Praetorian Rising, стр. 102
"You're telling me to raise an army against LeMarc and head into Alpha Quarter, stating my right to destroy the crown? What would that achieve? That sounds like suicide even for a Praetorian."
"Sounds like the beginning of a plan to me," Langhorn replied, his lips quirking with a sly smile.
"Be careful old man. You don't know what LeMarc is capable of," Vesyon said, the darkness of his past floating like ghosts in the deep well of his eyes.
"I know more than you can imagine," Langhorn stated firmly, though without sharpness. Vesyon eyed the man out of the corner of his peripheral vision, but let the comment lay. There was much about Langhorn that Vesyon would never know, and it sparked renewed interest in the man he'd always thought of as his mentor and substitute father.
"I don't care about growing our troops beyond what we have now, we have her, and no one knows what she's capable of. You should have seen her, Langhorn," Vesyon said, his eyes alight with wistful excitement looking out over the dark expanse of the Aspera lands before him. If he hadn't been so terrified when he'd first seen Camille after the explosion of Romeo Village, Vesyon would have smiled in sweet relief and swelling pride watching her battle more Chimera than he'd ever seen anyone battle at one time. Her strength and ferocity had blazed like wildfire across the battlefield, pulling the horde of beasts toward her like a homing beacon. There'd been no stopping her.
Langhorn pursed his thin lips in silent response as Vesyon's eyes zeroed in on the fluttering parchment before him on the banister.
"I know that look," Langhorn said grimly. "And you need to think about what he's already taken from you before you blaze ahead without a plan. What else are you willing to lose in your quest to defeat him? This isn't the time to rush into battle alone. We need to build our strength before we continue this path. Romeo Village isn't enough. There needs to be strong support of Aspera's loyalists on our side. Whiskey Wharf, Echo Colony, Sierra Village, Delta Square—they will all stand strong behind the true High King of Aspera."
Vesyon stared straight at Langhorn, his expression one of sharp determination. Without hesitation, he replied with complete and untainted honesty, "Langhorn—I'm willing to lose everything I have if it means that man falls from the throne."
Nodding in grim understanding, Langhorn took one final pull on his long-necked pipe and blew the fragrant smoke out in a soft, billowing cloud. "We will need to go to the trials, but we must not do this openly. We need to see how far along he has come in building his army of Night Raves. There must be preparation and discovery before we make our move. We will build our army one village at a time."
Vesyon nodded his head slowly, knowing without a doubt that Langhorn spoke the truth. "Yes, we must prepare for Alpha Quarter."
"Will you bring her with you?" Langhorn asked, his eyes searching, though without assumption.
"I don't believe I can afford to leave her behind," Vesyon replied carefully. Langhorn wasn't an idiot. Just like Phillip, he knew the truth behind Vesyon's words.
"Then Theo must join."
"Yes, of course," Vesyon replied instinctively.
"As will I," Langhorn stated firmly.
Vesyon chuckled softly, the blazing heat of his anger simmering to a manageable level. "Yes, I don't believe I could keep you away from such an event, could I?"
Footsteps raced across the interior of his room and Vesyon's head turned just in time to see one of Langhorn's assistants skid into view, her charcoal eyes bright with unrestrained excitement. "What is it?" Langhorn asked, taking a few steps toward the young woman in obvious worry. "Has something happened?"
"Yes," she said, her voice brimming with fascination but also a note of apprehension. "The girl is awake, Doctor, and she's asking for Vesyon."
"That's wonderful news, Maggie," Langhorn exclaimed, glancing from the young girl of seventeen to Vesyon and then back again.
"There's more, Doctor," Maggie's short black hair swung forward over her features as she ducked her head in silent request to continue.
"Please my dear, continue."
"Um, well..." she started, nervously hopping from foot to foot. "She isn't really in a great state of mind. She is quite furious and um, Theo is struggling to keep her restrained. I tried to dose her with valerian serum to induce sleep as you suggested, but I wasn't successful. I am hoping Theo was," she said meekly, as though chastising herself for her inability to combat a mighty Praetorian.
"Oh dear," Langhorn said with a soft sigh. "Looks like we might have a long night ahead of us."
Vesyon nodded slowly, uncertain of what they'd find after walking into the surgery ward. A tremor of fear, long ago buried, resurfaced as they rushed down the silent hallways of White Wall. It'd been eight years since the destruction of Charlie Town, and yet the familiar taste of terror exploded throughout Vesyon's system as he struggled to reign in his internal dread. Would there be any essence of his Camille left or had the demons finally consumed her whole?
Epilogue
Silver Prison
Green ink dripped from the metal-tipped pen staining the parchment beneath Emma's fingertips. Her mouth felt as dry as if she'd swallowed an entire gallon of salted biscuits, and her bright blue eyes blinked rapidly as she stared at the name written neatly across the page. She pushed her mousy brown hair away from her face, ensuring she'd read the words correctly.
There'd been a moment of excitement and glee when an Equestrian had come to