Page 97 of To Save a Kingdom

Jalius chewed on his inner cheek and hummed. “Perhaps. They’re rare, hard to make. If we did have any, they’d likely be in the Master Artificer’s lab.”

She nodded. “Send someone to retrieve them.” Her focus drifted from Brooks to her traitorous guards. “Stick them in the dungeon with the others until they tell us what they know. Then we can try them for treason.”

Elessan stepped up to her side. “And Brooks?”

Aliya opened her mouth, paused, then closed it again as she glared at the Arcane Inquisitor where he was splayed on the floor. She wanted to execute him then and there. It would certainly make things easier, but it felt… hypocritical, somehow. “Everyone deserves a trial, don’t they?”

Elessan shook his head. “Perhaps before he escaped custody, killed a bunch of guards and mages, stole the Whisperers, infiltrated your castle, took hostages and turned your nobles against you. He’s a traitor, and traitors don’t get trials. They’re executed.”

She sighed, conceding the point. “I’m not sure we can kill him. I mean, you slit his throat and he poofed into fog, then rematerialized like nothing happened.”

Elessan crossed his arms, tilting his head as he studied the man. “There’s got to be a way. Either we need to wait until the spell wears off, or find a way to circumvent it.”

Brooks threw his head back and laughed through the gag.

Zadé kicked him in the gut. “What’s so funny? Yeh lost, and yer noble friends abandoned yeh.”

Brooks curled over, wheezing.

“Put him in the oubliette, too, once we get the antimonite on him. Under triple guard,” Aliya said. Three men ought to be enough to keep Brooks in check, as long as he wasn’t able to get free of the anti-magic shackles.

It was too bad they didn’t have a room made of the stuff.

Wait…

She turned to Elessan. “In the dungeon… there was a huge cell with an iron door the prisoners said Malkov kept a shadow dragon behind.”

Zadé shuddered, mumbling something in Elven about cursed lizards.

Aliya furrowed her brow as she peered at the other woman before turning her attention back to Elessan. “If that room could contain a shadow dragon, I don’t see why it wouldn’t hold,” she paused and waved one hand at Brooks, “whatever he’s done to himself. Right?”

Elessan shrugged and glanced at Jalius.

The gnome smiled, his eyes lighting up. “An iron cell should be more than sufficient, I think. If we can get some antimonite shackles.”

Aliya nodded. At least something was going their way today. “Excellent.” Shoving herself to her feet, she gestured at Elessan. “Come on, your mother’s back here.”

He followed her to the back corner of the library. As they turned around the last stack of books, Aliya stumbled to a halt.

Sorisana held a black furry body in her lap, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.

“Shadow!” Aliya flew forward, landing on her knees in front of Elessan’s mother. “What happened?”

Shadow sighed, her exhalation sounding crackly like she was breathing through bubbles.

Sorisana swallowed. “I think when that man with the white eyes threw her against the wall, it broke something inside. She’s bleeding.”

No. No, no, no—this couldn’t be happening. Aliya placed her hand on Shadow’s head. “Where does it hurt?”

“Everywhere,” Shadow groaned.

“She was trying to protect me,” Sorisana whispered. “If I hadn’t…”

Aliya barely heard what the other woman was saying. No. This couldn’t be. “Get me a healer!” she yelled to the room. Bending over Shadow’s too-still body, Aliya murmured, “You can’t die. I can’t do this without you.”

“Yes, you can.” Shadow coughed, the sound wet. “You have your mother’s heart and wisdom. Trust yourself.”

Something heavy settled on her shoulder. Elessan’s hand. He squeezed.