A Clash of Magics Guy Antibes (i can read books .txt) 📖

the server in the pub. “Our purpose isn’t to subjugate or liberate Maskum, but to eradicate the threat to other countries. Do you know what cabals are behind the potentate?”

“I’m not at liberty to tell you that,” Merik said. “I am the potentate’s seer, after all. I can tell you what you can pick up as common knowledge, but you must understand my position is one built on confidences.”

Trevor pursed his lips. “I hope your relationship with the potentate doesn’t put you or your wife in peril.”

“Do you mean that as a threat?” Merik asked.

“No. It is a heartfelt warning from Dryden’s messenger,” Trevor said.

Merik’s face turned pale. “Your words have more power than you know.”

“But not enough to tell me what cabals I need to destroy?” Trevor asked.

He didn’t get a chance to answer as there was pounding on the door in the front, and Trevor could hear the door thrown open in the back.

“You told them I was here,” Trevor said.

“I warned you I wasn’t to be trusted,” Merik said with a sly smile. “You will now be able to ask the potentate as many questions as you like. However, I am sure he will be doing more asking than you.”

Trevor took Lissa’s hand and teleported back to camp. He immediately sought out Brother Yvan.

“You’ve returned,” the cleric said.

“Do you know Merik Bandeford?” Trevor asked.

Brother Yvan’s eyebrows rose. “Someone mentioned him?”

“We met the seer,” Lissa said. “He is much too casual with the truth.”

“And you still managed to tell the tale. Merik has turned into a creature of Maskum,” Brother Yvan said. “I wouldn’t have suggested meeting him.”

Trevor related the conversation.

“That is news about the potentate. It is likely true since he didn’t mislead you with naming cabals. I didn’t know about the secret police until Potur Lott just told me about them. It makes more sense that there is a political sponsor to everything the cabals are doing in the world. We probably don’t know the truth of the relationship, but did your visit give you enough information to advise General Henkari?”

Trevor nodded. “I’ll be visiting him in person, but I’ll have to travel overland.”

“I’ll go with you,” Brother Yvan said.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

~

T revor arrived in General Henkari’s encampment with an escort of one hundred soldiers. He had one more day before Samar Doford’s ships were due in the Khartooian harbor.

“Everyone is in position except for the Sirlandians, but they just won a major skirmish and expect to be ready tomorrow,” General Henkari said, handing Trevor the dispatches.

“They will need to combine forces with the Kyrians,” Trevor said, “who can begin to attack these three gates.”

“Can you help get men into the city?” Henkari asked.

Trevor shook his head. “I could do it one at a time, but then I wouldn’t be able to teleport again for a few days. I tried teleporting more than one person once, and it wasn’t pleasant. You will have to think of a different way.”

The general grunted. “We are here to distract the magicians so you can clean out the enclave, anyway.”

“Not so,” Trevor said. He told Henkari about the potentate.

“That is a surprise,” Henkari said. “All our spies, including Potur, said the potentate was passive in all this.”

“And that exactly was what he wanted everyone to think,” Trevor said. “Brother Yvan can give you a few words of background on the man.”

Brother Yvan didn’t have a great deal to relate, other than the man wasn’t trustworthy. Seers were appointed to help heads of state, and that meant they had the discretion to align themselves with the country’s ruler. Merik Bandeford wouldn’t lose his seer position because he agreed with the potentate’s politics, and that meant helping to capture Dryden’s messenger. Trevor thought that Bandeford still had crossed a line.

“Then he won’t be able to claim he is apolitical,” Henkari said. “That is good to know, because I am going to give myself the task to attack the palace.”

Brother Yvan chewed on his lip for a moment. “Bring in troops from other countries. Invading the palace should be a charge of the allied forces. We brought along one hundred Brachians. We will leave them with you. Have the Viksarans send along a force.”

Henkari nodded. “Good advice. Jarkan won’t be the only country to punish the potentate.”

They spent another hour going over possible invasion tactics.

“While we were talking, I thought of something to help the armies with the gates,” Trevor said. “I can teleport with Gorian Custik to the gates in the middle of the night. He is a ward expert and can set explosive wards that will be activated by arrows when the attacks commence. I think we can do something similar when we launch our attack against the enclave.”

They ended with General Henkari asking for Potur Lott to return to his camp.

“Potur knows Khartoo as well as anyone,” Henkari said as Brother Yvan and Trevor left the tent. “I’ll provide your escort, and they can return with Potur Lott.”

Trevor nodded and left the camp. He hoped Gorian would agree to work in the middle of the night.

~

The harbor’s water looked a bit angry as Trevor faced a cold wind coming from the bay. It was clear enough to see the Sirland fleet approaching the opening in the Khartooian breakwater. Trevor took a chance and teleported with Brother Yvan to the largest ship.

Samar Doford stood with the captain on the steering deck. Trevor fell on the deck, which was pitching and rolling in the heavy sea. Sailors rushed to steady both Trevor and Brother Yvan.”

“A bit of magic, lads!” Samar said, trying to settle down the sailors. “This is our leader.” He climbed down from the steering deck and helped Trevor and Brother Yvan back to the steering