The Magic Council: The Fight for Home has my only villain who doesn’t have magic.

I’m talking about Carson Amison, the Duke of Yangerton. He’s a bit older than the king, and he does not want Vane coming to the royal court.

So, how much of a threat could he actually be to Vane and Vane’s future? The answer is, more than you’d think at first glance.

Amison is cunning and intelligent. So far so good. He’s also super ambitious, in a purely worldly sense. Back in the day, he publicly supported Vane’s uncle Zalski after Zalski’s coup against the royal family. The fact that, after the king’s coronation, Amison turned things around and salvaged his position and power is a testament to his abilities and strengths.

Given his past supporting Zalski, Amison views Vane as a threat. Here’s a super fun excerpt of their first exchange!

Vane enjoyed dinner that night far less than Bennie and Gratton. The food at the palace was excellent—tender steaks smothered with onions and mushrooms in a rich gravy; warm bread and fresh vegetables; a dark, aromatic wine, perfectly aged—but he hardly tasted anything. He was too busy holding his own in conversation with Carson Amison, who, as Vane expected, started fishing for information as soon as they were seated. His first question was where Vane had grown up.

“East of Partsvale, for the most part.” A good ways east, two hundred miles and on the Podra River. “Later I moved to Yangerton.” That last was a pure lie. His Aunt Teena had brought him to Podrar, though they had traveled to Yangerton many times. Vane preferred not to mention his years in Traigland.

Amison smiled. “Yangerton? You know my district, do you?”

“I’ve always preferred the north.”

“You’ll forgive me prying, but your history is so … unique. Who was it the king said raised you?” Rexson hadn’t given specifics. “How were you educated?”

“His Majesty saw to my education.”

“General or magical?”

Amison’s bluntness took Vane aback. But then, that was why Rexson and Gracia were at the other end of the dining hall—to allow the dukes to speak plainly.

“I’ll be open, since you’re all but demanding the information. I am a sorcerer. That’s unsurprising, considering my lineage, but what magic I know is none of your concern, unless I’ve given cause to assume I’m plotting against the throne.”

Amison’s face stretched in a satisfied smirk. “Rest assured, you’ve given no such impression. But if I may offer some advice, as your elder and one more experienced with politics—”

“I’m listening.”

“You’ll want to be cautious. It’s imperative to avoid any word or deed that could give the wrong impression of your intent, considering, as you say, your lineage.”

The thinly veiled threat was no surprise to Vane. “I’ve had little time to establish myself,” he acknowledged, “but in terms of loyalty to the king, I intend to prove myself my parents’ son. My father and grandfather died for the king in this very building the day Zalski took over. I understand your father was present as well. How did he act?”

Amison’s cheeks, already flushed from drink, turned darker still. His jaw muscles barely moved as he replied, “You’re new to the court, so I won’t take offense at your gaffe. You should know, Ingleton, that the days of the sorcerer are an unwelcome topic here. They’re not discussed, barring the event that official business makes reference unavoidable.”

Vane stared him in the eye. “Forgive me.”

“The slight was unintentional, I’m sure.”

Both men were aware the slight was as deliberate as could be. Vane had meant to show that Zalski was no point of shame to be used to manipulate him, and he cut into his steak with such force he thought he would split the china it sat on. Yangerton’s grip nearly shattered his wineglass. He changed the topic.

“I’d heard someone was renovating your father’s estate. I’d meant to go down to see if that were true but arrived late in Podrar.”

Vane told him, “I settled in a week ago. Repairs were fortunately minor.”

“I remember Oakdowns. The rooms are airy and the grounds well shaded.”

The evening passed with a series of such pleasantries. Vane and Amison discussed subject after subject of small importance, sizing each other up all the while. Topics included their homes in Podrar and Yangerton, the theaters there, and how a good many noblemen with manors in one city possessed smaller homes in the other, Amison included. Vane’s parents had been an exception, and Amison suggested Vane look into procuring a bit of land near Yangerton.

Oh, you’d enjoy that, wouldn’t you? Having me in your district, removed from the king.

I hope you enjoyed this! Amison isn’t all that complicated or conflicted a character, but he’s a force to be reckoned with–even without magic to make him more threatening.

“The Magic Council: The Fight for Home” is now available! Check out www.herezothtrilogy.com for more information.