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Jac’leath Tarr stood in the centre of the great hall and looked up at the Intergalactic Coalition with eyes smudged with fatigue and with an expression that brooked no argument.
‘You have allowed the rape of Icarrion to continue for two long years,’ he said. ‘You have done nothing, whilst Sytor strips the land of its precious resources, and you have sat back and watched as the Icarrion people have been sold into slavery. I am here to tell you that you must now act or suffer the consequences.’
‘Consequences?’ A fat Xanetteian struggled to his feet. ‘You dare to threaten the council?’
‘It’s a strange council that allows a Xanetteian to sit on it,’ Jac’ countered. ‘You, and your like, reap the benefit of Sytor’s tyranny. You take the slaves he offers, and you feed like a pig on the spoils of his plunder.’
The Xanetteian puffed out his chest and muttered something indistinguishable. He had no argument that would contradict the points made by the human, but he was too proud and too stupid to sit down and remain silent.
‘What else have you to say?’ the human leader of the council asked. ‘We’ve heard your report from the witch, and we’ve listened patiently to your stories of rape and pillage. What more can you say that will alter our stance on this
matter?’
‘Only this one thing,’ Jac’ returned. ‘If you do not expel that fat Xanetteian from your side, and if you don’t ally yourself with Queen Astra, we will go to war with you all.’
‘All?’ The human smirked. ‘The Intergalactic Coalition consists of twenty-two planets. You cannot wage war on all of us.’
‘We can, and we will.’
‘Go at it then,’ the Xanetteian spat out. ‘I’ll see that witch destroyed and you with her.’
Jac’ didn’t flinch at the words thrown at him. He had no fear of the coalition or what they could do. All of the many species and every one of the people across the forbidden territories on Icarrion were already poised to attack the interloper, and Laylamunger, and all of Masson, had finally come down on Astra’s side – pledging every resource at their disposal in her fight for her throne.
Then, there was the dragon. At two years old, she was already mature enough in body, mind and spirit to aid her mistress. No, he had no fear of the coalition and its twenty-two planets.
He nodded, accepting their final words, before turning and striding across the floor and leaving their presence.
Read on for a sneak preview of The Rise of the Witch – the second book in the Beyond the Bloodline Trilogy.