Behind me, Trivan muttered something under his breath, and even Lars snorted a sound of disbelief.
I stepped closer to the Solis archon. “How many fae are employed in your mines who can forge jewelry with these stones?”
Khristian canted his head. “Our metalwork affinity fae would be the ones to do so, and at last tally, I believe there were thirty-four of them on staff.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Thirty-four? In that case, will you please provide us a list of all of the females that have such an affinity?”
“Only the females?” the archon asked, his voice rising in surprise. “You’re truly certain it was a female who crafted these?”
“Yes, females only.” But while I was certain it was a female who crafted Bastian’s anklet, we didn’t know for certain that the same fairy had crafted my collar. Yet right now, we needed to get the anklet off Bastian. The way his mind was being controlled was entirely dangerous. His needs took precedence.
“What about your collar?” Jax asked me, his brow furrowing.
I lifted my shoulders, and even though I wanted desperately to get my collar off me, I also knew that right now it wasn’t our top priority. “We can always come back here if we reach a dead-end with my collar. Just knowing that the gem is indeed from here is a start to figuring out if its forger is able to remove it from me or not.”
He frowned, and I could tell he wanted my collar off as much as he wanted Bastian’s anklet removed, but this trip wasn’t about me. It was about Bastian.
“You heard my lady,” Phillen said gruffly to the archon. “Please fetch us that list, and do make haste.”
All of us glanced at Bastian. The half-breed still slept, his breaths deep and even.
But we had no idea how long his slumber would last.
CHAPTER 5
The list that Khristian provided us contained the names of each female fairy employed by the mines who had a metalwork affinity. In total, there were twenty, and it was very possible one of them had crafted Bastian’s anklet.
The parchment fluttered in my hands as we studied the names. We were still on the huge floating meadow, yet Khristian had retreated momentarily to the mine’s entrance, leaving the eight of us alone.
The archon was currently sending word to the Solis royal family that he’d done as asked and supplied Jax with the information requested. But since we were now demanding admittance to the location where the fae with metalwork affinities labored so that we could question them, he needed to have that request cleared.
According to Khristian, the fae employed by the mines all lived in the surrounding cities and all worked at a nearby secured facility, which was where they also stored the gems brought down by the ligersails.
Supposedly, according to Archon Severell, the gems never left that facility unless they’d been approved for sale, in which case, they were carefully transported to fine jewelry or weapon markets throughout the continent. Yet each purchase was still tracked. Every single Solis fairy who owned a gem harvested in this mine had their name, address, and other identifying documentation recorded.
One thing was for certain—the Solis fae didn’t allow folly with the unique magical stones created by the floating meadows, so for so many to have appeared on the Silten continent, unbeknownst to them, was entirely concerning.
“If Bastian’s anklet, and even my collar, were both crafted here, then someone snuck them out of that facility and effectively stole them.” I mulled that over, nibbling on my lower lip. “It’s the only way to explain it. There’s no way the Solis fae would have legally relinquished these gems to our land.”
Jax nodded. “I agree.”
“As do I.” Alec also dipped his head. The others quickly did the same.
“It would appear they have a traitor in their midst whether that archon wants to believe it or not.” Trivan sneered. “Sounds like someone needs a visit from a certainsomeonefrom our land.”
He kept his words vague on the off chance anyone could overhear us, but we all knew who Trivan referred to. Whoever had crafted my choker and the anklets being used to control the half-breeds did indeed deserve a visit from the Dark Raider. Because our jewelry had only been created with malicious intent and malicious intent only.
“Do you suppose that every single anklet that is being worn by a half-breed on our continent came from that facility?” Lander scratched his chin, his expression thoughtful, yet his voice was its usual monotone. “Or do you think it’s possible someone stole the jewels directly from the mineshaft shortly after this floating meadow produced them? Perhaps before any of the Solis fae were even aware of their creation? Maybe it produced more than two buckets, and that archon doesn’t realize it.”
“What about the ligersails?” I asked. “The guards said they also help detect theft. Wouldn’t that animal have noticed if someone left the shaft with gems stuffed in their pockets?”
Lander nodded. “Good point.”
Trivan shrugged. “Maybe that flying behemoth missed it.”
“You all raise good questions,” Jax said, his brow furrowing. “We’ll have to ask Khristian more about the mine’s security.”
My frown deepened as I thought more too. “But even if someone stole them directly from the mineshaft without Khristian’s awareness, someone with a metalwork affinity still crafted them into jewelry. Who else on this continent would know how to do that apart from the fae who work for these mines?”
