Page 81 of The Arrow and the Alder

“And it doesn’t burn you?”

“No. At least, it hasn’t yet.”

Basrain observed her down the length of his nose. “Curious.”

“What do you suspect is in this coat, then, Basrain?” Alder asked sharply. “For you clearly have…thoughts.”

Basrain blinked. His gaze flitted to Alder before he cleared his throat and looked at the coat, rounding the table as he did. “I have suspicions, yes, but I am reluctant to give them voice. I am wary of planting the wrong seeds, and I would be loath to help you cultivate the wrong fruits. It takes time for those seeds to sprout, you know, to bloom and reveal our error, and time is something we do not have.”

Alder looked about two seconds away from strangling the old collector.

“You say you have tried unraveling the enchantments?” Basrain asked Abecka.

“With every possible counter enchantment that I can think of,” she answered.

“Is there some pattern to them? Some riddle born out of a specific order or sequence?”

“None that I can find.”

“Hmm.” Basrain clucked his tongue. “What about something so simple as destruction?”

“We’ve tried that too,” Tyrin said. “Every possible method, just short of tearing it in half with our bare hands.”

Basrain tapped at his chin. “I wonder…” He looked to Seph. “Have you worn the coat?”

Seph thought back, surprised when she realized that she hadn’t. “I…no. I haven’t.”

“Perhaps you might put it on.”

“Why would she do that?” Alder asked sharply. He did not look pleased.

“Abecka made this coat as a glamour,” Basrain continued, appearing more confident in hissuspicionswith every word he spoke. “It was designed so that anyone gazing upon its bearer would see whatever the enchantress wanted them to see—in Jakobián’s case, they saw his brother, Edom. Is that right, Abecka?”

Abecka tipped her head in confirmation. “It only worked for Jakobián.”

“And it will only permit your great-granddaughter to touch it,” Basrain said. “I’m curious if it still possesses the properties you initially designed it to contain.”

There was a moment of quiet as everyone appraised Seph.

“No,” Alder said, surprising them all. There was no levity in his expression. Actually, Seph had never seen him so serious. “You just admitted that you’ve never seen its like, in appearance or in power. Josephine may be able to touch it, yes, but you can’t possibly predict what this power could do to her if sheputs it on.”

Seph was stunned by his conviction on this point.

Abecka appeared stunned too. “Alder, the coat is clearly not a danger to Josephine?—”

“You don’t know that.”

“No, but Idoknow we are swiftly running out of time?—”

“That doesn’t mean we should riskhersafety on one ofhiswhims?—”

“Prince Alder!” Abecka said. “Josephine ismygreat-granddaughter. Do you not think I am considering the risk to her person? Do you think for a moment thatyoucould possibly care for her welfare more than I do?”

Alder clamped his mouth shut. His lips thinned, and his gaze burned with a rare display of passion.

Seph was startled speechless. She couldn’t understand why he felt so strongly about this—abouther—but he was a barely contained fire.

Meanwhile, Basrain gazed curiously between the three of them.

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