Total pages in book: 192
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
This was without a doubt. Even now, with modern weaponry, our dragon squadrons were feared in twenty realms. That said, our military was nothing to sneeze at. Even with no war for nearly a century, we were a warrior realm, and always had been.
We didn’t have the magic of the witches and the fae. In our human forms, we didn’t have the brute strength and speed of the demons.
But the creatures we shifted into were exponentially more powerful than their animal counterparts.
And our dragons were nearly unstoppable.
“And so?” I prompted.
“And so, while Four Realms are tied up in all that’s going on with me and my mate, he might have an opportunity to do it while no one is paying attention.”
“I can’t imagine everyone in Sky’s Edge cares that much about what’s happening between you and me, Aleksei.”
I said this, but the social tapes were worldwide, and we did seem to be on a lot of beings’ minds if the tapes were anything to go by.
“Yes, but the male who was engaged to the Princess Royal of Dawn’s Break, a female who is beloved by her people, is now engaged to another female, just three months from their breakup.”
“I still don’t understand.”
“And as such, the only other realm who is feeding off of us, perhaps in a different way, but just as ravenously as Night’s Fall, is Dawn’s Break.”
“Again, I’m not getting it.”
“There are two possible scenarios,” he shared. “But we feel the first is part of the last.”
“The first?”
“Dr. Buildlore was recruited because of his past with Anna. We’ve found he was a male who was easily bought. The hysterectomy he performed outside his patient’s knowledge was purchased by her ex-husband after a highly contentious divorce.”
My eyes grew huge. “Oh my gods.”
Aleksei nodded. “If he was indeed recruited in the current plot for this reason, this would lead us to believe Anna was behind these things, and it did lead us to that. This would mean tensions would be strained between Night’s Fall and Dawn’s Break, even strained to a breaking point, pitting us against Dawn’s Break.”
“The point of this being?”
“Distracting us from what’s going on in Sky’s Edge, at the same time lining us up to be an ally.”
An ally?
An ally in what?
“And?” I pressed.
“That brings us to the second scenario.”
“That being?”
Another deep breath from Aleksei before he asked, “What causes a military, and a country, to band together under one leader?”
Oh hells.
I finally got it.
And in so doing, I felt the blood run out of my face and repeated, “Oh my gods.”
“Yes, darling. The writing is on the wall. Arnaud’s reign is nearly at its end. He’s exhausted all legal remedy. He’s out. It’s a poorly kept secret Tanyn is gearing up for a coup if Arnaud doesn’t step down, and he has a tremendous amount of support. This means, unless Arnaud can find another way to stay in, and at this juncture, that way has to be dramatic, rallying his beings behind him, he’ll be deposed. Therefore, I think Arnaud intends to solidify his rule by finding or creating some reason to invade Dawn’s Break. I further think Dawn’s Break has no idea this is going to happen. But once it does, the Fall and Land’s End will start with sanctions. However, if Arnaud doesn’t pull back, which he won’t, we’ll have no choice but to get involved in the fighting.”
“Do you think he’s that insane?” I asked, my voice pitched high, because I for sure thought he was.
“What I know is, his mother was, and still is, ambitious. Queen Tatra did everything she could to oust the female that was in her way in order to claim her position. She succeeded in this endeavor. Part of this was so she could be queen. Part of it was so she could be mother to a future king and continue to hold some power because she was. She then spent Arnaud’s whole life teaching him the same. Power is a drug. Some believe status should be protected at all costs. Add his need to assuage his aberrant tendencies, which includes having the power to satisfy these urges with no repudiation, and yes. I think he’s that insane.”
Cold had invaded my insides after Aleksei laid me in bed when I’d cried myself out, and he’d left me to learn more about what was going on.
That cold, right now, got so, so much colder.
“Historically, Sky’s Edge and Night’s Fall have been enemies, and Dawn’s Break has been their ally,” I reminded him. “An invasion of Dawn’s Break by the Edge would seem entirely out of the blue.”
“They’re the better target. Witches and conjurers, for the most part, are peaceful people. Although there has been some bad blood throughout history, especially with Land’s End, it was their alliance with demons, or at times shifters that helped them win wars. If not for us, there would be no Dawn’s Break.”