Of course I did. But a man like Cormac, his rugged, weathered face and silver-streaked hair evidence of his age and many years of these type of deals, thrived on leverage, always ensuring he had the upper hand. I would take it from him where I could.
“Have I forgotten that bit?” I asked, his eyes narrowing at my cheekiness. It was a delicate balance with a man like him. I wanted information, but he would never give it to any who cowered in his presence.
“Aye, and you know it well.”
Enough games. I pulled a piece of parchment from my pocket and slapped it on the table.
“This,” I said, voice low, “is a ledger of Thalassari supply shipments set to dock in Valmyr over the next month. Goods marked for inspection, patrol rotations, and which captains can be bribed to look the other way.”
His eyes widened. Leaning forward, Cormac inspected the information, slid the parchment toward him, folding it and hiding it away inside the folds of his worn, leather jerkin.
“Start talking,” I said.
Cormac turned to Issa, who had been watching the exchange with more than a measure of incredulity that couldn’t be helped. I’d seen her expression as Mev and Kael relayed the conversation they’d overheard. Issa needed the truth. She needed to come to terms with any guilt she might harbor for having trusted Draven.
“Lady Isolde,” he began, Cormac lucky he used her title and was giving Issa the respect she deserved.
“How do you know me?”
Cormac simply smiled. “Lord Draven has been making moves for years. Forging alliances. And looking for… something.”
Isolde crossed her arms. “Alliances with whom? What is he looking for?”
“With human nobles. He’s looking for something your father hid from him.”
A chill crept up my spine. Cormac’s knowledge might be more than we bargained for, but it was too late to hold him back now.
“My father?”
“It’s not a well-kept secret that Draven has always wanted Hawthorne Manor.”
By Issa’s expression, it was clear that particular secret was not one she was a part of keeping. I didn’t know Cormac’s sources but didn’t need to. This, taken with what Issa’s commander had told me, confirmed her allegiance to Draven was ill-advised.
“Draven,” Cormac continued, “has been asking about bloodlines, about the first humans who crossed into Elydor.”
That got my attention. “The Harrows?”
In response, Cormac simply raised a brow. One. Not two. It was an uncanny ability of his. There had been rumors about the Harrow family since they’d arrived. I didn’t give them much credence, but I was curious about how this tied to Draven.
“Aye, the Harrows.” He gave his attention back to Issa. “Your father knew something connected to that first family. Connected to the Aetherian Gate. Whatever your father kept from him, lass… it is keeping Draven from everything he’s ever wanted.”
Riddles. As usual. “Speak plainly,” I said, impatient. “She is more confused than when we came.”
Cormac shot me a look and sat back, crossing his arms. As usual, none in the dimly lit room paid us any mind. If they did, Cormac would have already shuttled them.
“Lord Draven positions himself to become Lord Protector of Estmere. He will use control of Hawthorne Manor and the southern borders, and his brokering of power with midland border nobles, as evidence of his influence.”
Damn. It was worse than I’d imagined.
“Lord…” Issa stuttered, clearly shocked. “We have no Lord Protector of Estmere. Humans have rejected a king since they came through in favor of sovereign lords governing their own lands,” she finished, her voice shaky.
Cormac nodded. “Aye, and Draven means to change that. With the right alliances, enough coin, and a firm enough grip on the borders, he’ll make himself indispensable. And once he’s indispensable…” He trailed off, letting the implication settle.
Issa’s hands curled into fists on the table. “He wouldn’t dare.”
Cormac arched a brow. “Wouldn’t he? He’s been moving pieces for years, laying the groundwork. After your father passed, he continued looking for answers, but it seems whatever secret your father held in connection to the Harrow family died with him. He’s shifted to finding something to push the nobles to rally behind him.”
Issa looked at me, clearly panicked. “And I gave that to him.”
