Page 102 of To Save a Kingdom

The gnome raised his eyebrow. “That’s a random question, Your Majesty.”

“Please. It’s important.”

Jalius pressed his lips together as he hummed, his gaze unfocusing. “I don’t know that they can. They don’t have the right kind of magic as far as I’m aware. But there’s always been a hot market for beauty charms, especially among the nobles. It wouldn’t be too hard to find someone who could fashion a trinket to alter a person’s eyes.”

Aliya chewed the inside of her cheek. Well, that wasn’t good. Without the tell-tale quicksilver, how was she supposed to identify other shifters?

Jalius furrowed his brow. “Looking for a change, Your Majesty?”

“What, me?” She shook her head. “No. But…” She caught herself as she was about to ask him why Shadow, who’d spied on Malkov for over a decade, hadn’t bothered to hide her eyes with magic, but she didn’t want to go into that with Jalius. Not now.

“They’re expensive,” the gnome said. “And they don’t last forever. Most outside the nobility wouldn’t be able to afford it, much less justify the repeated expense.”

Sighing, Aliya tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Well, there was that. Now she knew the shapeshifter impersonating Tsara had funds. Or at least, had been supported by someone who did.

Clearing her throat, she shook her head, bringing her focus back to the grimoire as Jalius opened it to the appropriate page. The dried blood appeared more black than the red-brown she’d expected.

A whisper of movement sounded at her back as Elessan came to peer over her shoulder.

“Were you able to translate it?” he asked.

“Mostly,” Jalius answered, as he pointed to a particular phrase halfway down the parchment. “Assuming this means what I think it does, it’s a spell to make a shadow of oneself. A doppelganger, so to speak.” He turned to pierce Aliya with his beady eyes. “Can you tell me exactly what you saw, in as great a detail as possible, Your Majesty?”

Chapter 37

Aliya

Aliya leaned back as she stared up at the imposing iron door. She hadn’t seen it since she freed Malkov’s prisoners, and it was as intimidating today as it had been then. Except now, instead of holding a shadow dragon, it held the Arcane Inquisitor.

“Malkov must’ve had this cell specifically built,” Jalius muttered as he bent forward, studying one of the hinges. “This was a huge undertaking to have done in secret.”

“So…,” Elessan said from behind her. “If it’s a shade and not truly Brooks, how do we know this will work?”

“We don’t,” Zadé said, crossing her arms and leaning her weight into one hip as she studied the door. “But b’tween th’ iron walls ‘n th’ antimonite shackles, ‘n the fact it held that shadow dragon thingy, I’d say we’ve got a decent chance.”

Aliya took a deep breath. The only way to know if Brooks was still there was to check inside. The sooner they got started, the faster this would be over. Nodding to the two sentries who’d accompanied them, she said, “Open it.”

One of her guards grabbed a lever off to the side and pulled it down while the other spun a pulley system opposite them.

The doors swung aside on well-oiled tracks.

Light from Elessan’s torch flooded the room, silhouetting them for its sole occupant.

Squinting, Aliya peered into the gloom.

A patch of blackness separated itself from the back wall and moved toward them.

“Brooks?” she asked.

One corner of the prisoner’s mouth ticked up as he stepped into view.

The white metal of the antimonite still wrapped his wrists. Crowning the center of his forehead was the darkened magestone.

Aliya frowned. She’d only ever seen Brooks’ gem emanate a bright crimson. She supposed, as an indicator the being before them was an imposter, it was as good as anything.

In a blur of movement, Elessan sliced his sword across Brooks’ bicep.

The prisoner leaped back into the darkness.