Descent Read Online Free PDF Page B

three years ago,’ the prince said sharply, his eyes flashing. He moved over to the window, staring out vacantly.
    Harry and Satine looked at each other, knowing by now to ignore Altor’s moods.
    ‘Arriving to a host of Valkyries has its charm too,’ Satine pointed out tiredly and Harry’s good mood suddenly dimmed with thoughts of the creatures.
    ‘You mentioned you had a message from Accolon?’ the queen asked.
    Harry nodded. ‘Luca contacted me earlier. They’re celebrating the Battle of Victory there tonight.’
    ‘So they’ll all be falling over drunk pretty soon.’
    ‘Not Luca. I’ve never seen him drunk in my life.’
    ‘There’s no civility in letting yourself go like that,’ Altor murmured, and neither of them could tell if he was agreeing with Luca’s choice, or mocking it. ‘I’m going out,’ he announced abruptly and stalked from the room.
    Harry watched Satine’s gaze follow her son and he had to look away from the hurt in her eyes. He couldn’t even imagine what she must be going through.
    ‘Okay,’ she said swiftly. ‘What was the message?’
    ‘Accolon’s coming here.’
    ‘What? Why?’
    ‘I don’t know. Said he had something to talk to you about, and couldn’t do it over the links.’ Harry shrugged, watching her reaction. ‘Do you think he really needs to come all this way?’ he asked.
    Satine frowned. ‘You know more than I do.’
    ‘I don’t know much. You don’t think it could just be ... a ploy?’
    ‘For what?’
    ‘To see you.’
    Satine’s eyes hardened. ‘Why would you think he might want to do that?’
    Harry sighed. ‘I’m not an idiot, Satine. It’s obvious there’s something between you two.’
    Satine glared at him.
    ‘I’m just worried about you, that’s all. I know he hurt you,’ Harry continued.
    ‘He did no such thing! How could he when he means little more to me than an acquaintance?’
    Harry sighed. ‘Just be careful when he comes, is all I’m trying to say.’
    ‘And who are you to tell me this?’ she asked coldly. ‘Really, Harry, you should mind your own business.’
    Elixia stared at her husband, wondering when it was that he had become a stranger. ‘I just don’t think it’s in your best interest to leave right now,’ she said carefully.
    ‘Why?’ Accolon asked, looking up from his desk. ‘I need to speak to her. There is too much to say through the links—it tires them too much.’
    ‘You have just had a nobleman assassinated. And now you’re going to leave me here to deal with the consequences?’ she said crisply.
    ‘The slave trade is out of control.’ Accolon’s voice was flat. ‘The loss of one of its leaders will send it into turmoil, if only for a while. I will not argue with you about this. I know you can handle it.’
    Elixia had been as much of a ruler as he, and they both knew it. The closeness with which they’d first ruled had allowed the country to flourish. Somewhere along the way, that had started to dwindle. Accolon had grown restless, brooding and temperamental. He wanted to introduce laws that made no sense, and had been reading old texts that gave him strange ideas of what Paragor should be like.
    Elixia could remember the precise moment in which she had given up hoping for her husband to resume being the man he had once been; the birth of their only child had driven him into a rage she couldn’t bare to remember it was so hurtful, simply because the child had been a girl.
    ‘Why do you so desperately need to speak to her?’ she tried. ‘We had better not be funding an expensive trip over the ocean just so you can see your mistress!’
    But that was too far. She could tell from one glance that Accolon had shut down. His eyes blazed with fury, then he simply turned his back on her.
    Elixia tried to calm herself. ‘What of the rumours that this is all Vezzet?’ she managed to ask.
    It was a long minute before Accolon replied. ‘I have no doubt that he is capable of becoming the head of