Orchid’s wings clattered as she rose up and down, landing herself on the sugar packets. “See?” she said as she helped herself, apparently feeling as if she deserved it now. “I told you! But does anyone listen to a pixy? No-o-o-o. We’re apparently too small to have a brain.”
Ulbrine stood, his expression haunted as he watched Rick slowly rolling away. “I knew nothing of this,” he said, and Professor Thole scoffed. “Kal, I’m disappointed.”
With an ugly snarl, Kal leaped at Ulbrine. Rynn Cormel was faster, yanking Kal back into the cushions and pinning him there with a ring-bedecked hand as Ulbrine backed up, appalled. “You hypocritical bastard,” Kal seethed, but Trisk was having a hard time finding any joy in it. Ulbrine had been using them both, betraying Kal now to try to save his own skin.
Ulbrine edged farther away, and the Weres gave the elven dignitary a disgusted look. “This is the first I’ve heard of this atrocity,” Ulbrine insisted, but clearly no one was buying it. “You have my apologies.”
A high laugh chortled out as the door closed behind Rick. Kal pushed Cormel’s hand off, hatred in his eyes as he stared at first Ulbrine and then Trisk. Even as relief filled Trisk, it left a tiny spot of worry that began to grow. This wasn’t over yet.
“So,” Ulbrine said, his voice holding a forced joviality, “if you’ll allow us. Dr. Cambri, Dr. Kalamack, and I need to get to a lab and figure out how to stop the plague.”
“Burn the Angel tomato fields,” Trisk said, having no intention of going anywhere with him. “Destroy all products made from it. This year’s. Last year’s. Everything. When there’s no more carrier, the virus will die. In the interim, don’t eat them. That’s it. I made sure Dr. Plank’s virus couldn’t kill an Inderlander, even with a massive overdose.”
Piscary’s hands were steepled, his attention fixed on Ulbrine as the man scrambled to find a way to come out of this without smelling like dung.
Professor Thole shook his head. “Are you saying the plague began because of an elven power play?” he said, both hands flat on the bar as he leaned over it. “Half the human race dead or dying, us on the verge of being exposed, all because of an elf’s greed? Please tell me you wouldn’t allow an entire species to vanish to hide the blame of one man?” He looked at Ulbrine. “Or is it two?”
Still on the stool, Trisk put her back to the bar, feeling confident with Daniel behind her. “In Kal’s defense, I truly believe his only intention was to discredit my work so he could claim my other research. I don’t believe he wanted to start a plague. It was an accident due to his impatience and using species he was unfamiliar with. If he’s guilty of anything, other than Rick’s murder, it’s pride.”
Kal turned his anger from Ulbrine to her, and she wondered if she’d gone too far. The only thing worse than starting a plague on purpose was being stupid enough to start it by accident. And Kal would rather be thought of as ruthless than ignorant. Professor Thole, though, was nodding. Trisk could almost hear his thoughts: Foolish, prideful elves. It wasn’t on purpose. It was an accident.
“This is beyond reason, Ulbrine,” Colonel Wolfe said. “I call for your abdication from the enclave.”
Ulbrine’s eye twitched. Behind her, Professor Thole sucked in his breath as if slapped. Trisk’s knees buckled as someone—probably Ulbrine—yanked on the nearest ley line, taking in a huge amount of energy.
“Down!” she shouted, shoving Daniel, who fell whooping to the floor behind the bar. Orchid flew away, inking a black dust. Daniel rose up, shocked to find himself safe with Professor Thole behind his circle. Pulling hard on the line, Trisk took a breath to invoke her own protection circle. She was Ulbrine’s largest thorn. It was her his magic would come for.
Then Ulbrine was on her, shoving her into her still-forming barrier, breaking it.
“Get off!” she cried as they hit the floor together, then gasped as she slammed into the inside of his larger circle. She slumped, Ulbrine half on her. His eyes shined with hate, and his hands went around her throat. She was trapped in here with him, a master of elven magic.
“You fool,” he rasped, and she screamed as pain arced into her, becoming her entire world. “You will all die here, and everything will go on as before.”
“Aaaaaaaaagh,” she gasped, clawing at the hands around her neck, the gold of her necklace feeling like ice against her fingertips. She couldn’t say a spell, couldn’t even think one, the pain was so bad. He was an expert of what she dabbled in, and she could do nothing. “Galllllaak,” she tried again, eyes bulging. Black sparkles gathered at the edges of her sight, threatening to swamp her. Pain and a lack of air were going to kill her. Behind Ulbrine, she could see Rynn Cormel hammering on the barrier, but nothing would come through. It was strong enough to hold a demon.