Page 114 of Poisoned Kingdom
It was the Court of Aether. As tempted as I was to appeal to the king, quarrelling with the Council of Mages on my behalf would only cause him trouble. This was my battle, and I hoped the two men who’d introduced me to magic would have my back. Hidden behind the privacy screen, I hastily dressed in my most comfortable gown, but as I reached for my alchemist’s belt, the battle mage’s voice stopped me.
‘No need for violence, Master Orenson. However, if you wish to use the blade, you are welcome to try, but please be sure you can stand your ground against the captain of the Court of Aether’s enforcers.’
The viciousness in his voice as he goaded Tova was enough for me to put the belt away. We had no chance when facing a mage whose only task was to kill monsters and subdue other wielders of the aether, but Tova was not so easily discouraged.
‘I’ll do more than stand my ground, you arrogant—’ he said, stopping when I rushed out from behind the screen to stand between them.
‘I’m ready,’ I said to the mage while gesturing to my friend. ‘Tova, remember when we discussed my magic? I told you this might happen,’ I said, hoping he still remembered the conversation on our return to Truso.
He was fascinated by his new hand and referred to his fingers as ‘living wood,’ claiming they felt as if he’d never lost their original counterparts. His enthusiastic acceptance had made me hide how terrified I was—not just of the reaction of other mages, but also of my absolute lack of control over the power that had continued creating life, even against my will.
‘Fine, but . . .’ Tova hesitated. ‘I don’t trust him. I’ll go see the king’s mage. He’ll know what to do.’
The mage rolled his eyes at Tova’s stubborn expression. ‘You can go wherever you want, Master Orenson. Do me a favour—once you meet Riordan, tell him he is expected at the hearing.’
I followed the battle mage out and inhaled the crisp, early winter air that had swept in with the frost, painting the window in ephemeral flowers. It was refreshing, but my empty stomach rumbled, demanding sustenance. My custodian didn’t seem to notice the sound, and at the sight of a large black carriage with barred windows waiting for us, my hunger miraculously vanished. I swallowed hard, stopping in my tracks.
The mage sighed heavily when he noticed my hesitation. ‘Mistress Regnav, please, let’s not make a scene on the streets.’
My jaw was so tightly clenched that I could only nod.
I climbed in when he opened the door, wincing as it slammed shut. I sat curled in the corner, barely breathing as I thought through every possible outcome while we slowly travelled through the streets of Truso. The silence that stretched between us felt too heavy.
‘Does the king know about this?’ I asked.
He looked at me, his hands tightening on his armrests before he shook his head. ‘His Majesty clearly isn’t objective. Besides, he has no dealings in the disciplining of mages.’
‘I think he has plenty of dealings—and keeping him in the dark to cover your ill-deeds will come back to bite you and your esteemed council in your distinguished arses. So, are you going to tell me where you are taking me, or should we see if my magic can turn you into a talking tree?’ I said, readying myself for whatever came next.
‘I’m taking you to be interrogated by the High Council,’ he answered. ‘Given that they’re letting you live, maybe you’ll even survive to have your geas ceremony. And I’ll pretend I didn’t hear your threat.’
‘Let me live? It was just a small magic flux. It’s not like I can shatter the kingdom. I’m just a potion-mixing commoner,’ I said, trying to convince myself more than him, especially since this man would likely have no say in the council’s ruling.
‘You are anything but common, Mistress Regnav. You changed the strands of aether so completely that a dead object became alive. You think you just repaired your friend’s hand, but what you did was create what commoners call a monster—a hybrid entity blended so perfectly that it cannot revert to its original parts. How do you think biesy, manticores,1 or harpies2 came to be?’ he asked, his expression earnest. ‘Only the gods should create new life, and you are no god. Vivamancy was eradicated for a reason.’
‘So, it’s submit to the geas or death?’ I asked, weighing my chances if I were to jump from the carriage. But that would mean being on the run, away from my friends, from Truso, never certain I wouldn’t wake up ensnared in magic.
‘Yes. Twelve mages have worked to energise the wards of the geas hall, as the council didn’t want to wait for the solstice ceremony. All for you. So at least some of them think you’re worth saving.’
‘Thank you for letting me know,’ I said with a shrug, hoping he didn’t notice how much I was trembling.
Calm down,I told myself.The last thing you need is for them to see you acting unhinged . . . Calm as a cucumber, Sana. Just be as calm as a cucumber.
I wasn’t sure why that particular vegetable came to my mind, but realising how much my mind drifted to ease the fear made me chuckle. My reaction must have surprised him because he frowned, looking at me as if he were assessing an exotic curiosity from a foreign land.
‘You are . . . not what I expected,’ he said.
I shrugged, falling back onto the carriage pillows, still shaking with quiet laughter. ‘Yeah, I hear that a lot.’
We didn’t enter the Court of Aether through the main doors. Instead, I was taken to a strange back entrance that led to a heavily warded chamber. As I drew a shaky breath, I noticed the strands of aether weaving and wrapping themselves around the walls in hypnotic, swirling patterns as Ciesko walked out and gave me one of his benevolent smiles.
‘Welcome, Roksana,’ he said. ‘You’ve caused quite a stir. I wish you’d followed my advice when I said not to disclose your skills to anyone until you went through the geas ceremony.’
The battle mage choked and spluttered. ‘You knew?’
Ciesko waved him off, taking my elbow. ‘Of course, I knew. I discovered her,’ he responded, completely untroubled, as if he hadn’t just admitted to hiding vital information from the council. ‘Come, child, let’s get it over with. The geas hall will be ready for you momentarily. You know you have to do it, right?’
‘Yes, Arch Healer, thank you for arranging this,’ I said. If he hadn’t, I would’ve begged him to do so as soon as possible. Even if giving my geas would leave me enthralled to the Crown, anything was better than worrying what might happen if I lost control of my magic without someone like Irsha there to stop me turning everyone into monsters.
