Phoenix in Shadow - eARC Read Free

again, Khoros? Have you dared to try your hand once more? I must discover if it is so!
    It was even more glad, now, that its true goals were still buried layers deep, hidden behind the dozen other plots in which it was involved. Kerlamion, o King, your plans proceeed apace...yet they may be doomed to failure.
    As might be true of the other three branches of the conspiracy. It nodded. I must find a way to have this possible connection discovered, brought to their attention. It would not do to make it easy on our adversaries, yet the King of Demons and our other...allies do not have any need to know how I have learned these things.
    It glanced up at the sky. Time to leave; I have learned what I could here.
    More importantly, it guessed what the Phoenix was about to do, and if it was right, there was little to be done to stop her now. However, if it moved very swiftly, it should be able to arrive at Justiciar’s Retreat just ahead of someone else who must be even now approaching. That should be very entertaining...and useful, if his performance is as expected .
    It strode into the jungle, chuckling, shape becoming something swift and terrible, arrowing towards the once-holy sanctum.

Chapter 1
    Aran felt cold, cold inside, so cold that he was able to ignore his fear entirely. There is nothing to fear here, not now. For what I want and what It wants, they must be the same now.
    Even so, he had to steel himself to knock at the great stone and metal portal which was the Hall of Balance, the innermost area of the Justiciar’s Retreat...and the chosen quarters of their leader. He remembered the last time he had entered there, practically dragged by Shrike...
    “Enter, Condor.”
    The voice sent a new bolt of fear through Condor’s heart. I’d expected Thornfalcon . Expected that I’d have to argue with him to reach...It.
    But in a way, this was better. He had no idea why Thornfalcon’s patron would be here now, and even less as to why Thornfalcon would not be present, but at least now there would be no impediments to his purpose. He shoved the fear away, replaced it with the cold-burning rage, and entered.
    The room was dimly lit, as it nearly always was. Part of him wanted to believe it was because the creature feared light, but he’d watched It in the sunlight far too many times. “You must know by now.”
    It raised an entirely human-looking eyebrow over a pure-blue eye. “How bold a beginning; not even a hint of the courtesies. But yes, I know, Condor; Shrike has fallen. A terrible loss for you.” The last words carried an almost sincere note of sympathy, that nearness to human feeling making it even more jarring.
    He gritted his teeth. I cannot get into a duel of words with It. It will enrage me if It so pleases, and then humiliate me, and I will still need to ask this of It. “I apologize for my failure in diplomacy; I am empty of thanks or courtesy this day, for he was my father in all but blood.”
    “Of course.” There was little irony in the voice now. “And I will tolerate...for the moment...a certain amount of personal clumsiness, Condor. But you did not come here to speak of the dead, I think, but of the living.”
    He knows, or guesses. Of course. Aran, the Condor, laughed suddenly. “Yes. Of those living who must soon die. This...this Phoenix, ” he spat the name out as though it burned his tongue, “killed Shrike, left his body lying in the woods, didn’t even burn it or bury it, like you’d leave some animal in the woods, no ceremony, nothing.” Even as he said it, he heard his voice rising, and suddenly felt no inclination to restrain himself. “Well, I’ll do the same to him!”
    “Or her,” the other responded with maddening equanimity. “And really, why the rage? You know perfectly well that in all likelihood this is the true Justiciar of Myrionar. You’re the traitors and monsters. Didn’t you say something like that...perhaps even here in this room?”
    “Do not patronize me,