"Escaped Ezra, I didn't leave. Iescaped."
His head bobs shamefully in front of him, and I can feel his fear rising at my words. “R-right. Escaped.” He whispers.
"Eveera,” Felix interrupts, “he came to the door — head hanging. He knows he's at your mercy, but he came anyway to giveyouinformation. Information that I feel you will find useful."
I look up at Rorin, the planes of his face stony save for the muscle in his jaw ticking. "You have five minutes to explain yourself. The clock is ticking."
Ezra sucks in a deep breath and dives into his explanation. After I'd left him, he'd wandered the city for days looking for me. That's when he came across Hadar's guards arriving in Suram.
Ezra watched as they were invited beyond the consulate walls and took a chance at Illusioning himself. While appearing as a guard, he was invited into the meetings their ambassador held with the General.
"And what exactly did these meetings revolve around?"
"Their Alloy."
The blood in my veins runs cold as I think about the General signing our agreement, promising his alloy to Obsidian.
But what if we're not the only ones who want it… or who have it…my conscience taunts, dread pooling in my stomach at the possibility. "Baelor wants the alloy?" I repeat, and Ezra nods again, his hands fidgeting nervously in front of him.
"I left with them. The small group of guards permitted to meet with the General was allowed to portal back to the Valen Court. It's where Baelor and Eiser are keeping their base."
"You mean where Baelor is keeping their base at." Rorin interrupts, and I watch as Ezra's face grows dark, his chin dipping back down.
"No— I mean Baelor and Eiser." The two of us exchange a look before we move as a unit off the dais and onto the steps, Rorin's heart beating loudly in my mind. "That's why I've come. They've fooled you."
I scoff, gritting out the question, "who has?"
"Baelor and Eiser…" he repeats slowly. "Who they've given you is not Eiser; right now, Eiser is preparing to announce his betrothal to Princess Pruella."
"You're lying," Rorin argues, the tone in his voice growing lethal.
I keep my eyes locked on Ezra's movements. His hands are no longer fidgeting but rest still at his sides. "I'm telling you not just what I heard but what Isaw.Eveera—" he takes a step forward, and Vada growls, her claws clacking against the stone as she moves around the dais, blistering steam coasting across the floor. "I promise, I can be of help. I can be of service to you again. My Wield can be of true use for once in my life. I can be what youneed.”
My hand raises, cutting off his begging. “I’m so glad you have had clarity during your little vigilante escapades.” I snap,walking a step down. "But right now, the only thing Ineedis for you to be silent.”
“I can do that.” He sputters, his lips clamping shut.
“Oh, I know you can, dear. I know.” I coo, finishing my descent until we are standing toe-to-toe.
Vomit crawls up my throat at our proximity. I make an intentional effort to choke it down as I raise my palm to his cheek, Rorin's heartbeat racing down the seal when Ezra leans into the touch.
Relief floods through my former guard, overwhelming his fear at the familiarity of my touch. “Shhh.”
“Please, Eveera. P-please, I’m so sorry. Please. From here on, I will be silent, just forgive me…”
“I know you will,” I whisper, urging him to look at me through his damp lashes while my hand grazes down to his throat. “You’ll have no other choice.”
SQUELCH!
His lips part reflexively, and the light in his eyes goes out quickly while sticky heat fills my left hand.
Ezra's body slumps down onto the floor like a discarded puppet, my attention following his collapse until they rest on his torn-out windpipe and vocal cords clamped in my grip.
Other than the sound of blood dripping onto the cold floor, the room is still."I see I'm no longer needed,"Vada notes at the same time Felix lets out a long sigh.
“A-hem. Well, at least you heard him out.” His expression is flat, unfazed at my decision, while adding, “I’ll have someone remove him.”
SPLAP!
