I was incredibly relieved that, so far, Ralakos had not shown.
No one wanted to move first. Everyone stood across from each other, feet planted, eyes narrowed. The straining tension was insufferably thick.
Mifral, suddenly released by Persephone, shifted backwards on her heels like a leaf lightly caressed by a sumr breeze.
Ephira rolled her eyes. For Nyxs sake, sit down before you fall down.
Mifral did as she was told, only to pop right back up, defiant. No. Not until you explain what hes doing here. She pointed the sa chubby finger at again.
Certainly. This is Sontar. He has been assisting over the last few months in rooting out so undesirables in the Thulian district. Her gaze flicked to Persephone.
Persephone must have expected what was coming because she didnt even bother trying to lie. Instead, she glowered at from across the room. Careful with that one, Councillor. From my experience, the loyalty of elves is easily bought.
As if you didnt set up. I snapped.
No idea what youre talking about. Persephone shot back.
Mifral looked like a woman trying to watch all three fields at a tournant.
Wait. So. She traced an invisible line from to Ephira, to Persephone.
Ephira nodded. Its all a bit convoluted. The short version is that Sontar got word of a conspiracy to rob your estate. He didnt have ti to co to , so instead, he inserted himself into the situation to help mitigate the damage.
Mitigate! Mifrals face screwed up into a wrinkly mass. Theyre still cleaning up the damage! Thousands of rods. Not to ntion she caught herself.
Not to ntion the sapphire you lost? I asked. I pulled the giant gem from the pocket of my robe and approached her, placing it in her outstretched hand, bowing. There were three of them, and only one of . I apologize I was not able to do more.
From out of Mifrals view, I saw Persephone visibly deflate.
Mifral stared into the sapphire, and a small sick smile braced her lips. Well. At least thats sothing. Doesnt excuse you for treating like a neanderthal though. Her face grew furious and her furor shifted to Ephira. You really ought to train your help better.
The slightest rumble of a growl emitted from Ephiras throat. I didnt bother pointing out that I had not, at any point, touched her. It likely wouldnt have made a difference.
Of course, Mifral. Ephira said, clearly losing patience as Mifral pulled a magnifying lens from her pocket to inspect the gem. However, there are more important matters to discuss. I did not invite this woman, and I suspect, neither did you. Though it is nice to finally get confirmation of the fourth bidder. Ephira scanned Persephone up and down. Though Im not sure why youd bother letting a half-demon bid on anything. Everyone knows her kind loves to cheat.
Shes never been a problem before this scepter nightmare. Mifral muttered.
Persephone had been visibly deciding whether to stay or leave, and Ephiras final taunt had made that decision for her. Really. Were going there? Why dont you co down from your tower, councillor? Everyone knows the rumors of how you keep industry under your thumb. Bowing and scraping to the humans. Enforcing the tax rcilessly, then publicly decrying it as if it doesnt line your pockets. Youre more of a thief than I am.
Mifral. Ephira said, never looking away from Persephone. You do not know this woman like I do. You have never had a bad experience with her because you have never had anything she truly wanted. She will not stop. The sacking of your ho was just the beginning.
Hands trembling, Mifral visibly quivered at the words, clinging to the hem of her silk skirt. It was clear she wasnt used to doing this sort of business in person, while Ephira was. If Persephone did nothing, Ephira would demolish any resistance and take what was hers.
As if sensing exactly that, Persephone closed on Mifral, coiling around her like a snake. The councillor sounds so sure of herself, when in reality, shes here for the sa reason I am. The nobility is an act. The truth is, shed rob you blind if she could get away with it.
An argunt that would have carried more weight had you not already gone out of your way to cause Mifrals pain and suffering. I extended a hand out towards her, palm up. Your n had every intention of harming Lady Mifral if she didnt give up the key to the safe. They would have, had I not intervened.
Yes. Persephone said dryly. Thank goodness you were there, to protect her. As if you and your master werent scouting out the scepter to begin with.
I heard a deep, booming voice coming from the ss hall doors.
Ralakos.
I squeezed my eyes shut, preparing myself ntally. It didnt an anything, not yet. But it certainly wasnt a good sign. Ralakos strode into the room, his arms moving freely, the easy-going nature that I knew him for all but vanished.
He saw all of us and did a double-take.
Ephira. He observed.
Ralakos, Ephira retorted, her voice an over-serious mockery of his. We only need one more mber to make this a eting of the high council.
Ralakoss cool white eyes traveled the room, passing over Mifral, Persephone, and finally . The edge of his mouth pulled upward. And who is this gem in the rough?
I was grateful my mask hid my face, as Im not entirely sure whether I could have quashed the surprise in ti. It was unmistakably a callback to the conversation we had in his advanced training room.
Ralakos knew.
All he had to do was take a single look at , and he knew.
But why not keep it to himself? Why signal ?
Whatever he was doing, he was playing it close.
My assistant. Ephira raised a slow eyebrow. And what are you doing here, Ralakos? Just in the neighborhood?
Erdos likes to patrol the surface caves for demons. Ralakos shrugged. Sotis I accompany them. Keeps the nerves sharp in my old age.
Persephone had a far away look on her face and was clearly regretting her decision to stay. The hate simring in my direction was not lost on . I would be wise to stay far away from her districts from now on. It was unfortunate. I didnt really have anything against her, other than the fact that she had threatened to kill .
The negotiation continued. Persephone was heated and Ephiras ire rose until the two were just slightly short of shouting at each other, while Mifral quivered beneath, all but forgotten. Ralakos would chi in with a comnt every once in a while but mainly seed to treat the conversation like an outside observer would. He sohow ended up next to .
How goes the air magic? He whispered conspiratorially to , his hands behind his back.
I sighed, all at once feeling very silly in my disguise. It could be better.
Youve been practicing? Ralakos asked.
What?
With Erdoss daughter? He continued, as if this were a completely normal conversation to be having and there wasnt a civil war brewing right in front of us.
Yeah. Shes helping . I answered.
Shes lovely.
Mhm. Opposite of Erdos.
Ralakos looked to the side to hide a laugh. There was a sinking feeling in my gut then, as if Id missed sothing critical.
It couldnt hurt to ask. How did you know?
Know what?
That it was ?
Because you are my student. Ralakos grinned down at , and for just a mont, I felt sha for suspecting him, even as fleeting as it was. Also, Ive been having you followed
What?!
for reasons we will talk about later. His smile disappeared, and his gaze went to the hole riddled-roof. A small stream of unsettled dust rained down.
Then another. And another. Until even the argunt in front of us faded to quiet, all faces upturned towards the ceiling.
You sent Kilvius and Nethtari away, correct? His voice was tense.
Yes.
Good. Hide. Ralakos said. In a motion so fast it blurred, he called a combination of water and fire, weaving it together into a spell pattern more complex than any I had seen before, like a vibrant never-ending spiral of ovals within lines.
Then, before I could even react, or throw a hand up, he grabbed my shoulder and flung backwards. Warmth transferred from his hand to my shoulder. He was incredibly strong and the force propelled across the room.
My head bounced off the ground brutally, and my vision swam. There was a surge of alarm as my arms and legs disappeared, before I realized it was a result of the spell Ralakos cast.
I wasnt completely invisiblethere was still a distortion there if you looked close enough, but it was close.
The roof caved in, and a dozen dark shapes descended. Blue-eyed demons covered in that deep, frothing blackness crashed to the floor. Mifral died instantly, while Persephone dove beneath a nearby table.
I thought Id seen real magic before, the night of the ambush in the twilight chambers. At the ti it was completely overwhelming.
But that was the mont I understood:
I had seen nothing.
What I saw made the fighting in the chambers look like children attacking each other with sticks. There were dozens of demons, perhaps hundreds. An endless horrible stream of ripping claws and tearing teeth and fingers that extended like shadows.
Mifral died almost imdiately, bisected diagonally, her mouth frozen open in a permanent fixture of horrified surprise. Persephone tried to run, but was pulled to the ground by a mass of smaller demons with glowing blue horns and torn apart by their clawing hands.
Ephira and Ralakos beca gods given form.
Ephira glowed, so brightly she was almost impossible to look at directly, the detailed lines of her form reduced to the glowing mass within a lun lamp.
She flickered in and out of existence, smiting demons with a sizzling splatter every ti she reappeared. I thought it was pure elental magic, at first, but then she cast what can only be described as an electric firestorm, the roiling cloud shed used to strike down Shear but in the shape of a tornado.
I knew shed been holding back, for Mifrals sake, but I had no idea the extent to which that was true.
Ralakos ran on floating fragnts of earth, soaking demons in water so that Ephira could finish them, casting constant morphing waves of fire and flanged discs of stone. The ss hall was reduced to rubble in seconds. Most of the soldiers had died in an initial surprise attack. There were a handful of small groups remaining, all with less than a dozen n.
I caught a glimpse of Erdos and his group being forced back down the path by an onslaught of greater demons.
It was happening again. I wanted to scream, or break sothing, or anything to let the gods know that I was tired of watching people around die, and not being able to do a damn thing about it.
Praying, I reached for the air.
It ca to as a breeze, weak and limpid as it had been ever since that first ti.
Strong as they were, Ephira and Ralakos were simply too outnumbered. Ephira kept trying to teleport, weave the symbol that I recognized from my scroll, but there were too many, and she was interrupted before being able to complete the spell.
Ralakos was still holding strong.
Then it happened. I saw him for the first ti. My bones turned to jelly.
The Arch-Fiend.
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