War of Shadows by Gail Z. Martin Read Free Book Online

weather of Edgeland, Blaine had returned to Donderath when the war that killed the king and leveled the cities also destroyed the magic.
    “Even though we’re without a king,” Kestel said, “it makes sense to rebuild. Quillarth Castle is located on one of the meridians, so it’s a place of power. And it’s a stronghold to secure the city and the port. Someday, we’ll start trading again with the Cross-Sea powers and the other kingdoms. We’ll need a fortress to protect our interests.”
    “I imagine just getting the city back under control will keep our garrison busy for quite a while,” Niklas added.
    Blaine shrugged. “That’s what you’re here for. Glenreith is in pretty good shape now, and well defended,” he replied.
    “You’ll still need all the help you can get for harvest,” Kestel replied. “At least our soldiers got enough planted so the manor, the garrison, and what’s left of the town won’t go hungry.”
    “It’s a start,” Blaine acknowledged. “But we’ve got so much left to do.”
    Blaine turned his gaze back to Niklas. “What’s the situation in Castle Reach?” he asked with a nod of his head in the direction toward where Donderath’s capital city sprawled down to the sea.
    Niklas let out a long breath. “Even with twice as many men I couldn’t get the whole city completely in hand, but we’ve made a start,” he said. “We’ve secured a corridor from the castle down to the waterfront that includes most of the area that used to be shops, markets, and pubs, as well as the docks.”
    “Any pushback?”
    Niklas swore. “Lots of it. Without the king’s guards to keep the peace, and what with so many of the people fleeing the city, the folks who were left fended for themselves as best they could. The city was divided up between bandit gangs, and they each charged a toll for anyone foolhardy enough to cross their territory.”
    Now that Blaine had a good look in daylight, he could see the fresh marks of recent battle in Niklas’s newly healed scars. “First, I took a garrison against the top two bandit gangs, and when we broke them, the others swore fealty, especially the dominant one, run by a man named Folville. He’ll keep the others in line.”
    Blaine’s eyes widened. “You accepted oaths of fealty from bandit gangs?”
    Niklas grinned. “No, you did. We dealt out death in the name of the warlord Blaine McFadden, and the survivors swore their loyalty to you.”
    Well, damn
. “And does this fealty mean anything at all?” Blaine asked.
    “Yes and no,” Niklas replied. “Unless you want me to tie up half your army patrolling the city, we can’t keep a large enough presence to crack down on all the bandit gangs. But if they swear loyalty to you, those gangs patrol the city to keep out rival gangs—or any of Reese and Pollard’s men—and they pay a percentage of their profits to you as tribute.”
    Before his exile, such an arrangement might have seemed sordid. But after three years in King Merrill’s prison colony, Blaine understood the idea of using rivals to gain a balance of power. “Very well,” he said. “What else?”
    Niklas grimaced. “Reese and Pollard have left a mess behind. We’ve found an item we think was left as a trap. Dagur thinks it was meant to be triggered by magic. We dug a hole and buried it, and we’re going to have the mages see if they can set it off and contain it at the same time.”
    Blaine raised an eyebrow. “That’s rather risky, isn’t it?”
    Niklas shrugged. “Dagur seems to think it won’t be a problem.” He grimaced. “Then again, he didn’t think trying out this last artifact was going to be a problem, either.”
    Shouting near the front gate sent guards running. From where Blaine stood, it looked as if someone had arrived unannounced.
    “Expecting guests?” Kestel asked with a raised eyebrow.
    “Hardly.”
    Whoever had arrived was heatedly arguing with Niklas’s guards. After a while, Piran brought the