King Vaskis stands taller and points a stiff finger at my father. “I pray to the Guard that he would cause Verdana to collapse into the sea! I swear he provides no refuge, no ships, no escape for any of your people! May they drown in your iniquity! And may he block entry into the afterlife to anyone from the North! The Great Lands will not see one Verdanian, by the Guard!”

My father’s face is completely red. He draws his sword and braces himself. “To the death!” he shouts.

King Vaskis brandishes his weapon and stands firm.

“To your death!” They flourish their blades and advance to strike.

I look at Braizen’s horrified face. As if he hears me call him, he glances down and sees me under the table. His mother doesn’t notice as he slips away and joins me. Like everyone in the room, she’s fixated on the two kings.

His hands cup my cheeks, and his bright eyes dart between my own.

“Are you hurt?” He whispers.

“No, but my mother…” I can’t finish the sentence. I can’t bring myself to utter the words.

Braizen looks like he’ll say something, but a slow clap echoes through the Hall.

The Kings stop and look up. The sound grows louder, and the crowd parts as the old woman from the dance floor walks toward the dais. Her hands meet in a slow, sinister pattern.

“Very good. Very good indeed,” she coos.

My father points his sword at her. “Stand back, crone, or you shall be a casualty.”

The woman interlocks her fingers and tucks them under her chin with a coy smile.

“A good display of your faith, which I now see is very small. Tell me, do you often swear to the gods? Is it commonplace for you to publicly hold their names in vain? Is this truly how you wish to demonstrate your gratitude to them?!” Her voice rises with each question.

The very air stills, and I shudder. Each word bounces off the walls like thunder. “You curse each other so cavalierly. As if it is a normal practice for you to damn a person in the gods’ names.”

Both kings look confused; the crowd begins to murmur. Braizen squeezes my hand, but his gesture doesn’t remove my fear this time. This old woman intimidated me before; now, I’m terrified.

“Enough of this,” Vaskis grinds out. “Guards, take this wench away. At once!”

A Baellilean guard races towards the woman and reaches for her. She holds up her hand, and an enormous gust of wind blasts him back. It also knocks several people to the ground, and the tables creak as it pushes against them.

“Impossible,” Vaskis breathes, his brows fully raised.

The old woman laughs. Holding her black cloak, she spins.

I’m now frozen and barely breathing.