Free The Grimjinx Rebellion by Brian Farrey

thought that if no one knew the history, it could never happen again. But because the stories were outlawed, no one could see history repeating itself.”
    â€œWhat does this have to do with anything?” Maloch asked.
    â€œThis is why Kolo was telling me to learn about the Uprisings.” The words rushed breathlessly from my mouth. “‘ Volo ser voli. Yesterday is today.’ Things that are happening now happened back then. The Palatinate is trying to take over the Provinces.”
    Maloch’s face went blank. “Look, you know I trust mages as far as I can throw them. But you’re talking about the Palatinate going up against the High Laird and the Provincial Guard. Magic or not, how is that even possible?”
    â€œThey learned from the Scions’ mistakes,” I said. “The Scions made an army out of ordinary creatures. Too easy to kill. So the Palatinate needed a new army. A different army . . .”
    Maloch understood. “The monsters! Bloodreavers and nightmanx and all the ones you saw in the Palatinate Palace.”
    I nodded. “The Palatinate is using creatures of legend, made from pure magic. Not so easily killed. I think that’s what Xerrus was working on. At first he tried combining real creatures to make them stronger. And when that didn’t work . . .”
    â€œThey have an entire army hiding in their palace,” Maloch said. “So, why haven’t they used them? What are they waiting for?”
    â€œThe right time.”
    Callie looked ill as she whispered. This couldn’t have been easy for her to take. She’d dedicated her life to studying magic. Now it seemed like her masters—even her own cousin—weren’t at all who she thought they were.
    â€œThey’ve been waiting for the right time,” she repeated. “Think about it. The spiderbats were hunted nearly to extinction. Just like the par-Dwarves. Anything that can naturally resist magic has been disappearing. Jaxter, even you’ve noticed that magic-resistant plants have been dying for years. They’ve been eliminating anything that can stop them.”
    â€œAnd that’s why they had the Sarosans exiled,” Maloch said. “Anyone who hates magic—and knows how to counter it—is a threat to them.”
    â€œRemember the relics stolen from the High Laird’s vault?” I asked. “They were forged by a group of mages who worked for Soranna against the Scions. They didn’t believe mages should rule absolutely. Those relics were vital in turning the tide of the war for the High Laird.”
    â€œHow?” Callie asked.
    â€œThe relics had the ability to manipulate the Sourcefire. They used it as a weapon against the Scions. After the war, Soranna created the Palatinate to make sure magic was never abused the way the Scions had done.”
    â€œYeah,” Maloch said with a grunt, “that worked really well.”
    â€œTo make sure no mage got too powerful, the first members of the Palatinate enlisted the High Laird to guard the four relics they’d created to manipulate the Sourcefire.”
    â€œWait a minute,” Callie said. “You said ‘four.’ Five relics were stolen from the vaults.”
    â€œThe last relic, the Vanguard, wasn’t made to fight the Scions. No one knows for sure where it came from. But it proved to be the ultimate weapon against the Scions. The Vanguard has the ability to destroy magical energy . If there’s any chance of stopping the Palatinate, it means finding that relic.”
    Callie frowned. “We don’t know where it is or what it looks like.”
    Maloch leaned against the tree. “We know Kolo stole it. That’s a start.”
    â€œWe’ve got something better than a start,” I said. “We’ve got an augur . If we can find her.”
    â€œWe’ve looked everywhere,” Maloch said. “Aubrin’s not in