Chapter Thirty

Loralie answered questions for what felt like hours. She tried hard not to look at Det when she revealed the fact that she was seeking alternatives to her own death. She didn't want to get his hopes up too high. For that matter, she didn't want to get her own hopes up too high. She really wasn't sure she had any real alternative to her original plan, but she would do her best to find one.

Being with Det and the twins here in the enclave, even for so short a time, had been a dream come true. It was a glimpse of what her life could have been had she not been born the Guardian, and Gebel not interfered. It was also a tempting look at what her life could be, if she could only find another solution to the problem of Skir.

Her task had not changed. She had to find a way to secure the Citadel and make sure those who were held prisoner within could not influence the outside world, even in dreams. It was bad enough that there were always kingdoms like Skithdron seeking to release evil back into the world. Things could only get worse if the wizards were able to communicate even more freely.

So far, she believed only Skir had been able to talk to Gebel in dreams, though she had no way of knowing exactly how far Skir had been able to push his semi-awake dream state. She hoped it had only been Gebel on the receiving end of those dream messages. If there were others, she would have to deal with them later—if she survived. If not, it would be up to the dragons, and those who guarded each one of the Gates, and, ultimately, Penny.

Loralie knew it wasn't fair to lay such a burden on her young daughter, but so far, she didn't see another way. This new ability to form magical ice was something she would try. If she could reinforce the Citadel—and particularly Skir's resting place—then she would do so, by all means. Goddess willing, it might just be enough. If not, she would have to go back to her original plan.

Of course, her original plan was looking less and less desirable the more time she got to spend around her family. She didn't dare get her hopes up though. Det was a wonderful man. He had been so good to her when she had been a terrible partner to him.

Being with him once again made her yearn for things that might never be. She daydreamed about being with him for the rest of their lives. In her silliest moments, she dreamed of him proposing marriage and a beautiful wedding gown and a party in the enclave with all his family present. Most of them still eyed her with suspicion, of course, but a woman could dream.

The trial dragged on, and Loralie was asked, after a particularly long round of questioning, if she could test her ability to melt the magical ice around Gebel. Lady Elira suggested trying to free just his head, for example. The Council wanted to see if they could question him about his actions and intent.

"If I get this wrong," Loralie warned the Council, "I hope you will be ready to throw up a magical containment field. He could come out of this fighting."

"If such is the case," Mera, Lady Adain's dragon partner spoke up, "then we will deal with him. We don't believe he can stand against dragon fire for long."

Loralie bowed her head in acknowledgment. "I suspect you are correct. Thank you," she added politely, then turned to work her magic on the block of ice that encased Gebel.

She started slowly, drawing on knowledge she wasn't sure how she knew. She felt her way along as she unfroze tiny bits of the ice, getting better at directing her power as she experimented. Finally, she believed she had the gist of it and directed the spell toward Gebel's head. She overestimated just a fraction and the top part of the ice block disappeared, freeing Gebel's head and shoulders, but still encasing his arms and the hands he would need to gesture in order to cast spells.

When he blinked his eyes and shook his head, he seemed to slowly realize where he was. He looked around the chamber and fortunately did not try to attack. Not that he could, really, the way he was still mostly trapped in ice.

"What is this?" he demanded in a surly voice.

"This is your trial for crimes against human and dragonkind," Lady Adain pronounced from her seat at the head of the Council table. Gebel turned his attention to her after one sneering look at Loralie.

He had the audacity to laugh. "Sorry. Not interested." He refocused his attention to Loralie while the Councilors sputtered a bit at his attitude. "And who have you been talking to, little Lora? You aren't supposed to know how to cast ice, yet here you are, working it like a pro."

That was his plan, she realized. To deflect suspicion onto her. Damn the man!

"I've spoken to no one, though I understand you're quite the follower of Skir, are you not?" Loralie countered, defending herself.

"I don't follow him. He's my mentor and partner," Gebel admitted, boasting.

He didn't seem to realize he was damning himself with his own words. One couldn't be in league with one of the most evil wizards of old and be totally innocent of all wrongdoing.

Loralie shook her head, making a derisive sound. "Partner? Are you serious? Nobody partners with the likes of Skir. He'll use you to get free, and then, he'll discard you. Have you no sense?"

"Speaks the failed Guardian," Gebel taunted her. "Failed mother as well. You let your child die rather than do as I commanded. I bet you regret that now." He smiled a sickly smile as if he enjoyed her pain.

Loralie realized he still believed two very important things. First, that Penny was dead, and second, that Penny was her only child. Loralie felt relief. If Gebel believed that, then anyone he might have told about the situation also believed that. Her children were safe.

He'd also just verified her claims about having been forced to do what he wanted, clearing her name before the Council. He might not have agreed to answer questions, but he was testifying nonetheless.

"Speaking of failures," Det said, from his place at the Council table, "I believe you have failed in your quest to breach the Citadel. What will Skir think of that?"

"I haven't failed yet," Gebel protested, but said nothing more.

What does he know? Or thinks he knows? Loralie bit her lip to keep from asking. He wouldn't tell them.

"We have more questions for you, Mage Gebel," Lady Adain said, refocusing on the trial rather than trading insults.

Loralie sat down in the chair she had been given as the Council tried their best to question Gebel. He wasn't cooperating, per se, but the little insults and barbs he couldn't help but spew were very telling on their own. They went around in circles for an hour or more until Lady Adain called a halt to the questioning that had lasted most of the morning.

"We will break here for luncheon, I believe," Lady Adain said. "Guardian, can you re-secure the prisoner?"

Loralie stood and nodded, then turned to Gebel. If looks could kill, she would have been dead where she stood. She raised one hand and called for the magic that seemed to get easier to manage each time she tried.

"Don't you dare, you bi—" Gebel shouted as the ice formed around him once again. He was frozen in mid-tirade, his face angry. Fitting, she thought, that his true nature show in this manner.

"Thank you, Guardian," Lady Adain said formally, as she rose. "Now, I think we must take time to sort through all we have heard this morning and restore ourselves with a meal. The Council will reconvene in two hours." She left the table, and the other Councilors followed suit.

Det veered off to join Loralie while the audience who had been watching the trial filed out in an orderly fashion.

"It's traditional, in these situations, that the Council dine here together so we can talk over what we've heard with our heartmates and be on hand for the next session," Det told her. "You should go home and have lunch. The Guard will remain, watching over the prisoner, and we'll all be in the back chamber." He pointed to the shadowy back of the massive Hall where the dragons were disappearing one-by-one through a large doorway she had not noticed before.

Loralie did as Det suggested, walking out of the Council Hall behind the last of the observers. Nobody approached her, but at least they weren't giving her dirty looks anymore. Then Det's brother moved to her side.

"Shall we walk together?" Luc asked, smiling gently at her. That was a change.

The few times they had seen each other, Luc had been distant and somewhat cold. He'd been watching her closely, as if he suspected she would turn on Det given the slightest opportunity. She supposed she couldn't blame him. She had hurt Det badly and had never known Luc at all. The only thing Luc understood about her was how much she had damaged his brother.

She accepted his offer of escort, and they talked of simple things as they walked to House Adain. The twins greeted them at the door, throwing themselves at Loralie who hugged them both tight. The meal was cheerful with the twins chattering away about what they had learned in mage school that morning. Apparently, they were learning how to repel magic, which was always a good thing to know. Especially in a classroom setting where the other students might inadvertently lob some magic another's way by mistake.

The twins also talked about how everyone was impressed by their mother's mage skills. She held her breath, but they said nothing more than that.

Loralie was glad to note that the children hadn't been given the particulars of the trial or exactly what Loralie had done. Some things weren't fit topics for small children. They'd already been through so much in their short lives, she wanted to shelter them from the harsh realities of the world as much as she could and just let them enjoy being children for a little while.

Luc told the twins about his time in Valdis Maj and the healing hall his wife, Lilly, was building there. He explained how, normally, she would travel with him, but this was just a quick trip to keep the lines of communication open, delivering messages from King Alric and the Draconians who were newly arrived in Valdis and taking messages from the Council back to both parties. He and his heartmate, Shilayla, were only here for a few days this time.

"In fact," Luc said to Loralie when they had finished their meal and the children went off to their afternoon lessons, "I plan to leave as soon as the trial is concluded."

That made sense to Loralie. The Council would want their allies to know what had become of Gebel as soon as possible. She was about to reply when the Council Hall's bell rang with extreme urgency. Something was wrong.

*

Det watched Loralie go with mixed feelings. He wanted to spend as much time as possible with her, but he had a duty to the Council. He could not break with tradition and go home for lunch with her, when the rest of the Council was deliberating in private. He and Gren took their places in the back chamber, which was almost as large as the outer one, as the meal began. To be honest, he wasn't really listening.

He was glad to note that the attitude toward Loralie had changed dramatically though. Where before they'd all seemed to see her as evil incarnate, she was now talked about as a courageous victim of a scheming and manipulative scoundrel. If anyone was thought of as evil, it was Gebel, not Loralie.

When Det heard a dull thud from the outer chamber, he almost didn't investigate, but something niggled at the back of his mind. He got up quietly and went to the door, opening it as soundlessly as he could to peer out.

The scene that he encountered made him draw the door wide.

"Breach!" he called, alerting the other Councilors as he ran out into the Hall. "Gebel has escaped!" He saw Councilor Tolmir making for the bell pull to alert the enclave. A quick pattern of rings would tell everyone that something was amiss.

Gren followed close after Det, and the moment he was clear of the building, Det jumped onto his back, and they took to the air for a low pass over the city's winding roadways. He saw Gebel's distinctive robes a few minutes later, fleeing fast down a path that would lead to the edge of the city. If he had more accomplices, one could be planning to meet him outside the Veil and give him transport elsewhere.

Or he could be lost in the snow on the other side of the magical protective barrier. It wasn't a safe place to roam without suitable attire or supplies, but he doubted Gebel would cooperate and just die in the snow like that. Evil had a way of enduring.

"I'm going to cut him off at the intersection," Gren told Det as he maneuvered for a steep landing.

Det held on and slid down Gren's back to block Gebel's path. The Council Hall's bell was peeling in a frantic way, and people started spilling out onto the streets. Some of Det's Guards had joined Gren in the sky along with their heartmates and landed on the other side of Gebel, cutting off his retreat. He was boxed in between dragons and their warriors.