offer the Queen my support. I explained my plan for discerning the whereabouts of ANSIS and swore fealty to Her Majesty. Unfortunately, I was too late to discover the hidden assassins among her guardsmen, but I am grateful I was here to render my assistance in turning back the assault on the city itself.”
“Your house…” My voice tapered off as I realized he was referring to my house, which had originally been his.
He nodded. “I hope you don’t mind, but as I am your elder by many generations, and I did lay the foundations, the house is rightfully mine, regardless of my new title.”
“You should be proud, Lord Cameron,” said Duke Cantley. “Yesterday your family provided two heroes in the service of Lothion, your ancestor and your son.”
Leomund sneered, “It’s a shame you didn’t see fit to aid them, since you knew the attack was imminent.”