Tenebris held genuine affection for Sunnira, but as one of his earliest friends, she had a pesky habit of asking questions others wouldn’t dare utter.I should have trained that habit out of her when I first met her. The Runt is almost as taken with me, and he never makes irritating inquiries.
“Varmints started stirring in the south just when I thought it was time to come north.” He made a show of sighing. “I stayed to help Grimick stamp them out, but they’re worse than sewer rats.”
“Varmints?” Farrin asked.
“Some farmers and commoners playing rebel. Though they should be easy to crush, they’ve burned two outposts and reclaimed several villages—all in the name of their beloved Snow Queen.” Tenebris frowned. “We razed a few villages, but they still prowl around in the hills. In the end, I decided it would be quicker to kill their ‘hero’ than to keep hunting them down individually.”
“I see,” Farrin said. “Shall I take you to your quarters, sir?”
“Yes, thanks, Runt.” Tenebris walked shoulder-to-shoulder with Farrin—Sunnira still held his arm, and three of Farrin’s magic user officers fell in line behind them.
“Released,” Farrin shouted.
The foot soldiers and the rest of the magic users broke out of formation, like a bunch of ants searching for food.
Watching the swirl of activity, Tenebris kept his voice relaxed and unbothered. “I must say, Runt, I am upset. It isn’t like you to leave an enemy alive.”
“I regret that I have disappointed you.”
Yes, he’s the perfect guard dog—doesn’t get angry, doesn’t make excuses, just accepts his failure. Maybe I should try and get more Sarthe-trained gladiators after Verglas has fallen. If I can get more men like him, it would be worth the hassle.Tenebris slapped Farrin’s shoulder again. “Don’t take it to heart. You haven’t ever failed me before. You were bound to do so eventually—though I must admit, I didn’t think your lesson of humility would come from a thin-skinned, worthless princess.”
“With all due respect, sir, no one who has met Princess Rakel would call her thin-skinned or useless,” Farrin said.
Interesting…“We’ll see. In the meantime, I’ve changed my mind about the Verglas citizens.”
Farrin’s posture didn’t shift, but Tenebris noticed the slightest lift of his brows. “Oh?”
“Yes,” Tenebris said. “We’ll have to cull most of them.”
“Cull?” a boyish voice asked. Tenebris glanced back at the three officers trailing them. A young man—barely more than a boy, swallowed hard. “I-I beg your pardon, sir.”
He fears me? Good. Loyalty to the Runt and fear of me will keep him in line.Inspiring loyalty was another one of Farrin’s uses. His officers were so loyal he had them eating out of his palm, so Tenebris was careful to assign him all the bleeding-heart types who—unlike stupidly-loyal Farrin—might question Tenebris’s actions. In turn, the officers were stupidly-loyal to Farrin.If I weren’t certain of his loyalty, it could be dangerous, but Farrin would never betray me.
“No harm, boy,” Tenebris said. “I meant we’ll have to kill ’em. They’re too stubborn and too prone to hope. They’ll make lousy slaves unless we limit their numbers.”
Farrin stopped outside a large black tent. “Do you really think it is necessary to found our country with such slaughter?”
“Necessary? No. But it will make it easier.” Tenebris swatted his free hand through the air. “And with the way this war has carried on, we need all the help we can get. I planned for us to hold the entire country by now. As my officers were unable to achieve that, we’ll have to cut corners where we can.”
Farrin stared at him—an unusual gesture. Normally Farrin accepted orders without so much as blinking. Tenebris knew Farrin didn’t much care for slaughter, so this would be a punishment for the colonel. He arched an eyebrow and gave Farrin a toothy smile. “Next time, don’t fail me.”
“Farrin did his best,” Sunnira said. “The problem is Princess Rakel. She was much stronger than any of us could have predicted.”
Ahh yes, the princess.Tenebris shrugged. “That’s an easy fix. Once she’s killed, the resistance will run out of traction.”
Sunnira shook her head. “You need to be careful with her, Tenebris. Farrin did well against her because of his magic, but she could trample anyone else.”
If it had been anyone else, Tenebris would have been irritated—no one told him his limits—but Sunnira acted as she did because she had been smitten with him for a long time. It was charming—when she wasn’t getting in his way—and it put him in a good mood. He grinned and pinched Sunnira’s cheek. “You think she’s better than me, you impudent brat?”
“I think she’s a monster,” Sunnira said.
“Well, it’s a good thing I am one as well.” Tenebris pointed to the tent. “Is this it?”
“I hope it meets your expectations, sir,” Farrin said.
“I’m sure it will. Give me a few hours to get settled, and I’ll meet up with you and your little trainees for dinner,” Tenebris said. “That means you, too, Sunnira.”
Sunnira kissed Tenebris’s cheek. “You don’t need to tell me—you aggravating man. I have patients to attend to.” She winked at their leader, waved to Farrin, and drifted off.
