Page 76 of The Iron Dagger
“So anything that touched it could become enchanted,” Gideon murmured mostly to himself.
“It is definitely possible. Perhaps that can be a new experiment for your friend. If they found a way to harness a witch’s power with sorbite, it would be a world-changing invention, to say the least.”
With a horrible feeling clenching his chest, he suspected that someone had already made that discovery. Hara’s idea that sorbite and the mysterious power of the river were somehow connected looked more conceivable.
When he entered Hara’s room that evening, it appeared empty at first.
“Hara?” he called softly, and then he heard a soft splash from the adjoining room.
He rounded the corner to find Hara almost entirely submerged in her bathtub, the water touching her chin. Bleary eyes met his from under the dark ribbons of her hair. She looked absolutely dreadful.
“Hara, what’s happened? What is the matter?” Gideon said, dashing into the room and crouching next to the tub. He reached down to feel her brow, but she was not ill. Then he noticed how chilled the water was. “How long have you been in this bath?”
“I’m not sure. I didn’t notice it getting cold,” she said, her voice slightly rough. She gave a light cough and brushed her hair out of her face. Then she sat up and murmured a soft command. As the water began to drain from the tub, Gideon got up to fetch a robe. When he returned, she stepped out of the tub andhe tried his best to not let his eyes linger on her wet skin. She slipped into the long robe and he made to guide her toward the fire, but she said, “Could you lay with me on the bed?”
Gideon nodded, worry making his chest ache. He had never seen her so wretched. He drew back the covers and she climbed into the bed. Feeling rather odd getting into bed fully dressed, he nevertheless climbed in after her. In all the scenarios he’d conjured in late-night fantasies, he had not expected the first time in bed with Hara to be like this.
She curled up within his arms and rested her head on the pillow close to his.
“I went to the mines today with Sarai,” said Hara, and a wave of understanding washed over Gideon. Of course he had visited the mines, but he’d stayed above ground or toured the established seams, never the new excavations. His father entertained mine owners and so he heard the stories. Explosions, cave-ins, loss of workers. He could only imagine what she’d seen.
He felt a slight touch of frustration at Sarai for bringing Hara to such a dangerous place, where something terrible had obviously happened. Then she began to speak, and as she did, the ache in his chest grew into horror. She told him of the man and woman she met and how she had taken care of their children back in her village.
“But what is the most terrible about all of this is that Lenwen is turning over their war prisoners to Montag to be used for free labor. So long as villages get raided and the war goes on, the mines and the factories have a never ending supply of workers. Why would Lenwen do such a thing?”
It was as terrible as it sounded, and yet Gideon was not surprised.
“I have heard my father speak of the money troubles the Lenwen crown is experiencing. If they are desperate enough,I would not be surprised if they were selling prisoners to our industries.”
“But surely that is illegal,” said Hara, and he almost wanted to laugh at her innocence, if it were not so tragic.
“Who would hold them accountable? Norwen would surely condemn them—that is, if they aren’t doing the same with Lenwen prisoners—but they are already at war with each other. Montag wouldn’t condemn them, and Mycan is too far removed from the war; they are not a player.”
“It’s not right. I could have died today, but they risk death every moment they are down there. For what?” she said, burying her face against his chest.
“I know,” he said, gently rubbing a hand up and down her shoulder. “I wish there was something we could do to stop it.”
“I have done something,” said Hara, and he could hear a note of fierceness enter her voice. “I made gold for Sarai. Copper, too.”
“What?” gasped Gideon, holding her away from his chest so he could see her face. It held none of the panic that seared through his body. Did she not realize the risk she was taking? “Hara, how could you do that?”
“I trust Sarai. You said so yourself. She is someone who is inherently good.”
“That isn’t the point. Secrets have a way of getting out. Someone will ask how she got ahold of raw gold and precious metals to work with. Every mine owner has her on their black list.”
“I told her to say she got them from a jeweler,” said Hara.
“It would take a fortune for the amount of gold she needs. The piece you made in the meadow was enough to make a mine owner rich.”
“I don’t care. If she can use it to put an end to the suffering, I will take whatever harm comes to me.” Her naivete shone from her eyes with such earnestness, and Gideon had to hold back a groan.
“You don’t understand, Hara. The mine owners would never allow her discoveries to see the light of day, even if she was successful. Their livelihood depends on the mines, and they are old friends with Corvus. They would let a thousand innocent prisoners die or sicken before they’d close the mines. They would find a way to silence or arrest Sarai. And you . . . I don’t know what they would do.” He gripped her by the arms, suddenly fearful. “Hara, there are other ways. We could petition Corvus to review the working conditions.”
“Why would he care? According to Sarai, the mines are creating immense profits as they are.”
“I don’t know, but we need to try. If it means upending the entire mining industry, I will find a way. But I need to keep you safe,” said Gideon, and he wrapped her in his arms again, trying to make her feel his resolve.
FOURTEEN
