Sarabande: River of Falcons Book 4

20. Cooperating

Magus had not wanted to actually take Vultan's seat, as it seemed premature until the body was recovered. However, Nautilus had sat in Vultan's seat at the first meeting she and her renegade group of elders had attended. He had no intention of allowing his mother to take over his father's position, leaving him once again in a secondary role. And so for this morning's meeting, he skipped breakfast and arrived quite early to be certain of his seat at the table.

When Nautilus arrived a short while later, she glared at him, then sat down with a grating of chair legs in Magus's old seat to the right of Vultan's.

Magus smiled. "Welcome to my council, Mother."

"We're cooperating," she snapped. "There is not supposed to be hierarchy between us. I acknowledge that you are first among the sorcerers, and you recognize that I am first among the Fena. Isn't that correct?"

"Of course."

"Then why do you choose to sit above me?"

"Someone has to sit at the head of the table," Magus pointed out. "And Vultan always expected I would take over after him. Besides, who says you are first among the Fena? They have appointed a new head of their order down at First Garden. I believe that leaves you with no official authority at all, but you are welcome to take advantage of my hospitality for as long as you require my support. That could be quite some time, given the precariousness of your position."

Nautilus snorted. "You young fool," she said. "I could best any of your sorcerers in a duel, or any Fena who might be foolish enough to stand against me. Power is the greatest authority of all."

"Might makes right. A sensible philosophy," Magus agreed. "With your power and mine combined, we can retake the Palace. That is why I allow you to sit at this table. But do not challenge my primacy here in the seat of the sorcerers' power."

"Now Miles, don't get upset," Nautilus soothed. "The others will be arriving in a few moments. Let's not bicker over small things like chairs. Although truly, it would be more appropriate for the older and more experienced of us to take the head of the table."

"Mother!"

"All right, I don't really mind, since it seems to matter so much to you. Atratus!" she called out, since she had just noticed the grizzled old sorcerer in the hallway outside the council room. "Could you please wait there with your apprentices for a few moments? I have something I wish to discuss with my son without being overheard by dozens of foolish young men."

Atratus looked at Magus in surprise, but, Magus nodding his okay, he swung the door closed and ordered his group to wait.

"Now, Miles," Nautilus began.

"Don't call me that," Magus snapped.

"Very well, Sorcerer Magus. Let us get straight to the point. Are you feeling hale and healthy? No trouble sleeping, for instance?"

"You want to discuss my health? How odd."

"Has anything disturbed your dreams? For instance, have you felt that anyone was trying to reach you in them?"

Magus raised a sharp eyebrow. "I do not dream. However, I have been interrupted in my sleep by—" He glanced around the empty stone-walled room. "I think I won't tell you any more until you tell me why you ask."

Nautilus glanced around, too, then leaned forward. "Almost every night for the past week or so, I've felt that someone was reaching into my dreams and trying to communicate with me."

"What have you seen?"

"It's more that I see blackness, or nothingness. When I'm in the midst of some vivid dream, all of a sudden, a life force, or maybe more accurately a death force, seems to find me and spread into my dream. And when it does, the dream gets blacked out bit by bit as if a stain was spreading before my eyes."