Watt-Evans, Lawrence - Annals of the Chosen 01 (94 page)

He
paused,
as
if
expecting
Breaker
to
say
something,
but
Breaker
merely
looked
at
him.
Boss
sighed.

"I
tried
to
sound
out
the
others
about
joining
me—I
talked to
Lore
about
whether
any
of
the
Chosen
were
ever
rich
and
powerful,
and
tried
to
hint
that
we
could
be
the
same,
but
he didn't
see
it.
I
didn't
dare
speak
too
openly,
you
understand. I
think
the
Seer
guessed
what
I
was
getting
at,
but
she
was too
frightened
to
give
it
any
real
consideration.
I
couldn't
find
Stealth
or
Beauty—the
Seer
wouldn't
help
me—and
I thought
Babble
had
gone
mad,
with
those
voices
of
hers.
And
when
I
talked
to
Blade,
before
I
could
bring
it
up
he started
talking
about
how
he
didn't
trust
the
Wizard
Lord.
So I
gave
up
the
idea
of
including
the
rest
of
you,
and
kept
it
just
the
two
of
us.
Then
when
the
Seer
started
collecting
the
Chosen
I
left
home
so
you
wouldn't
see
my
palace
and
leap
to
any
conclusions,
and
I
headed
to
Winterhome
to
try
to find
the
Beauty
to
convince
her
to
back
me
up,
but
I
couldn't locate
her.
I
talked
to
the
Wizard
Lord,
and
we
made
some plans,
but
..
."

"But
I
killed
your
partner.
Fine,
I
see
how
it
was,
but
it's over.
You'll
give
up
your
talisman,
and
without
your
magic
I suppose
your
slave
girls
will
flee
and
you'll
lose
your
palace. I
don't
care.
I'm
not
going
to
kill
you
or
tell
anyone
about it—though
it
wouldn't
surprise
me
if
Babble
already
knows
what
happened,
or
if
the
Seer
guesses."

"But
it
doesn't
have
to
be
like
that!
When
they
choose
the
new
Wizard
Lord,
we
could
talk
to
him
..."

"No."

"But
you
could
have
anything
you
want
...
!"

"No.
I
swore
an
oath,
and
took
a
place
among
the
Chosen,
and
I
am
not
going
to
pervert
that.
And
neither
are
you,
not again.
You're
going
to
pass
on
the
role
of
Leader."

"But
..."

"No."
His
hand
closed
on
the
hilt
of
his
sword.
Boss
slumped.

"Have
it
your
way,
then,"
he
said.
"We
still
need
to
get
our story
straight."

Breaker
frowned.
"It's
simple
enough.
After
we
agreed
to go
down
to
the
cellars
you
heard
a
noise
above,
but
you
could
not
get
my
attention,
or
the
Archer's,
so
you
bravely and
foolishly
went
to
investigate
by
yourself,
and
found
the
Wizard
Lord.
You
tried
to
use
your
persuasive
powers
to
talk him
into
resigning
peacefully,
but
he
refused,
and
just
then
I came
up
the
stairs,
found
you,
heard
his
refusal,
and
killed him.
How
else
could
it
have
been?"

"How
else?"
The
Leader
sighed
deeply.
"Of
course
that's how
it
was."