Page 93 of Poisoned Kingdom
‘What are you thinking?’ I asked.
‘That someone is trying to incapacitate mages,’ he responded, jaw tight. ‘Augurec manacles, nivale—that’s got to be lanara poison. Those are only used on those gifted with second sight.’
I nodded. He wasn’t wrong.
Sana placed a hand on my forearm. ‘That’s not the end of it.’ She glanced at Tova. ‘It’s time you tell him about the srebrec.’
‘There’s not much to tell yet,’ Tova said, leaning back in his chair. ‘But I’ll know more soon. Remember the dwarven merchants Lily wanted me to entertain? Well, they told me next to nothing, but I discovered where they like to stay and with whom they traded. I snuck in one night and grabbed a few scrollsand a sample of their merchandise. They’re planning to take it to Wiosna.’
He stretched theatrically, letting silence draw every gaze towards him before finally continuing.
‘The scrolls contain schemata for . . . something. I don’t know what yet, but I’m working on it. It’s designed to trigger . . . something.
He reached for the scroll Sana had hit him with earlier and unrolled it on the table.
It looked like gibberish to me—rows of overlapping squares filled with intricate runes and scattered numbers. But Riordan leaned forward, completely absorbed, his fingers following the symbols as his brows drew tighter and tighter.
‘Ri?’
‘I’m not sure,’ he muttered. ‘But this—look here—this set loops around . . . yes, right there. That’s the trigger. Master Orenson is right. It’s an aethereal loop designed to pull in magic, and . . .’ He paused, jaw tightening again. ‘Well, I’m not sure what happens then, but any mage caught near this when it’s activated would be in real trouble.’
‘Make a copy and take it to the university immediately,’ I said. ‘We need to know what it is.’
Tova looked like he might argue, but I cut him off. ‘Please ensure the mages work with Master Orenson. His expertise may be needed to solve this problem, and his insight could be critical.’
Tova hesitated, then nodded. ‘Fine. But we should go after the merchants first. And I think I’ve got something that could help.’
He unrolled a large map of the Lowland Kingdoms across the table.
‘Look at this. I’ve spoken with the oxen handlers, and they all mentioned visiting these backwater villages. Every recent transport from Wiosna has taken a similar route south,bypassing Truso and travelling through the swamp along the border with the Care’etavos Empire. On the way back, they take the usual trade roads.’ He looked at Liliana with a smirk. ‘And often stop at your establishment to spend what they’ve earned.’
‘It’s difficult to control those bloody swamps,’ I admitted, eyeing the map. ‘Especially since the dark fae are claiming we’ve been encroaching on their land. However, if you mark the places on the map, I’ll send some patrols there to investigate.’
Tova’s grin widened.
‘I’m guessing there’s more to it?’ I asked.
‘Oh yes, there is. You know what scrooges dwarven merchants are. They turn every gold coin twice before spending it—yet these lot have been making a show of throwing gold around like it’s river gravel. They’re flashy, deliberate. And while everyone’s watchingthem, there’s always one who disappears as soon as they head to the entertainment quarter, only to return in the morning.’
‘I’ll speak to the grand master,’ Irsha offered. ‘We’ll send Observers.’
Tova shook his head. ‘No, you can’t trust them. Sana told me several of them still support Jagon, and he’s neck-deep in the srebrec trade. If we send the wrong men, we’ll tip our hand. Let me handle it. Whoever they’re meeting with is expecting a dwarf, so . . .’
‘That’s some sound reasoning, but it’s very risky, Master Orenson,’ Riordan said, his finger still trailing over the strange schemata.
Tova’s expression hardened. ‘It is, but I have a bone to pick with Mlot. His paranoia killed my parents. I’ve studied the scroll and know their route. There’s been amassiveincrease in mining this past year. I don’t know where they’re storing the ore, but that much unstable material isn’t just dangerous to the miners—it’s a threat to everyone.’
Riordan finally looked up, eyes sharp with new interest. ‘Then let’s work together. Srebrec is not just unstable; it blocks the flow of aether. Creates null zones. With the right instrument, we might detect their storage sites. I’d like to review your findings.’
Tova raised a brow.
Riordan grinned. ‘I’ll build the enchantments if you craft the device.’
Tova nodded, pleased. ‘Deal.’
‘Excellent,’ Riordan responded. ‘Now I need to find an artificer skilled enough to help us put it all together.’
Sana spoke then, her voice soft but steady. ‘Tova, promise me you’ll be careful.’
