Page 122 of The Queen’s Shadow

Sofia rose up behind me, with a chest full of burnt flesh and a swirling hurricane held between her hands.

She let the twisting blast of air go; and all hell broke loose.

Conrad

“Di wards open! If yuh want tuh live, run!” I bellowed as I launched myself into the center of the boardroom. Trenton whipped around, fury emanating from his features. I watched him attempt to increase the power of his inferno, but with Sofia controlling the amount of oxygen available for his fire to consume, it was impossible for him to get the ribbons to grow. We were more evenly matched, as I called the thin strands of water from the drinking glasses and water pitchers back around me.

“Nytara, kill him.” Trenton snapped, but she had her hands full with Meredith, who was ruthlessly strangling the daemon with more and more vines. Frost began to spread out from where she bucked and struggled against the vines.

At the sight of the frost, many of the magick folk began to run. To my horror, several representatives came to stand behind Trenton, drawing a clear line in the sand.

The Syndicate already had followers. Sofia, Mr. Abbey and Dossidian came to stand behind me. One look at Dossidian, and Trenton’s eyes narrowed.

Dossidian stepped forward menacingly. Trenton fired a stream of fire at him, but Dossidian caught it, and it fizzled out harmlessly in his fist, black smoke curling between his fingers.

The handful of followers Trenton had managed to accumulate exchanged a glance; their faces paled at Dossidian’s show of strength.

“You dare threaten one of mine?” Dossidian asked, his voice low, and his dark eyes locked on Trenton. “You think your fire magick is enough to protect you?” He continued, stepping even closer to Trenton who was forced to take a step back. “You are an ant playing in an arena built for gods. I will show you what it means to burn, Blackwood.” Dossidian said. He did not raise his voice, and his tone did not waver. The calmness with which he delivered the words was more terrifying than any snarl or display of fury.

I had never seen the gentle giant angry, and I decided I never wanted to see it again. His aura rolled around him, and it occurred to me, just how much effort he expended on a daily basis to keep it repressed.

There was a tension too, as if it would just take one breath, one tiny snap and the energy he kept firmly under wraps would detonate. I was confident that if he ever released it, there would be no survivors.

Trenton’s lip curled in distaste. He knew he would not win against Dossidian, even with his band of followers. He looked over his shoulder at the twenty or so representatives who had clearly sided with him and abandoned their pledge to The Board.

“Let’s go.” He said to them, He looked over at Nytara, who was still ripping through Meredith’s vines. Mer stepped back as the daemon managed to finally pull away from the wall. Dossidian reached for her, without taking his eyes off Trenton, and pressed the green witch firmly into his side. His arm was so large she was nearly completely hidden beneath his embrace, and I sighed in relief. Meredith was not helpless, but I felt better with her in Dossidian’s arms.

“Nytara. We’re leaving.” Trenton snapped. She stalked past me, shooting me a glare on her way by. Trenton wrapped his hand around her upper arm and jerked her away from us. Before I could say another word, a whisper of snow wrapped around them in a flurry, and they were gone.

The boardroom was empty, save for me, Dossidian, Mr. Abbey, Meredith and Sofia. All the other magick folk had fled the moment they had been free to do so.

Sofia collapsed to the ground suddenly, and Meredith pushed away from under Dossidian’s arm. She snapped into her healer persona immediately.

“Dossidian, help me get her to her chambers. Father - I have been brewing hemoglo in the greenhouse. My kit is there as well, please bring it here.” Mr. Abbey nodded and strode out of the ruined boardroom. Dossidian knelt down and picked Sofia up, cradling her against his chest as she moaned in pain. The blast she had taken to the chest was horrific. I couldn’t make out what was burnt fabric and what was burnt flesh. It was as if her robe had melted into her skin. I was amazed she had been able to stand and fight with us in this state.

“It was adrenaline.” Meredith said, her mind clearly having gone down the same path. She led the way up to the podium where Sofia held meetings, and pushed through the narrow door behind her seat that led to her chambers.

Dossidian carefully laid the witch down on the leather loveseat that sat before her heavy desk. She moaned again, and Meredith dropped to her knees next to her.

“Shh, you’re okay, you’re going to be okay.” Meredith whispered, hovering a hand over her chest. I watched as Sofia’s lifelines shimmered in the air over her body. They flashed angry red in places and Meredith tutted her tongue.

“She’s going into shock.” With the hand that wasn’t already performing the diagnostic spell, she pulsed some cool healing light over the Sorcerer General’s chest. The pulsing crimson threads in her diagnostic almost immediately began to cool.

“Wi have tuh go after dem,” I said, turning to Dossidian, but he barely acknowledged me. He was staring at the shallow cut in Meredith’s neck. I noticed his fists were clenched tightly at his sides, and his aura was still barely contained. I swallowed. He could not blow up here. I wasn’t sure what his powers were, but I was certain there was a reason he did not use them frequently.

“Dossidian, man,” I said softly, touching him until he turned to look at me. “She ‘aight. Wi ‘aight.” I reassured him, and he nodded, swallowing audibly.

“Here,” Mr. Abbey reappeared with Meredith’s healer kit and several vials of hemoglo. Sofia’s state had already improved considerably. I scanned her office to see if she had a spare robe nearby. Her flesh was healing enough that I was certain she would want to cover up when she regained consciousness. Finding one hanging on the back of the door, I handed it quietly to Meredith, before leaning against Sofia’s desk.

“Wi need tuh go after dem.” I repeated. “Wi cannot allow dis Syndicate tuh get off di ground.”

“Yes, but where do we think they went? To The Dominion?” Mr. Abbey asked thoughtfully, as Meredith tipped the hemoglo down Sofia’s throat. The Sorcerer General coughed as she swallowed the potion, and slowly began to come to.

“Mi tink dem went tuh wherever Ash Nevra stay.” I said. “So yeah, Di Dominion.”

“We still need to learn how to neutralize The Flute.” Meredith said, as she helped a now very conscious Sofia to sit up.

“I can spend time in the archives while the rest of you return to The Dominion.” Mr. Abbey said. “You must tell Raven what happened here. With magick folk on Ash Nevra’s roster, she will now have access to healers and a great deal of knowledge.”