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She frowned. “It would explain why this is dragging on so long. What is everyone hoping for? That someone else will make the decision and absolve them of responsibility?” She sounded disgusted.
Looking my way again, she took in my desperate stance and wide eyes. She tried to muster a second smile but struggled.
“Is it really necessary for you to be down here the whole time?” she asked Drake. “If you could just talk some sense into the others!”
“I’m not sure how well they trust me after all my time down here,” he said heavily. “I’ve carefully refrained from even speaking to her—any healer could see the truth of that if they bothered to ask me—but even so, I think they suspect me of being…influenced…”
This time they both glanced at me, and I rolled my eyes, unable to stop myself.
“That’s nonsense!” The words flowed out before I could stop them. “Why hasn’t Master Colton been consulted? I’m a healer! I can’t influence anyone without touching them, and no one has been close enough for me to touch them since I got here.”
For a moment both the Master and the new girl were still, clearly taken by surprise, as if they’d forgotten the barrier between us was erected by their rules rather than any physical impediment. Surely they had realized I could hear their conversation?
Master Drake cleared his throat and addressed himself to the girl again, although I saw his eyes flicking my way as he obliquely answered my query.
“Even if there’s been no actual contamination, I believe there is some concern that I might be affected by her unprepossessing outside appearance.” A rueful smile crossed his lips. “I’ve been here many hours after all.”
That made me laugh, although I didn’t feel much genuine amusement. Was I really such a sympathetic presence that even a captor might grow fond of me and be overcome by pity? I’d seen no sign of it since my arrival in the capital.
“They’re afraid,” the girl said roughly. “Well, except for Anka. I’m not sure that woman is afraid of anything. But she’s playing her cards close—she’s too wily to do anything else—so I’m not sure what she’s thinking. But the rest of them are letting their fear overpower both their sense and their compassion. Especially Colton. I know he’s afraid his entire affinity will be thrown into suspicion, but this is ridiculous.”
She ran a hand down her face and groaned. “What a terrible time for Evermund to be away. I know he would do a better job of convincing them than me. But he’d already left for the northern farms before Nik arrived…”
Her voice trailed off, and although I held my breath, my heart beating in my ears, neither of them made any further mention of Nik.
“Airlie,” Drake said gently, and I finally knew who the girl was.
Princess Airlie. Sister to the Calistan queen and princess of Tartora. And the greatest living elements mage. No wonder she could stand toe to toe with Master Drake without flinching.
“They know he’ll disapprove.” Her tone turned hard. “Why else would they be calling for a decision to be made before his return? There’s no way Evermund would accept an execution.”
Execution?The word rang through my head, everything else fading away as my surroundings grew fuzzy. Execution?
They meant to kill me. And I was stuck here, unable to do anything to defend myself, gagged even from speaking in my own defense.
“As you said, they’re afraid.” Drake’s words pierced the muffled haze around me. “And can you blame them? They have reason to be. The chaos unleashed on this kingdom by the Constantines’ insidious lies has already been great. You know how close we got to danger after they burned all those fields. Any further loss of crops, and we would have had people starving over the winter. As it was, it’s caused great hardship to many. And all that pain and chaos was caused by only two people who were in the kingdom for mere weeks? Imagine how much worse the situation could get!”
“Of course I know all that. And I know Colton is afraid that lives will be lost if the populace lose trust in healers. But she didn’t do any of that. It wasn’therwho spread those lies!”
“No.” He sighed. “And that is why I fear for our kingdom if we take this step. This leads down a road of darkness.”
“And we’ve just got Nik back, too.” She sounded close to tears. “You know he won’t—” She cut herself off with a glance at me.
My awareness cleared, my thoughts going hard and solid again at the sound of his name. But, as before, they immediately let the topic drop.
Instead, the girl held my gaze. “I’m sorry.” She spoke loudly enough that it was clear she meant to address me directly. “I apologize on their behalf, although I realize that must mean very little in the circumstances.”
I wanted to reply, to plead my case, but Drake was already stretching the rules by letting her address me. If I pushed too hard—tried to engage in a proper conversation—he might call a halt to the whole thing. I remained silent.
“This really is unacceptable.” Airlie’s hands balled into fists. “There has to be something we can do. Hayes and Amara are both being treated as if they’re already corrupted, but there has to be someone else—some ally we haven’t thought of.”
Drake sighed again and lowered himself back into his chair. “I wish I had your certainty that she isn’t a danger,” he murmured. “The certainty of youth.”
She gave him an incredulous look. “I know you think this is wrong. You said as much in your message.”
He looked my way, his expression weary and heavy, as if he carried the woes of the world on his shoulders.
“I have been helping guide this kingdom for much longer than you’ve been alive, Your Highness. The burden is starting to grow beyond what these old shoulders can bear.”
