Page 173 of A Baron of Bonds
He’d meant to share his power all along.
Little snippets of our conversations, little implications he’d left, they all made sense now, like the key to a map I’d been given, unknowingly leading me here to prove myself a fifth time.
I was livid.
I was enthralled.
I was hurt that he hadn’t shared this with me, but knowing Rev, he was likely following some rule that made him unable to.
And I understood that, but felt the jab of his omission all the same.
CouldI become a Baron?
Would this power be something I wanted and had strength wield?
When he’d said he wanted to train conduits with me at his side, he’d meant this.
He’d meant two Barons instead of one, and I struggled to even fathomhow.
One magical forest, one Baron to lead it.
For hundreds of years since the Blightress had given some of her power to Baron Adaynth, that’s how it had been.
And a woman?
Never happened.
The Baronship always passed to a man.
What would it look like in me? What would change, if anything?
I wanted to prove this one badly.
More than any of the other four trials, I wanted to succeed here, to show Rev that he was right, that I could do this.
But what exactly was I supposed to do?
“Hand me that shovel, son.” Byn pushed down on a long wedged piece of metal, forcing his whole weight on the end of it, prying one of the larger roots from the mud.
It made a sucking noise as the root separated from the sticky soil. Rev handed him the shovel to wedge underneath, holding the root upright.
Rhyzolm mining really was dangerous.
Byn pulled up his sleeves and went in, crawling under the massive root that, if the leverage did not hold, would snap over his body, breaking it and killing him instantly.
I wouldn’t miss him.
When his boots had disappeared, Rev moved to the entrance of the exposed underbelly of the marsh tree, ducking under with a lantern to help light his father’s way.
I could see him digging with a small spade, the sound of metal hitting wet soil striking my ears.
“Anything yet?” Heirah asked, coming around the massive tree and wiping her hands on her skirts.
She’d been working on the other side, digging under the smaller roots where smaller rhyzolms might be found.
Rev shook his head and bent low, watching his father dig further.
Byn shoveled thick slaps of sludge from under the tree, piling up beside Rev as his little hands dug through, searching for any stones.
