Page 2 of The Kingdom's Reckoning
It was a shame, really. She had been useful to him over the years. Some things weren’t meant to last, though. He had learned that a long time ago.
"Are you afraid of death, Kage?" Lysanthia asked.
"I should be asking you that," he said, motioning for Lundril to come forward. The captain slid his sword from its sheath, and the steel blade gleamed in the torchlight.
"I have known my death was coming for decades," she said. "Once the tapestry has been woven, the future is sealed. But your future is still in the works, the stitches yet to be sewn. Because of this, I have seen your death many times. I have seen you die of old age, by fire, by blade." Her pale gray eyes roamed over him, observing him as she spoke.
Kage gave her nothing, though. He remained rigid, cold, indifferent.
Lysanthia continued, "The saddest instance, though, is the first. For when you are lying in your bed and time has finally strangled the life from you, I see the loneliness of a life that could have had so much love."
Kage tossed back an amused laugh. Here the seer was again, prattling about love. He did not care about such frivolous matters. Not anymore. Not when the power of the world was nearly in the palm of his hand. He snapped his fingers.
Lundril snatched Lysanthia by the chains hanging from her neck. She nearly toppled over, her feeble frame too weak to stay upright.
"You seek power to fill the void she caused," Lysanthia said, peering up at Kage through the greasy strands of hair that fell in front of her face. "You can take the stolen powers, you can createyour monsters. But at the end of the day, no matter what you do, the void will never be filled."
Kage scoffed. "I do not wish to fill a void."
"Ah, that’s right. You only wish for power." A smile split her face in two, revealing yellowed teeth. Her gray irises, once dull, now flared with amusement. "But your power will never compare to that of a god."
The muscles in his jaw ticked.
Catching the movement, Lysanthia smirked. "Do you wish to command Kalisandre again?"
Kage smoothed out a wrinkle on his suit jacket. "Soon, I will no longer need her."
"But she would make it easier. She is the key to your plans, the key to commanding the armies, is she not?"
He poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue. While he had built his army without Kalisandre, losing her required him to readjust certain aspects of his plans. He was making do, though.
"If you spare me, you could gain all that you wish and beyond."
He huffed. He had been right all along despite her claims. The seer did fear death. If she didn’t, she would not have been bargaining with him today. "Why would I bother sparing you? Your use has run its course."
"Have I strayed you wrong yet?"
Lundril looked at him for the order, but the seer’s question made Kage hesitate.
Kage thought the answer was simple, but when he considered it, everything she had told him, every direction he had led her in, had only gotten him closer to achieving his goals. The experiments had proven successful, his army had grown in strength and numbers, the war was starting, and his allies were falling in line.
"If you spare me, Kalisandre will try to save me for the one she loves. She will propose a trade: her for me. If you take it, you could have the power of the gods at your fingertips. The world will go up in flames because of you."
As if in response, the torchlight flickered in the reflection of Lundril’s sword.
Kalisandre’s emotions were always her weak point. Even as a child, she cared too much, too easily. When the handmaiden had stripped her of her emotions, Kalisandre had truly shined.
A smile stretched across Kage’s lips.
Perhaps her weakness could be his advantage.
Part One
IGNITING THE FLAME
Chapter 1
KALLIE
