Page 99 of Silver & Gold

Seth argued, “What was his alternative? To go down with Kahzir? Of course he’s served her! But now he has another option.”

“It’s true, Nasrin,” Raider gasped out, straining up against the shackles. “He worked with Kahzir.”

Doubt flitted through Nasrin’s eyes. But like a warrior accustomed to making quick decisions, she turned toward Fadesh. “Step back,” she ordered.

Fadesh stayed busy with the torch. Eyes still locked on the golden figure, he said distractedly, “I’ll hand it straight to you, Nasrin.”

She started striding his way. “Step back now, arcanist.”

With a cry of triumph, Fadesh dropped the torch. That cry became a scream of pain as he plunged his hand into the molten gold. Then brilliant light blazed out from his gilded fist. His scream faded as his eyes lit with ecstasy. The Alchemist’s Stone glowed like a star in his golden grasp.

Seth sprang to his feet, careless of the swords still pointed at his throat. Seconds later, those blades all whipped toward the river anyway as Nasrin shouted, “Seize Fadesh!”

Seth, Nasrin, and the rest of the Hammer charged toward the arcanist—just as flames erupted from his hands. Seth switched course at the last second, diving for Nasrin and tackling her into the water. Her cry was cut off as she and Seth sank under the surface.

Seth felt a boot on his stomach as Nasrin twisted around, launching herself to the surface and pushing him down to the rocky bottom. Water rushed down his throat. He flailed upward and broke the surface hacking water from his lungs.

Eyes streaming, lungs seizing, Seth looked first for Raider, terrified to find him burned. Seeing that he wasn’t, Seth’s head whipped back to the fight.

Black and gold humps caught the edge of his vision at the river’s edge, but it was Fadesh that concerned him. But Fadesh himself was no longer there. In his place was a swirling cloud of blue smoke. Flakes of gold lifted from the Alchemist and spun into the smoke’s vortex.

The smoke whirled away through the air, dragging more gold into its wake as it vanished over Jannat.

The last of the gold lifted from the Alchemist, revealing a desiccated human figure. Seth caught the briefest glimpse of dull, colorless eyes that filled with relief before the last of the Alchemist crumbled to dust and drifted away.

A grunt had Seth’s head whipping toward Raider. Raider was halfway up. Quicksilver encasing his left arm once more, he’d managed to break free of that cuff, but his other arm remained locked to the ground. Seth went crashing through the water toward him. Dropping beside him, Seth quickly sequenced the shackles to release. Raider yanked upward.

Seth took his face in both hands, needing to see his eyes. But Raider’s eyes were darting around, not focusing, not settling. There was a tremor in his body.

They played with bondage sometimes, but it had to be controlled. It had to be safe. Raider had to want it.

“Look at me,” Seth said.

Raider’s eyes settled on Seth. He took a deep breath. His quicksilver retracted with a hissing shhkkkt.

“That’s better,” Seth said as Raider’s hands came up to settle on Seth’s wrists. “Are you okay?”

Raider nodded. “Yeah. Are you?”

“Yeah, baby. I’m fine.”

As they got to their feet to survey the scene, Seth kept one hand on Raider. Raider did the same to him.

Nasrin was moving their way, her expression grim. Behind her, the armor of her men lay in melted pools of gold, and their weapons were twisted lumps of steel. Their bodies were twisted and blackened and swiftly turning to ash.

The other two arcanists had fared no better. As their charred forms crumbled, their useless crystals dropped into the river with soft plunks.

Seth wasn’t sure when Tarjan had vanished, but he shimmered into sight now.

Seth glared at him. “You could’ve helped.”

“Not without violence,” the djinn answered.

“A little violence for greater peace,” Seth snarled.

Tarjan gave him a sad look. He gestured across the panorama of Jannat. “We did that once—and even for that, you condemned us. Should we do it again? And again and again? There is never an end to violence until you refuse it.”

“But now the Stone is on its way to Kastari—”