Page 43 of The Necromancer's Prisoner

“I saw the way you looked at my undead.” Iggie kept his eyes downcast, staring at the packed snow along their path. “Like they’re feral animals that might attack at any moment. Evenyoustill believe what I do is wrong. Even you are still afraid of me.”

That last came out a broken whisper. Before he could think through what he was doing, Alistair snagged Iggie’s shoulder, tugging him to a halt. Iggie flinched at the touch, and Alistair quickly released him, clenching his hand into a fist by his side instead.

“I amnotafraid of you. For one, Knights don’tgetscared.”

Iggie let out an involuntary snort. “I suppose that explains your lack of survival instincts.”

Alistair offered a feeble grin. “Perhaps.” His grin faded as he took in the dejected necromancer. The desire to comfort Iggie was nearly overwhelming, his growing frustration a heavy pressure building in his chest. He wished he could stand up for Iggie, declare to the entire town how noble and courageous he was. But he couldn’t—not without risking his ability to help these people, along with his capacity to continue doing good as part of the Order.

If I can’t tell them, then I can at least tellhim.

“But more than that,” Alistair said firmly, “I know you’re a good person, no matter what you’ve been forced to do to survive. All you’ve ever wanted is the chance to live your life free of judgment.”

Iggie watched a group of young people about their age approach. The instant they noticed Iggie and Alistair, their laughter cut off, and they veered down a side street. Iggie shook his head, chuckling humorlessly.

“Yeah, fat lot of chance there is for that. I bet you’re regretting inviting me to come with you now, huh? My presence here will only make your own task more difficult.”

“No,” Alistair answered without hesitation. Iggie’s eyes widened in surprise, and Alistair struggled to put his thoughts into words. “It’s…well, I’m glad to know you’re safe and not freezing to death out in a cave somewhere or becoming monster food.” He cleared his throat, warmth blossoming in his chest. “Besides, you’ve got a keen mind. If anyone can solve this mystery and figure out how to defend the town, it’s you.”

Iggie reddened and turned away. After a moment’s silence, he resumed walking. “Try telling that to everyone giving me the stink eye.”

“They’ll come around.” Alistair glared at another batch of villagers until they scurried off. “I carried the same prejudices when we first met. They just need to get to know you so they can see what I see.”

He flushed as he realized what he’d said, his blush deepening when Iggie glanced back at him over his shoulder. His pale blue eyes threatened to suck Alistair into their frozen depths.

“And what’s that?” Iggie asked softly.

Someone worthy of their esteem.Alistair quickened his pace, pushing ahead of Iggie down the path. “Come on,” he said, avoiding Iggie’s gaze. “I don’t want to miss Liliana.”

He felt Iggie’s eyes burning a hole in his back, but to his relief, the necromancer didn’t push him. The truth was, he had no idea how to answer that question. He saw so much when he looked at Iggie,feltso much. And that was a looming problem growing ever harder to ignore.

They walked the rest of the way to Liliana’s workshop in silence. As they approached the entrance, loud shouts rang out from inside.

“What in the Void do you think you’re doing? Do you have soulflame for brains?”

“Sorry, guildmaster! I was trying to—”

“I know what you weretryingto do. That’s the problem! You should know better than to alter the resonance frequencies on a class-II gem with a Gerivarro pattern. How many times do I have to tell you how that compromises its integrity before it registers through your thick skull?”

“My humblest apologies, guildmaster. It won’t happen again.”

“It had better not or so help me, I’ll banish you from my shop faster than you can blink, no matter whose cousin you are! Do I make myself clear?”

“Perfectly, guildmaster. Thank you for giving me another chance.”

“Don’t make me regret it!”

Alistair and Iggie shared a look, Iggie rolling his eyes. Right. Alistair could already tell what a pleasant conversationthiswould be.

From the outside, the workshop appeared like any of the village’s other large warehouses. Inside, however, well-maintained if surprisingly plain stone lined a central workspace. Several long tables littered with metal tools and harmonite shards filled the room. Every crystal in the room currently pulsed an angry red like throbbing hearts—a remnant of the recent shouting match, perhaps.

Alistair found himself a touch disappointed as he took in the sight. The space was impressive enough, but he’d expected something rather grander from the makers of the realm’s fabled song crystals.

Liliana stood alone near the back, resting her hands on a table and muttering under her breath. Confusion gripped Alistair until he spied a descending staircase behind her. Whoever she’d been chewing out must have taken it to a lower level.

When Liliana didn’t react to their presence, Alistair cleared his throat. “Greetings, Mistress Liliana. I hope we didn’t catch you at a bad time.”

She jerked her head up, her scowl intensifying when she saw them. “As if this day hadn’t gotten off to a bad enough start,” she grumbled loudly enough that she must have intended them to hear. “What can I do for you, Knight? And make it quick—I have little time to waste.”