Page 7 of The Night Prince 2

“That can’t be right! That can’t be…” Finley’s eyes flickered to Declan who was over behind the bar.

As the bar had slowly emptied out as the night progressed and tables had become available, they had pushed two of them together for everyone to sit down with the king. But not Declan. He had remained working. Serving drinks behind the bar or at neighboring tables. Cleaning off the remnants of meals. Supervising Snow and Rain in the back room while they were doing dishes. There were angry spats of fairy light coming from there, which meant that they were likely low key fighting again. Declan turned his head towards them, but Finley wished he was looking over at the tables, that he heard what Rhalyf had just said. Because if he had…

But Declan can wield magic! It didn’t kill him! It didn’t do anything bad to him at all! Finley wanted to say, but to say it was to betray his best friend. So Rhalyf’s wrong. He’s absolutely wrong. But I can’t… can’t say anything. I’ll have to just prove it to him like everyone else.

Finley wasn’t sure why Rhalyf not believing humans capable of wielding magic bothered him almost as much as the Glass Scholar not doing so. Maybe it was because Rhalyf was so good at wielding it, but also so casual about it, too.

Like it was nothing. Just as he said.

“So unless the Aravae Empire remains here, protecting you, humanity will go extinct,” Rhalyf said. “And, though I know it is not comfortable to talk about or acknowledge, we are all intelligent people here. But, more importantly, I think we are practical people.”

“Which means?” Finley asked.

“That our protection must be paid for.” Michael’s jaw was tight.

“Unless you stop the monsters from coming from the Under Dark in the first place,” Declan’s voice suddenly rose up to Finley’s left.

He turned his head. Declan was standing right beside him as if he had sensed Finley’s dismay. His best friend had been distracted by the fairies a moment earlier, but here he was. By Finley’s side. Ready to protect him.

Aquilan’s eyes immediately jumped to his best friend. “It’s interesting you ask that, Declan,” Aquilan said with a broad smile that seemed to cross his face whenever Declan came around, let alone spoke. “The truth is we’re not sure how the Leviathan came to Earth in the first place. Our best guess is that certain magical wards were weakened and the Leviathan were able to break through.”

“The Kindreth’s wards, right?” Finley leaned forward on the table on his elbows.

Aquilan nodded. “Set by Xelroth Vex himself.”

“The Night King,” Shonda breathed.

“You share your son’s interest in him, too?” Rhalyf lifted an eyebrow as he smiled and took a sip of wine.

“You should hear Finley’s tales of him. If even a quarter of them are true then he must have been the greatest Mage in existence,” she said.

“Oh, my, Shonda, you are going to be a breath of fresh air in the Council Chambers speaking such things!” Rhalyf trilled with laughter.

“Why? I know that the Kindreth are an enemy of the Aravae, but that does not mean we should not be truthful about their accomplishments,” Shonda answered.

“I quite agree, Shonda. And yes, Vex is special,” Aquilan answered.

“Is?” Finley stared at Aquilan without blinking. “So you think he’s still alive?”

“I have no reason to think otherwise,” Aquilan admitted, but then his eyes went unfocused and distant as he murmured, “I should know if he were gone.”

For a brief moment, Rhalyf looked startled and his eyes narrowed slightly at his king. But then Aquilan shook himself and focused upon them again.

“If the wards have been damaged or weakened then only Vex himself could fix them. If they are even fixable,” Aquilan admitted.

“But you’re the Sun King,” Declan stated as if that meant he should be able to do anything.

“In the Under Dark, there is no Sun,” Aquilan answered a little sadly. “But, more importantly, what Vex did by separating the Under Dark from the rest of the planes was an act of almost godlike power. I do not think it could be recreated.”

“So the Leviathan and other things can come here from the Under Dark? Nothing can stop them?” Declan asked.

A nod. “The need for the Aravae to remain and our magic to guard humanity… is eternal, I think.”

“Which means that the big Houses will have to be paid,” Shonda said softly and a look of utter sadness flitted across her face. But then she firmed her expression. “That payment needs to be handled fairly and carefully, King Aquilan. As the representative of humanity on your Council, I must caution you that the Separatists’ ranks will swell and worse if it is not.”

“And I look forward to your counsel on this, Shonda,” he said with a nod.

The evening had broken up soon after with everyone heading to bed. Finley doubted he was the only one who didn’t sleep well. Shonda and Michael had been quiet on the way back, but the weight of what was to come hung heavily upon them.

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