“Well, then it worked,” Elowen said flatly. Unease gripped her, for a moment taking her beyond her own and Theo’s problems. “I don’t like the thought that the continent has such superior magical skill over the Peninsula,” she said uneasily.
No one replied, the three of them pushing their horses forward in unison, troubled thoughts circling each mind.
By the time they rested their horses again, hours had passed since they’d left the capital. Elowen was weary and sore, but as determined as ever. It would be dark soon, and they still hadn’t caught sight of their quarry. At least no pursuers had yet caught them, either, although she had no doubt there’d be quite a mess waiting for her when she returned to the capital.
“So Bertrand really was behind all the disasters?” It was Sophia who broke the silence this time. “I’m finding it hard to accept.”
“I don’t know for certain,” Simeon said. “It’s not as though he’s admitted it to me. Something was definitely off in his actions the day the tower collapsed. And I have reason to think he had opportunity to damage the foundations of the dam before he left the estate for the capital. But he can’t have been acting alone in that instance, because I don’t think he intended to be there in person when it actually burst. He made sure I was, of course,” he added bitterly.
“He also made sure to make a fuss publicly about how he had no idea where you were because you’d left without leave,” Elowen said, resentment bubbling again. “Even then, he was already setting you up to take the fall if he got caught.”
“Well, whatever he’s involved in, I doubt he’s the architect,” Simeon said. “He has his talents, but this is outside them. Whoever gave him these vials has a bigger plan, and the viscount either doesn’t understand or doesn’t care that he’s a pawn in their game.”
“Do you think the antidote will work?” Elowen asked, less interested for the moment in the bigger picture than Theo’s life.
“Not by itself,” Simeon said. “You were wise to investigate the meaning of that label. If you’d just gotten him to drink it, I doubt it would have any effect. The instructions make no sense according to our magical knowledge, but the mechanics of it are clear enough.” He saw they were both watching him expectantly and added, “When the antidote is drunk, it will release magic, which I’ll need to harness to attack the sickness enchantment still clinging to Prince Theodore.”
“Release magic that you need to harness?” Elowen repeated. “Hold on. An enchantment released by drinking the poison is impossible enough. But at least that’s a formed enchantment, like we sometimes use. You’re telling me the other vial contains stored magic, not molded to any particular use? That’s…not possible.”
“Not according to our magical knowledge,” Simeon agreed. “It’s not completely unformed magic, I don’t think. It’s sourced from the right kind of movement and given some hint of shape already.”
The conversation was becoming harder to follow, and Elowen decided to worry about the broader magical implications later. They were passing the turnoff to a tiny town, and she glanced to the side as the road branched.
“Look!” She pulled up her horse. “Is that them?”
Chapter
Twenty-Four
Urging Ochre forward, Elowen navigated down the small street and pulled alongside the carriage trundling down the side road. The uniformed guards flanking it gave away the identity of the occupants.
“Halt there,” one of them called, as a pair of them swung to face the new arrivals.
“It’s all right!” Prince Xavier’s face had appeared in the carriage window, and he called to the driver to stop. As soon as the vehicle wasn’t moving, he flung open the door and descended to the road. “Princess! What are you doing here?”
Elowen ignored him, clambering into the carriage and falling to her knees. Theo was halfway to lying down, propped against the far side of the carriage. His pulse thundered under her fingers, and his face was more flushed than ever.
“He’s getting steadily worse,” Prince Xavier said through the open door. His own face was haggard. “I didn’t want to stop for the night before we reached the border, but I didn’t think he could take much more of the road. The driver said there won’t be another town for a long way after this.”
“We can save him,” Elowen said. She turned around. “Simeon, can you do it in here, or do we need to carry him out?”
“The shelter of the carriage is good,” Simeon said, appearing at the entrance to the vehicle, shadowed by a wary-looking guard. “In fact, it would be even better if we were moving, because this is a large object. I may want the extra magical boost from its movement.”
“What’s going on?” Prince Xavier demanded.
“Theowaspoisoned, sort of,” Elowen said.
“Sort of?”
“And we have the—sort of—antidote,” Elowen hurried on. “But Simeon has to administer it using magic craft.” She raised her voice. “Drive on.”
“But—” Prince Xavier’s sputtering protest gave way to a sigh. “Yes, all right,” he said, apparently to the driver.
“Your Highness!” one of the guards protested.
“Ride alongside them if it makes you feel better,” Prince Xavier said. “But the princess is betrothed to Theo. He trusts her, and she has as much right as anyone to help him.”
Warmth crept over Elowen as the carriage started moving, and Prince Xavier and Sophia fell out of sight. Waiting only for Simeon’s nod of approval, Elowen unstopped the second vial and tipped its contents into Theo’s slightly open mouth.
