By the fifth day of negotiations, Kesath and Nenavar had hammered out a mutual defense pact and were polishing the final details for a trade agreement. It was not without its casualties; Lueve Rasmey’s polite smile was a little worn at the edges, and Commodore Mathire and Niamha Langsoune seemed one comment away from wringing each other’s necks. Even the unflappable Urduja had begun to get snappish with her own advisers. Meanwhile, Prince Elagbi, who Alaric had determined was present for moral support more than anything else, looked bored out of his skull, as did Sevraim, who was there in his capacity as Alaric’s protection and thus was expected to contribute nothing to the proceedings.
Alaric still had not figured out what it was that the Dominion actually wanted. According to Gaheris, they had to be after something more than a peace treaty to offer up their Lachis’ka so willingly. But he could no longer put off making it clear what his people wanted above all else.
He cleared his throat in the tense silence that had ensued after the two sides begrudgingly agreed on a price point for Kesathese long-grain rice and peppercorns. “In addition to everything that has already been discussed, we would also be interested in purchasing aether hearts from Nenavarene mines.”
Talasyn snorted under her breath, but Alaric heard it, and against his better judgment his attention shifted to focus solely on her. When she caught him looking, he hid his burst of ill-advised interest behind a taunt. “Her Grace wishes to comment?”
She turned her nose up at him. “I find it amusing that Kesath embarked on its campaign of terror against the rest of the Continent for the sake of aether hearts, and now you’re going around begging for more, is all.”
“An empire’s work is never done,” Alaric said curtly. “Particularly when the defeated enemy blows up their own mines as they retreat. I sincerely hope that wasn’t your idea, by the way. I would hate to see you castigate yourself for further motivating Kesath to sail southeast.”
It was a petty remark, and not all that accurate considering that Kesath would have needed to neutralize the Dominion anyway, aether hearts or not, but Alaric had no regrets. Talasyn looked as though she was seconds from launching herself across the table at him. It was the most entertained he’d ever been inside this council room.
“In any event,” he continued, “Kesath is not begging. We will be happy to pay a fair price for Nenavarene crystals, should Her Starlit Majesty allow it.”
All eyes darted to Urduja, who gracefully inclined her silver-crowned head. “As with all other goods, we shall discuss a price, Emperor Alaric. Is that the extent of your trade interests, then?”
It was a perfect segue, too freely given. Vague suspicions tugged yet again at the back of Alaric’s mind, but he pressed on. There wouldn’t be a more opportune moment than this. “Just one more thing, Harlikaan. We formally request that Kesathese Enchanters be granted access to what you call the Void Sever, in the interest of expanding aethermancy knowledge and in exchange, of course, for trade concessions that we will be happy to grant—”
“Absolutely not!” Talasyn interrupted him. Again. This time, though, one of the Dominion advisers, the Rajan Gitab, nodded in agreement with her, so fervently that his spectacles were in danger of slipping down his nose. “The Night Empire cannot be allowed anywhere near the Voidfell’s nexus point!” Talasyn continued. “They created the stormships with the Tempestroad—who knows what fresh hell they’ll come up with if provided with a reservoir of death magic? If we willingly hand it over to them?”
Alaric had been anticipating such a reaction, but Mathire waded into the fray before he could get a word in. “We created the stormships to keep our nation safe. We unleashed them only when a Nenavarene flotilla made to attack us unprovoked,” she pointed out. The Dominion nobles all collectively stiffened. “But Emperor Alaric has already promised that Nenavar won’t suffer Sardovia’s fate if no terms are violated. You have nothing to worry about, unless you’re thinking of making such an unwise move again.”
“Well, forgive me, Commodore,” Talasyn snarled at Mathire, and Alaric could only sit there and marvel at how his bride-to-be was ready and willing to fight with anyone, at any time, “if I don’t set much store by the word of invaders—”
Urduja held up a hand, her fingers glittering with long jewel-studded nail cones and a multitude of rings. Talasyn’s lips clamped together and her whole demeanor changed, slinking into a mutinous silence. It put Alaric rather in mind of a cat who’d been told to go away.
“While it would be an honor to contribute to the advancement of aethermancy throughout the Northwest Continent,” Urduja said in such a way that there was only the implication of sarcasm, not the presence of it, “the Voidfell is currently . . . volatile. We ceased our own extractions the previous month, and as such we cannot in good conscience let Kesath destabilize the nexus point any further.”
“What do you mean by volatile?” Talasyn demanded just as Alaric was about to ask the same thing.
Urduja exchanged glances with the other Dominion nobles. Glances that spoke volumes, that made it clear Talasyn had been left out of the loop regarding a critical piece of information.
“You were not told, Alunsina, because it is among other things a delicate matter pertaining to national security,” said the Zahiya-lachis. “However, we are telling you now. So please listen.” She then addressed the Kesathese delegation. “The Voidfell is indispensable to Nenavar. Legend has it that it was the first nexus point to break through the veil of aetherspace on our shores. Over the centuries it has provided us with a means to defend ourselves. However, there is a price—one that the Dominion pays every thousand years.” Urduja looked at Talasyn. “You have wondered why the Void Sever flares so brightly. Your instincts were correct; this is not normal. Usually, it behaves like any other nexus point. However, as the sevenfold lunar eclipse draws near, the Void Sever has begun to rage within its banks. On the night all seven moons vanish, it will break free and wash over Nenavar. It will wither the fields and jungles that are in its path, killing all life. Not even fish and coral will be safe. Since they can manipulate void magic in its extracted form, our Enchanters have experimented with pushing back the Voidfell whenever it discharges in its usual manner. But for years, all attempts have been unsuccessful.”
Alaric fought to maintain a blank expression. He had never before heard of any type of Sever being capable of destroying an entire country when left to its own devices. In his life so far, all the chaos that magic could wreak had been when it was shaped by human hands.