Godwin entered Harren’s chambers and paced back and forth across the curtained windows. He whipped one set open, staring at the Sentinels, all blue across the city.

  “Storming again,” he said flatly, watching the raindrops slither down the glass like an army of wiggling snakes. “A snowstorm and now the gods are pissing on us.”

  Harren came out from under the covers, stretching his arms behind his head as a pillow. Mara emerged second, resting her head on his chest, twirling a finger around one of his pecs

  “Brother,” Harren croaked. “I didn’t know you were here. The door usually squeaks a little when opened.”

  “You didn’t hear because your little mouse was busy squeaking under the bedsheet.”

  “Are you jealous, King Godwin?” she purred. “You know you always have an invite to share a bed with your prince… my promise to be good company still stands.”

  Godwin didn’t like the comment. “We already put many to the sword to squash the rumours of both your antics, this is the one thing I will never indulge in.”

  “Are you sure, my king?” Mara said seductively. “See Harren’s face, look how relaxed he is. How well has he been treated? He will never need to look at another woman. I will do anything you ask. A good brother always shares.”

  “Anything?” Godwin said with feigned interest.

  “Anything you desire.”

  “Good, then shut those lips while I talk to Harren, that's the only use I have for them.”

  “Of course, my king,” she sighed.

  Harren went from laying to sitting, tossing Mara away like a toy and covering himself with a blue robe. He ordered her to stay like a dog, tying his sickle to his stump.

  “What do you wish to discuss, my king?” Harren said.

  “Does Stroke skulk about in the halls, or is your chamber safe from his ears?”

  “You were the last one in… your answer is better than mine.”

  Godwin put a firm hand on the back of Harren’s neck, locking eyes like he was a father sharing advice. “Stroke’s whore is dead,” he said with a smile. “We are one step closer to our plan being put into action. I need you, now more than ever, cease the meddling with the council, stop the pointless quarrels with Zishang and Bianca.”

  “That bitch should know her place,” Harren snarled. “We are the true Valan blood—the next time she misbehaves like that, you ought to remind her you are the king. Teach her a lesson with the God Arm. Smack her around like a whore from one of our lowly districts, she has it coming for her continued disobedience.”

  Godwin embraced their foreheads together and reminded Harren of what he had just said. “I need your strength,” he demanded. “I will need Bianca’s too; I will need Zishang’s; I will need Killian’s; you will be the one to put on their leashes.”

  “Is that necessary?” Mara chimed in. “I guessed that bitch was dead from how you were reacting at the council… you don’t need to banish Stroke from Vatanil, just play out this little charade as long as possible… reeling him in like a fish, never pulling him out of the murky waters. Let him think that whore is alive, hopefully he will fall into a depression and end his own life.”

  Godwin’s smile became anger. “You are not a Valan,” he said to Mara. “You may have the name Mara Valan from a promised marriage but you are no sister of mine, no more than Bianca is. You do not get an opinion on my brother. The next time your little runt opens her mouth, Harren, you will slap it off her.”

  “Yes, my king,” Harren said proudly. “Mara, keep your fucking mouth sealed until I have a use for it again.”

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  She didn’t take this as threat. She rolled in the bed, stretching like a cat while moaning and teasing them with her body.

  “Can I trust you to do this?” Godwin continued. “We must cast our brother out of the council, it must be his own choice. He has no brain for the hard decisions, we are the wielders of the God Arms, we are the future of the Valan family. Say it, Harren, this is what we have been yearning for since the death of our mother and father.”

  Harren embraced Godwin back with a tight hug. “I will always be here as your other arm,” he promised. “No quarrels with those idiot cunts. I shall plant the path of his exit, these cambions have given life to our dream.”

  “As they have, brother, soon our word shall be unquestioned. No more delayed votes in his absence, we can revive this city to its full power, then kill those fucking Kans of Naveen, expand our reign over everything, become gods, use this excuse of war against Hell to push into their lands.”

  “That is all I want,” Harren admitted. “We will be gods.”

  “Yes, you will,” Mara purred. “And I will be the pleasurer of these strong, mighty gods.”

  Godwin gave a stern stare at his brother. “Yes, my king,” he said dutifully.

  He marched for Mara with the back of his hand held high. She closed her eyes with a smug smile, waiting for the strike.

  Knock, knock, knock.

  “My king,” Zishang muffled on the other side of the door. “I beg your forgiveness of the intrusion, but you were not at your own quarters—the guards said to find you here. I bring news. Urgent. I can wait until the morning if you give the command, but I didn’t want to risk waiting too long.”

  Harren waited for an order from the king, then opened the door after getting permission. Zishang saw Mara naked, curled up in the bedsheets, and avoided staring like his life depended on it.

  “Do not worry, Zishang,” Harren said. “Use your eyes to enjoy my betrothed as much as you desire… the gods gave her beauty for a reason.”

  “A kind offer, my prince, but I must decline,” he said. “I believe one’s body is a sight only for a chosen trusted one. I am sure the princess is beautiful. The most beautiful woman in Valan. My king, may I speak in the presence of the prince and his wife or do you want this word privately?”

  Godwin took a seat in the corner of the room. “My brother is me in a different light, you may speak to us both like we are the same soul. I allow this.”

  “Stroke has given me a report from the Sentinels. He spotted a red-eyed man with black hair entering the city—he ordered a drink and spoke with a man, the Sentinels haven’t been able to find him since that moment.”

  “You spoke to my little brother?” Godwin asked.

  “No, my king, the letter was left in my own chambers.”

  Godwin stared at the growing storm. “He is eager to find this cambion to get news of his whore. Just like the winds, he is growing restless and unpredictable. Tell him that the man he saw is an illusion, perhaps a blue-eyed man with the red reflecting from the flames of an active Sentinel.”

  “My king?”

  “My brother wants you to lie,” Harren said. “Can we trust you to lie to a Valan, Zishang? Does your loyalty lay with the name, or the man? This is your chance to prove it.”

  Zishang steadied his posture. “My loyalty is with you, my king, and you only.”

  “Not Bianca?” Godwin said warily. “You come from Bianca’s Bastards, a fiercely loyal group of friends—she made you, Zishang, and your cousin too… if you are to turn your back to her so fast, can I be sure you wouldn’t do the same to me?”

  Zishang’s words caught in his throat, but he knew exactly what to say. “Of course I will still listen to Bianca, my king. But, if I am given two orders, my loyalty lies with you over her. She is a close friend to me, but you are my one and only king.”

  “Good man,” Godwin said smugly. “You will ignore this report of the red-eyed man, observe Stroke should he try to engage with this man by his lonesome—tell him that I will deal with it, make him forget about it.”

  Zishang bowed and left quickly. What Godwin and Harren were unaware of was that their littlest brother was sat outside the room—not in the hall, outside of Keep Blacksteel, lurking in the shadow of the storm, sat on the slippery ledge next to a gargoyle.

  He was enjoying the storm, legs dangling over a fall that would kill mortals just from the thought of its height. He had only been there for a minute, but he’d heard Godwin’s demand to keep him from talking to the red-eyed man.

  Had he arrived earlier, he would’ve heard the plot to cast him out of the council. Such a pity that he missed something so vital only by seconds.

  The thunder picked up and his brother’s voices grew lower. He stared at a blue Sentinel turn red and rose to his feet, diving from the great height with his arms spread and skidded down to a courtyard using the slopes of the roof.

  He was going to find this red-eyed man; he was going to find out why his brothers wanted to keep him away; he was going to do this without either of his brothers ever suspecting he’d succeeded.