Page 107 of Set in Darkness
He nodded. “Okay.”
“And once you are with Nevari, you’ll need to use your charisma and persuasion to convince him to release Jarryn,” Venser continued.
“Just be cautious, Leander. We don’t want to escalate this situation any further.” Venser, who was nodding in agreement, added. The twins’ minds connected and they spoke as if their very existence was all about cohesion. “Remember, your words carry weight, even if you are no longer a demigod. Use those words to your advantage.”
“I understand.” Leander’s expression was something fierce to behold. “But if he doesn’t listen to reason, I will do whatever it takes.”
Venser opened his mouth, possibly to argue that they were trying to avoidwhatever it takes, but he thought better of it.
“Are you ready?”
“No,” Leander uttered. “But I’m never going to be prepared for this.”
“Remember, your demigod status means you have a duty to protect those who cannot defend themselves. DareI say it, Prince Jarryn currently falls into that category and he will die without your assistance.”
“I won’t fail him, Verin.”
“Together, we will pull off the impossible.”
The two smiled at each other, a restorative look that gave them both strength in this time of desperate measures.
“Well, we’d better not waste any more time. If you’re doing this, we’d best get on with it.” Venser had never been one for inaction. When he wanted something done, he wanted it done yesterday.
Nodding his agreement, Leander smoothed down his clothes. Whilst not in his finest wear, he still wore the colours of the Talius family, indicating his status as a noble. That should get him into the camp initially and his name should put him in front of Nevari.
“I’ll be back. We’ll be back.”
With one final, brave smile, Leander left his brothers. He would find Jarryn, and bring him back, once he had faced Nevari.
“Haltin the name of the King!”
Leander did not stop walking as he approached King Nevari’s pop up camp in Eamore’s land. Perhaps, he thought for a moment, there was an agreement between the two countries, one Vyrica was not privileged enough to share in.
“We said—halt!”
“There’s someone here who is dying to meet me. I amhere to see your king,” Leander called out when he was close enough not to have to shout. His Desannian was a little rusty after months of not using it, but his accent was pure and there would be no misunderstandings. “He will want to see me.”
“Oh really? A wastrel such as yourself has business with His Majesty? I think not, little rat. Get away with you.”
Leander supposed that, after days on the road with no option to clean properly—for he had set a demanding pace that his twin brothers had no choice but to follow—he did look a bit like a street urchin. Even the brocade waistcoat was damaged and barely recognisable, with the blues and silvers of his house being lost to days of grit and dirt.
He would forgive the guards for making such an assumption.
“I’m quite serious, gentlemen.”
“Ohoo, look at this little rat,gentlemenindeed. Quite polite for vermin. I’m not sure it would be right to spear such a courteous little thing without hearing him out,” one of the men said, an insipid smile playing on his lips as he waved Leander forward to speak with them more intimately. “Go on then, little rat. Tell me why His Majesty would like to see you.”
“Because I’m the property of Jarryn Eleinium,” he said simply with a shrug. “I’m the nephew of King Caisa. I’m the son of the Myracle, Leía. Take your pick.”
The guards took a step back, expressions aghast, as if they had realised how they had spoken to a demigod, horrified at the notion of offending someone like him. And then realisation set in…propertyof the prince, how had the mighty fallen into disgrace, a little rat indeed.
Yet, they couldn’t send him away.
Leander watched the cogs turn in their mind as they both reached the conclusion he knew they would: that Nevari would very much agree with Leander’s first statement. He would, indeed, like to set eyes on Leander.
“Come with us,” one of the guards said gruffly, taking Leander’s arm.
Whilst he didn’t think he was a captive yet, this felt very much like being frog-marched, humiliation and all, as soldiers from around the camp came to inspect the disturbance as rumours began to spread of a demigod within their midst.
