Volume 2 – Inheritance of Fire
Chapter 4 – The Summit: Day One
Part 2 - Torch and Smoke
"I watched them all tonight. Not just what they said—what they didn't. Who they sat near. Who they didn't toast. Who looked to you with expectation, and who looked to their neighbors to know how to feel."
He opened the dossier.
"These are the ones you can count on," he said, tapping a page lined with sigils. "Lords Verent and Alloran. Lady Cyra of the Southern Reach. All loyal to Hollowreach in deed, not just name. Verent because of legacy. Alloran because of guilt. Cyra because she believes you might actually change things. They're yours—unless you prove them wrong."
He flipped to the next section. "Now—these you must keep close, and never let them feel unseen."
A new set of names, marked with crimson ink.
"Lord Henswick. Old, bitter, surrounded by younger sons eager for his power. He plays along, but he's watching for weakness. Lady Ivelynne—too well-spoken for how little she says. Her house is entangled with old empire ties. She hasn't chosen a side yet, but she won't hesitate to poison the well if it suits her better."
He hesitated on the last page, then slid it forward.
"This list… these are the reeds in the river. They'll bend with the current. Whoever wins, they'll stand behind. If we win, they'll become your loudest supporters. If we fail—well, they'll help carry the sword that kills us."
A dozen names. Minor nobles. Rising merchant lords. Two city magistrates. Even a few high-ranking clergy.
"They're yours, if you play the part of the victor," he said. "But play it poorly, and they'll bury you before the drums stop echoing."
I traced one of the names on the page, committing it to memory.
"I want to know everything. Who they sleep with. Who they owe. Who they fear."
Ezra nodded. "Already started. By morning, I'll have reports waiting. Some of them are clever, but not clever enough to beat me at my own game."
I looked up at him, and for a brief moment, saw the boy I'd known—the one who built shadows into tools and turned silence into power. "It's good to have you back."
Ezra's smirk softened. "It's good to be somewhere that matters."
I studied Ezra's face in the flickering glow. "You move fast," I said. "You just arrived, and you're already ten moves ahead of everyone in that hall."
He didn't smile—just leaned back and drained the last of his wine. "I never left, really. My network's been working here since the day we arrived in this world. Whisperers, runners, archivists, even a few court jesters who are far more than they seem."
I exhaled, slow and deep. "So you've already embedded."
He nodded. "Every major city has at least one cell. Hollowreach has five. I know which generals still receive bribes from the old regime, which nobles fear revolution more than they fear poverty, and which merchants will sell you out if the gold shines bright enough."
I glanced at the folio again. "You're dangerous, Ezra."
"And I thank God you're on my side."
He raised an eyebrow at that. "You always did play the long game with your faith."
I leaned forward. "And you always made your faith look like pragmatism."
He chuckled, low and dry. Then, more seriously: "Everything I've built here—it's yours. My people answer to me, but through me, they answer to you. You say the word, I'll move them. Shape them. Bury threats or raise banners. Just give me a signal."
"Then I need you in the shadows, watching what I can't. I'll be the torch. You be the smoke."
Ezra gave a quiet nod. "Done."
We sat there in the last golden light, the silence settling in again.
"We focus on the summit tomorrow," I said. "Everything else can wait."
He pushed his chair back slowly. "And when the others arrive?"
I stood with him. "Then we catch up. The right way."
He clasped my forearm. "Don't let the wolves circle too close while I'm watching the edges."
"I won't," I said. "But if they do, I hope they understand what it means when the fox bares its teeth."
Ezra smirked, then disappeared into the hall's shadows.
I watched the embers fall, heart steady. The world was changing.
And I no longer stood alone.
The fire burned low. Outside, the first frost of night settled across Hollowreach. Tomorrow, we'd face the storm. But tonight, in the heart of a kingdom on the edge of rebirth, we sharpened our knives in candlelight.