AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“But why would the people ignore them?” Luna asked. “It doesn’t make any sense.”
“It does if there’s someone they trust more telling a different story,” Hayes said. “It sounds like I got straighter answers from the healers since they aren’t directly involved in the matter. According to them, there’s been a great deal of unrest since the storm, with many feeling the capital didn’t send enough assistance in the aftermath. One or two loud voices started suggesting the city should have had warning from the capital ahead of time and claiming it showed how little Eldrida is valued and prioritized.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Gia said hotly. “Even if it had been a normal storm and a warning had been possible, the warning wouldn’t have come from the capital. Eldrida’s own elements mages provide that sort of information.”
“There’s always someone who wants to be enraged about something.” Hayes sighed. “And too many people died in that storm. The grieving populace would have been looking for someone to blame, and those in power are the easiest targets. Their own head law keeper was probably the first to be criticized—especially since he happens to be an elements mage instead of the more usual healing mage. So he was probably just trying to deflect blame away from himself, regardless of the consequences. That seems like Miro, from what I know of him.”
“He never had the right temperament for the position,” Amara said. “I told Anka that years ago.”
Hayes shrugged. “There weren’t exactly a lot of options. They wouldn’t have assigned an elements mage—let alone him—if they had someone better suited who was willing to take the role.”
“Which at least partially bears out the people’s complaints.” Amara sighed. “Eldrida is the furthest city of its size away from the capital, and we all know typical Tartorans have a tendency to look down on those who live east of the forest.”
I stayed silent, unable to refute it. Even in distant Tarin I had encountered the occasional snide comment about easterners.
“How long has this issue been fomenting?” Nik looked across at Gia. “Why hasn’t Father done anything?”
“Ordinarily he would have,” Gia said. “But this is exactly the problem with the fortress mentality they’ve all adopted. With Miro stirring trouble in order to defend himself, they’d need to send out high level officials to address the issue. At any other time, he would probably have been recalled over this. But they’re too afraid to let anyone of strength leave the capital.”
“I actually overheard Anka having a conversation about it with some of her people,” Renley interjected. “She seems to have reached a similar conclusion that Miro is transferring blame. While she took the situation seriously, it was prioritized below finding Grey, which is understandable. I think she would have come herself if she wasn’t being kept chained to the court.”
“That sounds like Anka,” Amara said. “I wouldn’t want to be the one telling her she has to stay sheltering in Tarona. I can imagine how that conversation went—even if it was with the king. There’s a reason a mage as powerful as Anka had a position in Caltor, not the capital.”
“They made her Royal Mage,” Gia said simply. “Forcibly.”
“They did what?” Amara stared at her.
Gia shrugged. “It’s a position usually held by an elements mage, but there’s no law that prevents a healer from taking the role, and Anka has the strength for it. If she’d cared to, she could have challenged Colton to become Master of Healing when the previous one retired. So there were no arguments she could make against the appointment. And as Royal Mage, she’s part of the kingdom’s government—the official liaison between the crown and the Triumvirate—so there was no question of her going rogue after that.”
“Poor Aunt.” Amara gave a pained chuckle. “Not only forced to the capital but chained to the heart of government. I wonder if they realize what they’re in for by now?”
“But where does that leave us?” Luna asked. “Should we try to do something about the situation in Eldrida, or do we stay focused on trying to find Grey? Did anyone get word of him?”
Amara shook her head immediately, but Hayes hesitated before following suit. I focused in on him.
“Are you sure—completely sure—you didn’t hear anything that could have been referencing Grey? Any hint at all?”
Everyone looked at me, surprised, except for Nik, who gave a small smile.
“Delphine has a theory,” he said.
Amara raised both eyebrows. “Do you, now? Go on then.”
“First I want to hear an answer to my question.” I kept my attention on Hayes.
“I specifically asked after any new healers who’d come to the city since the start of winter,” he said. “I figured other healers would be the most likely to know about a newcomer. But the only one mentioned was a younger female, a recent graduate of the Guild who I’ve met myself.”
“But?” I said, given how he’d hesitated earlier.
“When they were complaining about the elements mages, a couple of them mentioned a newcomer who sided with Miro and promptly received a position in the law keepers’ hall. He’s elements affinity, though, not healing. And his vocal support of this nonsense was probably just his way of securing a desirable job despite being a newcomer. But since we’re on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary and newcomers in particular…” He shrugged. “It did occur to me that the man in question might be one of Grey’s followers acting as his agent.”
A tight feeling in my chest robbed me of breath. “Anything else?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Nik watching me with concern, but I was too focused on Hayes to respond to him.
“My reception was markedly chillier than last time,” he said, “which seemed suspicious in itself given how much assistance I provided during the storm. But then everyone knows my close connections with the Triumvirate.”
“I’m sorry, Hayes,” Amara said softly, no doubt comparing her own reception as a hero with his.
