Chapter 71

In the past, Zevander prepares to kill himself with a poison-coated blade while bathing under the watch of Loyce’s attendants. Soldiers interrupt, hauling him—naked, beaten, and resigned—to an audience with King Jeret. Numb and desperate, Zev fixates on a guard’s poorly placed dagger as Loyce reports yet again on his supposed glyphs and visits to Caligorya.

Seizing the opening, Zev snatches the dagger and presses it to Loyce’s vitaelis vein, ready to die for the chance to end her. Loyce reveals her vein is enchanted to heal, confirmed by Jeret’s high mage, deflating Zev’s last-ditch threat. Disarmed, he submits, hoping a future punishment might finally kill him.

Jeret demands progress or payment. He reveals King Sagaerin has offered ten thousand additional soldiers in exchange for Zev, dismissing Loyce’s unproven claims. Then Theron interjects, confessing he drugged Zev and carved the palm glyphs after stealing a mage’s book, admitting jealousy and sabotaging prior attempts at Zev’s release.

Accepting the confession and the certainty of men over myths, Jeret declares Zev freed to Sagaerin. Staggered, Zev recognizes Theron’s impending fate under Loyce. He tries to bargain, demanding freedom for four slaves. Jeret scoffs, but concedes three miners—Kazhimyr, Ravezio, Torryn—while denying Theron, who must be punished for lying to a king.

As guards remove Zev, Loyce promises to keep Theron alive through the brutality. Zev’s freedom is secured at a devastating cost: the salvation of three, and the abandonment of the one who saved him.