Page 26 of Clash of Kingdoms
Huntley fell silent.
Rancor held his gaze and waited.
“Your daughter was unharmed, so that’s far more reasonable.”
“I will decide what’s reasonable,” Huntley said coldly. “You’re lucky you aren’t a father, because if you were, your child would be in my dungeon as we speak.”
Rancor brushed off the statement. “Do we have a deal?”
I stared at Huntley, wondering if he would accept this revision. Choosing the method of torture for your enemy was more satisfying than a clean death—in my opinion.
Huntley lifted his hand across the table, ready to shake Rancor’s hand.
Rancor released a sigh of relief then reached forward.
With unparalleled speed, Huntley grabbed the dagger and stabbed it straight into Rancor’s palm, digging the tip into the wood and pinning him in place. Blood spilled everywhere, several shades darker than that of a human.
Rancor released a restrained scream, unable to move because the dagger was too deep.
“Yes,” Huntley said. “We have a deal.”
Rancor winced as he tightened the gauze around his bloody hand. It stained the white handkerchief as he continued to bleed, dyeing the cream color a ruby red. He kept his hand on his thigh, his eyes still hard in pain.
I pulled up a chair and sat between the two men.
“Let’s hear it,” Huntley said impatiently. “I’ve got demons to kill.”
Rancor shifted his gaze to me, looking at me head on for the first time since I’d stepped into that tent. “You broke our alliance. Why?”
“This isn’t a family reunion,” Huntley snapped. “You’re answering my questions, not asking any of your own.”
Rancor kept his gaze on me.
“Kidnapping a princess is not equivalent to harvesting venom from a wild snake,” I said. “It was an unfair trade from the beginning, and you know it. You took advantage of my situation to get what you wanted, so I don’t feel bad for my betrayal. You also told me that you would only use her as leverage to draw out her father, that she would be returned unharmed, but when I arrived, you informed me your plans had changed.” I could feel Huntley’s anger suddenly explode inside his chest. “That wasn’t the deal, so I couldn’t leave her there. I’m not a good man, but I don’t kill innocent women.” Intentionally…at least. “I don’t regret my decision, even if our relationship is irreparable.”
Rancor narrowed his eyes, like he could make out something in the air between us. “I see it now.”
I didn’t ask for an elaboration, but I knew what he meant. He probably wanted to say more, but because her father sat right across the table, he was wise and kept those words to himself.
“Speak,” Huntley ordered. “Before the sun rises.”
Rancor turned to Huntley. “I only know what the demons have agreed to share with me, but I suspect they’re hiding more than they show, like an iceberg that only reveals its tip. They’ve come to our lands in search of power, power that can only be harvested from a special type of crystal, which only exists beneath the surface of the earth.”
“The Exiles of Palladium mentioned this,” Huntley said. “Their loved ones are trapped in camps as they mine for what the demons seek.”
“Their reserves have diminished, and they’ve grown desperate for a replacement. The yield of the camps is minimal, but it’s better than nothing. The soil of the east is so dry and arid that crystals are unable to grow here. From what they said, it seems like the crystals are a solid form of water, but not cold like ice. It subdues their fires, fuels their magic, allows them to thrive. But as a consequence, the harvesting of the crystals kills the land where these stones resided. Without that form of water, the land goes barren and dead, and the effects are irreversible.” Rancor adjusted his hand again, wincing when he moved his fingers. “I told them I knew where they could find more crystals…if they removed you from power.”
My eyes shifted to Huntley’s face, waiting for his reaction to this horrible news.
“Our lands are cold and wet, so they’re an ideal place.” He seemed to say it more to himself than anyone else. “And that’s why this place is a barren desert, because they’ve already used up the crystals that were once here.”
Rancor gave a nod. “The plan was to defeat you in Delacroix and then accept your surrender?—”
“And put us to work like the other prisoners.” A rage should be burning inside Huntley, but he digested all of this with a sense of calm. Or maybe it was defeat.
“Yes,” Rancor said. “And then?—”
“Once they’ve finished using all the crystals, they move on to the next place, our lands barren and dry just like the east, and you would rule over us the way a farmer rules over his flock of sheep.” He stared at Rancor, giving him the harshest look of judgment I’d ever seen.