Page 2 of The Night Prince 6

“Yes, yes, I did,” Finley nodded.

“Oh, my.” Rhalyf’s expression grew dark and his smile more of a knife-slash across his face. “Forgive me, Declan, for interrupting. Now I understand. Please continue. I am fascinated about this refreshing of Rohannan’s recollection.”

Aquilan’s eyes widened at Rhalyf’s clear anger. The charismatic elf was a secret blade. His edge was concealed by silky smiles. But Declan understood Rhaly. He’d had to be agreeable among many disagreeable people. He charmed and danced his way through most of them, but he knew when to fight. That was good.

“And, Finley, were they just gathering dead wood from the forest floor or cutting down a few mature trees for their alleged homes or firewood?” Declan continued.

“They were not. They were going after the oldest trees in the forest. One that had been there a few hundred years or more. Ones that the Aravae had specifically requested they not touch,” Finley continued in his best professorial manner. “It was explained that these old trees were necessary in order to strengthen and teach the younger ones in the forest to grow.”

“That… that is true. That is something we do. Something we know,” Aquilan murmured. “If you cut down the elders, the forest will not flourish as it should. Is this true, Rohannan?”

Rohannan’s cheeks had flushed an ugly red and he was chewing on his toothpick even as he tried to keep the smile on his face. “Those are our trees and if we pick larger ones, we can take less of them and–”

“So you could have harvested wood from the forests if you had simply filled out some paperwork, but you refused to do that. You were requested for the health of the forest going forward not to cut down certain trees, but you decided that you were going to cut down those trees anyways, correct?” Declan asked Rohannan, but he didn’t wait for the Separate leader to answer. “Finley, did they go to cut down those trees in the open or did they attempt to do so secretly?”

“I think they intended it to be secret,” Finley said with a flash of a smile at the now glowering Warren, Dean and Jeff.

Jeff was cracking his knuckles. Warren drew a hand underneath his chin as if in a slicing motion. Dean bared his teeth. But Finley knew that he was safe. Declan was right there.

“It wasn’t intended to be secret. We don’t need to secretly cut our own wood,” Rohannan objected, but his voice had lost its rich, confident timbre, and his upper lip kept writhing back from his teeth at Declan.

“Really? You didn’t? Are you sure about that? When did this alleged innocent mission to collect wood occur, Finley? What time of day… or night did they take a five-year-old out into the woods to cut down those trees?” Declan inexorably continued.

“Oh, it was about 2 am,” Finley answered.

Aquilan’s expression was now completely neutral. No longer was hurt or worry creasing his lovely features. He was withdrawn into himself. Drawbridge drawn up. And that was a damned shame and all Rohannan’s fault.

“So you routinely and non-secretly go to cut down trees in the middle of the night, Rohannan? You risk the Leviathan and the other nighttime creatures in the forests to gather your wood when it's a hundred times riskier than during the day? And you bring children with you? Or did you use those children as shields–as props–just in case the Aravae caught you doing what they asked you not to?” Declan stepped towards the Separatist leader so that there was just a foot between their chests.

“Hey! Back the hell off!” Dean snarled and moved to shove Declan with one meaty fist.

“Don’t use magic, Rhalyf,” Declan said as he snatched Dean’s wrist expertly and twisted it just enough that the young man gave out a pained howl. Dean went down on one knee while the other boys started to rush forward, but they stopped and scattered backwards as lightning raced across the ground in front of them. The scent of the Void–cold, bitter ozone–had filled his nostrils and had been flowing from his cousin before the lightning appeared. “I need no assistance.”

“I see that. I just wanted to get in on this,” Rhalyf admitted as electricity still crackled around his fingers. “You’ve made it look so fun.”

“Declan, there is no need for violence,” Aquilan said calmly.

“No, there isn’t. I’m stopping the violence,” Declan said with equal calmness. He kept Dean on his knee, wrist twisted just before the point of breaking, panting and sweating with no effort. He could have snapped Dean’s wrist. He could have ripped his arm off. He could have shredded the boy without effort. But he did not do that. “The sad part about all of this, Rohannan, is that your leadership–or lack thereof–is what gets in the way of your people’s success.”

Rohannan’s upper lip writhed back from his teeth. “You’re just a bartender. And you’re only that likely because of the Bastons! So what the hell do you know?”

Insect, Vex hissed in Declan’s head. It was the same word he had used to describe Vulre and he felt his father’s anger for him there.

Declan casually tossed Dean back towards his fellows. He practically bowled them down. They gave out shouts as they caught themselves just in time. His eyes narrowed at Rohannan behind his sunglasses.

“What do I know? I’ll tell you,” Declan whispered. “These people actually have legitimate gripes with the Aravae. Bad things have happened and are happening. But your lies will ruin their chances to get relief.”

“Aquilan would have taken your story to Vesslan,” Rhalyf said with a twist of his lower lip. “And even if Vesslan had been just like you said–or worse–with these people and little Bobby, your lies would have made Aquilan look fatuous. Ill-informed. Reactive. His political capital with his brother would have been damaged. And your chance of getting those permits reduced or removed or any other relief? Gone. Done. Finished.”

“He’s the goddamned king, what does it matter what his brother thinks?” Rohannan growled.

“I am king, yes,” Aquilan answered. “But I do not rule with an iron fist, Rohannan. I need to get buy-in from many powerful parties. I want humanity to succeed in the Empire. I want the Separatists to be treated fairly. But to do that, I need to know the truth. No matter what it is. Even if parts of it don’t make you look particularly… innocent.”

“Surely you get that, Rohannan!” Finley piped in. “Surely you see that telling him some shaded truth doesn’t help the people here.”

“He doesn’t want to help them,” Declan said.

“What are you on about?” Rohannan reared like a snake.