Chapter 410 (1/2)

Chapter 410

Chapter 408: The Best Choice

ELEANOR LEYWIN

As I heard the dwarves’ excited row louder, I slipped deeper into the shadows of the roouards further down the hall hadn’t moved from their positions in front of Gideon’s laboratory, but they had cracked open the lab door to try and eavesdrop on the excitement belohich worked in my favor

With my beast will active, I had been able to listen in as Daymor Silvershale received his bestowal The increased sensitivity not only picked up sound from farther away but translatedthe subtle vibration of their h the stone into sensation as well

Daymor and three other dwarves burst out into the hall a irls in the shopping district

“Ah, I can’t wait to see old ets a load of“And my older brothers’ as well How they’ve lorded their attendance of the councilto crow about now!”

Another voice was quick to add, “A dual-eleenerations of Silvershales Your father will be ecstatic, sir”

Their conversation meant little to me, and so, despite the fact that I could have continued to listen to them for at least a couple of minutes, even as they moved farther and farther away, I instead tried to block out the noise and focus on my brother and those with hiht ain shut up in a chah two doors and ten feet of solid stone, but if I held my breath, I could just make out the weak vibrations of their conversation

“How are you feeling?”Emily

“Fine, just need a moment’s rest,” came her faint reply

“Give her an hour or two, at least, before atteain,” said the retainer

Gideon’s reply was louder than the others “But I need a third data point or e’ve seen so far is worthless! Someone who Arthur has spent a lot of tiround or close enough, it needs to be—”

“Gideon, quit activating your spellforned

The funny old artificer cleared his throat andI didn’t catch, because at the saround a few floors above, and a deep dwarven voice cursed

I shi+fted position, keeping one eye on the open doorway into this roo to hear better

“I need to think, and E firmly

“Fine, fine, but don’t take all day Make your choice and bring them here this afternoon,” Gideon deis’s claws scraping on stone as they began lance around the room where I was hidden, which was just down the hall from Gideon’s laboratory It looked like a disused classroom of sorts, full of dwarf-sized desks, empty shelves, and a few soot-stained tables Where the door used to be was now just an open doorway

As near as I could tell, I was pretty close to being right over the cha his experiments

Arthur and his companion moved in silence, but I knew they could co about…or perhaps who they were talking about

They needed someone my brother had spent a lot of tie of their experiment…

I immediately and absolutely wanted it to be me Not because I wanted an Alacryan rune—or a spellforh a sudden boost to ood But what I really wanted was to be involved, to be helpful Between the long journey through the desert together, our training andin the same space, I couldn’t think of anyone ould have spent more tiht away that he wouldn’t want to put me at risk

So, I just need to convince hishadoolf pass by froer table, but didn’t coht away Instead, I focused on their footsteps, waiting until they were far ahead to follow The hall was clear except for the two guards, and if I stayed against the far wall, I could use the support columns that ribbed the otherwise sht, just like I had when I sneaked down here to begin with The guards were focused on the animatedly about Daymor Silvershale and what Gideon’s experiments would mean for Vildorial

With htest noise, especiallyin utter silence I didn’t think I’d get in trouble just for being down in these tunnels, but I didn’t want Arthur to know I had been spying on him after he ran out in such a rush He’d be upset with arded my own safety and took unnecessary risks, co lectures

I forceddown thisto convince him to let me participate in Gideon’s “experi slowly, no doubt deep in thought and in no rush, but I had to assuer route back, I hurried quickly and quietly, using uards, es, or other residents who frequented these tunnels

Instead of going inside, however, I leaned against the wall next to the door and waited When, a coupleof claws, I released ed my features into an innocent save hi okay down there?”

Arthur stopped, his surprise reading clearly on his face “Yeah, it wasn’t an e for you,” I said honestly, digging the toe of one for a while”

“Gideon,” he said simply by way of explanation, and I sainst the wall opposite uilt prickle into goosebuht about how best to convince hi expedition

“What’s wrong?” he asked after aa lock of hair back behind my ear

His eyes narrowed, and then his expression softened “How much did you hear?”

I openedto lie, I let out a gusting breath “How did you know?”

“Your guilt ht as well be written across your forehead in ink,” he said, chuckling

I groaned, pulling the hair I’d just fixed down in front of my face to hide y away “I get it It’s okay”

Despite his forgiveness, the silence that fell between us felt sour and aard “I want to help with the bestowment trial,” I forced out

He nodded seriously There was no surprised sh, whichit Then he said, “I’ve already decided on Jasmine She’s older and more battle-tested, and has spent nearly as much time with me as you have”

I had anticipated this answer but I re up and down the hall as we talked, stopped “Plus, I lived in her core for a few days That ht make a difference, too”

“When I was in ca,” I pointed out, bringing up the counterarguet their first bestowals really early, right? I’e a bestowis said as his head turned from me to Arthur then back

“It’s not just about you beingaway fro a step closer “The truth is, you have a lot of variables Jase with no elemental affinity, you’re a beast taer in this case, El”

“Still, I…” I trailed off, unsure how to respond I didn’t have an arguainst the points he made, only felt sure that, despite the risks, I was the best choice

“Why are you so insistent on this?” Arthur asked, inspecting old eyes “This isn’t the only chance you’ll get Once the process has been tested thoroughly, you’ll get your turn, I promise”

“You can’t understand,” I said in the direction of my feet Tension crept into my shoulders and neck, and the instinct to bury what I was feelingdifficult “You don’t have to coith youryourself you’re protecting her when both of you know full well that you can’t, that you’re useless against that kind of ene blindly down the e away fro, to feel so helpless…”

I rested h I could feel Arthur’s gaze burning into the side of my face, but I didn’t want to look at him, didn’t want to see pity or disapproval or disappointes, and my mother’s voice said, “You should choose Ellie”

I whipped around to look at Mom, slack-jaith surprise at her intervention Even if I convinced Arthur, I had expected to have the fight all over again with her

Arthur seeuard, and he rubbed the back of his neck aardly but didn’t respond

“You heard everything?” I asked her

She gavequiet out here”

She watched us for a“We are, all of us, in constant danger Maybe taking risks is the only way forward Maybe…we’ve been too cautious, too willing to let you protect us But there is no way to knohen one of our many eneht not be here when they do—if our eneht be a way to help us prepare, and if your sister is the best choice of test subject, then so be it” There was so haunted and forlorn in her eyes, a tired weariness that nearly brokebottoround, wordless

“All I ever wanted—even before the war, before any of this started—was the power to protect you guys,” Arthur said, his voice low and sad I glanced up at him, but his face was hidden behind a curtain of wheat-blond hair “I guess even now, after everything that has happened, I couldn’t,” he finished, his chin tilting up to reveal a pained smile behind his hair

Moh Arthur’s hair “We are never promised another day,” she said somberly Then she half-turned to look at me “But we have today, and there is so much we can do with it”

Ee roo equipe firesalt furnace on one side She gave ly He only nodded, so she shrugged, turned around, and led Arthur, Mo across froht of stairs, and to a specific door

I glanced around the featureless hall, trying to map it out coth of my beast-bonded senses