Page 10 of These Divided Shores
Elazar swept into the room. Indigo robes spilled around him, gold trim sparkling like hand-woven treasure. Behind him, Milo watched Elazar with a masked expression.
Elazar surveyed Tom before turning his gaze to Lu.
Milo numbed her. Elazar peeled her raw.
“She refused,” Elazar guessed in Argridian.
Tom winced. That was why Lu had woken up here, why Ben was imprisoned. This had been a chance for her to save herself.
Nausea flooded Lu, that Tom had thought she would give in to him.
“She has provided an idea,” Tom said, straightening. “About new methods to try.”
Lu’s eyes widened. But resistance would confirm that there was validity to her slipup in mentioning Tuncians. She swayed, caught with inaction.
“New methods?” Milo frowned. He gathered himself and bowed to Elazar. “My king, permit me to begin testing these... new methods. I will not fail you.”
Elazar’s eyes stayed fixed on Lu. Exhaustion swarmed her again, thirst and hunger and a bright, disintegrating reminder of how alone she was.
Ben was here, somewhere. But what of Vex? Anyone else?
“Correct, Ibarra. You will not fail me again.” Elazar pierced the last word. Milo cringed. But Elazar swept past him and turned his heavy focus to Tom. “Andreu. The Pious God anointed your daughter for his mighty plans. But what role are you to play now?”
Tom stared. “My king?”
“Perhaps your daughter’s penchant for magic came from you.” Elazar’s eyes went back to Lu. “If your daughter fails to comply further, the Pious God may bless you in her stead.”
Tom’s mouth popped open. Milo rose upright, his face purple-red with anger.
A month ago, Lu would have laughed at the possibility that Tom could figure out permanent magic. But asshe watched him now, the way he bowed again, thanking Elazar—she didn’t know this man. She didn’t know what he was capable of.
Elazar waved to someone at the door. “Put Adeluna with my son. Let them consider repentance together.”
Defensors moved around the clutter and made for her. Terror scoured through Lu.
“My king,” Milo tried again, “allow me to reason with her. I am certain I can extract—”
“Enough of your desperation,” Elazar snapped. “The Pious God is not yet ready for you to regain his love. Should I banish you back to Argrid entirely? I left our country in a state of constant vigil until this war is complete, and the priests in Deza would happily guide you in prayer. Is that what you wish, Lieutenant Ibarra? To be removed from this war until it is won?”
The way Milo recoiled revealed his thoughts. To leave Grace Loray, no chance for glory? “No, Eminence. I will strive for... forpatienceuntil the Pious God sees use for me.”
Milo’s words were a snarl as defensors unlocked Lu’s ankle manacle.Lieutenant Ibarra.Elazar had demoted Milo. Because of her? Which meant the glare Milo sent her way held more than just hatred for how she had resisted him in the past. It held the desire for revenge.
“I am sorry, so sorry, for what must be done,”Tom had said.
“No.” The plea came out of Lu on its own, and she dropped her heels into the stone floor, struggling with thedefensors. Tom couldn’t lock her away— “No, Papa!”
The name burned her throat, but it had its intended effect: Tom flinched and looked at Elazar. Would he help her? Would he try?
But Elazar was focused on Lu, every wrinkle of disgust intentional and deadly. “The whole of this island is as you are, Adeluna Andreu: unaware of the fact that you are drowning. Grace Loray’s evil has plagued the world for too long, and Argrid has suffered because we have not stopped you. But I will cleanse this island from the mountains to the sea, and I will bring Argrid back to a state of prosperity in Grace Loray’s ashes.”
Lu went slack against the defensors, overwhelmed by the certainty in Elazar’s eyes. He was a madman—but he was infectious, an unavoidable storm. “We will fight you,” she managed. “We won’t stop.”
Elazar smiled. Even that looked malicious. “I am well aware of what the Devil’s corruption will compel you to do. You can resist, you can wail, you can sabotage my efforts, but I have planned for every action you might take.”
He stepped away, facing the unconscious Mecht raiders—no, one was awake now, sitting upright, staring vacantly at the blanket across his lap.
The man didn’t move. Didn’t fight. Didn’t react to the Argridians around him.
