Chapter One Hundred Seventeen
Chapter One Hundred Seventeen
Londrell stares at them, anger simmering beneath his skin - not at the fairies, but at the idea that his own Finally, he exhales. Slow. Controlled. Reigned, “...Very well. Do what you must.”
The fairies bow, “We thank you. We will begin immediately.”
They flutter out of the office, leaving Londrell and Varyn alone in the heavy silence.
Londrell turns to Varyn, eyes hard, “Gather the envoy, everyone. Now!”
Varyn nods sharply, “As you wish.”
As Varyn hurries out, Londrell stands alone in the center of his office - a man surrounded by comfort, yet suddenly aware of how fragile he truly was. He clenches his fists, “If there is treachery among my people… I will root it out myself.” And with that, he prepared to face the truth he had been avoiding for far too long.
The conference room filled slowly, tension thickening with every new arrival. Londrell’s advisors entered first - seasoned strategists, diplomats, and magic-users who had stood beside him for years. They murmured to each other, confused by the sudden summons.
They were all whispering amongst themselves, “Why call us all at once? Something must have changed.”
“Maybe the summit is in danger?” commented another.“Or maybe the Council added new conditions?” Interjected another.
Other - members of the envoy chosen to accompany Londrell - filed in behind them. Some looked curious. Some looked irritated. And some… looked nervous.
These were the ones who avoided eye contact. Who lingered near the exits. Who kept glancing at the shadows as if expecting them to move. They knew something was wrong. They knew the fairies were involved. They knew their plans might be unraveling. And they were already calculating escape routes.
What none of them realized was that they were being watched. Behind a hidden panel in the wall, in a narrow security chamber lit by glowing runes, Londrell stood with his head of security. A massive scrying mirror displayed the entire room - every face, every twitch, every whispered word.
The fairies hovered beside the mirror, their wings glowing faintly as they recorded everything. They pointed out three people, one was afraid, one was angry, and one was plotting.
Londrell’s jaw tightened. He had hoped the fairies were wrong. He had hoped Avery’s visions were exaggerated. He had hoped his people were loyal. But the mirror didn’t lie.
Inside the conference room, Varyn stood at the head of the long table, posture straight, expression unreadable. One of the fairies perched lightly on his shoulder, wings folded neatly. The room quieted as he raised a hand, “Thank you all for coming on such short notice. Londrell will not be joining us. He has agreed to have the fairies, do one on ones with all of you. It is an added precaution for the summit. Londrell believes that if we cooperate this way, it will give us amnesty if something happens at the summit. He can say, my people and I were cooperative, and you cleared them. So sit tight, and when the fairies appear on your shoulder, follow them.”
Chairs scraped. Murmurs rose. The fairy on Varyn’s shoulder whispered softly, its voice too quiet for anyone else to hear, “Three are planning to flee. Two are planning to fight, and One is waiting for a signal.”
Varyn didn’t react outwardly, He just left the room to watch with Londrell.
One of the extremists - Rhalek - leaned toward Mira, whispering under his breath, “They know.” Mira replies, “Stay calm. If we panic, we expose ourselves.”
The fairy that had been perched on Varyn’s shoulder, but hid itself, under the table when Varyn left, tilted his head, listening to every word. Recording everything.
Londrell is watching the extremists whispering, his expression darkening with every passing second, “...So it’s true.” That is when Varyn walked in, and his head of security said, “They’re hiding something. And it’s not small.”
Londrell’s hands curl into fists. He had wanted peace. He had wanted a chance to explain himself. He had wanted to stop the destruction before it consumed everything. But now? Now he saw the truth, Not everyone wanted peace, not everyone wanted survival. Some wanted the world to burn. And they were sitting at his table.