Page 54 of Her Royal Blood

He was looking much older than his already advanced years. In fact, Sire seemed like he might be very unwell and perhaps dying. I’d always been impressed by how robust Sire was despite his age, and here he looked every one of his sixty-five or seventy years.

“I’m trying your Lordship,” Sire spat out almost like a venomous hiss.

“You’re not trying hard enough,” Polonius yelled and I could see that the stress of his conquest of Tobran was taking its toll on him too. “I have to know what’s happening!”

“I’ve used all my magic on restoring the Crimson Pitaya fields in Onyx Rah and accelerating their growth. That is hundredsof acres from seed to harvest. My magic has been completely drained,” Sire rasped in desperation.

“Show me!” Polonius’ head whipped around to Halo and Gabrielle.

As Sire was still trying to conjure a hazy ball for Polonius, he faltered and fell to the ground and the ball that was held in midair, foggy and disoriented, burst into smoke and disappeared. Polonius kicked Sire Vanoire as soon as his frail body hit the ground.

“You’re a useless old man. I should throw you into the Genesis pit and see if you resurrect into something that can be of any benefit to me, otherwise good riddance.”

Polonius was always a foul kind of man, but he was being particularly so at that moment.

“Show me what has happened in Navarrah City,” Polonius whipped his head to Halo and his eyes narrowed.

Halo gave a pleading glance to Gabrielle, but nodded her head and raised her arms to show Polonius Navarrah City. Since Halo actually had magic he could witness a battle that took place near the port a few days before when Lex led his troops to victory. In the projection there was mayhem and bloodshed, but it was evident that the Crypt Claw warriors were not only outnumbered but also were being annihilated. From the floor Sire looked up, confused.

Polonius went white watching how badly his troops were being defeated. One after the other, his warriors went down in battle. Blood saturated the ground as did the corpses of his defeated Crypt Claw army.

“No!” Polonius grabbed at his hair and for a moment lost his grip on his sanity.

Polonius might be a roughened warrior, and a brute of a man, but he conducted himself with poise and omnipotence at all times. As soon as he saw how badly his troops were beingovertaken, he lost his cool calculated demeanor. Then, unable to turn his head away from the horror, we watched as Lex stepped into battle, his sword bloody, his clothes, and his face mired in sweat and dirt, he sliced a Crypt Claw warrior’s head right off of his body.

“How?” Polonius faltered and Sire looked confused. “Lex should be dead. What are you showing me?” He snapped his head to Halo. “Is this a trick?”

Halo stared at Polonius' face. “You keep me bound to a chair at night and make me follow you around all day, do you think I’d trick you? What purpose would that serve? If I lied to you about Navarrah City you’d just kill me right? Why would I waste my own life simply to put others in danger of your wrath?” She looked over to Gabrielle and gave her a sympathetic glance, playing her part to perfection.

At that moment two soldiers knocked on the door to the workshop and Polonius nodded his head to Gabrielle.

“Aria, go open the door,” he said and Gabrielle quietly walked to the door to let the soldiers in.

“Lord Polonius,” they both bowed. “We have word from Navarrah City.”

“What?” Polonius was nearly ravenous. “What is it?”

“Prince Lex Redveign is still alive and the Navarrian forces have regained the ports. We’ve lost most of our army and those who weren’t killed have retreated. The troops from Navarrah City are advancing and pushing the Crypt Claw back. Also,” the guard was hesitant to speak.

“What?” Polonius growls. “What the hell now?”

“Someone has blown up the warehouse and our airship hangers,” the guard said, barely whispering.

Polonius looked like he was about to be sick and all I wanted to do was smile.

“What of the airships?” Polonius’ voice was a menacing hiss, that had a delicious edge, because if he had been thinking clearly he would have already known that his airships had been lost in the blast.

“Destroyed,” the guard hardly said.

“And Prince Lex is alive?” Polonius gritted his teeth.

“I believe he is.” Within moments Polonius was on the guard choking the life out of him. “I’m telling the truth.” The guard with a shock of red hair and pale skin that is now flushed with asphyxiation. “If you kill me, I can’t fight for you.” His breath petered out, but perhaps coming to his senses Polonius let the guard go and he gulped down air.

As the guard stabilized, Polonius’ heated and narrowed gaze fell on Gabrielle.

“Show me Navarrah City again. The scene Halo just projected,” Polonius ordered, his pale features turned sallow.

“I can’t,” Gabrielle said. “I haven’t the strength.” She puts up her arms and tried to make magic as Halo did her best to project the image for her but the vision faltered, the same way Sire’s had.

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