Page 151 of Fortress of Ambrose
He’s as rigid as a fish on a hook. Quell’s heart rams in both our chests as she stares, speechless.
“He will sleep in confinement and be executed at sunrise to honor Sola Sfenti. A symbol to all who are watching. Including the Dragunhead.”
I lock Ube in the basement, restrained with a cuff harness that keepshis hands pinned to his sides. Then I meet Erla in the lab alone, as I instructed. By the time I arrive, the deadly toushana inside me has settled. She works fusing together a circle of metal with a murky brown stone.
“What are you making?”
“I mentioned to my brother some time ago that we should test the procedure on metal and gems. The mix of the substances is a good model for an ancient relic.”
“Yaniselle will return with something soon.”
Erla purses her lips.
“Why’d you rat out your brother?”
“I didn’t squeal on anyone. I just don’t agree with lying. Zecky was very dishonest, and my brother admires that sort of thing. I do not.”
“Is that why you don’t like Yani?”
She looks up from her work. But she doesn’t say anything before returning to what she was doing.
“She is retrieving the stones from Triveyna. If there’s something I need to know about Yani or your brother, now is the time to tell me.”
“She’s had it out for me since we met, trying to get close to my brother. I see right through her. You know everything I know about Yani. I find your choice to trust her risky.”
“My options are slim. Another question. What do you know about ring forging?”
“Rings? Like Cultivator rings?”
“Precisely. Yani will be retrieving ring stones, not a relic.” With no way to reach Lady Ruby, rings are our best bet. Housing toushana inside rings will make it easier to manage access to it. Once it’s in trustworthy hands, it’ll be impossible for one person to steal or possess all of it.
“An ancient relic would be much more secure because of how old the magic is.” She sets a hand on her hip. “We can try rings. I forged a few with Zecky. But spreading the magic equally doesn’t work if the stones are not all the same. And you’ll needdozens. There’s a lot of power inside you.”
The list of those I’d give toushana to is short. “When the procedure isdone, if I’m—er, uhm, unavailable, give five rings to Quell. Bury the rest securely somewhere.”
She nods. “I will do as you said.”
Because she is painfully honest, my heart thuds easier. “Also, we won’t be extracting all the magic. I want to remain bound to toushana.”If I survive.“But just enough for a single person.”
“You’d like to keep as much as a Darkbearer would have?”
I shift on my feet. “I guess so.” If by some twist of luck I survive, I can deal with the Dragunhead. If I die, dark magic dies with me. And while I hate that Quell would lose her magic, the Dragunhead and Darkbearers would lose theirs, too.
She will be safe.
“You need to fly on your own more often,” I tell Erla.
She tries to hide a smile.
“Now run trial extractions moving dark magic from one stone to another, increasing the amount of dark magic each time. Use whatever you have. Do it over and over until it doesn’t implode. Ideally, none would be lost. No one should get hurt. It needs to beperfect. Do it fifty times if you must. We need the procedure ready to go theminuteYani returns.”
She swallows. “That could take all night.”
“You better get started.” I find a seat at a table in the corner. Quell won’t like me deciding on the rings without her. But time is running out. I try but fail to get more comfortable in the metal chair, thanks to the persistent pain in my side. Once I have found a position that works, I pull out an envelope and paper. My pencil hits the paper, but I’m not sure what to write.
When a tear breaks free, rolling down my face, the words begin to flow.
Dear Mother,
