Page 25 of The Night Prince 2

And yet Rhalyf had come that morning to give Declan something. What? And what had he and Rhalyf spoken so long about and in such low tones as if neither of them wanted him or Gemma to hear?

Could Rhalyf be right that I’m being blind to something about Declan because I don’t want to see it?

If that was true… His stomach roiled. So many people thought bad things about his best friend. They assumed things about him. That was why he had been an outcast even before the war. But the two of them had always understood one another perfectly. And yet…

I’ll talk to him–and really listen–as soon as possible. If, for no other reason, than to make sure I’m not ignoring his concerns. There. That settles it.

Feeling better about things, Finley allowed his gaze to flicker from the now empty water to Rhalyf. Though he loved magic and read extensively about the Aravae–not to mention interviewing everyone he could about nearly everything–the truth was that he’d never had such a powerful Mage to talk to before. And, though it galled him a bit, Rhalyf seemed very intelligent and knowledgeable. If the elf had to accompany him on this trip then he might as well ask a few questions of him.

“The selkies, the sea serpents, the kraken and all the rest of the new creatures,” Finley asked tentatively, “did they come from the Lieran Plane or the Under Dark?”

“Both,” Rhalyf answered.

“So there are rifts opening under the water and–”

“On mountain peaks, in dark caves, and even in the air itself. Yes,” Rhalyf nodded, “all those places and others too. But it’s more than that. Now that Earth has been connected to both planes, things just… pass through or awaken or… who knows? As the years flow by, more creatures will make their home here.”

“I admit that the thought of certain creatures coming here is exciting, but others? Not so much. Is there any way to control who comes and goes?”

“You heard Aquilan last night. What Vex did was a miracle. A godlike show of power that we will never see again,” Rhalyf answered.

At the name of his absolutely favorite historical figure, Finley couldn’t help saying, “Unless Vex comes back and–”

“If Vex returns then the Leviathan will seem like cuddly kittens in comparison. None of us should want his return to the surface, especially humans,” Rhalyf retorted sharply. “He didn’t seal away the Under Dark to keep Earth safe, you know.”

“Actually, I don’t know. The books weren’t exactly clear about why he did it. Do you have a theory?” Finley asked.

Rhalyf pursed his old woman’s lips. The wart on the end of his chin quivered. He was clearly deciding whether or not to answer. Annoyance rose in Finley. The elf was quick with unwanted advice and offering little tidbits of useless information, but about anything worthwhile he was closemouthed!

But then Rhalyf said, “The one thing you must know about Vex is simply this: he gathers magic, weapons, riches, people and more to him not because he loves them or lusts after them himself. But so that no one else might have them.”

Finley’s forehead furrowed. “He wanted to–to keep the Under Dark for himself? That’s why he closed it off from the other planes like he did?”

A nod.

“I see. The way that Kindreth society is presented–well, I know that many of the accounts are prejudiced because they’re written by Aravae–is rather cutthroat,” Finley admitted. “But even if one were only to believe a quarter of what is written about brother betraying brother simply to rise in the ranks, mothers killing daughters so that they don’t outshine them, siblings sacrificing parents for greater magics… well, I suppose I understand why Vex would be intent on having as much power as he could. He would need it to keep himself safe.”

“There is no such thing as safety in Kindreth society,” Rhalyf’s sudden bitterness had Finley staring at him. His aged face puckered as he spoke, “Love is weakness. One would be better off slicing the throats of all one’s family than having them live and breathe to slice yours another night. If you are strong enough to do it anyways.”

Finley blinked. “That’s… that’s awful.”

“Yes, but it’s honest, too. Most people are friendly to one another because they have to be. They’re not strong enough to live on their own. As humans have found out when a rude word can get you fried by lightning, you’re more careful to be polite,” Rhalyf answered with a twist of his lips.

“Is that why you’re friends with the king? To get something out of him? Protection or riches?” Finley asked.

His tone wasn’t judgmental although Rhalyf’s words would have warranted that. Instead, his heart hurt for what the elf was saying. The cold emptiness in such an existence was something he never wanted to experience.

But I can use this in my game! Maybe one of the heroes will remind Vex that there is more to life than that. Yes, that could happen…

Rhalyf blinked and gave him a rather rakish smile, which didn’t play as well on Gran’s face as he said, “I was talking of Kindreth, dear boy. Not Aravae!”

“Right, but you also said that the Kindreth way of doing things was more honest.”

Rhalyf let out a breath. “Did I? Well, I suppose it can be in certain situations.”

“But not between you and Aquilan?”

“No. Never,” Rhalyf murmured and Finley heard an almost pledge in those words.

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