Mercy’s heart warmed. Of all the terrible things that had happened lately, at least she still had a family. “Thank you, Mother.”
Malice straightened herself and summoned her jewelry when Mercy left. She sank back into her chair with regal poise and contacted an old enemy.
Reigan Shen’s voice came from a construct in the darkness. “Explain to me why you made me wait when the situation is so urgent?”
“You’re lucky I’ve allowed you into my territory at all.”
“Have you controlled your daughter?”
Malice bristled. So Shen had been spying on her, at least to the degree he could see through her shadows. “Question me again and perhaps you’ll find me standing with Ozmanthus’ disciples.”
“If you were willing to ascend for the sake of victory, then I’d be having this conversation with Fury, not you.”
No, he wouldn’t. Fury would never have ruled as a Monarch, but then, Reigan Shen had never understood her son.
“I spoke my daughter’s language. She’s under control, and I didn’t have to lock her inside a pocket world.”
“You’d be impressed what it does for their manners. Not a one of my children has ever questioned me twice.”
Malice realized she was exchanging parenting tips with a lion, and the disgust twisted her lips. “That’s enough. You have my permission. Use Blackflame.”
“So the Blackflame Empire is mine?”
“Not the Empire,” she snapped. She’d been clear about that from the beginning, but he had to pretend to misunderstand. “You can have Serpent’s Grave.”
Reigan Shen disconnected his mind from Malice, pleased with himself.
How could he not be? Every part of this battle was taking place in the Ashwind continent. No matter how it turned out, Malice would be the only one to lose.
…assuming it worked, and Eithan’s disciples ascended without Eithan himself returning for revenge.
That soured his mood significantly.
He stepped through space from the Wastelands into the western Blackflame Empire. Sand blew across another desert; he was sick of deserts, but he supposed that’s why it was called Ashwind.
Below him spread a city made of dragon’s bone. Yellowed buildings supported by ancient rib cages from the titanic ancient dragons; skulls that contained entire housing complexes.
It was a work of art, and he didn’t want to despoil it.
Reigan Shen swept his perception through the city. He could focus his attacks on the Twin Star Sect and the Arelius family, as though the Blackflame boy had lost himself and attacked his own allies.
Reigan blinked when he understood what his senses were telling him.
He scanned the city again.
The sect of Twin Stars was gone. The Arelius family was gone. He couldn’t keep track of every single person in the city wearing an Arelius uniform, not unless he was an Arelius himself, but he could search for their madra. Not one person with their bloodline legacy remained in the city.
Lindon had evacuated them all.
How? The Void Icon could hide futures and even remove obstructions placed on Fate, but it wasn’t specialized in seeing those possibilities in the first place. Had Eithan planned this far ahead?
He clicked his tongue in frustration. Now what? Destroying the city didn’t send much of a message if Lindon had already withdrawn all his allies.
Then again…
Reigan shrugged and reached into his King’s Key. He withdrew a spear of fire and destruction aura; it wasn’t technically the Path of Black Flame, but it had been made from a black dragon’s Remnant, so a scan after the fact wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.
He activated the binding and scorched a line through the center of the city. Then he repeated that a few more times, incinerating streets and any building he saw that wasn’t carved from bone.
Might as well. It wasn’t his city.
Flames and smoke rose moments later, alongside screaming alarms, and he tucked the spear back away. He had remained veiled the entire time; with their primitive perceptions and the thin aura here, all they should know was that a Blackflame technique had destroyed the heart of their city. Most of the beautiful dragon-bone buildings remained intact, but he’d still taken thousands of human lives.
Perfect.
Reigan Shen admired his handiwork for a moment longer before he left.
Thousands of miles to the west, Lindon felt a great explosion of Blackflame madra.
[Serpent’s Grave,] Dross told him quietly.
Fury burned in Lindon’s heart. Malice was more brutal than he’d given her credit for. This may have been Reigan Shen, but either way, Malice had allowed it.