I leveled my blade at his throat. “Bold,” I spat. “To think you could get away with murder—when the Archdruid planned to accept me.”
“You were a threat.” His voice was hoarse. “With ties to the enemy. The guards were merely doing their job.”
“Ah.” Alistair twisted his hand, and his radiant blade flew toward the man’s wife, pinning her to the wall. “A cute little fabricated lie: claim Diar attacked, and you defended yourself. Sounds like something I would do.”
“Clearly,” Sejiro seethed. “It was not a lie.”
I stood here, in the company of a traitor. With one of the men who’d partaken in the Emperor’s death.
Maybe the commander wasn’t wrong to judge me, but . . .
“You might have killed Aenir’s prince,” I said. “As a Paragon, I have the right to judge you.”
The commander’s eyes flared. He must not have intended for Ferris to be in my room.
Lifting my blade, I moved to drag it across the man’s throat.
Something wrapped around my wrists—it felt almost like silk, but it tugged on me with surprising power. Taken off guard, I stumbled backward, nearly losing my grip on my blade.
The floor beneath my feet splintered and cracked. Stone overtook the wood, encasing the bedroom in rock—covering every wall and door. Pillars burst up from the floor and twisted into the shape of earthen hands, grabbing everyone in the room.
Alistair’s radiant blade vanished as he was yanked back and restrained against the wall. The wife screamed as she was shackled, and Sejiro merely glared at me as his hands were bound behind his back.
Stone rose from the floor, locking around my ankles. I tried to tear my foot free, but only managed to stumble onto my knees.
Paragon Agendra marched into the room, eyes ablaze with fury. Where he strode, the stone pulsed, like it sang to an imaginary beat.
Teeth grinding together, Agendra seemed to be fighting with himself to dispel the rage.
Slowly, the earth beneath him quieted.
“What,” he demanded. “Is going on here?”
“This madwoman,” Sejiro hissed. “Is?—”
“Did you order that attack?” Agendra asked, voice calming.
Sejiro hesitated to answer. It was an answer in itself.
The stone surrounding Agendra erupted. Splinters and pillars shot out from him in every direction, varying in shape and size. A few whizzed past my head, but I heard the crunch ofbone as one connected with the commander. He hissed in pain, grabbing at his broken ribs.
When I looked back at the Paragon, his face was scrunched, as though in pain. The floor pulsed beneath his feet.
Swallowing, Agendra breathed out, calming. The floor quieted.
I stared at him, stunned.
Could he not control his own magic?
“One day,” Agendra said. “I asked for one day, and you could not wait even that long. Andnow.” He knelt beside the commander. “You’ve nearly killed a prince.”
A hand touched my arm. I whirled around.
Ferris dropped to his knees beside me. Blood ran in a line from the corner of his mouth, and his shirt was stained red. His voice was strained. “Are you okay?” He breathed, barely audible.
Agendra glanced back at us, lips tightening into a line. I couldn’t read people well, but I could guess that the Paragon had tried to stop Ferris from following him.
And failed.
