37. Chapter 37
Aliya
Aliya leaned back as she stared up at the imposing iron door. She hadn’t seen it since she freed Malkov’s prisoners, and it was as intimidating today as it had been then. Except now, instead of holding a shadow dragon, it held the Arcane Inquisitor.
“Malkov must’ve had this cell specifically built,” Jalius muttered as he bent forward, studying one of the hinges. “This was a huge undertaking to have done in secret.”
“So…,” Elessan said from behind her. “If it’s a shade and not truly Brooks, how do we know this will work?”
“We don’t,” Zadé said, crossing her arms and leaning her weight into one hip as she studied the door. “But b’tween th’ iron walls ‘n th’ antimonite shackles, ‘n the fact it held that shadow dragon thingy, I’d say we’ve got a decent chance.”
Aliya took a deep breath. The only way to know if Brooks was still there was to check inside. The sooner they got started, the faster this would be over. Nodding to the two sentries who’d accompanied them, she said, “Open it.”
One of her guards grabbed a lever off to the side and pulled it down while the other spun a pulley system opposite them.
The doors swung aside on well-oiled tracks.
Light from Elessan’s torch flooded the room, silhouetting them for its sole occupant.
Squinting, Aliya peered into the gloom.
A patch of blackness separated itself from the back wall and moved toward them.
“Brooks?” she asked.
One corner of the prisoner’s mouth ticked up as he stepped into view.
The white metal of the antimonite still wrapped his wrists. Crowning the center of his forehead was the darkened magestone.
Aliya frowned. She’d only ever seen Brooks’ gem emanate a bright crimson. She supposed, as an indicator the being before them was an imposter, it was as good as anything.
In a blur of movement, Elessan sliced his sword across Brooks’ bicep.
The prisoner leaped back into the darkness.
Stepping forward, Zadé held her torch aloft, flooding the entire cell with the flickering glow of the flames.
Dark ribbons akin to smoke or mist flowed from the cut in Brooks’ flesh until they dissipated an arm’s length away.
Jalius pushed his glasses up his nose. “Hello, shadow man.”
The doppelganger’s nostrils flared as he matched the gnome’s posture.
“Where’s the real Brooks,” Aliya asked.
The creature tilted its head to the side in confusion, gesturing at itself as if to say here I am.
Aliya stepped forward.
“Be careful, Your Majesty.” Jalius’ quiet words halted her steps before she was within the shadow’s reach.
“Where is the one whose retreat you’re covering for?” she asked.
The construct’s lips spread wide, flashing a full set of black teeth at her in a ghoulish smile. “How would I know, when I’ve been surrounded by iron for the past several hours?”
His voice…it sounded like someone had punched a hole in his throat. It had an airy, echoing quality that raised goosebumps on the back of Aliya’s neck and sent a shiver down her spine.
Perhaps Elessan had been right—she didn’t need to be here for the interrogation. Her friends would tell her everything they learned.
No. She was done allowing others to protect her because they thought she didn’t have the fortitude. If she wanted to be seen as an equal, that meant sticking around and getting her hands dirty along with everyone else.
Raising an eyebrow, she studied the construct. “You expect us to believe you can’t feel where your creator is?”
The prisoner raised its arms, letting the torchlight flicker off the white metal. “With these on? I can’t sense anything.”
Hmm. She sucked air through her teeth. Having been imprisoned in antimonite shackles herself, she knew there was a decent chance it was telling the truth.
But, if they released it, the thing would likely dissolve back into shadows like it had the first time Elessan had injured it, and they’d never recapture it.
The creature shook its wrists, rattling the chains at them. “Take them off, then I might be able to tell you what you want to know.”
“That doesn’t sound like a guarantee,” Zadé said as she flipped a few loose curls over her shoulder. “I think it’d be better if’n we left yeh here until yeh changed yer mind.”
Aliya blinked, eyeing the general from the corner of her eye. Did time matter to a being made of shadows? Did it even need to eat, or drink? Did it bother to note the passage of time? Zadé’s threat may not carry the weight they needed.
Catching Jalius’ attention, she asked, “How do we destroy a construct?”
The gnome raised his shoulders and shook his head.
“Bright light usually does a decent job,” Elessan said, his voice pitched quiet enough it reverberated through Aliya’s bones.
His eyes scanned the room before they landed on the doppelganger.
“With nothing in the cell to cast a shadow to hide within, how would you fare if we were to, say, have the queen blast this room with sunlight?”
Blinking, Aliya turned her attention to Elessan, her jaw slack. She couldn’t summon that. Half a heartbeat later, she realized she’d called his bluff and wiped the dismayed expression from her face.
But it was too late. Their prisoner had seen it.
The creature tossed its head back and roared with laughter.
Aliya fought the urge to slam her palms over her ears as the surreal aspect of its voice clawed at the soft tissue of her brain.
“Give it your best shot, mountain elf.” The construct flashed its canines. “I don’t believe your lovely little queen can do what you claim.”
Raising an eyebrow, Elessan turned his focus to her. He frowned at whatever he saw, or didn’t see, on her face. “You don’t think you can?”
Shaking her head, she whispered, “Sunlight? I’ve never been able to do that.”
“A fireball casts a buncha light, Princess.”
Chewing the inside of her cheek, Aliya fought the urge to roll her eyes at herself. Of course that’s what they were talking about.
She shrugged, hoping to cover the sudden realization with a casual affect.
Roland’s betrayal had thrown her off her game.
“Oh, yeah.” The edges of her lips curled up in a cruel smile as she pinned the doppelganger with her stare.
“I don’t know if it’s got anything worthwhile to tell us. What do you guys think?”
“At this point, if it can’t tell us where the real Brooks is, I think we’re wasting our time,” Elessan said.
“Agreed.” Zadé clicked her tongue. “Get rid o’ it, Princess, so we can get on with hunting Brooks ‘n the missing nobles ourselves.”
Turning to the construct, Aliya raised her hands, freeing a few thin fibers from the warm ball of power in her core. “Final chance to prove yourself useful.”
Wrinkling its nose, the doppelganger hissed. “You’ll never find them. Not until they’re ready for you, and by then, it’ll be too late.” The black magestone in its forehead flickered.
“Wrong.” She aimed the fireball right at the creature. “Everyone get back!”
Footsteps behind her were the only indication her companions obeyed.
Taking a deep breath, Aliya released the magic.
Blindingly bright light flooded the room. A wave of heat blasted across her face, blowing any loose strands of hair back and frying her nostrils.
With a scream that chilled Aliya’s bones, the construct crumpled like wrinkled parchment tossed into hot coals.
The antimonite manacles fell to the iron floor with a clank.
Zadé stuck her head around the edge of the door. “‘S that it? It’s dead?”
Brushing her palms off on her skirt, Aliya turned to face them. “As much as such a being can be.”
“Hmm.” Zadé eyed the cell. “Perhaps we oughta leave one o’ th’ torches burnin’ in here fer a while. Just in case.”
Furrowing her brows, Aliya spun back to the spot where the construct had been. Not even a black mark marred the floor. “Do you think?” They only had two. If they left one behind, it’d be harder to make it out of the dungeons.
“Wouldn’t you rather be certain?” Jalius asked.
Well, true. Just because it had screamed like she was filleting the skin from its body didn’t mean she’d killed it. Shadows weren’t alive, after all. “Sure. If you think it might help.”