Page 92 of To Save a Kingdom

Valek.

Sometimes, doing the right thing sucked. But Aliya would expect nothing less from him, and it was one of many small steps he intended to take to make things up to her.

“How much time until you have the results of the interrogations?” he ground out from between clenched teeth.

Roland made a great show of checking the position of the sun through the window. “It shouldn’t be long now.”

Flaring his nostrils, Elessan took a slow, deep breath. He couldn’t kill Roland. Not yet. But he could save Aliya.

“I’m finished with this.” His eyes flicked across the room before settling back on the king. “I recommend you all put in your earplugs, in case the Whisperer modifications don’t go as planned.” Turning his gaze to Zadé and Jalius, Elessan nodded. “Let’s get this done.”

“Wait!” Roland took a few steps toward them, his attention focused on Jalius, as if seeing him for the first time. “Who’s this?”

Jalius bowed, adding an showy flourish with his hand that belied the old gnome’s grace. “Jalius Cogtinker, Your Majesty. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

Roland’s eyes skated over the gnome, almost dismissing him before settling on the mage’s face. “I recognize you. You’re one of the mages tasked with deactivating my Whisperers.”

Elessan’s blood drained from his face. Uh, oh.

“I apologize.” Jalius’ voice rang across the room, giving no indication whether or not he knew the thin line they all walked on now. “The Whisperers were never yours. They belong to Queen Aliya, and she has demanded their decommissioning in accordance with the trade agreements she negotiated with the dwarves and your late daughter.” The gnome cleared his throat. “I’m sorry for your loss, by the way.” He turned to follow Elessan and Zadé out the door.

“Stop! I haven’t dismissed you.”

The muscles between Elessan’s shoulder blades tensed as he whirled to face Roland. “We need to free the hostages. Time is short. The longer we wait, the more likely they will end up dead. Can we not discuss the fate of the Whisperers once we have accomplished our primary goal?”

Roland narrowed his eyes and glared. “Your primary goal, perhaps. You never have been good at considering what is best for the realm.”

Elessan froze. The audacity! His vision flooded red as he took a step toward the king. Voice dropping until it rumbled throughout his bones, he said, “I have spent the last two centuries of my life doing your dirty work across both realms when I wanted nothing more than to return home and live a quiet life with my mother. I have sacrificed my happiness and wellbeing for your kingdom. I agreed to marry your daughter.” He swallowed past his dry throat. “Against my wishes, knowing it would leave me miserable. And you have the gall to say I don’t consider what is best for the realm over my own needs?” He shook his head, blinking, as though that would erase the king’s last words. But they hung there, and Roland made no move to take them back.

“When this is done,” Elessan said, glaring at the king with all the fervor and hatred he could muster, “I will formally request to be released from your service. And you will release me.”

Roland sputtered, opening his mouth, no doubt to protest, but he paused at whatever he saw in Elessan’s eyes. Several heartbeats of silence stretched between them. “But what of your mother?” he asked. “Would you be so quick to exile her, as well?”

“You’ve held her over my head long enough. My mother will be welcome wherever I am.” Hopefully. Assuming Aliya would take him back or at least allow them both to stay here until they figured out somewhere else to go. Perhaps Thane Hedul and the dwarves would take them, being so close to the mountain elves’ old homeland of Aeth Esari.

Regardless, that was a problem for tomorrow. Right now, the two most important people in his world—Aliya and his mother—needed his help. “I’m going to free the hostages.”

Without waiting for another dismissal, he spun on his heel and marched for the door as his roiling stomach pushed bitter bile up the back of his throat.

Zadé met his eyes and nodded her approval.

Jalius turned to follow, but Roland held up a hand. “Wait. I want to speak to you about your knowledge of the Whisperers.”

Elessan paused at the door. He and Zadé could use Jalius and his brain right now. If the gnome stayed here, it was likely Roland would either convince or force Jalius to release all the information he needed to build Whisperers of his own.

And then the realms would have no choice but to bend to the sun elf’s will.

Jalius cleared his throat as he caught Elessan’s eye. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty. My first duty is to my queen, but if you would like and she permits it once she is free, I would be delighted to speak to you.” He bowed and scurried out the door before Roland had the chance to object.

Chapter 35

Aliya

Brooks’ hands dug into her arm hard enough to bruise as he dragged her through the library. The magestone embedded in his forehead pulsed red in time to her racing heartbeat.

One of her earplugs fell out, rolling across the room.

“Let go of me!” she screamed. Some tiny part of her was still hoping Roland and the sun elves were waiting on the other side of the door, and if they heard her yelling, they’d rush in.