The last thing she saw before squeezing her eyes shut against the pain were dirty fingernails. They belonged to the Quotidian mage who used his outstretched hand to fuel his cruel magic with her own pain.
She tried to inhale, stopping her mind from freaking out. If she could create any kind of harmony within herself, she could break the flow of their magic.
But it was too much. She sagged against the floor.
“Munney?” Erich’s voice sounded surprised, but she was too engrossed in her own pain to decipher what the strange word meant.
Finally, it stopped.
It took several moments for her lungs to finally open and accept new air.
She focused on her breath for a while, her body exhausted.
When she regained the strength to lift her head, Erich was no longer in the room.
“Where is my sister?” Aizel yelled, but no sound left her mouth. She dropped her head in defeat, the familiar weight of a single jewel bobbing against her neck.
Chapter 36
Erich was sure he was about to die. Every time he heard a sound outside the door, he tensed. King Gareth wanted him dead, and it seemed that Gautho was in on it, too.
When footsteps stopped outside the room, Erich moved to the center of the room. He would not be taken by surprise.
“Erich, my young friend, what a pleasant surprise to see you.” King Gareth held out his hand as he entered the small, windowless space.
“I thought you were expecting me with... the Majis sorceress.” Erich could not say her name in front of Gareth. It felt too personal, like he was sharing a secret that didn’t belong to him.
“But that’s not what happened, now, is it?” Gareth smiled, his face open and honest despite the menacing threat sitting behind his words.
Erich had been waiting in this small room for hours. It was richly furnished, but the single doorway had been heavily guarded and he hadn’t been allowed to leave.
“Would you care to enlighten me as to why you failed in your duty?” Gareth asked.
“I don’t think my duty was ever your intent, was it?”
Gareth looked taken aback. “I’m not at all sure what you mean, my dear brother. General Gautho said you were given clear orders. Yet, the woman you were supposed to escort showed up on my doorstep—alone—claiming to have killed you.”
Erich said nothing as he waited for Gareth to get to his point.
“I was quite devastated to hear of your death,” Gareth finally continued. “I’ve always admired you. You are different from your father and brothers—in a good way,” he hurried to correct himself. “You have a spark that they don’t. You see things differently than they do.”
Erich watched and listened as Gareth paced the room. Honestly, the king was quite right in his assessments thus far. Not that it meant anything.
“What you need is a chance to prove yourself and, under the right... mentor... I think you could become something far greater than the fourth in line to the throne of Iseldis.” Gareth stopped pacing, cutting his eyes at Erich as if to gauge his reaction.
“Who would you suggest as the right mentor?” A plan was forming in Erich’s head. If he could convince Gareth to let him live, he might be able to find and save Aizel.
“Myself,” Gareth answered, another smile gracing his features.
Erich raised his eyebrows, pretending to be interested in what the king was saying. “What are you offering to teach me?”
“Teach you? No. That sounds so juvenile. You’re a man now, Erich, not a child. Share. I have things I could share with you.” Gareth’s open face was so hopeful Erich almost laughed out loud.
For a moment, he wondered if this was how young ladies felt when a man they despised tried to woo them. “What things could you share with me?” he asked, hoping to glean any information he could.
Gareth’s eyes fell. “My burdens, for one.” He looked to the left. “I’ve been given a very heavy responsibility in this life. I was barely your age when my father died and I was forced to follow in his great footsteps with no brother to help me carry the weight.”
“What weight?” Erich asked, hoping his interest would keep the king talking.
