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“It will break my son’s spirit if he must execute his closest friend since childhood. Already he faces pressure for having not acted given it’s known Lomar killed some soldiers.”
“It wasn’t his fault.”
“Says every murderer,” the man riposted. “I fear even if you do cure Lomar of this ill, he will face an even greater challenge.”
“You think he’ll be ostracized?”
“At the very least, yes. Most likely he’ll have to relocate outside of Srayth or at least in a place where no one knows what he did.” The man eyed the door behind which Kormac had disappeared with his mother and sighed. “Shall we brave the tempest that is my wife?”
Fionna’s lips pursed. “I’d rather not, and it occurs to me I forgot something. If you’ll excuse me.”
Before the old warlord could reply, she scurried off, headed back to the dungeon, following the soldier that passed carrying an inkwell and parchment.
She tapped him on the shoulder and plucked it from his grip saying brightly, “Thank you. I’ll take these.”
The guard’s mouth opened and shut, but before he could reply she trotted down the stairs.
Escaping rather than deal with the warlord’s parents? Most definitely. She’d rather face off against another fire salamander than with the warlord’s mother.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Kormac took his mother to his receiving chamber, empty this time of day since he wasn’t holding an audience. She barely waited for the door to shut before she started in on him.
“Who is this woman? Why is she really here? Don’t give me that malarky about her being an envoy.”
“She’s here because I sent for her. Well not Fionna specifically, she’s just who the witch queen sent.”
His mother’s eyes widened. “Why would you contacther?”
“To help Lomar.”
Her lips turned down. “You know there’s nothing to be done for him. You should put him out of his misery.”
“I won’t give up on a cure.”
“Even if you find one, you know he can’t stay here.”
He did know. Anyone else would have been executed for their actions. Cursed or not, murder was punished by death. But he found himself reluctant, especially seeing as how Lomar had only been in that cave because of him.
“I’d rather see him banished than dead.”
“Either way, that woman has to go.”
“Why?”
“Because people are talking,” his mother huffed.
“And what are they saying?” He crossed his arms.
“Well for one, she’s a foreigner from a disreputable country whose queen had the nerve to insult you by sending a woman. And then instead of sending her right back, you’ve given her guest status and a free pass to wander where she will, even your rooms.”
He could have groaned because while he’d given that command, he’d meant it more that no one should hamper Fionna, not that he expected her to visit his room. “Since I cannot be by her side every moment of the day, it seemed best to ensure she wouldn’t be impeded in her efforts.”
“What efforts? Exactly what do you think she can do that our doctors can’t?”
“Magic.”
His mother blinked.
