David Dalglish - Blood Of Gods

She leaned forward, propping her elbow on the desk. “You think yourselves scheming?” Venom leaked from her every word. “You think you have conspired? You’re nothing compared to me. I know everything that has gone on in this kingdom. I know of your plots against Matthew, as pathetic as they were. I know of your murders, of your love of torture. And I know of your moles in Karak’s Army. There is no move you’ve made that I’m not privy to.”

“But how?” asked Cleo.

“I’m no damsel waiting for my fat heroes to come save me,” she said. “I have spies of my own roaming the world, and given my status as a lowly woman, none think of me as a threat when I seek information. I played my part so well that even my own husband, the man who shared my bed , didn’t know my plans. How could you have any idea, you who live so many miles away? How could you know that the women of my city are now armed and skilled? The sellswords were not the ones who butchered Karak’s soldiers; it was the women who’ve toiled as I have, who’ve been subservient to the males of our species for nearly a hundred years. We are no weak settlement to be trampled by whichever man wishes to conquer it. These women will protect each other. They will protect me . With their lives, if need be.”

The right side of Cleo’s lip twitched while Romeo gripped the armrests of his chair so tightly his fingers turned white. Neither said a word, and she saw the lump in Romeo’s throat rise and fall with each gasp of air he took in. They were afraid. Of a woman . Catherine chuckled softly at the thought.

“Don’t look so pathetic,” she said, folding her arms. “Even though you wished to overthrow me, I bear you no ill will. I know who and what you are, and you needed to learn that I am just like you, if not your better.” She smiled. “If anything, you should be thanking me. All those plans you dreamed up will come to pass.”

“How so?” asked Cleo, sweat beading on his bald pate.

She smiled wide. “I’m a widow now, and I will soon remarry after the grieving period is done. When that time comes, I will marry Ki-Nan Renald, your own protégé, and take his name.”

Once more, both brothers gaped.

“We have been lovers for a long while now,” she said, answering the question before it could be asked. They mustn’t learn about Ryan and the pregnancy, she reminded herself before continuing. “All while Matthew toiled and stumbled, nearly losing all of the wealth his family had built over the last ninety-odd years.” She leaned back, regaining her womanly posture as she placed her clasped hands in her lap.

“And you will marry him?” asked Cleo.

“Yes,” she replied. Though Romeo was still scowling, she could see the hint of a smile play on Cleo’s face. That was good, even if maddening. She hated revealing so much to these men, but she had no choice. If she didn’t prove herself worthy of their respect, or even their fear, all her plotting would be for naught.

“The dark-skinned bastard,” muttered Romeo. “That’s what happens when you take a savage from Paradise and show him the world.”

“He simply learned well from us,” said Cleo. “ Too well, perhaps.” He turned back to Catherine. “And what will happen if our dear Ki-Nan doesn’t return from the war?”

Though the question killed her on the inside, she couldn’t let it show. She shrugged and spoke the most painful lie of the many she’d told in her life. “Life will go on. Perhaps that would even be best. I will still be regent, and without a husband who holds loyalty to you.”

“Why, then?” asked Romeo, dumbfounded. “Why treat with us at all?”

“Because you’re the strongest merchant house,” she replied simply. “Your holdings are double mine, even considering how much Karak has stripped from you. I would be a fool to turn my back on that sort of power. Not if we are to endure the coming chaos.”

“And if Karak returns?” asked Cleo.

“Then we’re fucked, and all the plotting in the world won’t matter.”

At that, Cleo clapped, his jollity returning. “Such language! What do you propose we do, sweet Catherine, should Karak fail to return?”

She leaned her head against the back of her chair. “I see it thusly: When the god who created us disappears, this land will endure unrest never before seen. Every family, no matter how small, will seek to conquer another. But those who are ready-those who bond together in unity and mutual self-interest-those could reap wealth beyond imagining. Therefore we must decide who is trustworthy, who is worthwhile, and who is expendable. You know that Trenton Blackbard, the slimy bastard that he is, will move against us all if given the opportunity. Tod Garland is noble, but pious and beholden to Karak’s law. Tomas Mudraker is ambitious but a dullard. Peytr Gemcroft is wily and bold, but he is also unpredictable.”

“What of Cornwall Lawrence?” asked Romeo in his sullen tone.

“That house has been all but wiped off the map,” she told him. “I received word that a renegade cousin of Trenton Blackbard butchered the entire family. Of them, only the youngest daughter is still alive, and she is trapped in Veldaren, unable to lay stake to her claim.”

Romeo’s eyebrows lifted. “That is no good,” he said. “If Blackbard has control of Omnmount. . ”

“He doesn’t,” Catherine said, cutting him off. “The cousin-and his men-were brought to an end.”

“By whom, pray tell?” asked Cleo.

“Moira, and five other sellswords I sent north.”

Cleo sat back and clapped once more. “I should have known! How splendid! You said you sent the lost Crestwell away, but never why or where. You truly are a devious one, sweet Catherine!”

For a woman, she thought dismissively, but let it go unsaid.

“As of now, young Elias Gandrem is keeping hold of the settlement,” she continued. “His father has sent a party to assist him at my request. However, this doesn’t matter. All that matters is that this tragedy is something we can use to our advantage. None but Elias and Moira know that the Blackbard cousin acted on his own, and that story can be. . twisted to suit our needs. The way I see it, Trenton is our greatest threat. And with the Gandrem house beholden to Peytr Gemcroft and now myself, it is another coin in our pockets. We can use this against Blackbard and convince the others to do the same.”

Both brothers leaned forward, assuming similar poses with their elbows dangling between the draping fabric of their frocks. “House Gemcroft will be in turmoil soon,” said Cleo. “We have seen to that. . ” He trailed off there, eyes flicking over his shoulder. Catherine glanced over their heads, at her maids and the two crossbow-wielding lute players, and nodded. The five girls bowed and exited the room, leaving her alone with the brothers Connington.

“What is it you propose?” asked Romeo. The man sounded truly intrigued, even awed, which filled Catherine with pride.

“First, we must decide whom to deal with, and whom to cast aside,” she said. “When the gods no longer walk the land, it is up to us, the people, to guide our own fates. Those who feed our citizens, keep them safe, will be loved the most.” She smiled wide. “And those who gain the most love? Why they will be us, and we will have the power not only to sway kings, but to choose them.”

“The truth in those words is inspiring,” said Cleo, inclining his head in respect. “However, I regret to tell you that there is no guarantee Karak will lose this war. Even with all our preparations, toppling a god is no easy task. How can you be so confident?”

“Because I’m a mother,” she said with a casual wave of the hand. “Everyone seems to forget that Dezrel is a world of three deities, not two. And the strongest one is the one who created it. The goddess is the mother of her children no less than I am to mine, and mothers are protective of what they’ve birthed. When this conflict between the brother gods threatens all she has created, she’ll end both of them forever.”