The Destroyer Book 4 by Michael-Scott Earle Page A

Elvens. And none of this could even begin until I found Nadea, Jessmei and whatever else was left of Nia’s royal family and army.
    Perhaps I should have worked with Nadea and Jessmei to negotiate a truce. That would have bought us some time to prepare. Maybe the relationship between Nadea and the empress could have developed into something peaceful.
    Telaxthe was shocked that I knew of her daughter, but quickly regained her normal cool composure.
    “You are assuming I care about such a creature,” she had said.
    “It is your own child. I doubt your species would have survived for all these generations if you cared nothing for your own offspring. All creatures do. It is inborn and instinctive.”
    “Your perceptions of our race continue to bewilder me, Kaiyer.” She reached for the glass of wine she had sipped before Kannath’s arrival had interrupted our dinner. She gulped the rest of the glass down before continuing. “We breed for power and status, to make the next generation stronger. Did you know that humans and Elvens could have offspring?”
    “I suspected such.”
    “Oh?” Her eyebrow rose slightly. “Was this from your research into the Destroyer’s history?”
    “So there is a way for our races to create children?” I ignored her question.
    “Under certain conditions, an O’Baarni and Elven may procreate.”
    “What conditions?” I thought of Iolarathe and the daughter I had never met.
    “You are running out of time for our private audience. Are you sure you want to spend it discussing this process? Perhaps you wish to make a child with me?” She smiled and leaned her head to the side. Her dark bronze hair fell in that direction and exposed the spot where her neck met her white embroidered robe. I recalled the way her scent had worked its strange magic on my emotions and caused me to lust for her. The feeling returned and I exhaled.
    “Your daughter is alive. I am guessing you didn’t believe her to be. If you really don’t care about her location, then I suppose we have little more to speak of. Kannath will take me away and you’ll get this world all to yourself.” I stood up to leave but she grabbed my left forearm.
    “Sit.” She tugged slightly and I returned to my position next to her. My arms were still covered with Yillomar’s blood and she wiped her hand on a napkin once she released her grip. “What do you want?”
    “Prevent Kannath from taking me.”
    “That is a dangerous proposition. Once the clans find out that you are here and that I interfered with Kannath’s mission, they will descend upon this world with an angry fervor. They will capture you anyway, and in the process, my kind might be destroyed entirely for having aided you, not to mention the humans you hold such affection for. So the answer is no.”
    “What if I told you the location of the Radicle I came from?”
    “That mitigates some of our risk.” She licked her lips and then smiled. “But I imagine my daughter is on this world somewhere. It might take me several years to find her, but I will. I have an army at my disposal.”
    “What if she isn’t on this world? You intend to destroy the Radicles. I am offering her location and the location of two Radicles.”
    “Two?” Her emotions did not show plainly, but I guessed I touched on information that she wanted.
    “But I am not done with my requests. Prevent Kannath from taking me back. I will return with Jessmei, you will surrender your forces to her and we will negotiate some new territory for your people to inhabit.”
    “You overestimate her importance to me again.” She shook her head and sighed. “She is nothing but a tool for me, a weapon with powerful potential. But you have already guessed at my intent for the Radicles. Once they have been destroyed I do not need her.”
    “Very well. It seems we cannot come to terms.” I tried to hold my face firm and control my heart rate. The empress was better at this than I. I imagined that she spent