Chapter Thirty-Three
We breakfasted in Jucai's private dining room. Halfway through our meal, Lord Lafei, the Palace Steward, walked in.
“Sire, I'm sorry to interrupt your breakfast, but we have several people waiting for you in the throne room,” Lafei said. “They have been waiting a while, and their numbers are growing.”
Jucai put down his fork. “Why have they come?”
“Those whom I've spoken to have complained of failing enchantments.”
I went still.
“Failing enchantments?” Jucai glanced at me. “Tell them I'll be down shortly.”
“Yes, sire.” Lafei bowed and left the room.
“Do you think it's the same thing that's affecting our mating?” I asked.
“It may be.” Jucai stood up and held out his hand.
“Should I be involved in this?”
He shrugged. “It doesn't matter. Someone tried to kill you, Nadar. You aren't leaving my sight.”
“They won't take me unaware again, Jucai. I'll be fine.” But even as I spoke, I remembered how weak I'd felt against my attacker.
“Regardless, you are coming with me.”
I sighed and stood up, tossing my napkin onto the table.
Jucai took my hand, and we went downstairs to his throne room.
We entered through his private door and came out onto the dais.
The vast room was half full of people from most of the undersea races, waiting before the dais.
Jucai motioned for me to stand beside his throne as he sat down. The room went silent.
“I understand there have been issues with enchantments,” Jucai said. “Lord Lafei will usher you forward based on your arrival time, and I will hear every grievance. Lord Lafei.” He nodded to the Steward.
With the King's assurance that he’d make time for all of them, the people lined up and approached the throne in order.
Every complaint had to do with magic. Lights weren't working, ovens wouldn't heat, and more.
Lord Lafei took notes and maintained order.
Even as Jucai spoke with his subjects, more arrived.
We were there for hours, but he didn't once show even a hint of impatience.
Which was more than I could say for myself.
As we listened to the complaints, I tried to think of plausible explanations.
What could affect magic like that? Not only minor enchantments but also Dragon mating magic, which was, essentially, the magic of gods.
It would have to be strong and spread far.
People from all over the city were experiencing issues.
The last person spoke, their complaint noted, and the Sea King's assurance given. Jucai stood up and went down the steps. I followed him to Lord Lafei.
Jucai held his hand out for Lafei's notebook. “Send for a ward monitor.”
“Yes, sire.” Lafei bowed. “Will the southern meeting room do?”
“Yes, and send for my advisers.”
“Yes, sire.”
Jucai took my hand and led me out of the throne room, through the palace corridors, to a long room with tall windows running along one wall.
Faux light shone through the windows to form bright rectangles atop the oak table.
We went to the far end, and Jucai sat down at the head of the table, motioning first to the seat on his left.
“Whatever is interfering with magic has affected the entire city.” I sat down.
“Yes.” Jucai stared out a window.
“It would need a central location.”
“Yes, especially since it didn't seem to disturb the dome.”
I flinched. “I hadn't thought of that.”
He looked at me. “I won't know for sure until I speak with a ward monitor, but I suspect it hasn't touched the ward.
There are alarms that go off when our air supply lowers or the ward malfunctions.
That means, it's either targeting specific magic, in a central position and ranged outward rather than upward, or both.”
“What type of magic does the ward function on?”
“Mainly Air Magic with a touch of Water.”
“I don't recall any reports of failing enchantments powered by Water or Air Magic, do you?”
Jucai considered this. “Mostly Fire Magic.” Then he straightened in his seat. “No, not mostly. Only enchantments powered by Fire Magic failed—lights, ovens, heaters.”
“Fire Magic,” I mused. “None of your undersea races have that.”
The Sea King sat back in his chair. “No, they don't. Which would lead us to suspect land folks.”
“Specifically, Land Dragons.” I leaned closer. “Jucai, this must be the same group that's behind the attack on the Blue Heron. It has to be. They're making another attempt at destroying the budding relationship between our kingdoms.”
“Who is trying to destroy it?” a man asked.
We looked toward the doorway.
Two men stood at the far end of the room with a woman between them. All of them were Sea Dragons and dressed in silk, with intricately braided hair.
“Lord Tsukang, Lady Sulai, Lord Yao, this is Lord Nadar. Nadar, these are my advisers. Please join us.” Jucai motioned to the seats on our side of the table.
“You've heard of the attack on the ship bound for Zaru and the attack on Lord Nadar. Now enchantments are failing all over the city. Enchantments powered by Fire Magic. I believe someone is trying to stop our kingdom from forming an alliance with Zaru. They tried to frame us in the ship attack, attempted to murder Lord Nadar, and now they're trying to frame Land Dragons for attacking Kansu’s magic.”
The King's Advisers took seats near us, all with worried expressions.
A Gashi in a blue uniform came in. “Sire, you called for a ward monitor?”
“Yes, have you noticed anything strange with the city ward? Has it malfunctioned at all?”
“No, Your Majesty. It's been as quiet as always. I just did my morning check, and all was well.”
“Thank you, that's all.”
“Your Majesty.” The man bowed and left.
“So, enchantments are failing except for the ward,” Lady Sulai said.
“The ward uses Air and Water Magic, so it wouldn't be affected,” Lord Yao said. He looked at Jucai. “Your Majesty, have you noticed where the enchantments are failing? Are they in specific areas?”
“No, they are all over the city.”
“What could do this?” Lord Tsukang asked.
“That is the question,” Jucai said.
“Well, it's a magic disruptor, of course,” I said.
“Such things exist?” Lady Sulai asked.
“On the surface, yes. We have machines that can disrupt magic, turning it off like a faucet. There are safes and treasure rooms that employ such machines to create unseen doors. You ward a door with magic no one can penetrate and use a disruptor as a key. Turn it on, and the path is clear. We even have manacles that disrupt magic on a small scale, limited to the individual who wears them.”
“Could it stop God Magic?” Jucai asked.
I met his gaze. “I don't know. No one's ever tried.”
“So someone has brought a surface machine here and used it to turn off magic?” Lady Sulai asked. “All to implicate Land Dragons? Why? To stop us from trading for land goods?”
“This isn't about trade,” I said. “They're trying to start a war.”
“Again, I ask, why?” Sulai slapped her hand on the table. “No one in Ilshi would want a war. It will hurt everyone in our kingdom.”
“Sometimes, the path forward is painful, but if you knew the pain would lead to victory, wouldn't you take it?” I looked from the advisers to the King. “We need to think bigger. What would war do to this kingdom?”
Jucai shrugged. “We've never been to war.”
“You'd become isolated,” I said. “Your people would resent you. They might even revolt. War steals lives, money, and security. It can make kings into outcasts.”
Jucai lifted his chin. “So, this is about me.”
“Not necessarily, but I'd wager it's about your rule or your court. Someone, probably a lot of someones, is displeased with the Ilshi Dread.
“Could this not simply be a normal failure of magic?” Lord Yao asked. “Enchantments fail.”
“Rarely,” Jucai said. “And some citizens tried to repair their enchantments. None were successful.”
“One or two, even five failures would be normal, but over a hundred enchantments failing all at once? No, this is no coincidence,” I said. “Someone turned off all the Fire Magic in the city, and they did it to point the finger at my people.”
Jucai looked at me. “Can you locate a magic disruptor?”
“No, there's no way of finding one. However, the entire city was affected, so I think the disruptor is in the palace.”
“The palace? But we weren't affected.”
“Some disruptors can be set to push out the field of disruption so it doesn't affect the operator. What about your guard? Did you investigate the people he'd been in contact with?”
“They were all slaves who hadn't left the palace since their arrival.”
“Are you sure?”
“The Master of Palace Slaves keeps a record of where each slave is.”
“But what if it was a bed slave?”
The Sea Dragons laughed.
“Why are you laughing?” I scowled at them.
Lady Sulai said, “Our bed slaves adore us. They would never rebel.”
I stared hard at her. “A man may smile and say sweet things while plotting murder. You cannot know the secrets of another's heart.”
The Sea Dragons went still.
“I'll have the slaves on the list investigated further,” Jucai said. Then he motioned to his advisers. “I want all three of you to lead search teams through the palace. Only Sea Dragons. I don't trust anyone else. Find me the disruptor!”
“But we don't even know what one looks like,” Yao said. “Is it made of metal? Wood? Is it a box or a tube? How big is it?”
“They're usually boxy machines made of metal, containing enchanted crystals,” I said.
“They can be any size, from very large, which is what I assume we're looking for, to . . .” I trailed off as an image came to my mind.
“Holy fuck!” I launched to my feet. “That's what he was wearing! That's why I felt weak!”
The Sea Dragons gaped at me.
I cleared my throat. “My apologies. The man who attacked me wore a strange, boxy pendant. I thought it was an amulet. But now, I know it was a small magic disruptor. You see, when we fought, my attack felt weak. I barely hurt him. He was using the magic disruptor.”
“But that shouldn't affect your strength,” Lady Sulai said. “Should it?”
“A Dragon's strength is entwined with their magic. Without it, we are no stronger than humans.”
Sulai gasped, and the men looked horrified.
“And they have such a machine?” Lord Tsukang cried.
“Yes, I'm certain of it now.”
“Go!” Jucai pointed at the door. “Find that disruptor!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” They hurried out of the room.
As soon as they were gone, Jucai sighed. “I don't think it's in the palace, Nadar. Nor do I think this has anything to do with our issues mating.”
I sat down. “Why not?”
“The lights.” He motioned at the chandeliers. “Our lights never so much as flickered.”
“Neither did the tower lights.” My gaze went to the window. They had to have kept it low.”
“And we were high up last night. It couldn't have touched us.”
“No, this has to be connected!” I wracked my brain for some connection. “It could have affected me because of my Fire Magic.”
“Then why would I feel it too?”
“Because you were mating me. Or maybe they're moving the device. We had the lights off last night. We wouldn't have noticed if the enchantment failed.”
“No one reported failed enchantments in the palace.” He took my hand. “I'm sorry, Nadar. I know you want an answer. So do I. But this isn't it.”
“I don't know how, but they’re connected, Jucai. I'm sure of it.”