The Balborite Curse (Book 4) by Kristian Alva Read Free Book Online

Most of them left the table to mill with the crowd, and eventually, only Skemtun and Bolrakei remained seated.
    Skemtun had not spoken a single word, and now the aged clan leader stared across the table at his rival. His voice was a whisper. “I never thought I would see the day where you returned to power.”
    Bolrakei offered him a patronizing smile. “How could you not? Hergung’s madness is incurable, and he will be gone soon. My clan will not tolerate another year of chaos. Our people need a reliable leader—a pureblood who acts in their best interests. It’s only a matter of time before everybody realizes that I’m the best one for the job.”
    “Buying votes on the council doesn’t make you a strong leader,” said Skemtun. “It makes you a nothing more than a crooked politician.”
    “What do you know, old man?” Bolrakei’s lips stretched into a steely grin, but the smile did not reach her eyes. “In just a few generations, you’ve steered your mining clan into financial ruin. Your power grows weaker with each passing year. And now, with the Vardmiters gone, your clan has the lowest standing in our society. Mount Velik needs more nether-workers, and it is your clan that will take over the lowly jobs the Vardmiters used to do. ”
    His eyes blazed with fury. “How dare you! My clan isn’t going to clean sewers or sweep up trash. My clan has been mining this mountain for generations—and our numbers are greater than yours. Why don’t you order your people to do those jobs!”
    Bolrakei leaned in and crooned, “Silly old goat! While it’s true that my clan isn’t the largest, we are the wealthiest. And unlike yours, my workers are skilled craftsmen. From the fairy folk to the humans, all the races of Durn want my magnificent gems. My jewelcutters make money for me all over the continent. I profit in peace and war. I care not which races are fighting, or even why. Let the humans or the orcs slaughter one another—it makes no difference to me. There will always be a market for my stones. You don’t have enough money or power to stop me.”
    “Bah! My people will never consent to this. This is an injustice!” He sat back down, turning his face away.
    “Wrong, Skemtun. You have no choice but to follow me. Where can you go? Utan and his rebel Vardmiters have already left—they are comfortably entrenched in the Highport Mountains, and your opportunity to join their little ragtag rebellion has passed. When the Vardmiters were still here, they asked for your help—and you were too afraid to take sides. Your own clan members lost respect for you for that, and the Vardmiters hated you for it. You’re a coward—and you’ve been sitting on the fence for a long time, but now I’m forcing you off of it.”
    “Be quiet, you arrogant witch! As long as I have breath in my body, I’ll never bow to your demands.”
    A strange smile split Bolrakei’s round face. “You have no choice. Do you truly believe that the clans will remain faithful to a king that sits in his chambers like a frightened rabbit while his kingdom crumbles into anarchy? Hergung’s physicians hover around him like bees, but even they know his days are numbered. Hergung shall not live to rule another summer, and he has no heir who is experienced enough to replace him. The selection of his successor will fall to the council.”
    Silence fell in the room. “I am a loyal subject of King Hergung, and I support his rule. You speak treason, woman.”
    “I speak truth!” Bolrakei slammed her fist on the table. “By Golka, you are a greater fool than I thought! Are you really loyal to the king? Because he’s going to die, and everyone knows it. Eventually, Klora-Kana will become the most powerful clan on the mountain, and I shall become queen. I am high-born, and no one else has the resources or the power to challenge me.”
    “You are not fit to be the queen! You have neither the strength nor the wisdom.” Skemtun crossed his arms in