General Yeven pushed the door open and held it for Haldren to pass through. He took some satisfaction from the bruised skin on the side of the old man’s face, the eye that was still swollen shut. Haldren walked into the dark room a little hesitantly, all the swagger gone from his step. Perfect.
Yeven followed Haldren in, closed the door, and leaned against it. “General ir’Brassek, I believe you are already acquainted with Kelas ir’Darran.” Right on cue, a dim light flickered to life on a desk across the room, and Kelas’s face appeared in the dark.
“You?” Haldren sputtered. “Was Yeven working for you all along? You dare bring me here?”
Yeven grimaced. Haldren’s spirit was not quite as broken as he had hoped.
“Shut up, Haldren,” Kelas said with a small smile. “You know I couldn’t answer your invitation to Bluevine. I can do much more from my current position than I could if my inclinations became known. I’m a spymaster, not a general.”
“A spymaster, indeed. I suppose Darraun worked for you, then?”
Good guess, Yeven thought.
“No,” Kelas said. “We believe he was a Thrane agent, which might account for the disaster on the Starcrag Plain.”
That was the story they’d agreed on. Reinforce his sense of failure, keep beating him down. Make him pliable. It was working: Haldren didn’t have a ready response. He looked down at his hands.
“Listen, Haldren. It was a disaster, but it’s not the end.” Haldren looked up, a hint of spirit returning. “We can’t afford to try a direct military approach again—neither you nor General Yeven has enough support left in the army to launch another attack. But we still have allies, and we have other means at our disposal.”
“The Arcane Congress?” Haldren said hopefully. Arcanist Wheldren had withheld any support from Haldren’s initial strike, but he had promised future support if the attack went well.
“I have spoken to both Arcanist Wheldren and Ashara d’Cannith, and we have begun forging new plans. Your assistance could help bring those plans to fruition.”
“My assistance.” Haldren looked back down at his hands.
Yeven nodded slightly. Haldren understood the full weight of the words: he would no longer be in charge of this affair. He would be helping Kelas. Would he accept? Was his spirit sufficiently broken?
“Very well, Kelas,” Haldren said at last. Yeven broke into a smile. “I will give whatever assistance I can.”
“I’m very glad to hear it, General ir’Brassek.” Kelas stood behind his desk and extended a hand to Haldren, who took it and shook it. He seemed almost grateful.
General Yaven’s smile was genuine. The changeling wearing the general’s face was pleased.