Page 57 of The Study of Fire
“Marrok Ixia, report,” Roze said.
“I joined Yelena and Leif on their mission because I wanted to help recapture Ferde and talk to Cahil.”
“Start at the beginning.”
“That is?—”
“No, before you were beaten.”
“That has nothing to do with Ferde’s escape. That’s between me and Cahil.”
“Cahil claims he beat you to find out why you helped Ferde escape. Would you like to confess now and save us all some time?”
Marrok gaped at Roze. “That’s not what happened. Cahil was angry because Valek told him he wasn’t the King’s nephew. He found out we’d been lying to him for years. He flew into a rage.”
“Why did you lie to him?”
“We wanted revenge on the Commander. He killed the entire royal family, including the children. We were supposed to protect them. We decided we would do everything we could to kill the Commander and put a King back on the Ixian throne. Cahil might not have royal blood, but he was born in Ixia.”
“And we’re supposed to believe that after you recovered from almost dying, you joined Yelena and Leif to help? And not to getrevengeon the man who beat you?”
“Uh, yes.” Marrok looked flustered. “Cahil wasn’t thinking clearly. He has a temper. I don’t know why he freed Ferde, but I practically raised him, and I know him better than anyone. I was hoping he’d surrender without a fight.”
“After you joined Yelena and her brother, what happened next?”
Marrok’s report matched Leif’s until they separated in the Illiais Jungle.
“Moon Man, Tauno, and I chased them through the jungle, but then Moon Man faltered. He said Yelena needed extra energy to heal that poor man whose stomach had been cut wide open.” Marrok shuddered. “By the time Moon Man recovered, the warpers were gone. We waited until morning and then tracked them to Booruby, where we lost them. Tracking is near impossible in a city. We rented a room at one of the inns to wait while Moon Man returned to the jungle to let Yelena and Leif know what happened. Every day we went out to search for the warpers. A few days later the others joined us, and we continued to search.”
“How long did it take to find them?” Roze asked.
“They found us. Well, me and Tauno. We were jumped and taken to an abandoned building. They beat poor Tauno, but Cahil pulled me aside. He told me he’d been working undercover, that we were hindering his efforts even though we’d just corroborated his cover story. But he acted like he was glad to learn that I survived and even joked.” Marrok drew in a deep breath. “I know I said I knew Cahil the best, but I fell for his lies. He pumped me for information that night, and once he had what he wanted…” He rubbed his jaw. “They had released Tauno, and I managed to escape to warn the others. Cahil and the warpers followed me, and there was a brief skirmish at the inn. We won, Cahil was arrested, and Ferde…was neutralized.”
“Do you know why Yelena used such extreme measures?” Irys asked.
“We were outnumbered at the inn. The fight wasn’t going in our favor, and the fire in the hearth started growing. I think the Fire Warper was coming. Yelena did what she had to in order to save us. Again.”
“Marrok, you may return to the waiting room,” Roze said.
That wasn’t a good sign.
Roze stood and walked to the podium. “We’ve all heard the reports. As for who helped Ferde escape, it’s a matter of Cahil’s word against Marrok’s.”
“You talked to Cahil after he learned about the escape,” Irys said. “Did you use your magic to determine if he told the truth? Yelena used hers on Marrok. She wouldn’t have allowed him to join her if he’d been lying.”
True. She would have turned him in to the authorities.
“You’re way too fond of her,” Roze said. “We can’t trust you to be impartial.”
“And you didn’t answer my question.”
“Using my magic would have been a breach of our Ethical Code. Besides, Cahil came to me. Why would he do that if he’d aided in Ferde’s escape? He’s well aware of my powers.”
Powers that she claimed she wouldn’t use. Didn’t she listen to her own words?
“Leif corroborated Marrok’s claim,” Irys countered.
“He had gotten the information second hand. Yelena could have lied about Marrok’s intentions.” Roze held up a hand. “Plus, we all know Leif tends to exaggerate and see danger where there is none. I’ve no doubt he’d fall for the Daviian’s lies. I propose we release Cahil until Yelena returns. He discovered valuable information about the Daviian’s plans by risking his own life. I’d also like to detain Marrok until that time. I fear he’s a flight risk.”
