For so long he had always seen me as Averan’s brother, the brother not meant to be King.The warrior instead of the crown. However, now we stood on equal footing, both kings in our own right and he could look down on me no longer.
“Something is moving between our borders, they have become more organised. My borders have been raided and left to ash, and your welcoming of my visit tells me you have experienced it too,” I explained.
Being open and honest with my words, trying to be as clear as possible. I was not there as a threat. I was trying to do the right thing.
“The vampires are on the move again,” Magnus sighed looking over at me, pity flickered in his eyes. Pity I did not want nor appreciate.
“Yes.” I ground out the single syllable breaking through the air like a glass hitting the cold floor.
The confirmation sat heavy between us. Noctharis had always been the rot in our lands. The vampires themselves were too weak to leave their stronghold, but they had other creatures to do their dirty work for them.
It was pathetic really, but they were still a threat, and after their last attack on my kingdom I was not prepared to turn a blind eye.
“I will admit, there have been more disturbances of late, members of my pack have gone missing. Other creatures have reported kidnappings. Some of them are children,” Magnus admitted, sitting in the chair opposite from me. His hands rested on the large table that separated us.
My hands curled into fists, I knew the feeling that I could see reflected in Magnus’ eyes. Helplessness, there was nothing worse than a King being unable to protect his people.
“They are testing us. Seeing who will be brave enough to stand up to them. As far as they are concerned, our alliance is fractured and both of us stand alone,” I explained, trying to keep my tone neutral. I knew we were approaching dangerous territory where it could get tense, but I did not have time to waste.
“And you come to me, after killing a member of my pack all those years ago,” Magnus asked, the anger and pain in his voice more evident now. Another attribute of the wolves that I did not envy, their emotions were always displayed so clearly on their faces.
However, it did not change the fact that this was an impasse we would need to discuss. A wound that had always refused to scab over. Neither one of us was letting go.
“He broke the rules. The action was clear,” I explained, leaning forward in my seat, my shoulders squared as I tried to keep my voice level.
“He was reckless, but he did not deserve death,” Magnus argued and my back bristled as I tried to see some part of his logic, but in my head, stubborn as it may have been, I knew I was right.
“I had my reasons.” I replied simply, in a very similar tone I had used with Elara earlier that day. It was the easiest tone I could use when trying to sound disinterested.
“He did not deserve to die.” Magnus reiterated, his hands turned white as his fists tightened, his anger came to the forefront of his face.
“Neither did Averan, yet here I am fighting against the same damn enemy that killed him,” I sighed, my brother's name stinging my tongue like acid. I rarely used his name, but this was necessary.
Magnus had been Averan’s friend as well as mine. Our kingdom's original alliance had been built on the mutual trust between them. The Wolf King before me needed to understand. Averan was dead, I had taken his throne, and we were not the same.
“Your brother's death has changed you,” Magnus voice lingered in the realms of curiosity, his head tilting to the side, letting his braids fall over one shoulder. The same way he did when he was looking at something he was desperate to figure out.
“He trusted the wrong person. We both did,” I said, Averan’s smile filling my mind.
Boyish, trusting, dead.
“You speak as though trust is a weakness,” he asked, raising an eyebrow as he leant forward, his eyes meeting mine in a clash of wills.
“It is,” I shrugged as I moved to sit back in my seat. Letting my shoulders relax to give myself a look of composure, despite the pain and anger running through my veins. If there was one thing I was good at, it was hiding my emotions.
“Why should I help you? Why should I bring my wolves to a war for a King who already burned our bridge once?” Hequestioned and I felt my resolve harden. This was the question I knew we would get to.
“Because if you don't, by the time they are banging on your door, Vaetharyn will already be ash” I sighed, it was the honest, brutal, truth.
My kingdom would fall well before the wolves, but it did not make them safe. It would only make the vampires stronger and harder to stop.
“You were always so good at threats,” Magnus chuckled, looking down at his hands as he shifted his weight. The sound only came once, bitter.
“This isn't a threat. I am here being honest, trying to write the wrongs between us and make it so both our kingdoms survive.” I pulled my lip ring back in between my teeth, savouring the metallic taste against my tongue.
“Terms.” He said finally. Relief did not come even though it should have. Instead, tension tightened between us.
“We share intelligence, movements, raids, sightings. But your shadow scouts are not to cross my borders without permission. I do not want my information shared” I explained, making my boundaries clear, I would not tolerate the wolves using this alliance as a way to bolden themselves or strengthen their knowledge of my people or me.
