Jackal Among Snakes

As Argrave looked at Orion, who sat rather unassumingly on the edge of his bed, he wondered if he’d chosen the timing wrong. Perhaps he’d have been better served delivering the bad news to this infamously temperamental prince if he had still been beaten half to death by a Shadowlander. At the very least, Galamon might be able to go toe-to-toe with him while everyone else escaped.

No, Argrave reasoned. A lot of stuff has happened. I need to distract him by bringing it up, and hopefully he’ll forget all about my possession of his brother’s body until I can make sure this is done diplomatically. Even as Argrave thought it, he thought it was a bit absurd—was possession of another’s body something so easily forgotten?

“You should know… we killed the Shadowlander,” Argrave began before Orion could interrogate. “It killed a great many, sadly, but it’s gone now.”

“The dead… it is a sad thing,” the bearded prince said, “But I’ve waited many months for this day, and there is gold in the mud,” he declared. “My head is clear of interfering voices. All of Vasquer’s bindings have been broken.”

Argrave rubbed his hands together, eyes moving in cautious assessment. Orion didn’t seem to despise him. He grabbed a chair in the corner of the room and pulled it up, then asked slowly, “Elenore already saw Vasquer… but the voices being gone—is that true?”

Orion nodded steadily. “Traugott’s actions summoned that foul giant of shadow, but simultaneously dispelled the whispering voices from my mind like a lantern might ward away darkness. Now… their silence buoys my calm.”

Argrave brightened almost inadvertently. Before he could speak, Anneliese asked, “It was Traugott that caused this, directly? You’re certain?”

“I am certain. I tried to chase after his flesh when he fled inside that shadow of his, and as consequence… that thing bubbled free,” Orion bitterly spat, clenching his hands against the bedframe. “But it did benefit me. Vasquer’s false gods… they trouble me no longer, yet I retain their false divinity. It astounds.”

Anneliese placed one hand against her chin, mulling his words.

Feeling he should continue to divert away from himself, Argrave said, “I think you should know something. Georgina and Duke Rovostar snuck into the palace during the chaos. They were trying to free Felipe.”

Orion stood. “What?”

“Levin stopped them. He… tackled Felipe off the mountainside,” Argrave said quietly, looking up at Orion. “They both died from the fall. Elenore saw this happen.”

Orion raised his hands up to his head as his gray eyes widened in shock. He turned away, running his fingers through his hair, damaged after the fight with the Shadowlander. He turned fast enough to stir the air stomped on the floor, shaking the room. “How could you let this happen?!”

The prince loomed dangerously over Argrave, but Galamon grabbed his arm fiercely and fearlessly. “You’re shaking the room. The Palace is already crumbling. Don’t cause more problems for His Majesty,” the knight-commander said, guttural voice low and threatening.

Argrave stared. He was good at acting calm. The key word there, though, was acting. His Brumesingers clambered out of his coat and growled at the towering prince in a tense moment.

“How can you sit there like that?” Orion continued. “They were still… your blood…”

Orion mentioned they were his blood, but words came to his mouth and he quickly said, “You have

closed

at Galamon before backing away. “But… Levin?” the prince sat back on the bed, clearly distressed. His fingers ran through his hair in abject despair as tears fell. “Why would he do this? No matter what

sniffled while everyone else stayed quiet for a long while. Anneliese looked in deep thought even now, amber eyes moving between the

suddenly, then whipped his head up and narrowed his red eyes. “Did

question, petting his Brumesinger’s floppy ears.

his head once again. “I thought for a moment that Elenore had regained

Argrave scratched his neck, and the Brumesingers disappeared back into his coat.

leaned in, totally alert. “Meaning…

it all back. The feet, the eyes, all of

planted both of his hands on Argrave’s knees, exclaiming, “That’s wonderful! I…!” his enthusiasm dampened. “She… cannot want to see me, being as she is absent at present. I

Orion pulled his hands off his knees Argrave rubbed the spots they’d been, feeling that a bruise was inevitable from that tight grip of his. “I can’t speak for Elenore,” he

of Keeping Up With the Vasquers. The reports would be considerably

you as an experiment in testing the boundaries between realms,”

to her. “What’s

too, looked at Anneliese. “How do you

took a deep breath in preparation for a long talk. “Traugott was the original emissary designated to sway the Magisters in far northern Vasquer to support Argrave,” she began, her confidence lending her speech speed. “It stands to reason that he knew of Gerechtigkeit. But what is more

her words, eyes distant as he contemplated. Slowly, he

can presently bridge the realms between worlds if he had done independent research on the matter. You’ve told me in private that Traugott is a scholarly sort—fascinated by the unknown. A scientist.” She pointed at Orion. “Traugott had an idea. Orion was the key to testing that idea—namely,

turned his head around and looked at her. “…and it worked. The spirits of Vasquer froze the man’s portal of shadow in

evidence enough that he knows how knowledgeable you are,” Anneliese continued. “When I observed him back then, he had intense curiosity about you. I suspect he genuinely bears no malice towards

did…!”

can cause great harm without acting in malice,” Anneliese interrupted Orion. “Did he say anything

long and hard. “I remember only the last thing he said to me before vanishing.

that this was some

something like that. I can’t remember exactly what. If only my accursed brain did not keep such delible memories, I could offer better recollection. Forgive me, future

looked

asked her seriously. “From Argrave’s account, greater evils come. That is our focus,

intuition tells me that Traugott will not settle down and calmly read books as he did in Heroes of Berendar. He has changed,” Anneliese looked to Argrave. “And as we saw, he has the potential to be extremely

his skull in my bare hands,” he declared, moving to the window as though to jump. Anneliese