Teo tries again. “One king to another, I ask you to join our fight. Rholker’s family has poisoned the giants for long enough—let us usher in a new era together.”
My mate holds out his hand as if he were to shake Braareg’s.
“Neither of you have involved yourselves in swamp business before. In fact, you have purposefully left us out of the council of three. Trolls, Elves, and Giants have had enough power for too long,” the king says at last.
“I am not of the elvish kingdom,” Mrath says decidedly.
Braareg pauses to think again, as if still considering each word deeply. “If you have come to kill Rholker, then finish your business. It will be the first kindness between our peoples. And the next time you have an inter-kingdom summit, I expect an invite.”
“So that’s it? You come to tell us we are on your land, that you have some spiritual sight from your goddess, demand to know our plans, and then leave?” Teo asks. Through our bond, I feel the tension knotting through him. His frustration is hidden under reason, but he grows impatient.
Finally, the Ogre King opens his mouth.
“I came to see if you would share with someone your people once considered lesser—to see if Yde’s blessing would follow you in your battle plans. You sought to make a deal, as your people always have. It is not the time for us to join the fight. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, but a friend is not an ally. Not yet.”
Teo looks at him for a long, hard minute, and I can’t help but feel like we lost something.
It sets every nerve on fire. We could’ve used the extra help.
But then, Teo surprises me by asking,What does your Fuegorra tell you?
When I catch Liana’s eye, I find her watching me. She presses her lips together, and my mind wanders back to the scrying grotto.
I suck in a deep breath and close my eyes, trying to ignore the pressing silence. I press my hand to my belly as I look inward, prodding at both forms of magic in my chest, both bestowed by goddesses. An answer comes quietly.
Let it be. It is not time for the ogres, but they will be of use in the future.
My eyes snap open, and I let the answer flow to my mate. Then he says, “Very well. We appreciate that you are hosting us.”
Braareg looks pleased at the compliment, and then, with all his swampy glory, he turns and leaves out of the tent.
Mrath huffs out an incredulous breath. “That’s it? You’re just going to let him go?”
Teo turns back to her. “He’s right. I have never heard of an allyship between the trolls and ogres. In fact, we have indeed left them out of most of the major events in the last recorded millennia. Diplomacy is long. Surely you know that, Mrath.”
He’s careful not to mention my vision, for some reason.
Mrath glowers but doesn’t say anything more.
I am mostly glad that we didn’t have to deal with a premature fight. The ogres seem formidable.
“You seem very confident of that answer,” she seethes.
Then Teo says bluntly, “You should be, too, as someone who hopes to enlist as much help as possible in marching upon your brother.”
Mrath rolls her eyes. “I grow tired of this conversation and the endless debate. I have decided we will march at midnight.”
Ka’Prinn and Ner’Feon open their mouths in tandem, but Liana shakes her head as Thorne reaches for his blade in threat.
“Very well. We will march at night. It is not so late yet. Sleep for an hour or two, and we will ready ourselves,” Teo says. The two water dwellers scowl, but say nothing else.
With an agreement finally in place, the meeting finishes, the others leave, and then it is just us and the silence. My mind races with the meeting—the ogres, the elves, the inevitable blood that will be spilled soon. A part of me fights against the encroaching moment with denial.
Teo breaks me out of my thoughts by stroking my cheek. “Are you well?”
I nod, slowly. “My nerves threaten to eat me alive. There was a moment when Braareg walked in that I was truly frightened.”
He nods. “I trust what you saw. His arrival was a front. You should feel peace. I think seeing him was the beginning sign of healing our land through united peoples. Now, we should try to rest before…”
