“My lady Dina.” His voice was rich and resonant, the kind of voice that would overpower the roar of the battle, which was fitting since he was the Marshal of House Krahr and had to snarl orders in the middle of the battle quite frequently.
“Lord Arland,” I said. “Please enter.”
Arland stepped through and saw Dagorkun. The two of them froze.
“Hello, Arland,” Dagorkun said. No traditional sun greeting, huh.
“Hello, Dagorkun,” Arland said.
The vampire and otrokar glared at each other. A moment passed. Another. If they kept this up, the floor between would catch on fire.
I sighed. “Would the two of you like some tea?”
The vampire and the otrokar stared at each other over the rims of their cups. Arland was built like a saber-toothed tiger, huge, powerful, and strong. Dagorkun was taller than him by a couple of inches, and while his build was not quite as massive, he was corded with muscle. Neither of them seemed especially worried. They were just sitting here politely, drinking tea and trying to strangle each other with pure will.
“How is your father?” Arland asked, his voice nonchalant, each word precise.
“The Khan is well,” Dagorkun answered. “How is Lady Ilemina?”
“She’s well also.”
“That’s good to hear. Will she be joining us?”
Arland raised his thick eyebrows. “No, she must attend to matters elsewhere. Will the Khan grace us with his presence?”
“Likewise the Khan has many responsibilities,” Dagorkun answered. “He sends the Khanum in his stead.”
So, Arland’s mother wasn’t coming but Dagorkun’s was. The Guide to Major Powers, which I had purchased during summer and which had cost me an arm and a leg, listed Lady Ilemina as the Preceptor of House Krahr together with two pages of her titles and decorations, some of which included words like “Slaughterer of” and “Supreme Predator of.” The Khanum had an equally long list of titles studded with gems like “Spinebreaker” and “Gut Ripper.” All things considered, I was glad only one of them was coming.
Having their sons sitting across from each other, sipping tea and wishing they could drop all pretense and just tear each other’s head off was difficult enough. I finally realized the full extent of the mess I’d gotten into. When there would be six or more individuals from each side, keeping them from violence was going to be almost impossible. This is exactly why Caldenia thought these peace talks were going to be great. My imagination painted a huge brawl in the ballroom and Her Grace quietly sneaking off with a bloody body.
“The Khanum?” Arland coughed. The last sip of tea must’ve gone wrong.
“Are you unwell?” Dagorkun inquired.
“Healthy as a krahr,” Arland said.
“That’s such a relief. I would hate for some illness to interfere and spoil the grand celebration I planned when I send you to your afterlife.”
“Really?” Arland’s eyes narrowed. “I’d think my succumbing to an illness would be a blessing, as it is the only way you could manage such a feat. I dare say, it would have to be a severe illness and even then, I fear the chances of your victory would be remote.”
The otrokar clicked his tongue. “Such hubris, Marshall.”
“I detest false modesty.”
“Perhaps we can test this theory?” Dagorkun offered.
Okay, that’s just enough of that. “I am glad the rooms were to your liking, Under-Khan. Unfortunately, I must ask you to depart so the Marshal of House Krahr can inspect the quarters of his people.”
Dagorkun’s eyes narrowed. “And if I insisted on staying?”
Thin brilliant blue cracks formed in the handle of my broom. The floor in front of Dagorkun shifted, fluid like water. “Then I’ll seal your body in wood so all you can do is blink and use you as a lawn ornament.”
Dagorkun blinked.
“This summit is very important to me,” I explained.
The wall behind me creaked as the inn bent toward Dagorkun, responding to the tone of my voice. The otrokar’s hand went to his knife.
I waved my fingers and the wall snapped back to its normal state. “I won’t let anyone or anything interfere with the peace talks in my domain.”
Arland set his cup on the table. “You should test her, Dagorkun. She couldn’t possibly be that powerful.”
I pointed the handle of my broom at him. The vampire grinned, flashing his fangs, and chuckled.
“I see.” Dagorkun rose. “Thank you for the tea, Innkeeper.”
I solidified the floor and led him to the door. He pulled on his cloak and walked into the night. I waited until the inn announced his departure and turned to Arland.