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…”

to his mouth and he quickly said, “You

closed

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 father had done, his

quiet for a long while. Anneliese looked in deep thought even now, amber eyes moving

up and narrowed

unexpected question, petting his Brumesinger’s floppy ears. “It was

his head once again. “I thought for a

his neck, and the Brumesingers disappeared

in, totally

back. The feet, the

me, being as she is absent at present. I do not blame her. I

feeling that a bruise was inevitable from that tight grip of his. “I

in the latest edition of Keeping Up With the Vasquers. The reports would be considerably smaller

use you as an experiment in testing the boundaries between

to her.

Anneliese.

speed. “It stands to reason that he knew of Gerechtigkeit. But what is more interesting is that

her words, eyes distant as he contemplated.

that booklet, if you recall,” she squeezed his shoulder to emphasize her point. “There was certainly enough to extrapolate that spirits are one of the few things that 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, if spirits could

Vasquer froze the man’s portal of shadow in place

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

what he did…!”

malice,” Anneliese interrupted Orion. “Did

long and hard. “I remember only the last thing he

some sort of test for him,”

that. I can’t remember exactly what. If only my accursed

window and looked out across Dirracha. “Regardless, something more remains. Traugott must

Galamon asked her seriously. “From Argrave’s account, greater evils come. That is our focus, lest we succumb to

he did in Heroes of Berendar. He has changed,” Anneliese looked to Argrave. “And as we saw, he has the potential to be extremely dangerous. One rock in the road

hands,” he declared, moving to the window as though to jump. Anneliese stepped