‘Come here,’ he said, gesturing to me, too engrossed in his work to realise he’d commanded a king.
‘What can I do for you, Master Orenson?’ Amusement dripped from my voice, but I came closer.
‘Can you open it?’ He pointed to the top of the box, which looked solid to me.
‘How?’ I asked.
Tova’s fist tightened as he gave me an annoyed look. ‘See this hairline crack? It appeared when the mages came too close. We can’t risk them setting this thing off, but I need to see what’s inside.’ He pointed out the barely visible gap. ‘See? That’s the lid. Svarog’s arse! If I only had my tools,’ he muttered, but I was focused on something else.
My necklace was burning, forcing me to loosen my collar when the sensation became unbearable. I nearly tossed it away when I saw Roksana’s face turn as pale as a ghost.
Marius sucked in a breath, his fingers dancing in arcane movements. ‘Sire… what is that?’
Tova answered before I could. ‘The necklace I gave to my Drah’sa. Don’t know why it’s on the king’s chest, though.’ The eyes of everyone in the barn turned towards me.
‘May I?’ Marius reached out, but I brushed his hand away
‘No, unless there’s a damn good reason for you to touch such a personal item.’
‘There is something strange with the magic surrounding… I thought…’ he stuttered, eyes transfixed on the pendant. ‘The craftsmanship is exceptional.’
Marius studied Tova, who smirked, his chest puffing up with pride, momentarily distracted from the box.
‘It’s an fae design that would look good on my Drah’sa… if she hadn’t given it away,’ he said, glaring at Sana, who matched his challenging scowl with one of her own.
She shrugged with her head high. ‘It looks better on the king.’
‘Whatever you crafted, Master Orenson, it doesn’t explain the magic surrounding it,’ Marius said, stepping towards me. ‘I know you can’t see it, my lord, but the way the aether flows through the gem is so…’ The light in Marius’s eyes was making me uncomfortable, but he continued before I could stop him. ‘Sire, it’s so complex it beggars belief. I’ve never seen something…’ The mage turned his avid stare to Roksana. ‘I assume this is your doing, my lady.’
Tova grinned, tugging at his beard, ‘Well now, Sana, if you can make a mage speechless, you must work with me. Imagine what we could create.’ His enthusiasm was infectious, and soon, several mages were smiling despite the unhealthy tinge to their skin.
The amulet vibrated on my chest as I knelt to examine the strange cube. The box’s material looked like srebrec, but something felt off. ‘Tova, is the gap getting bigger?’ I asked, pointing to the hairline crack that had grown since the amulethad been reacting. Worse, the stone itself dulled as if somehow losing its magic.
‘What?’ he said. I pointed at the growing gap, and his eyes widened, moving from the box to the amulet before he ripped off his cloak, spreading it over the object. ‘Quick, cover it up; it’s siphoning the magic. Out! All out, now!’ He shouted, pushing everyone out of the stables.
‘Is that thing responsible for the wraiths?’ I asked as we milled around outside.
Marius frowned and then shrugged, his gaze moving to Tova. ‘It’s possible, I suppose. If Master Orenson is right, this alloy, whatever it is, reacts to magic. It was dormant next to us because we’re already drained by the flux, barely able to cast at all, but with Lady Roksana’s power…’
Tova nodded. ‘It must have been activated by your arrival, charging itself from the amulet. Just like in that frozen village. Nothing happened until Sana entered, then all hell broke loose.’
That was a frightening prospect. With one third of Dagome’s population having some sort of magical gift, boxes like this could be activated anywhere. The safest place would be the Kingdom of Wiosna, where the non-magical dwarves lived.
‘How big a problem are we facing? Is it likely to reactivate again tonight?’ I asked to confirm my suspicion, trying to prepare myself for the worst.
‘I don’t know, sire. Despite Master Orenson’s eagerness, we can’t risk opening it here. The university has mages skilled in casting nullifying wards strong enough to block all magic. Until we know more, no mage can touch it or even be close to it.’
My chest tightened, my heart pounding so hard it was causing a headache. This wasn’t just a border skirmish or a paranoid dwarven king throwing a tantrum. This weapon could destroy Dagome. Not just Dagome, but the entire Tir ha Mor continent was full to the brim with aether users.
‘Master Orenson, you’re the one best suited to transport the device. I’ll arrange for an escort to take you to the university. Marius, assign someone who can cast this nullifying spell so they can enter the city,’ I said, watching the dwarf bristle.
‘I need to go to Wiosna. Mlot–’
‘After you transport the box and as thanks for this service, I’ll personally escort you to Mlot’s bedchamber if you so wish. Your green fire will be a very welcome addition to my army’s arsenal.’ The commanding tone I used was clear; this was not up for discussion. The damned dwarf still tried.
‘What about Sana? She isn’t safe if there are more of those things lying around!’ he said, and as much as it pained me to admit it, he was right.
‘Thank you for the reminder. I’d be grateful if you’d escort Lady Roksana back to Dagome.’
