Varren shook his head. “It comes out as a crumbly rock called flash shale. Wecarefullybreak it down and then it’s pressed into a powder, as it can be unstable in its raw form. Using magic runes that have been passed down in the imperial family, it’s stabilized into flash beads—the little violent balls of raw magic you know. The whole process, beginning to end, is known only to the imperial family. Their most trusted lutenz and overseers take over at crucial steps, but the only ones with the full picture are the empress and her most trusted advisors.”
“How do you want to proceed?” Lavette pointedly asked Eira.
“I don’t think I get to make that decision alone.” Eira looked to her friends. “What do you all?—”
Lavette grabbed her wrist before Eira could finish, staring her down. “We are going to need a leader in there. Someone to make decisions if—when chaos inevitably happens.”
“Everyone is perfectly capable of speaking for themselves and making decisions in good judgment.” Eira had learned her lesson from making choices one-sided. She wouldn’t be making that mistake again.
“Well, the first order of business would be getting in,” Noelle said, moving the conversation along.
“I could make a tunnel,” Alyss offered.
“They’ll sense it,” Varren cautioned.
“From here, how far is the entrance Slip used to smuggle you from the mines?” Eira asked him.
“It’s down that way.” Varren pointed down the slope of a hill. “Maybe an hour or two?”
“How many people do you think we could reasonably sneak in?”
“None.” His expression lacked all hope.
Helpful. Eira looked back to the mines and talked through her thought process to give them all an opportunity to object if they so chose. “I think we should have some people on the outside. By the time we get in, it’ll probably be evening. So those out here can position themselves closer once night falls. Moreover, I don’t think we should try to risk bringingeveryoneinside.”
“I should go,” Alyss said. She pushed away from the rock, looking Eira in the eyes. “I can be subtle moving rock around. And, even if there’s a risk of them sensing my magic, you need me there.”
“I’ll be good at suppressing fire,” Noelle said. “I’ll stay out here.”
“Then Ducot and Noelle are offering support,” Eira reasoned.
“I think you could use me to get into a tight spot.” Ducot folded his arms.
“I didn’t think you’d want to be separated.”
He hesitated at Eira pointing that out, considering the implication.
“You should go,” Noelle said softly. “I’ll be fine. If everyone does their job well, I won’t even be involved in the fray. You’ll be at far more risk than I.”
“If one of us is to be at risk…” Ducot murmured to himself.
“I want to go in, too.” Yonlin stepped forward. “I want to see how the beads are made.”
“No you don’t.” Olivin had a note of scolding for his brother.
“What if I could bring the information back to Meru? What if the minerals needed are in our home, too, and Qwint can help us make beads with their knowledge of runic magics? We could all stand a much better chance against Carsovia.”
“I’m not letting you take that risk,” Olivin declared.
Yonlin snorted. “That really isn’t your choice.”
“For what it’s worth, I think you both should stay,” Eira said. Separating the brothers seemed wrong. She couldn’t—wouldn’t make him choose between defending her and his brother. “Like Noelle’s flames, Lightspinning is better for us at a distance.”
After a bit more debate among all of them, the final parties were decided. Lavette, Cullen, Ducot, Alyss, and Eira were all led by Varren away from the rocky outcropping they’d been hiding behind. Noelle, Olivin, and Yonlin stayed behind to offer what support they could, assuming they could position themselves properly. The plan when they left was for them to take over the southmost tower—the one closest to the road—that way they could catch up with Eira and the others after fleeing.
But who knew what would happen?
That unknown was something Eira had to sit with as they made their way down through the woods. The landscape shifted, becoming rockier as they descended in altitude. The trees grew a bit smaller, struggling to gain roots in the hard earth.
