Obsidian: Retribution (Book 2)

Forty-Six: My Favorite Pawn

It was too easy, Sarasef thought as he stepped inside the command center of his brother's new fortress, through the excessive decorations of its receiving hall, across the brand new Cakoran wool carpet he was staining with a mixture of blood and mud from his boots.

It felt like walking into a trap, one so well set up you could smell the bait from another town, find it suspicious, and then head right into it anyway for how irresistible the reward was. He'd been prepared for that, however, and had brought with him twelve hundred men in case he ran into a bigger fight than he'd anticipated. But Saracen's fortress had been half empty when he arrived, just as di Amarra had said. His men also had not been intercepted by the city guards, save for a few patrols, just as di Amarra had promised. Saracen's men had also surrendered quickly when he stormed the compound, just as di Amarra had predicted. Everything had gone smoothly and as planned, but if you knew anything about the Red Mamba, you'd know a gift from that snake could come concealed with blades or poison, or at a price at least twice of what he offered.

The price for this gift of information had already been given to him, in fact, which was for him to listen to Muradi's proposal. Muradi, who, apparently, wasn't dead, and would be trying to retake the throne.

Just listen, the Red Mamba had said. That, in itself, came with its own blades. Everyone knew the danger of listening to Muradi––another venomous creature in his own right, not to mention one who just won't die no matter what Fate dragged him through. He had listened to the exiled prince talk his way into his father's care as a young man. He'd listened to Ranveer Borkhan talk his way out of certain death with just the right arrangement of words. He'd listened to Salar Muradi of Rasharwi coax him into signing a treaty he didn't find fair. He was about to listen the man again, now with Deo di Amarra to back him.

He had thought about it for a night, and decided it was worth a gamble. For one thing, destroying him wasn't practical, or useful. For another, his conflict with Saracen must end, and this was a golden opportunity to end it.

The reward was irresistible, so irresistible it was worth both the risk of listening to Muradi and the shame of breaking an oath. He had promised the young Bharavi an alliance with the White Desert, and just listening to Muradi's proposal could be considered breaking his word. Then again, that alliance, as far as he was concerned, had yet to be sanctioned by Citara. It might never never happen.

After all, they had been enemies for centuries, and the Visarya might not have that big an influence to persuade the White Tower. The young Bharavi might not be that powerful a figure to bring about such change in the White Desert. There were hundreds of chosen ones in any town, anywhere. Most of them died young, sometimes from being discovered, other times from discovering they were the second choice of the fifth god in rank. Logic should still apply, even if you believed in gods and divine beings.

Sarasef didn't believe in any of those things. He believed in being on the winning side, and for that, one needed to be aware of where powerful people were heading. He'd decided listening to Muradi could be beneficial, and he wasn't completely helpless or unarmed. He did have the man's favorite son, or at least the power to bargain for the boy's life.

The risks were acceptable, so was the prospect of breaking an oath to survive. What wasn't acceptable was not getting the fight he'd been promised. He had come to deal with Saracen for control of the Rishi, had been prepared to kill his own brother with honor, with respect if necessary. Instead he'd been given a pitiful victory over men who seemed ready to surrender, and his brother was nowhere to be found.

Someone had done something to him, or something had changed since the last time they met.

He slammed the double door open, wasn't even sure if he wanted to find Saracen on the other side, wasn't sure either what he would do if he did, given his rage at the moment.