Page 16 of Poisoned Kingdom (Secrets of Dagome #1)

Roksana

L ily cautioned me not to expect much from the Court of Aether, but after engaging considerable resources to get here, I wasn’t going to give up. Three hours of sitting around waiting while they let everyone else in, and I’d had enough.

‘I swear, if they brush me off again, I’m going to pour rowan tree tincture in their well. Let’s see if they notice me then, between their runs to the privy,’ I muttered, closing my eyes and leaning my head against the cold wall.

‘That wouldn’t be advisable, and would make everyone’s life difficult,’ answered a voice from above.

My eyes immediately snapped open. I hadn’t heard him arrive, but a young man in an ornate kaftan gazed down at me with unbridled amusement. Uneasiness built in my core under his scrutiny, and then I felt it—a gentle hand combing through my memories.

‘Stop that this instant. I didn’t give permission for you to violate my privacy,’ I sneered, realising he was a psychic mage, rudely looking through my mind.

‘Interesting. You blocked me. Most ordinary mages can’t even detect my presence. Who taught you?’

I opened my mouth to tell him he wasn’t the first mage to try it, and that I’d paid a pretty penny to the dark fae to learn to shield my thoughts, but he didn’t give me a chance.

‘Never mind, you can tell the council when they ask. They’ll see you now. What’s your name, mage?’

My fists tightened. I’d been made to sit here, flattening my arse against an unforgiving stone because they were too busy to listen to a commoner. But now that they thought I was a mage . . .

‘You’re mistaken. I’m no mage,’ I said, brushing my hair back to uncover the small Brotherhood rune.

The man’s brows shot up. ‘What kind of fool do you take me for? Come with me,’ he said before muttering under his breath, ‘An unclassified mage at your age. Gods, this won’t end well.

’ He stopped mid-sentence and grabbed my elbow, turning me to look at him.

‘You know about the agreement? The one that states the Brotherhood must surrender any and every mage it finds to the Court of Aether?’

I blinked, surprised by the revelation. That was news to me.

I thought Boyan forbade contracting anyone before puberty because he had a conscience, not because he had to wait to see if they manifested gifts.

It made perfect sense. Why train a child and introduce it to the Brotherhood’s secrets if you had to surrender them to the mages at the first flicker of power?

Again, the mage didn’t give me time to answer, hustling me along, and his dismissiveness rubbed me the wrong way.

If I didn’t need your help to get in, I’d teach you some manners, I thought.

Still, instead of bristling and posturing, my lips curled into my most enticing smile as I meekly followed him.

‘Oh, you think that’s interesting?’ I asked. ‘I have more secrets to spill, and I bet your friends will be delighted.’

‘They aren’t my friends, or yours, so behave.

Consider this a warning. Most council members won’t be happy over this revelation, especially when given in such a boastful tone.

’ He motioned to the guard and whispered in his ear.

The man saluted, rushing away, and my new companion gestured me onwards.

‘Of course, my lord. I would ask for your name, as I’m sure you already know mine after your . . . inspection .’

‘Bogdan Rescorla,’ he answered shortly, leading me into a meeting room where two men and a woman were packing their quills and parchment with utterly bored expressions.

After a moment of confusion, the man sitting at the head of the table frowned, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the polished surface.

‘I told you we’re done for today. You were supposed to send the applicants away, not bring one here,’ he said briskly.

‘This isn’t just an applicant, Lord Otokar. She’s a mage . . . from the Dark Brotherhood,’ my guide answered, nodding his head in a slight bow.

‘Thank you for seeing me,’ I said. ‘My name—’

Otokar interrupted me with a raised hand, addressing Bogdan. ‘I’m sorry, from the Brotherhood? What nonsense is this? Does this woman claim to be a mage?’ His angry glare promised me retribution for the reckless claim.

‘No, my lord. But I scanned her thoughts before she shielded herself. She is a mage.’

Bogdan’s words made Otokar gasp, and he immediately turned to his compatriots to start a whispered conversation.

I clapped my hands to quickly regain their attention. ‘Excuse me! I’m no mage. I can see aether, yes, but that’s not the reason I’m here. Now, will you hear me out?’

They paused, looking at me with such bewilderment that I wondered if they heard a word I’d said. Gods, why do mages have to be such arseholes?

I forced a smile. ‘I don’t work for the Brotherhood anymore. For the last five years, I’ve been working as a healer in Wiosna. I came to petition for their h—’

The man at the head of the table raised his hand, silencing me . . . again. My jaw was painfully tight as I tried to contain my anger, mentally calling them every nasty name under the sun, this time allowing Bogdan to listen.

‘The dwarven kingdom isn’t under our jurisdiction. Whatever’s happening there, we have no hand nor interest in it. How long have you been a mage?’ Otokar said as the other two nodded in agreement.

‘You’ll soon have an interest in it when you find yourself bound in augurec manacles.

M?ot is mining srebrec, forging it into weapons to use against mages and selling it to anyone who wants it,’ I said, pausing to let my words to sink in.

They all looked at me like I was an annoying bug.

‘For the gods’ sakes, I came here to inform you that you’re in danger , not discuss my abilities. ’

‘Mind your words . . . and your thoughts. I warned you,’ Bogdan hissed from beside me.

I spun towards him. ‘Go f . . . find somewhere your opinion is wanted,’ I snapped, turning back to the council.

‘Listen, it isn’t some small amount. He’s been mining it for months.

In fact, he’s dug out so much of it, the aether flux is killing his people,’ I said.

‘It’s a nasty death. My infirmary was full of them—and not just miners, but ordinary people, too.

So many have died because of his greed. You have to cut off this trade before any more perish—’

‘It is not for us to intervene,’ Otokar answered nonchalantly. ‘As for the ore, it’s probably of inferior quality, anyway.’

I saw red. ‘Do you have any self-preservation instincts? What inferior quality? Its aether shines so brightly that it puts the beacon fires on Kupala’s Night 1 to shame.

He’s selling the purest srebrec, and has mined so much of it that it’ll turn all the mages in Truso into mumbling idiots drawing symbols in the air! Don’t you care?’

All three mages suddenly turned in my direction.

‘Srebrec doesn’t have its own aether,’ Otokar said.

‘It absorbs it from mages. The stronger the mage, the stronger the aura . . . and the stronger the srebrec glows. Tell me, have you felt weaker when you were near it?’ he asked.

When I gaped at him, stunned by what he’d just said, he snapped his fingers. ‘Bogdan, check her mind.’

I instantly snapped my mental barriers shut, making Bogdan wince as he rubbed his temple.

‘I can’t. She’s blocked me, my lord. That’s why I brought her here. It looks like the Brotherhood failed to declare a mage of the High Order in their ranks.’

Three angry gasps followed my guide’s answer.

‘Don’t you people ever listen ? I’m not a mage. I’ve never been trained!’ I shouted.

‘Training doesn’t make you a mage; it only hones your skills,’ Otokar said distractedly.

The female mage chimed in, ‘She must be tested. What if we’ve missed another conduit?’

‘Tested? I wouldn’t trust a Brotherhood mongrel with our mages,’ the third one said. ‘Bogdan, take her to the prison, and then we’ll decide.’

Otokar waved him off. ‘Oh, grow a pair. What can she do? Pickpocket your trinkets? I’ll assign her as a battle mage if she passes the test.’

I looked at them, completely lost. How could they be missing the point? It all felt so surreal. ‘You really don’t care, do you?’

I stepped back as Otokar approached me, wondering how big a mistake I’d made coming here.

Has the Brotherhood paid them to look the other way?

That would be disastrous. I shook my head, taking another step back when he reached for me.

‘Keep your hands off me,’ I snapped, avoiding his grasp. ‘I’m not going with you!’

I heard the door behind me open, but I focused on the mage weaving a thick web of spells in front of me. I could see the strands of aether glistening between his fingers, and my hand wandered to the pouch next to my belt, ready to throw some sleeper’s ash in his face.

‘There’s no need for such unseemly behaviour, Otokar. Go back to your seat,’ a gentle, mature voice commanded, and the three mages sagged as if someone had cut their strings.

I turned around. A tall man around my age, with striking auburn hair and eyes as green as a spring meadow, stood behind me, observing my reaction with unbridled curiosity. Noticing that he had my attention, he gestured to the door.

‘Come, my lady. It’s time we had a proper discussion.’

‘Master Riordan, you can’t! She’s dangerous . . .’ the chairman exclaimed, but my saviour only smirked.

‘Oh, I know she is. A Brotherhood member candidly coming to the mages’ court?

’ He sounded so pleased with himself that I studied him closely.

‘However, she’s clearly not stupid. I can’t say that for the other people in this room,’ he said, pursing his lips.

‘Otokar, I outrank all three of you combined. If you try to stop me, I’ll ensure the three of you can never again stuff your pockets by selecting only the most . . . enticing petitions to grant.’

No one moved an inch, confirming my suspicions that bribery played a role in their selective hearing.

Riordan smirked. ‘I thought so,’ he said, leading us out. The door slammed shut behind us and I exhaled, a wave of relief washing over me.

‘Riordan?’ I asked, following the man. ‘As in the royal mage, Riordan? I thought you’d be older . . . and greyer,’ I blurted out before I could stop myself.

His mouth fell open at my remark. Then I saw his lips twitch in suppressed amusement as a guard snickered behind me.

‘You’re thinking of Riordan Arendell, my grandfather,’ he said.

‘I’m sorry, it was a little confusing,’ I replied, trying to keep up. My silk dress kept wrapping itself around my knees, slowing me down.

‘Yes, my mother wanted to honour her father, thinking he would be long dead before the name could confuse anyone. As you can see, she was gravely mistaken,’ he jested, opening a set of heavy doors. ‘After you, my lady. I’m dying to hear what you can tell me about the situation in Wiosna.’

For the first time since I’d come here, I felt a glimmer of hope.

‘I’ll tell you everything you want to know as long as you promise to help,’ I said, entering the surprisingly small room.

Riordan gestured to a chair. ‘Let’s start with your name.

I can’t promise you anything, but it would help if I knew what we’re dealing with.

If it’s easier for you, I can read it directly from your mind,’ he offered, and for a split second, I felt my heart stutter to a halt, hoping he wouldn’t do that.

‘My name is Roksana Regnav, and no, thank you, I’d appreciate it if you stayed away from my mind. I didn’t come here to lie, and telling you all I know about the illegal trade is in my best interests. You don’t need to know my motivations.’

He passed me a goblet of wine, and I took it, grateful to have something to hold in my trembling hands.

‘Eloquently put, but I feel I must warn you that I’m a high-order truthseeker. Even if inactive, my magic will tell me if you lie, and then I’ll be forced to use my spells to find the truth. If you still wish to continue, then I’m all ears.’

I nodded, then took a sip of wine and detailed everything I knew about the mine, the accidents, and the ore. I told him about the wagons leaving Wiosna for the south and the increased patrols that accompanied each departure.

‘And why is halting this srebrec trade important to you?’ he finally asked.

I raised my eyebrow. ‘Let me see . . . what kind of lie would ease your mind, Master Riordan?’

‘Fair enough.’ He chuckled. ‘Okay, you’ve shared enough for me to investigate the matter. Now, we have one last issue to tackle,’ he said, giving me a long, assessing stare. ‘How long have you known you can channel aether, and exactly what are we going to do with you, Mistress Regnav?’

1. Kupala’s Night — an ancient holiday celebrating the summer equinox with high fires and fertility rituals.