Page 100 of Magick and Lead
If I have to hear him, you have to hear him, Othura said.
Then block him out!
I won’t,Othura said.And neither should you.
Essa, please!Charlie’s voice came again, and with it a sensation of heat this time. The prelate’s vision flashed before my eyes again, unbidden. Charlie, surrounded by flame. Burning.
You know as well as I do that visions from the Void are not to be trusted. It could be a trick,I told Othura.
But even as I transmitted the thought, I doubted it. Rarely did the visions destroy people with lies. More often, they destroyed them with the truth. I sensed Othura’s doubt, too.
We could still go back…she suggested.
We could. I could go back. Save Charlie… and in doing so, I’d be betraying my kingdom for him a second time.
Perhaps you’ve forgotten why we came to Admar in the first place,I told her.To free Parthar of his bond.
Othura snorted.I knew you would never kill Charlie. Not once you saw him again.
Oh, because you know everything about me? Because dragons areso wise, they know their Skrathan better than a Skrathan knows her own heart?
People often say so…Othura said.
Well stop saying it. I know my own heart.
“If I may,” Kortoi said.
“No,” I shouted. “You may not.”
“I know what you saw in the scrying bowl,” he said. “And I know you must be feeling conflicted about it. Just know you’re doing the right thing, going back to Maethalia with me.”
“Shut up,” I said, but he continued, undeterred.
“We can build a new order together, Essaphine. We can stop the bloodshed within Maethalia.”
“You mentioned that. But there would be no bloodshed if you hadn’t started a coup and released a horde of murderous golenae,” I snapped.
“You’re wrong,” he replied. “Things were bending in Maethalia. Sooner or later, they’d have broken. It was inevitable.”
Suddenly, I felt Othura’s body go rigid. Her wings faltered in their flapping, causing us to dip for a moment before she resumed her rhythm.
Othura? You okay?I asked.
Fine,she said. But I could feel the lie. Whatever terrible potion Kortoi had given her, it was working. And getting worse.
Essa!Charlie’s voice again. I shut my eyes and gritted my teeth, blocking him out. I couldn’t go back for him…
“Some would say I did you a favor by upending things in Maethalia,” Kortoi said.
“A favor? You killed my mother, destroyed Issastar and caused thousands to die,” I told Kortoi. “Now control your poison tongue before I cut it out of your head.”
He tsked. “My, my, how you sound like your mother,” he said. “You’ll make a good queen. With a little guidance.”
“You have no idea how close you are to having your throat slit, Mage,” I snarled.
Essa!Charlie’s voice again.
“Shut him up. Please!” I begged Othura.
