Fires of War (War and Deceit #4) - Erin O'Kane Page 0,73
elves,” he continues. “Maybe we were given the vision because the Mother wants us to help the elves.”
“Outrageous,” Pierre sneers in disgust, striding forward and rounding on his colleague. Grayson moves and stands between them, but the mage doesn’t get any closer, merely just turns to look at me. “This is where we disagree.” His tone is full of mockery, but without another word, he spins on his heel and strides off into the forest with a flash of his cape. I’m not the only one watching him with narrowed eyes, and I can feel anger coming from both Vaeril and Grayson.
Merrin sighs and rubs a hand across his face. “I apologise for Pierre, his views differ from our own.” As I gaze across the clearing, I notice Speaker Hawthorn and Beck watching the older mage with interest, their expressions thoughtful. “Now that we have broken from the king, we can finally make our own decisions, and I think we should make the right decisions.”
A familiar presence settles over me, and when I glance down, I see my goddess mark is softly glowing. Smiling, I trace the mark with my fingers, feeling the Mother’s happiness, and I know that although this is messy, things are happening as they should. I wonder if she will show herself as she did at the ceremony with the tribespeople, but the moment passes, and I quietly watch as the groups continue to interact.
“We have all come to the agreement that the elf queen needs to die,” Ellis announces, speaking up for the first time, shifting uncomfortably under the sudden attention from the elves. “The difficulty will come in working together with the elves.”
This catches my attention. Frowning, I step forward, and all eyes fall on me. “I won’t let any of them come to harm. If there is any possibility that the elves will be in danger, I won’t accept.” It may seem rash, but I don’t stop to check or get permission. To me, it’s that simple. They are my people and they’ve come to me, so I make the decisions when it comes to their safety. “Can your people be trusted?” I direct the question at Ellis, but I glance at Merrin and Grayson, who nods his head slightly in approval.
My actions, however, are not appreciated by some.
“You cannot make those decisions for all of us!” Ragnar roars in protest, pushing forward from where he stands with the other chiefs. His face twists with anger, the tattooed streak of red across his face only making him look fiercer, but he doesn’t scare me. “You are not the leader of me, girl,” he spits, jabbing his finger in my direction. “You cannot reject their offer!”
Fury radiates in my chest, and it takes me a second to work out that it belongs to Vaeril. Glancing at the elf, I see he’s narrowing his eyes at the painted chief, his upper lip pulled back in a snarl, but he’s not moved from his position. He knows how important this meeting is, and any wrong move could ruin any potential alliance with the magicians. So although he wants to jump forward and tear into Ragnar for disrespecting me and obviously not caring about any risk to the elves, he reins it in. Reaching for the bond, I send him soothing thoughts, and I know it’s worked when I see him straighten, his fury abating. Pulling my eyes from Vaeril, I flick them over to the painted chief.
“Are you saying you would sacrifice the elves for numbers?” He stays silent as I stalk towards him. “They came to me. They put their trust in me.” Putting emphasis on the word, I tap my chest. “I’m the one who has to carry the responsibility of their safety, which is something I take seriously.” I glance over and see Speaker Hawthorn and Beck observing me with solemn expressions. As I meet their gazes, they dip their heads in a sign of respect. The action shakes me a little, but I can’t let that show while so many people are watching. Taking a deep breath, I turn back to Chief Ragnar. “Without me, they wouldn’t be here, remember that.” I know I brought the war to their door, but we both know the queen wouldn’t spare them in all this. Once the elves fell, they would be next, sooner or later, so they are better off with me on their side, and he knows that.