Page 160 of The Fifth Heir

Every person near the dais leaned forward.

He held the fragment beneath a rune lamp. A small arrow appeared along the inner edge.

“It was installed to carry power toward the center,” he said. “Not away from it.”

One of the academy runemasters rose. “The replacement pieces were delivered preinscribed.”

“By whom?” the headmaster asked.

“The Trial stores.”

Malcolm’s expression did not change. “The stores contain hundreds of prepared channel sections.”

“With directional seals?” Sebastian asked.

“Yes.”

“Marked?”

“By inventory code.”

“This one has no code.”

Silence followed.

Rafe stopped pacing.

Torren’s Fire torc brightened.

The headmaster looked at Malcolm. “Seal the stores. No one enters without my authorization.”

Malcolm inclined his head.

The evidence bought uncertainty, not acquittal.

The Stone representative returned to the original petition. “The source of the faulty channels does not change the fifth heir’s instability.”

“She was the only stable person on that platform,” Rafe said.

“Her body was channeling four elements.”

“And she remained conscious long enough to stop them.”

“For how long will that remain possible?”

The representatives began speaking over one another.

Fire demanded investigation. Stone and Frost argued for suspension. Storm questioned the legitimacy of any test managed by Malcolm until the channels were traced. Shadow demanded access to the sealed archive records.

The headmaster called for order twice.

No one stopped.

I looked toward my father.

He waited for me to remain silent.

I moved to the center of the Hall.