Page 22 of Hidden Kingdoms

General Fieval was direct and to the point; I enjoyed that about him. It made things easier when these Lords weren’t mincing their words, tongues tripping over themselves in their pursuit to jam them up my ass. Fieval wasn’t like that, though his seat was one handed down father-to-son. Their respect had been earned through their service in the army and an impressive one it was. He had been close with my father; they had both been boys training in the camps together, wrestling in the mud. He was now one of the three Generals that stood at the Commanders side, a title that many of the greedy hands in this room had been envious of.

The Commander had no interest in the games that were played within these walls. Like Kaius, he had no claim on a seat in this Kingdom, though no one would turn him away if by some miracle he did one day decide to walk through those doors, myself included. I knew he would stick by the oath he swore to serve here, but it didn’t make having to tell a Fae like him what to do any easier.

General Kiran’s empty seat was thankfully not from death. The young General was deep in the Ty Rhaia mountains with his team, his assignment classified enough that apart from myself,Kaius and the Commander were the only others who knew where he was.

I willed the fire from my skin as I tapped my fingers on the arm of the chair. I wasn’t going to embarrass myself by scorching my prints into the wood like a child with little control.

“How long ago, and what of Rhodanne itself?” It wasn’t surprising there had been another raid, though one so soon after the last was news I was hoping not to hear.

“Late last night, and untouched as far as the latest report say.” He slid a thin file over the table. I let it sit.

“What’s in Delevore?”

“Nothing of interest as far as I can tell,” Hortense answered, pushing his round glasses up the bridge of his nose. His was a relatively new seat at the table, one taken from his elderly father whose failing health had him ensconced in his manor house far out in the wilds of Incaendium. The youngest of seven, it had ruffled some feathers when Hortense was tapped for the seat, but the man was good at what he did, seemingly capable of pulling information out of thin air.

When I didn’t look away or reach for the file I was sure contained everything I needed answers to, he continued.

“As the General said, it’s close to the border. No specific trade, it’s not rich in any particular commodities, though a four-pound benitoite was found there during the reign of Azar the Unburnt. Nothing since. Most of those who live there work in Rhodanne. The only thing to set it apart is its proximity to the border. The closest town in Aerius is Tandridge.”

My fingers tapped out their frustrations below the table. I didn’t want to have to deal with Aerius. Zephyr —its king—was a moody cunt at the best of times. Sometimes the lines of the borders got a little murky, especially with the towns and villages that sat closest to them. The ones with a history of crossing thekingdoms, it was harder to keep that line when they were your closest neighbours.

“How long will it take for them to complete the search?”

“Shouldn’t be long, the village itself isn’t very big. I’d say two days, three depending on the state it’s been left in,” General Fieval answered, trained eyes flicking to the ripped sleeve of my top.

Was it there this time?

There was no rhyme or reason to its presence, no way to predict where it would hit next or how it would mete out its destruction.

There had been places that had been burned to the ground, all the people huddled together on the outskirts in an attempt to outrun it, using whatever magik they had to ward themselves. It would only be once the flames had been extinguished they would realise someone was missing, though no bodies were found within the ashes of their homes.

Other places had been untouched, yet as Xol’s rays broke over the hills, people woke to empty beds. Children, parents, lovers. It didn’t seem to matter. They were gone. I couldn’t be sure it was all related because the thought of sleeping through a visit from The Darkness was unlikely, especially after I had just evaded its putrid essence once again moments before I stepped in here.

I had no idea how fast The Darkness moved—could it cross a kingdom in that time? It wasn’t like there were books I could pluck from the library to brush up on my knowledge.

Where did it come from? What happened to the people it consumed within its inky blackness? Were they still alive somewhere?

All questions I couldn’t fucking answer.

My magik prickled under my skin, itching for a way out. Suri must have ignored my call. As expected.

“What are the witnesses saying?”

“We’re still waiting on the reports, my Lord,” he replied, inclining his head slightly.

I needed that fucking report.

“I want them tomorrow,” I demanded in that way that would get me what I wanted, and he nodded in confirmation like the good soldier he was.

Just as the raids had no pattern, neither did those taken. As far as I could tell, The Darkness itself was only seen if someone particularly powerful had disappeared, though the crippling fear and power drain were universal across the incidents.

I knew the other kingdoms were experiencing the same thing as we were. Nova had hinted as much in her ridiculous prophecy, and Hortense had somehow got his hands on reports from Aerius and Fera of similar things happening. But it was notoriously difficult to gather the Royal Lines for anything, no matter how important. Which meant I had no idea how they were dealing with it on their end.

If they had found a way to stop it worming its way beneath the wards, they weren’t forthcoming with that information.

“Ensure their wards are reinstated and that they are adequately fuelling them.” I turned my attention to Vasper, the gaunt scrag of a man sitting a few seats down from General Fieval. “I want black salt distributed to every house, every village. I don’t care how you get it, if you need to seize it from Agron then do so.” I ignored the way Amos shifted uncomfortably in his seat at my words.

“Across the whole Kingdom?” Vasper rasped, blinking at me, dull eyes wide at my decision.

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