Chapter 55. Eloise
Eloise
My eyes flutter open and I squint at the amber light. My back is stinging, but it’s my head that feels like someone is trying to crush it in their fist.
“Grayson?” I manage.
There’s no answer.
I scramble to my feet, my body protesting. But it’s not Grayson I find standing in the center of the Archive Room—it’s the Chancellor.
“Hello, Miss Belrose,” he says with a seemingly polite tone.
“Where’s Grayson?” I ask, trying to make sense of what happened. The last thing I remember he was about to follow his uncle in like we planned.
“He won’t be joining us I’m afraid,” he says.
I glance toward the door, about to run for it and let Grayson in when the Chancellor says, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. I’ve given strict instructions that should you emerge through that door before I do, my man is to stick a dagger through Grayson’s chest.”
I panic. Gray is the one skilled at manipulation. It was supposed to be him leading this conversation. And even if I manage to pull this off, if I leave this room, I risk killing Grayson in the process?
Not good.
“Conundrum, conundrum,” the Chancellor says in an amused tone as he inspects the shimmering dome around the tree. He glances up at me, clearly reading my emotions. “Come now, Miss Belrose. You’ve called the Key. I have big plans for you.”
My heart starts beating entirely too fast.
He laughs and it’s a horrible sound. “It’s not all that bad. Not if you behave.”
I instantly feel sick and I’m careful not to look at the bookcase where Grayson and I strategically placed his phone.
“Do you know what this is, Miss Belrose?” he asks, gesturing toward the table.
I shake my head.
“This fragile dome is the wards,” he says.
“It’s the wards?” I blurt out.
“Grayson was right, I don’t even require my skill to read your emotions. You just broadcast them in plain sight,” he says, and now I get mad. The idea of him knowing the things Grayson and I say to each other makes me sick.
“And there we go again. Do try to think past your emotions for a moment and follow along. I think you’ll find this all very interesting,” he says, and it takes every molecule of my self-restraint not to attack him.
He smiles. “Do you know why Akari is the head of my Guardians, Miss Belrose? A simple cobbler’s daughter? ”
“Because she’s the best fighter we’ve had in generations?” I bite out.
“That was actually a mark against Akari,” he says. “I strongly considered killing her because of it. I can’t just let Laborers’ children advance all over the place. It’d be irresponsible of me.”
My hands clench and my breath shortens. I want to hurt this man.
He lifts an eyebrow, but I stay where I am and he stays where he is. “It’s because she told me something I couldn’t ignore. Do you know what it was?”
I shake my head.
“She told me there was a hole in the wards,” he says, and I swallow. “That she could sense it when she touched them. No one had ever said that, but it made sense given the Lawless raids. I’ve kept her here all these years so she could search for it.”
My eyes flit to the tree and back to him.
“But now,” he continues, leaning down by the shimmering dome. “I can fix it myself.”
In a bright flash of panic, I realize what he’s about to do. But before I can step forward, he pushes the small popped-out piece of the dome back in. And I feel it, like a wave of energy that ripples through the room.
“But then you already knew about this tear, didn’t you?” he asks, and once again my emotions betray me.
He smiles, and I realize with startling clarity that he set me up.
“Well done, Miss Belrose,” he says. “You’re not quite as dull as I assumed.”
I stare at the repaired dome in horror—the Lawless are now completely cut off. They’ll have no access to medicines or supplies. My fists clench.
“I’m curious, Miss Belrose—how long have you known about the tear?” he asks.
I immediately get nervous.
“Interesting,” he says, obviously reading my emotions. “So, you didn’t learn about it just tonight. You knew about it before this?”
This isn’t my skill. How do I manipulate a master manipulator? How do I not have emotions?
“My question is, how do you—a Laboring girl who’s never been to this town—know anything about the tear?” he asks. “Someone must have showed it to you.” He pauses, tilting his head, like he’s watching my emotions play out. “Recently.”
I try so hard to tamp down my reaction but it backfires, because he says, “It’s someone you’re trying to protect.”
Panic.
His jaw tics. “Was it my nephew, Miss Belrose?” he asks with a cold hard tone.
My pulse spikes. He’s pulling the truth out of me even though I’m not speaking.
“Weak,” the Chancellor says like a growl, and his gaze flits to the door. “On second thought, why don’t we open that door right now? And by we, I mean you.”
I have to do something. Now. If he realizes he can’t cast before I’ve gotten the truth out of him our whole plan is trashed.
Problem is, I’m not a manipulator. I’m—I stop, an idea forming.
Maybe I don’t need to manipulate him at all.
Maybe I can use an entirely different weapon, one I’m much more familiar with—honesty.
“That isn’t all Grayson showed me,” I say, testing the water.
His eyes move from the door back to me. “Is that so?”
“He showed me that the Lawless aren’t that much different than Laborers,” I say. “Except … they teach their children magic from an early age.”
His gaze is discerning and his posture is perfect. “And I care because?”
“At first I thought that was dangerous, because I believed your lies,” I say, gaining more confidence the longer I have his attention. “But then I realized that all the High Mage families teach their children magic early. That the only people who don’t are Laborers.”
“I fail to see your point,” he says, looking at me more seriously.
“The point is that magical ability solidifies in the teen years. We reach our full potential then, just like height,” I say, using Grayson’s words. “You know this and you deliberately keep Laborers from learning magic young.”
He sighs, like I’m being tedious. “Then you understand why—”
“I’m not done,” I say, cutting him off. “I also learned that it isn’t the Lawless attacking Laboring communities, killing innocent people, that it’s your Guardians on your orders.”
His eyes narrow. “It’s a shame, Miss Belrose.
I had such high hopes for you. I even considered keeping you on a short leash in the public eye if you followed my rules.
But now I see that was hopeful thinking.
You’ll have to be locked up. Muzzled possibly?
Or maybe we’ll just lock up your family and kill one of them each time you displease me? I’ll think on it.”
My body tenses with the desire to attack him. “So, you admit that it’s all true?
“Why would I deny it?” he asks, moving toward me. “I’m proud of it. Fear among the common man is a powerful tool, one I wield with the utmost skill.”
Grandad always said that wits are as deadly a weapon as any blade.
“Lucky for you, you’ll get to see me use that tool very soon,” he continues.
“First, when I order Akari to kill her uncle. And then when I kill her and blame it on the Lawless. By that time, we’ll have a good number of Lawless rounded up and I’ll execute them publicly, once again restoring order.
I’ll announce the happy news that the Key has chosen to appear and I’ve accepted the honor with great humility. ”
“Grayson and I called the Key,” I correct him. “It won’t appear without us.”
“Won’t it?” he asks. “Because it requires a Heart of Courage—you. And a Master of Magic. And who is more proficient in all four Guilds than I?”
Okay, I didn’t expect that. He must have the poem. The full version. He knew.
My eyes flit to the door, suddenly realizing the full gravity of him separating me and Grayson.
“I’m assuming you realize my nephew is a liability,” he says matter-of-factly. I can’t have him sneaking behind my back and calling the Key with you when I’m not there.”
“Which is the same reason you killed Liam, isn’t it?” I say, not for me, but for Grayson, so that the video will finally reveal the truth.
The Chancellor hesitates, surprise flitting across his face. “You shouldn’t know that, Miss Belrose.”
“You killed your own nephew because he called the Key,” I accuse.
For the first time, his smooth expression falters. “And I’d do it again. In fact, I will right now. It’s time to open that door, Miss Belrose.”
Time slows as he takes a step closer. Only this time, I’m ready.
The Chancellor flicks his wrist, fast, impossibly so, and—nothing happens. For a brief moment, he seems unsure why his spell didn’t work.
Which is when I swing. My punch collides with his nose in a discernable crack.
True shock appears on his face. Hand-to-hand is one thing that didn’t require magic to learn. I can fight. And now I’m not only fighting for my life but for everyone I care about.
I follow up with another strike to his face, targeting his injured nose. I don’t quite connect, but I do land a grazing hit to his jaw, and a growl escapes his lips.
I kick, but he moves and it costs me. He slams me into the dark wood pillar at my back, his forearm moving to my neck. I struggle for air as he leans his body weight into me, pinning me against the column.
“Very clever to attack when you did, I must say. I didn’t expect quite so much from you. But don’t worry, Miss Belrose, I’ll adjust accordingly in the future.”
I wait. I need him just a little bit closer.
“You can take the path of least resistance or the hard way,” he says. “And wouldn’t you rather just be a good little pet and listen?”
I’m so going to enjoy hitting this man.
He leans in with a smile. “You have a friend here. Maggie. And a little sister. Six is such a tender age. I’d hate to see her—”
With every bit of strength, I swing my head forward. My forehead collides with his broken nose and he stumbles back, his hand grasping his face.
“I’m choosing the hard way, asshole,” I say, coughing for air.
When he swings for me, I’m ready and I get my arm up to cover the side of my head.
Then I send a swift return kick right to his groin.
It surprises me that he’d fall for such an elementary combat move.
But then again, he has always had his magic, which is so strong he probably hasn’t used hand-to-hand skills since he was a student.
He bends forward, a grunting noise escaping his mouth. Which is when I bring my knee up into his face, and throw him down. His head hits the floor hard enough to disorient him and I reach inside his jacket, searching for the cell phone Grayson said would be there.
Bingo.