Inkmistress (Of Fire and Stars 0.5)(76)

Nismae ran a hand fondly along the dragon’s neck, but Ina’s expression remained unreadable, the moon reflecting eerily in her sapphire eyes.

A bubble of anger burst in me. “Or you could consider giving up this mad crusade against the king. He’s been nothing but kind since our arrival.”

Nismae snorted. “Because you gave him exactly what he wanted. You’ve only seen one side of him—the side he wants you to see. He only cares about himself and what benefits him. Try asking him for something you want and see how well that goes.”

I scowled. I wasn’t going to let her bully me into doubting my choices. I’d done what I had to. “No matter what you say, I’m on the side of this fight that will protect Zumorda. Have you even thought about what Ina taking the crown will do to the kingdom? The land? The gods? The demigods, including your brother?” The pitch of my voice increased until I was nearly shouting at her. “This battle could destroy all of Zumorda if Ina wins.”

Ina tilted her head at me and Nismae frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“If a challenger for the crown wins without the backing of a god, the geas between the monarch and the gods will be broken. All six of them will forsake us, tearing apart the magic that holds our kingdom together. It will destroy manifests. It will drain the life from our kingdom. Ina will have nothing left to rule.” I kept my shoulders squared even as fear rose. What would it feel like to have my magic ripped out of my body? Would those like Hal and me even survive it? Perhaps we’d become mortals without manifests, the lowest of the low.

Nismae’s face betrayed no reaction, leaving me unsure if we were telling her something she already knew. “I’m surprised you’re in favor of letting him continue to reign, given what he’s so intent on doing to those like you,” she said.

“Using our blood?” I asked. It wasn’t anything I didn’t already know.

“Trying to use it to give himself your powers. It’s all part of his plan. Get the Fatestone—live forever. Take on the powers of the demigods—become a god in his own right.”

“And you’re so much better,” I snapped. “You stole my blood and are using it for the exact same thing.”

“I believe in the greater good—it’s more powerful than any monarch, and more important than any one person. Our kingdom belongs to its people, not to a king who rules from a castle where he gets to feast every day while bandits destroy people’s homes or children starve in border cities. Perhaps Zumorda will be more peaceful without the gods. We all have some small magic—our manifests, the training that clerics receive. Those things don’t require divine blessing or intervention.”

“It won’t matter if there isn’t any magic left for anyone to draw on,” I said, my voice rising.

“We will not let what you’re talking about come to pass,” Nismae said. “If the gods leave, we will find another way to maintain our kingdom. Ina is the first nonmonarchal mortal to possess the gift of fire magic. She can see it and knows how to access it—she can teach others to do the same. You could become a teacher or a mentor, work to make sure that the magic of the kingdom remains stable. Collaborate with us to develop new ways for all people in the kingdom to contribute to the magic that links us all together.”

“If that is the plan, I want to hear it from Ina,” I said. “She’s the one who will be queen. She’s the one who will have the power, not you.” I had no intention of being swayed by their mad ideas, but I wanted to know if any of the Ina I knew still remained inside.

Nismae’s expression darkened. “The queen trusts me to serve as her voice.”

“Well, I don’t,” I said. Nothing she’d done had ever given me reason to trust her. At least I had once had trust with Ina, even if we’d both broken it repeatedly since then.

Ina hissed, sending a plume of smoke blossoming into the night air.

“She stays in this form now,” Nismae said, clearly growing frustrated. “People rally behind the dragon. She is the symbol of change and revolution and will soon be our queen.”

“I don’t care about your revolution, and if you want me to join it, you’ll let me speak to Ina. Alone,” I demanded.

“Just let her, Nis. We should talk, too,” Hal said.

Her facade cracked for only an instant, and then she was composed again. “You made your choice, and I will respect it.”

“If you respect it, then talk to me about it for a minute,” Hal said.

“Fine.” Nismae finally relented, though she didn’t look happy about it. “Talk to Invasya if she’ll agree to take human form. But keep in mind that if you make any move to hurt her, I will find a way to destroy you.”

Anger and resentment flared in my breast. “I’m not the same kind of monster you are,” I said. My gift was dark and dangerous, but I would never hurt Ina or anyone else on purpose.

“You know nothing about me,” Nismae said. She kissed the scar on the dragon’s cheek, and then she and Hal walked away.

“I won’t have a conversation with you like this,” I said to the dragon.

She hissed in reply. She was used to getting her way.

“I am not afraid of you,” I said. “If you want me to discuss joining your cause, you have to be in a form with which I’m not obligated to hold up both ends of the conversation.”