“It needs to do more good,” Aizel countered. She stepped forward to the grated door, shaking it in its hinges without making a sound. Maybe she was trying to exert too large of a change in the world around her. Perhaps she should focus on the hinges only?
The heavy lock clanked against the door.
Or maybe she should focus on the lock? That was an idea.
Reaching through the doorway, she felt the lock with her fingers. She couldn’t see it, but she could feel its large keyhole. It was big enough to almost slip her smallest finger inside.
Closing her eyes again, she began to sing the same song. This time, she imagined the tines of the lock turning back into place so they aligned. They wanted to be aligned; it was their proper form.
She sang the first verse, focusing on the beauty of the melody and the familiar lilt of the unfamiliar words.
A small clank distracted her for a moment and her skin tingled.
She continued to sing, afraid she had imagined it.
During the third verse, a much louder clanging came from Peter’s cell and she opened her eyes.
Peter was standing in the central area of the dungeon. The door to his cell hung wide open.
He grinned at her.
Jumping forward, Aizel reached around her own door and pulled against the lock. It opened with a click and she leaned her shoulder into the heavy door.
It swung open with a rusty squeak.
She felt light and unstoppable. Another giggle formed in her throat. She did have a powerful voice.
Chapter 39
“Your first task as my new commander is quite simple,” Gareth said, leading Erich through the windowless halls of the marble castle.
Erich had always admired the monolithic architecture of the tall, white palace. But, tonight, he felt as if the tall walls kept moving closer and closer together. His heart started racing as they reminded him of being stuck underwater. How had he never noticed this castle had no windows?
“It will take place as soon as the sun rises. I’ve already sent notices out all over the city so we should have good attendance.”
Erich ignored his rapidly beating heart and gave his attention back to the king. Hopefully, he could catch up on what Gareth was telling him.
“You always have to keep the peasants entertained,” Gareth continued. “But you know that.” Gareth stopped walking and turned to Erich. He placed a hand on his shoulder. “You know what it’s like to grow up as the son of a king. Your whole life has been sacrificed for the good of your people. Very few men understand what that’s like. I appreciate that we share this.”
Erich tried not to flinch away from Gareth’s forced sincerity. If he didn’t know any better, he would be completely captivated by the young king’s words.
He had known Gareth his whole life and Aizel for only a handful of days. Yet, he trusted Aizel infinitely more.
“We are different, you and I.” Erich’s lips quirked at the duplicitousness of his own words. Ian would have been proud of his diplomacy. Hopefully, the king would think Erich was agreeing with him that they were unique and special. What Erich was actually saying was that they were different from each other.
“Can you handle that?” Gareth continued down the hallway.
“I think so,” Erich responded, still unsure what he was agreeing to. He should have paid more attention to that part of the conversation. “Could you explain exactly what steps I’ll need to take? I don’t want to make a mistake from the very beginning.” He so wished Ian was present to hear his cleverness.
“I have no doubt you’ll do a splendid job. All you have to do is read the notice to spectators and oversee the execution to make sure the Majis sorceress doesn’t escape.”
Erich’s feet froze. His first task was to execute Aizel?
Gareth hadn’t seemed to notice Erich’s reaction as the king himself stopped, waiting for two guards to open the door at the end of the hall.
“I think it will give the message everyone needs to hear right now,” Gareth said. “It’s all about balancing the right amount of fear with the right amount of trust. We want them to be afraid of the Majis but to trust us implicitly, you see.”
“Even though the Majis don’t even pose a threat!?” Erich couldn’t keep playing this game. Not when the game risked innocent lives.
