Page 140 of Of Masks and Fury

“Your Majesty?”

Malcolm. Waiting for a response to whatever someone had said.

“Continue,” I said, and pulled my attention back to the table by force of will.

What in the fates was that about?

Nia was one of my lead magical trainers. Loyal for years.

Or so I’d believed.

Why did I have the sinking feeling that Isi and our friends had just made a dangerous enemy and that I’d been sitting in the wrong room when it happened?

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

TREW

Naveah leaned forward, her weathered face serious. “We should consider the moral implications of so much death. Many of Cyril’s soldiers will be conscripts, farmers and craftsmen forced into service. If we slaughter them, that’ll reinforce their belief that we’re the villains.”

“We’ll do what we must to protect our people,” I said. “But you’re right. Let’s target leaders, supply lines, and command structures. We can break their ability to wage war without massacring foot soldiers who have little choice in this.”

“Surgical strikes,” Malcolm said with approval. “Dragons can hit supply caravans. Magic users can sabotage their siege equipment. We can make it too costly to continue.”

Maddox,Gavelle snarled in my mind.

My pulse spiked. Maddox had poisoned Isi. That debt hadn’t been forgotten.

I quickly sunk into his eyes, seeing Maddox striding toward where Isi sat with our friends. When he spied them working together, he came to an abrupt halt. His face colored, and he slunk between two rows of book stacks, peering between the tomes,watching them while I watched him, ready to trigger Gavelle’s change and rip him apart.

Finally, he backed away and scurried to the staircase leading to the upper level, where he moved to the balcony area overlooking the tables below. He stood there, watching them while remaining mostly hidden in shadows.

I should’ve killed him after he poisoned Isi.

Watch him,I told Gavelle.If he approaches them, warn Isi.

Rip apart?Gavelle asked.

Naturally.

Pure satisfaction surged through our bond.

I surfaced back into the council chamber, my jaw tight.

The conversation with my advisors continued. I checked in with Gavelle to find Maddox had left and nothing new appeared to have happened.

Grayson suggested posting watchers at key crossings. Coralee proposed stockpiling healing herbs and bringing healers in from outlying areas, anticipating casualties. Malcolm outlined defensive formations that would maximize our magic users’ effectiveness. Naveah said she’d put the armory staff on double time to stockpile armor and weapons.

I listened, guided, approving or redirecting as needed. But beneath the tactical discussions, suspicion gnawed at me. One of these people could’ve betrayed us. One of them might be feeding information to Caldrith even now.

Who could I enlist to study everyone inside the castle to find out who might be our spy or spies?

Malcolm, perhaps.

“Your Majesty?”

I blinked, realizing Grayson had asked me something. “Apologies. Repeat that.”

“What’s the timeline for the dungeon rescue?”