Seated amongst the angry duke, the anxious Kalise, the stoic Eleanor, the quiet Ariza, the nervous Yulia, the sneering Roza, the tense Alana, the somewhat disinterested Kierra, and the very guilty looking Khan, I don’t see this ending well.

From the looks these people exchange, no one would assume they’re family. The duke looks one second from strangling his son, the most emotion I’ve ever seen from him. Only the hovering of Kalise keeps his homicidal anger at bay but the ties of affection will not hold him back for long.

“Explain yourself.” His tone leaves no doubt that this is Khan’s only chance to save himself some pain. Not save himself. I don’t think that’s possible. The people of Victory are not known for being merciful. This is the man who casually sanctioned actions that could lead to the first war in the history of Harvest, just for the sake of tradition. I can’t imagine what he’ll do to someone who has truly offended him or endangered his territory.

“What I did, I did for the good of the north.”

The air grows tenser as the duke waits for Khan to offer more…and he doesn’t.

With the hesitance of someone turning their back on a growling wolf, Kalise turns her back on her husband to kneel at her son’s side. Her voice is low but the harsh whisper is still easy to distinguish with my ears. “What are you doing? Say something.”

“I can’t.”

“Boy, you tell me what is going on right now, or with all the ancestors and elders as my witnesses, I will—"

“I can’t, Mammy,” Khan hisses back, raising his head. “I can’t give you any details. I just know that I had to stop Alana’s army from going into that storm and the estrazi are not our enemies.”

“You can’t. You…can’t.” I see the moment Kalise understands. I can practically see the hope shining out of her eyes as she jumps to her feet, gaze snapping to me. “You! Your creatures, they use the mental affinity, don’t they?”

“They do.”

“And you have complete control over them?”

“I can save you the time,” Alana interrupts. “I already had Lou investigate what you suspect. There is evidence that Khan’s mind has been tampered with. When he says he can’t tell us why and how he is involved with these enemies he calls the estrazi, he means he is truly incapable of it.”

Relief. Kalise lets out a big sigh. If her husband wasn’t glaring so strongly, she might have smiled. “I knew it. My boy is no traitor. These…esuawhats stuck their mucky fingers in his brain. It’s not his fault. You see that.”

She turns to the duke…who slowly relaxes.

“No!” Khan shouts at his parents. “It isn’t like that. I wanted this. I told them to take the information. They aren’t monsters.”

“We can’t trust anything that comes out of his mouth.” Eleanor also looks relieved. “The best thing to do is put him in a room and limit his contact with the fort. There is no telling what commands his attackers have implanted in his mind.”

Roza huffs. “I agree. There is no point in even questioning him when all the answers have been prepared by the enemy.”

Khan continues shouting at people who aren’t acknowledging a thing he says. “You need to listen to me. This is not a ploy. The estrazi are guardians. They have bigger concerns than a war Harvest started. They are protecting us, protecting the world—"

His mouth continues to move but nothing comes out. He pauses, seeing no one reacting, hand going to his throat. The duke’s eyes glow. With a dismissive wave of his hand, Khan is slammed into the floor. I can see him wiggling, trying to stand, but his efforts amount to nothing.

“Bulliard.”

The gray-haired manservant enters the room. His eyes flick over the room, taking in the situation but his features show no reaction. “My lord?”

“Khan has been…compromised. Take him to an empty room. Bind his wrists and ankles. Cover his eyes and ears. Watch over him and report to me if he does anything questionable.”

“As you say, my lord.” He wastes no time in crossing the room and kneeling besides Khan. An arm goes around the younger man’s neck, squeezing until he loses consciousness, all without making a sound.

“What exactly do you hope to accomplish?” Roza questions as Khan is shrugged onto the servant’s shoulder. “Our mental casters are only versed in dispelling the allures of vividares and forcing oaths on criminals. They cannot undue…how would you describe it?”

Alana narrows her eyes at her mother. It’s quite obvious that she is seeking the worst solution to the Khan problem and enlisting her daughter’s help. She doesn’t want to help but there’s nothing she can say to make this better. “Lou?”

Ah. Suppose that’s one solution. Way to pass the snake, sweetie. “According to my succubus, parts of his memory have been torn away. The damage is extensive and complicated.”

Alana’s mother hums. “That sounds far beyond anything our people are capable of. Perhaps because anyone who falls so deeply under a mental allure that they act against their comrades is put down before they become a problem.” She lazily takes another bite of fruit, ignoring Kalise’s growing hostility. “Though I suppose an exception must be made for the duke’s son.”

Despite what she says, her words are not a plea of mercy. They are a provocation and everyone at the table knows it from the way they flinch. “Mother!” Alana shouts in reprimand, but the damage has been done.

“No exceptions are being made.” The duke watches as his manservant leaves the room. “There is only one fate for the enemies of Victory.”

“You—"

“Khan owes his life to Victory.” The duke cuts the newly distraught mother off without mercy. “But he serves this family more with his continued life than with a quick execution. The enemy took him. Every member of the James family has ventured beyond the Peaks but they chose him. I want to know why. I want to know why they value him…and I want to know if we can use that against them as they have deigned to use him against us.”

“Use him?!” Kalise grabs the duke by his collar. “What do you mean use him? Someone cracked open our son’s head and stirred it and the only thing you’re thinking about is using him?! He needs healers, not—"

She cuts off abruptly as her wrists are grasped. She grits her teeth as she struggles against her husband but doesn’t stand a chance. The duke removes her hands from his shirt. They glare at each other for several long moments before Kalise pulls out of his grip and storms away, knocking a chair away as she passes. Ariza, who has been quiet as the scared mouse she is, flinches at the bang it makes as it slams against the wall.

The next surprise comes from Yulia, who rises from her chair to chase after her. Eleanor watches her dramatic exit. For a moment, I think she’ll join her daughter, but she turns away, frowning as she straightens in her chair.

“Lou.”

I jump. Saints, I think that’s the first time the duke has addressed me so casually. It’s extra unsettling because there is no friendliness in his tone.

“Be direct. Can my son be healed?”

Geneva?

[…I’m not sure.]

You’re not sure.

[I must remind you I am not infallible. Whoever did the work on his mind was powerful and thorough. His memories were not shrouded or fragmented. They were erased. Are there traces lurking in his subconscious that I could reconstruct them from? Perhaps. Perhaps the attempt will turn him into a babbling lunatic, as recreating false memories could forever alter him. I am not sure.]

Oi. If you can’t do it, who can? Isn’t he doomed?

[I don’t know.]

Then that’s the answer. And it’s what I tell the duke. “I don’t know. There is no guarantee my succubus can recover his memories and there is a chance she can make things worse trying.”

“How strong is your elemental?”

“She has lifetimes of experience and a coefficient that would make the masters of the kingdom blush in envy. I find it hard to imagine anyone more capable.” Unless there is the equivalent of Kierra with the mental affinity somewhere in the elven provinces. Don’t know how the duke would entice such a person to help so they may as well not exist.

“Many have called our crusade against the north hopeless and yet we march every year. A chance is more than enough. Tonight, you will write a report about everything you can recover from Khan’s mind. Then you will work to recover the stolen memories. Regardless of the consequences.”

How long would that take Geneva?

[An hour. A week. A month. A year. A decade. The mind is endlessly complex. Despite my many years, I don’t dare to claim I understand it in its entirety.]

I turn to Alana. There is no way we are staying here for a year while her father pokes sleeping dragons. I don’t want to be anywhere near these reckless northerners led by a father taking revenge for his son. Not to mention putting a face to their eternal enemies is sure to stir the knights into a frenzy. But someone else needs to say it. Or at least, I want her to say it.

Alana swallows heavily as she gathers her courage. “Father. We have other responsibilities. There is the March to consider and we are due to return to the Hall in the spring.”

“The March is Victory’s debt to settle, not yours alone. We will need the resources. Your studies are important but there are plenty here that can teach you. Your brother’s treatment is paramount. Inside is mind is critical information about an enemy that could be plotting against us right now.”

“Lou is a summer noble so she has too much tact. What she should have said is that there’s the same chance of recovering Khan’s memories as the Peaks thawing. As for our enemies, nothing has changed. Whatever information they received from Khan, they’ve had for years. There is no imminent threat. We should be building our strength rather than rushing into an enemy we hardly understand.”

“Very well. I do not need your presence, merely the elemental. You can return to Quest without the succubus.”

“Absolutely not,” I declare, standing from my seat. I’m sorry, I want to let Alana take charge of our dealings in Victory but this is going too far. “My succubus stays with me.” And I am not staying here.

My future father-in-law levels a glare at me. “Your abilities are needed. This is not a question.”

His voice is full of expectation. I am needed so I will perform. There is no other choice. Except there is. “I don’t take orders from you.”

“…no. I suppose you do not.”

Together, we both turn to the one I do take orders from. Alana swallows heavily. “I…”

“Of course they’ll stay.”

Roza once again interrupts calmly, though she’s wearing a smile. “Victory is facing an unprecedented threat from the north. Khan’s condition will reflect badly on the family. Zach has embarrassed himself for the last time and will dedicate himself to joining the Moons as he always should have. Yulianna is an empty-headed fool.”

“You should be careful with your words,” Eleanor bites out, offended on behalf of her children.

“I’m merely speaking the thoughts others are too scared to say. If the knights are going to keep their faith in the James, at least one of your heirs will have to show some respectability.”