Ares

I stepped out of the meeting room and strode down the hall to my personal office, waiting until the door was firmly shut behind me before stripping off my bolero jacket. It was a work of art, encrusted in jewels and hand-embroidered with a scene depicting the origin of my family's status, when my ancestor conquered his enemies, avenged his fallen, and ascended to power. I hated wearing it. As beautiful as the jacket was, it was equally uncomfortable, having sacrificed function for form.

And I didn't want to pay the price of commissioning another should this one become damaged.

I hung the jacket in the warded wardrobe in my office, where I kept all my precious ceremonial and traditional garb. I'd have to put it back on later, after we reconvened our meeting for lunch.

A knock sounded on the door and Evie waited for my call before entering. She carried two plates with her, still steaming. We settled in on opposite sides of my desk.

"They're unbearably stubborn this year," Evie complained.

I nodded, taking a bite of the filet she had brought me. It was perfectly cooked and seasoned. Try as I might, I could never match the talent and skill of our chefs. "Something is different this time," I said. Irritatingly, I had no idea what it was, but the Darong had never been this tenacious. They usually brought in a couple of offers each year, things they thought may entice me to allow them entrance to our sacred place. Then, when I refused, they would leave until next year.

Once, they even brought a daughter of their ruling line for me. It was a risky play on their part. They had no guarantee she would be treated well by me should I accept her. That year, I thought they almost looked relieved when I refused.

Would they regret not offering me a son instead once they learned of Cole? The thought was funny for only a moment before I grimaced at the idea of Cole becoming known to them. If I was correct and they were indeed more desperate this year to be allowed into the Hinterlands, then they may do him harm in an attempt to force my hand. They could not be allowed to take him from me or hurt him in any way. His puppy - Blaze, I recalled with a small smile - would not be fully capable of defending him for some months yet.

The laptop on my desk dinged, and I took another bite before logging in and checking it. It was a message containing a report I had ordered yesterday on Gabriel , the man whose party Cole had attended yesterday. Ordinarily, I would ensure I had all the information I could before Cole visited someone's home. Of course, this party had taken place on the one day my people were entirely occupied with other surveillance activities, as well as securing our meeting building in preparation for the dinner party.

And of course, the dinner party had been just as fruitless as every other meeting with the Darong.

I clicked into the file on Gabriel Callas, though the information was likely no longer relevant. This was a coworker of Cole's friend. The odds of their social circles continuing to converge weren't very high. The file included photos of Gabriel taken from several angles, but didn't recognize him. There weren't many blond demons, and my contact with other species had been limited.

The file also continued basic information: his past addresses and workplaces, his educational history, his family connections, his aliases (he had once been arrested in college and called himself "the kegstand king"). The arrest had been for a party that had gotten out of control and had not resulted in more than a warning and a small fine to cover some property damage.

I clicked out of the file and saved it to a folder full of similar reports on other people who crossed paths with Cole, then turned back to Evie.

"I'm going to let the Darong know we are giving them one final session this year. This has been drawn out for too long."

Evie nodded perfunctorily. "They won't agree."

"I don't care. Their threats have no teeth. If they had any leverage over us or the ability to break through our defenses, they would have used it already. I humor them each year in an attempt to keep them civil and prevent rash action. They sometimes seem to conflate that with a balanced power dynamic."

Evie pulled out her planner and consulted it. "This would be the meeting next Tuesday? Will you be communicating this at our meeting this afternoon?"

"Yes. I will handle it."

She set the planner back down, looking relieved. I knew these dealings were her least favorite part of her work with me. "Thanks."

I nodded and returned to my lunch. "I'm done discussing them. How is your mother?"

Evie smiled, her whole demeanor shifting. "Much better. She's grateful for your help."

Mending and rending. That was the power of my people. All could rend; that was second-nature to us. Ripping through space to teleport, for example. Or ripping through flesh. Our magic did not differentiate between the two.

Meanwhile, mending was a subtler art - one many did not have the training or patience to hone. As Kah, I was more connected to the seat of our power than most. I had also studied extensively and worked hard for years to hone my power until it flowed through me with precision. Healing physical ailments in people was not something I could do reliably; I had attempted such when faced with the choice between watching someone bleed out or attempting to repair the damage to their bodies. It was a subtle, dangerous art and sometimes ended with the person worse off than before I tried. Anything more than an artificial wound was risky.

Objects, however, were easy. Simple. And when Evie's mother's house was ripped apart by a terrible storm, I had taken an afternoon to mend it. That had been several weeks ago now, before I met Cole. It felt remarkably distant.

"She's also talking about starting up the Heritage Society again. We'll see if she actually does it this time."

"I'll pay her for her time if she does," I said - something Evie already knew. Our culture had been preserved orally for generations. There was no telling how much knowledge had been lost this way, especially during times of war. I was happy to support a more robust system.

Evie smiled. I checked the clock and groaned. "We'll need to get back soon," I complained.

"Just one more day after this, right?" Evie said, though her expression betrayed how much she was also dreading a return to our conference room.

"Right."

I was the last to enter the conference room. It was a matter of strategy. I wanted it to be clear to the Darong leader, Kris, that he was here because I allowed him to be, not because I was at his call.

Everyone rose when I entered the room, and I waved my hand toward the floor, indicating they could take their seats. I met each member of their party's eyes as I made my way to my seat at the head of the table, and held Kris' gaze as I sat.

"I hope your meal was pleasant," I said politely.

"Yes, thank you." This was Leila, Kris' wife. I had been surprised to see her this morning. She didn't usually join these meetings. When Kris was away, Leila stayed back to lead in his absence.

"Good. Let's set expectations for the remainder of our negotiation period. I will host a final session next Tuesday, and afterward we will once again pause our discussions until next year."

I was carefully evaluating Kris and Leila's expressions as I spoke, while I knew Evie would focus her attention on the remainder of their party: two guards and an advisor. Even if I hadn't been watching them, Leila's panic at hearing this was unmissable. In fact, she took several seconds to attempt to smooth out her expression and even once she had, her brow retained a furrow and her eyes looked overly wide. She was worried, more than usual.

Why?

Why was this the year they were so determined to gain access to the Hinterlands, after so many years of attempts that were sincere but lacked urgency?

I let the words hang in the silence. I knew how much information could be gained through patience.

It didn't take long for Leila to speak. She darted a look at Kris, perhaps aware that he would not approve of her outburst, and said, "Please, Kah, let this be the year we come to a resolution."

I lifted one brow inquisitively and continued to watch her.

She looked again at her husband, who looked unhappy but did not stop her. She swallowed and met my eyes, her own tear-filled. "Please. Our son is unwell. Our physicians cannot help him. They say he has an auto-immune disorder. They believe it is a symptom of our separation from the Hinterlands. Others are similarly afflicted. We fear for what will happen to the rest of us - to all of our people - if we do not regain a connection to our motherland."

Your people should have thought of the consequences of betraying their sovereign, then.

I swallowed those words back. It was true the Darong had set themselves down this road. It was also true that the people before me were generations removed from that decision. The people before me had perpetuated their people's insistence against following me as their Kah and maintaining their own rule, but it was status quo for them and not the great betrayal of my grandmother's time.

"You know my terms," I said firmly. They were the same ones I reiterated every time the Darong came to me begging to be allowed in our homeland. "Disavow your house and your name. Dismantle your sovereignty. Swear fealty."

Leila folded in on herself, covering her face with her hands and softly weeping.

I allowed myself to glance at Evie, who had failed to disguise her surprise. If this was a tactic of some kind, it was a new one. I didn't trust it, but couldn't quash the ache in my chest that came from watching a mother weep over worry for her son.

My own mother would have met these demands without hesitation if they would save me. I knew that. So, what held Leila back? It was clear she loved her child. Was this a manipulation? Or was it that she and Kris disagreed?

"Please," Leila whispered hoarsely. I thought she was pleading with me again until she said, "Please, Kris."

She shook her head, hands still covering her face. It was a pitiful sight, and I steeled my heart against it. I knew my duty to my people; while I could make an exception for her son, I would be giving up the only leverage I had to end this bloodlessly and it would have its own dangers.

So, I watched and I waited. Kris would either give me what I wanted, or he wouldn't. In the meantime, I examined this new piece of leverage I had. Their son was unwell; I remembered one of their brood missing from the dinner I hosted on Friday, which was attended by the highest-ranking demons from both of our factions. I stayed updated on all the key players, so it was simple enough to mentally flip through a roster of their family and deduce that it was Dorian who must be ailing. Their beloved second son, the one they all doted on, even Kris.

This might play in my favor, I realized. If there was any singular person who would sway Kris to cede his power to me, it was Dorian. And it wasn't only Dorian at risk; Leila had indicated this issue would become more widespread if left unchecked.

It was only a matter of time. Whether Kris gave in now or after his people were weakened, he would either give in or drive them all to ruin.

This also meant the Darong would be desperate. If they were ever to do something stupid to try and wrest control of the Hinterlands from me, it was now. I'd need to be exceedingly vigilant. And I'd need to keep a much closer watch on my mate.

Kris wrapped an arm around Leila's shoulders and pulled her against him. She finally dropped her hands and I caught sight of a blotchy, teary face for just seconds before it was buried against his chest. I felt like I was intruding by watching them, but could not afford to show weakness.

Kris met my gaze as he rubbed her back comfortingly. "We will talk again on Tuesday. I think it best we take our leave for now."

"Please, Kris," Leila said again.

"Ssh, let's get you home," he said, and I didn't miss the way his eyes darted to his advisor and to me. He wasn't a man who had resigned himself to losing yet.

The Darong party left. Evie and the singular guard I had brought into the meeting followed me to a new room. I would not speak freely in that conference room until I was sure there weren't any hidden cameras or microphones.

Once I was confident we wouldn't be observed, I turned to the guard, who was the highest-ranked commander of our armed forces - beneath myself, of course.

"Implement high security protocol starting immediately, to be continued until the Darong have disbanded or I order otherwise." He nodded and bowed before taking his leave. I knew the updated patrol schedule would go into effect within the hour.

Next, I turned to Evie. "I need information."

She nodded, already typing away on her phone. "I've updated Greil. He already has tails on most of their ruling family and is working to get agents in place to observe the others." Greil was our spymaster.

"Why weren't we doing this already? It seems a gross oversight."

Evie grimaced. "Greil's team has been stretched thin. He reassigned the tails on two of the family to seek information on Cole's associates."

I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes. I didn't regret that trade-off, but it was poor timing. "Fine. I want status reports by midnight."

"Yes, sir. Is there anything you want me working on?"

I considered this. "It looks likelier than ever we'll be absorbing the Darong faction. We'll need to prepare to manage many more people, some of whom will be hostile."

Evie nodded and kept typing on her phone. We spent the next hour debating what planning to set into motion now, before I could even be certain Kris would give in. Finally, it was coming up on dinnertime and I decided we had done enough.

"Thank you, Evie," I said, standing.

She stood, too. "Always." She offered me a small smile and added, "Say hi to Cole for me."

I grinned at her, feeling much lighter at the mention of my mate. "If we aren't otherwise occupied, I will."

She made a face and vanished, likely off to her office to send out the last few remaining communications we had discussed. I laughed and went home, looking forward to all the ways I could occupy myself.