A sudden flare from the first guard they’d freed burnt away all trace of dark magic and the natural renewal process continued. The other three followed suit and soon four newly reborn phoenixes shook off the dust surrounding them.
Father exhaled, but I felt his anger. “I should have pushed harder to prevent this meeting.”
“There was nothing more you could’ve done,” Elspeth said. “Grandfather refused to listen to anything that conflicted with his beliefs.”
I’d experienced his intractable nature more than any, and I agreed with my sister. He’d changed in recent years. Almost as if…. “When was the last time Grandfather left the palace?”
“What?” Father asked. “Why?”
“Tell me this is the father you knew,” I said before turning to my siblings. “Or the grandfather of our childhood. His bitterness seemed to grow over the last few years. Like someone had put a spell on him or altered his thoughts.”
Crazy as it sounded, no one disputed the possibility.
“It would explain a lot,” Colum said. “But how could we all have missed something so obvious?”
“The change was subtle enough that it didn’t arouse suspicion,” Father said. “By the time he cast the spell, we’d all gotten used to his suspicions of mages.”
Bart walked toward us. “I don’t detect any lingering black magic, but I’m not an expert on phoenix physiology. They should be carefully checked.”
“Understood,” Father said. He turned toward Elspeth. “Contact your siblings and escort our guests to the council chamber. I’m calling an emergency session.”
I threaded my fingers through Rod’s not caring if anyone protested. If what had just happened didn’t convince everyone Grandfather was wrong, I no longer cared.
The emergency session was a chaotic affair, with councilors trying to assert their power in the wake of Grandfather’s abduction. I stood to Father’s right, with Colum, Elspeth, my oldest brother Lauchlin, and my other sister Gwyneth. It was meant to be a show of unity, but my presence had been distracting. Several of the old hardliners declared that if I hadn’t been cavorting with a mage this wouldn’t have happened. After a particularly personal attack, Lauchlin stepped forward and slammed his hand onto the table.
“Enough!” The room quieted at the outburst. My brother was a powerful but kind being who’d been a source of comfort when I needed him. “You shout accusations at my family, but not one fact. The king has been abducted and not because of his kin. Cinaed abided by his king’s rule despite how much it cost him. Four guards live because of the unrivaled skills of the mages you disparage. Your role is to provide counsel, not cast baseless aspersions. If you’ve nothing of value to add, then you are relieved of your position.”
The room was divided into two parts, those who would support Father and those who cared only about their own importance. Members of the latter group seethed, while the former tried to hide their amusement. Lauchlin’s outburst made it clear there was no division in our family.
Father put a hand on Lauch’s shoulder and smiled gratefully. “Thank you, son.”
He swept his gaze across the room, daring someone to speak. The loudest voices of dissent were those who’d carved positions for themselves in the disarray Grandfather’s erratic behavior had created. Father let the council know that until the king returned, their influence had evaporated.
He turned his attention to Rod and his brothers. “What do we know of Blackstone’s intentions?”
“His ultimate goal is to bring down the Great Ward.” Rod answered. “The Guardians and the Mage Council believe he used recent events to collect dark magic. Bart is the expert on these matters, so I’ll let him explain.”
Father nodded, and Bart led the council through the intel Chancellor Hollen had conveyed to Grandfather. There were shocked expressions when he explained the missing piece was the energy released when a phoenix permanently died.
“It took the death of Archmage Katarina and Princess Adelais to banish the demons from this world,” Bart said. “The power Blackstone has collected, if released all at once, would probably equal the output of Katarina ending her life. The king’s kidnapping changes one conclusion, and raises a question I hadn’t considered before.”
“What’s changed?” Father asked.
“He isn’t ready to act. Either he’s still missing something or he needs to act at a specific time or place, or both. If he was ready to act, he’d have killed the king instead of taking him hostage.”
The reprieve from the world being flooded with demons was a relief, but that raised the question he hadn’t considered. “What troubles you now?” I asked.
“Why King Ailpein?” Bart stared into his purple gem. “He specifically wanted the king. I don’t know why, but finding the answer might be essential not just to saving him, but also the world.”
Father let the room discuss the new information, then handed most of the councilors tasks. Those with assignments left and the atmosphere improved.
“Well played,” Colum said too softly for anyone but family to hear.
Father didn’t acknowledge the compliment. “Seal the room.”
The guards shut the doors, but when Rod and Otto pulled out their stones, it was clear he’d been talking to the mages.
A phoenix in a scholar’s robe stepped forward with several scrolls and put them on the table. “I think I might have some information to answer Bart’s questions,” Father said. He paused to let the historian spread out a map and Gwyneth moved to his side. “When I heard about Blackstone’s need to kill a phoenix, I asked my daughter to conduct some research.”
