Episode 3 Sneak Peek #5

Back to Veyer and Zenaida for this one! This occurs on a branch after pursuing Veyer during the gallery scene. Spoilers ahead!

“You look surprisingly at home, $firstname dear.”

“Keep the comments to yourself, Veyer. The last time I got into a boat with a Guild mage I was ready to throw him overboard.”

They smirk, their eyes dancing. “That would have been a delightful sight. I’d love to see how Quirinus fares, but alas… another time, perhaps—”

“Quiet,” Zenaida commands, gripping your shoulder. The pads of her fingers dig sharply into your collarbone, warm against your skin.

The boat lurches, picking up speed as it hurtles for the gate. In the stern, Malsara rises to her feet and raises a hand high in the air. A silver cuff glints on her wrist, throbbing with imbued energy.

She taps it.

The glimmering lights ahead shudder and wink out, deactivating just as the bow crosses the threshold. It slips through the arch with ease and out the other side, traversing into a wide waterway shaded with overgrown trees and foliage. Curious, you crane your neck and look behind you, watching as the wards shimmer and spring to life, returning to their former state as if nothing had happened.

An unsettled feeling twists in your gut as you watch the great walls slowly shrink in the distance. While you suspected Malsara had a her ways of avoiding detection, you didn’t think leaving the palace would be as straightforward as finding a boat and sailing out—particularly with your current company in tow.

“Malsara?” Zenaida murmurs, watching her with unease.

Malsara meets her eyes and nods.

“Thank Lyrana,” Zenaida breathes, closing her eyes.

“What was that about?” you ask, rubbing your collarbone. She gripped you hard enough her fingertips left a mark.

“My mother has placed certain… restraints on me,” she explains. “Magically enforced house arrest. The device Malsara wears can momentarily deactivate Mahanin’s wards, but we were not certain whether I could physically leave the grounds. I hypothesized physical contact with you would disrupt my bonds long enough for me to pass beyond their boundary.”

Your jaw clenches. “What do you mean, you hypothesized?What would have happened if it didn’t work?”

She sighs wearily. “I don’t know. The restraints placed on me are new, an invention of House Anaxas’ engineers within the Arcanists’ Lodge. They could have prevented me from leaving physically, like running into a wall that only exists for me. Or they could have transported me back to my chambers… or torn me apart. Protection and spatial magic often have unexpected consequences when synergized.”

[CHOICE] 1. “Could have told me in advance. I don’t appreciate being used like some… talisman.”
2. “You could have died? And you still risked it?”
3. You have to admit, you’re impressed. Compared to the rest of Lethalis, Zenaida seems to be the only one willing to go to any lengths to achieve their goals.

Zenaida bows her head, folding her hands shamefully in her lap. “I apologize, Wayfarer $lastname,” she says. “It… slipped my mind. My mother’s interference was never supposed to be a factor. But unfortunately last night did not go as I hoped and it has fallen to me to see this through.”

Veyer sprawls back in their seat, sticking a hand over the edge. Water gurgles around their trailing fingers, creating a ripple in the channel. “Oh, Your Grace,” they say, tsking lightly. “So young! So burdened! The weight of the world only falls on your shoulders if you put it there yourself.”

She presses her lips together, her gaze going ice cold. “I won’t apologize for my conscience. Lethalis has fallen far in these past years, our mission compromised time and again by fear and inaction. Sometimes I wonder whether we are no better than Solarath. Still, I will not sit idly by while Quirinus—”

They flick the rippling surface, splashing water across the gunwale. You recoil, making a face as it sprays your arm.

“Consciences are only for those who can afford them,” they say grimly. “Be grateful you’re in a position to have one.”