Chapter 31
Elessan
Elessan glanced up from where he stood between Tsara and Roland. By now, Aliya and Zadé should be well on their way to clearing the kitchens and preparing to infiltrate the library.
He shook his head. As much as he hated Aliya going into danger without him, he had to admire her courage.
Even betrayed and furious, she was still putting her kingdom, and his people, ahead of her own well-being.
She would make an amazing queen, assuming she lived long enough for her people to fall in line.
The doors to the chamber slammed open as Aliya’s father, Walter Larimar, strode in dragging Lord Alinac behind him. Elessan frowned. This was the only noble on Aliya’s council who hadn’t sided with Brooks, but why were he and her father here?
Jalius slipped in as the doors swung shut. When Elessan caught his gaze, he flashed him a quick thumbs-up before pushing his spectacles higher on his nose.
The baron cleared his throat until he was certain he had everyone’s attention. “Where is my daughter?” He waved one red-stained hand at the room.
“She’s rescuing the hostages the former Arcane Inquisitor took this morning,” Elessan said, pinning the man with a frigid glare. Whatever he was doing here, Elessan was under no impression it would be to Aliya’s benefit.
Lord Alinac spoke, his face reddening. “As a royal advisor, I should have been brought in for any strategy planning sessions regarding this crisis.”
“There wasn’t time to send a search party for you,” Roland said, his voice the epitome of boredom.
“If you wanted to be involved, you should’ve known to be here.
And it’s not like we knew who we were missing.
Most of Miss Larimar’s council have sided with the Arcane Inquisitor.
For all we knew, you had, as well. Either that, or you met the same fate as the other councilor.
What was his name?” Roland waved his hand in a circle, prompting someone to feed him the information.
Elessan noted that Roland hadn’t bothered to give Aliya the title she deserved. “Lord Macherall.” The words sounded bitter coming from his throat. Judging by the gleam in Walter Larimar’s eyes, this was playing right into his plans.
“It is unfortunate my daughter isn’t here for this announcement,” Walter paused, his gaze crawling over Elessan before landing on King Roland with a formal bow, “but as this concerns the elves, what I have to say can be said as long as you are here, Your Majesty.”
Roland’s manicured eyebrows furrowed. The corner of the king’s lip curled, flashing the tip of one pointed canine.
The contents of Elessan’s stomach curdled at the glance that passed between the two men.
“I have reached the conclusion of my investigation into the unfortunate Lord Macherall’s murder.
” Aliya’s father smirked at Elessan. “And I’m sorry to report the evidence points to an elven culprit.
” With a flourish belying his age, and a far-too-satisfied sneer, he presented an elaborate dagger from behind his back.
Elessan blinked. That was his, taken from his private room! It was the twin to the one he’d given Aliya last night.
Aliya’s father laid the weapon on the table between himself and Roland.
“I had our alchemists test it, and they confirmed the presence of Faun’s Lock.
” His eyes slid to Elessan again. “This came from the mountain elf’s own suite.
” He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry to report this, Your Majesty, but it seems as though you have a murderer in your midst, and as your formal allies, we demand justice for our murdered councilman. ”
Elessan grabbed the back of a chair to keep his legs from crumpling beneath him as the baron’s plan snapped into place.
Shaking his head to clear the weight of revelation from his thoughts, he pinned Walter with a glare that had brought many lesser men to their knees.
“It doesn’t take a master artificer to paint a blade with poison.
Anyone could’ve done that, once you announced the murder weapon was Faun’s Lock. ”
His mind spun—who would’ve had access to his rooms the limited number of times he’d neglected to take his daggers with him? He narrowed his eyes as he studied the light reflecting off the steel. There was no way to know.
He supposed he should be grateful Walter was accusing him and not Aliya. Though those who knew Aliya also knew there was no way she would assassinate one of her own nobles in a secret passage. Unlike her, however, he made a convenient scapegoat.
Elessan’s eyes darted to Tsara and Roland. At least, he would have been before he’d married into royalty.
“Now, wait a minute!” Jalius pushed himself off the wall and stepped forward. “What motive would Elessan have for killing one of Queen Aliya’s council members?”
Blinking, Elessan stared at the gnome—the last person he’d expected to defend him.
The baron cleared his throat. “Clearly, Lord Macherall didn’t agree with whatever policy my daughter or the mountain elf wanted.”
Elessan held back a snort as he crossed his arms. “Contrary to what some people believe, murdering others is rarely the best solution to a problem.”
Walter snorted. “Says the king’s personal assassin.”
Elessan furrowed his brows. “Personal assassin?” He shook his head. “You have no idea what I actually did for my king, do you?” Sure, he’d carry out the odd assassination when needed, but he’d primarily been a spy and messenger.
Roland’s eyes flashed. “These are serious charges. Elessan Svialto, do you have any response to them?”
Elessan blinked. He couldn’t help but admire the way Roland steered the conversation away from his clandestine actions and back to the baron’s ridiculous claim, throwing Elessan to the metaphorical wolves rather than shielding him behind the protection of following his decree.
“Of course I didn’t do it.” Elessan waved his hand at his dagger, where it lay on the table between them.
“It would’ve been easy for anyone to sneak into my room and poison the blade in my absence, it’s impossible to prove one way or another.
” Crossing his arms, he pinned Aliya’s father with a glare.
“It’s my word against his. And as your new son-in-law, I should be above suspicion.
” Any other royal family member would be subject to immunity without Roland even blinking twice.
Jalius stepped to Elessan’s side. “But it’s not just his word.
I have proof.” He rummaged around in his pocket, pulling out a bundle of black and red fabric.
“General Zadé told me she located a glove at the scene of the crime,” he announced, unwinding the cloth and holding it up for the baron and sun elf king to inspect.
“I believe you’ll find it matches the design of this mask. ”
Walter Larimar’s face paled.
Roland frowned as his eyes danced back and forth between Jalius and Elessan. “And?”
Jalius flashed him a broad smile, his teeth on full display. “As I said, the glove was with the body.”
“Uh, huh?” The tension in Roland’s tone belied his thinning patience.
“Well, the general and I found this,” Jalius waved it like a flag beneath Walter’s nose, “in the baron’s chambers.”
Aliya’s father’s face turned purple as he clenched his jaw so hard he looked like he was about to explode. “How dare you invade my privacy and search my quarters!”
Jalius raised an eyebrow, nonplussed. “Well, if you were digging through Elessan’s rooms, I figured it was only fair for us to go through yours, too.
” He shrugged. “One never knows what one is going to find. Especially when the person in question doesn’t approve of the company Aliya’s keeping.
” He stepped forward, a cruel spark of intelligence flashing in his eyes.
“I suspect it would be simple to frame someone, say, your daughter’s boyfriend, when she puts you in charge of the whole investigation, yes? ”
Elessan’s knees threatened to buckle for the second time in as many minutes. When Jalius’ eyes swung to his, he nodded his gratitude.
The baron’s eyes bulged. “That’s a ridiculous accusation! I demand an apology!”
Elessan swiveled his head until he pinned Walter with another glare.
“No more ridiculous than you accusing me of doing anything to undermine your daughter.” Taking a step toward Aliya’s father, he jabbed one finger into the man’s sternum hard enough to force him to stumble back.
“Unlike you, who has sought to do just that at every possible turn. It seems to me the most likely one to have murdered Lord Macherall is you, Baron.”
Walter’s mouth opened and closed several times, reminding Elessan of a fish lying on the bank as it gasped its final breaths.
Clearing his throat, Roland stepped forward. “As this has degenerated into nothing more than a he-said, she-said situation, and it appears the chain of custody on all evidence involved has been compromised, I can’t very well order one of my elves into your dungeon. I hope you understand.”
Walter sent Elessan a glare that could’ve filleted flesh from bone.
Elessan resisted the urge to flash him a tight-lipped smile. Best not to stir that particular fire before they handled Brooks and shored up Aliya’s power.
Aliya’s father huffed. “Fine. I shall continue my investigation until such time as more concrete proof can be presented.”
Until he had another chance to frame Elessan, he meant.
Barely managing to hold in his eye roll, Elessan snatched his dagger off the table and stuffed it into one of the empty sheaths on his belt. “And, in the future, baron, if you decide to search my rooms for something else to use to pin the murder on me, I suggest you bring backup.”
“You mean witnesses,” Roland said.
No, he’d meant what he’d said, and the threat it implied. “Of course, Your Majesty.” He flashed a smirk at Walter.
“Perhaps we can get back to the topic we were discussing before this… unfortunate interruption?” Elessan asked, more than a little relieved he was off the hook for the ridiculous accusation.
“As in, the former Arcane Inquisitor and the hostages he’s taken?
” And who may be threatening Aliya at this very moment.
“As my daughter is not here and didn’t seek guidance from her council,” Walter said, “I will handle this situation.”
“You’ll handle it?” Elessan couldn’t keep the disdain from his voice. Crossing his arms, he continued, “Pray tell, how will you handle it?”
The baron wrinkled his nose. “If it makes any difference to you, our artificers still have plenty of dragon sticks. Those don’t take any special power or training to use. We go in shooting and mow everyone down.”
The devastation those weapons, with their explosive black powder and silver shrapnel balls, had wrought upon the elven forces before Malkov had released the shadow dragon had been overwhelming.
He couldn’t believe no one had considered using them in this.
To be fair, Aliya hadn’t been present for that battle, instead being locked down in Malkov’s dungeon while he tried to tear her magic from her soul.
She probably had no idea they had access to such things.
But… “If you burst in there shooting blindly, you’ll be as likely to hit the hostages as any of Brooks’ men.
” He paused, waiting until Aliya’s father met his gaze. “Including your own daughter.”
The baron waved his hand dismissively. “A more reasonable queen would’ve understood her value and kept herself out of danger.”
Elessan blinked, rage pushing heat and a bitter aftertaste up his throat. He stepped forward, a snarl on his lips. “Aliya is the bravest person I know. You should be working with her instead of against her. Then, you’d realize your realm has never been in more capable or compassionate hands.”
A heavy weight landed on his shoulder, pulling him back. Roland. Valek.
Elessan bared his fangs at the power-hungry baron, but he couldn’t fight his king.
Not right now. “I see a cowardly, sniveling old man, who is so desperate to grasp the smallest bit of influence for himself that he would throw away his own daughter. You make me sick.” His fingers itched to draw his sword and relieve this scum of the burden of his head, but with Roland’s hand on him, he wouldn’t dare.
Besides, he’d already caused Aliya enough pain today.
He wouldn’t risk piling on more. Not yet, at least.
“If you do this,” Elessan snarled, “you’d best watch your back. Because if you hurt Aliya or any of the hostages with your schemes, I will come for you, and I will make you pay thrice over whatever you do to them.”
Walter narrowed his eyes and speared Elessan with a glare that, from anyone worthwhile, would’ve shaken Elessan to his core. He pointed a finger at Elessan. “You are in no position to speak, mountain elf. It’s your fault my daughter has been so negligent in her duties in the first place.”
Both of the baron’s hands had been stained red by some sort of dye.
Elessan opened his mouth, but Roland sliced his hand through the air, cutting him off. “Enough!”
Ignoring the king’s order, Elessan stepped forward and swung for the traitor’s face.
A hand whipped out, grabbing Elessan’s wrist and stopping the blow inches from Walter’s cheek.
Roland’s grip tightened until Elessan’s tendons popped and bone ground against bone.
Whirling to face the royal, Elessan bared his fangs.
“Guards! Restrain him!” Roland’s command vibrated through Elessan’s bones.
Several elves moved, wrenching Elessan’s arms behind his back. One man kicked the back of his legs, sending him to the floor. He barely noticed the impact of his knees crashing into the stone.
Elessan scanned the room, searching for any friendly face, any potential ally, but Aliya had taken the last of those with her. All who remained were the two humans and those loyal to Roland.
Elessan had to hope that, between Aliya and Zadé, they could work their way out of this and save the hostages before Walter burst in shooting.
Elessan must have made some sort of noise, because Roland turned his attention to him.
The corners of his lips hardened. “Put the mountain elf somewhere he won’t get in the way.
I can’t have him underfoot while we’re dealing with this human,” Roland continued.
“When we’ve dealt with the Arcane Inquisitor, he’ll be released into your care. ”
“No!” Elessan lurched forward.
Roland’s mouth curved into a smile as he glanced behind Elessan and nodded.
That was all the warning Elessan got before something hard exploded against the back of his head and the world went black.