“I watched the battle from afar. I saw your powers.” Koda’s eyes glistened in the moonlight. “You’re something special, Marai. Truly magnificent! And Keshel told me that you’re Meallán’s descendant.”
Unease slithered along her spine. Marai didn’t like the way Koda was moving towards her; how he knew so many things about her, and she didn’t know a thing about him.
“Weren’t you going to Andara?” She took one step backwards towards the castle doors.
“Yes, that’s where Lord Keshel and I are headed now. There are more of us there. I told you—Andara is a fascinating place, full of magic. Many magical folk took up residence there to escape the massacres, not to mention the native-borns.” Koda animatedly told his story with gestures and gleaming eyes. Next to him, Keshel was enraptured with each word. “We get along with our human compatriots.”
It sounded too good to be true. Whatever secrets isolated Andara housed, Marai wasn’t interested in seeing first-hand at the moment.
“Come with us,” Koda continued. “My fellow fae will be thrilled to have a faerie queen leading us once again. We’d welcome you with open arms. What’s there for you here? Nevandia may be trying to usher in change, but it’ll be slow and dangerous.”
“All the more reason for me to stay,” Marai said, trying to keep her tone polite.
Koda’s smile disappeared. “There’s much you don’t know. Besides, there’s someone very important who wants to meet you.”
Keshel was frowning now, glancing between Marai and Koda.
“Whoever they are, they can come here and meet me, if they so desire,” said Marai, sharpening her words into a spear. She no longer feigned politeness. “I’m not going to Andara.”
“That’s fine, Marai,” Keshel began, sensing the rising tension. “I’ll let you know what I discover.”
Koda sighed. “What a shame.”
He raised a hand, and Marai reached for Dimtoir.
But then she remembered it wasn’t there, at her hip. It had been broken by dark magic on the battlefield. In fact, Marai had no weapons strapped to her that night. A careless move. She reached for her magic, but she was already too late . . .
Magic slammed into her body. Cold seeped in, paralyzing every muscle.
She couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe or blink.
But she could see.
People in the courtyard had frozen in place. All the Nevandian and Greltan guards stationed at each entrance, several citizens dancing in the streets. Even Keshel hadn’t been able to produce a shield fast enough.
Marai reached once again for her magic, but it was frozen, too; a giant block of ice sitting within the depths of her.
The only thing moving was Koda.
Through her stationary eyes, Marai watched Koda pull out a small tin box from his coat pocket. He lifted the lid, revealing a kind of metallic powder the color of charcoal. He took a pinch, silver eyes gleaming in the night as he faced Marai.
“This would have been much easier if you’d come willingly.”
He blew the pinch of powder into her face. Marai wanted to cough, but her paralyzed lungs wouldn’t contract. The powder settled in her eyes and up her nose. It burned on contact, and smelled chemical, sulfuric.
Her vision dimmed. A buzzing hummed in her ears.
Koda performed the same routine on Keshel as Marai’s world went dark, the powder knocking her unconscious.
Someone see us! Please! She tried to shout, but everything was growing faint.
Suddenly, Koda’s magic released her. She dropped, boneless, to the ground.
“Open your portal,” Koda ordered, voice coming from above her.
“Fuck you,” Marai snarled with the remaining strength she had. The powder made her weak, sucking all the energy from her.
“Open it, or I kill Keshel,” said Koda.
Marai heard the scrape of metal as Koda unsheathed a small blade. Keshel grunted from a physical impact.
“My knife is at his neck. Do it now, or I slit Keshel’s throat.”
Lie. Unleash the lightning instead.
But she couldn’t see. She couldn’t direct her magic. What if she hit Keshel or the guards?
“Or should I announce to the entire party inside that your king is a fake?”
How Koda knew, Marai was unsure, but it didn’t matter—she had no choice.
“Where?” she asked through gritted teeth.
“The Syoton port of Baatgai.”
Marai lifted one arm, heavy as lead, and pulled from deep within, remembering details of the Baatgai port she’d visited in her travels. She felt the magic leave her fingers, but couldn’t tell if she’d truly formed the portal.
“Good girl,” said Koda. Strong arms looped around her stomach and heaved her to her feet.
