Mattias gave a lazy wave and the side door opened. A group of militairen filed in, dressed in sharp uniforms with even sharper swords. Once they stood in a line at attention, I recognized the three closest to me. Woodsfolk. Luuk. Archer. Runt!

I gasped. “What have you done?”

“I offered them freedom.”

The woodsfolk now saw Sven as the enemy because they’d all been given Banes.

Mattias turned to the group. “Go to your former leader.”

As one the group stepped away from the militairen. They marched across the room to Sven, determination on each face. As though commanded by an invisible generaal, they drew their swords. They circled Sven, Kees, Hedy, and me, tips pointed toward our vulnerable and exposed bodies.

Sven looked his former woodsfolk over with resignation. Sadness even.

“I have you to thank, really,” Mattias went on. “A woman from your group received a Bane of fire. She is thawing the Vier as we speak.”

A few militairen cheered. Even I breathed a relieved sigh knowing Fairhoven would have water again. The Handel Sea would be passable again. Though I disliked that the undoing of my wish came from a Bane power.

Mattias accepted the hurrahs with a nod, then jutted his chin toward the woodsfolk. “Your man Luuk finally received the other Bane I needed.”

Luuk leaned forward from the circle of swords and spit on the wide head of the spoon lying on the ground. The utensil disintegrated into metallic dust.

“That works on humans too. Though the results are a little harder to clean up. All I have to do is . . . command him.”

Luuk stepped from the circle and stood at Mattias’s side. Two militairen flanked him, guarding him as they would the king.

Why was his Bane so valuable? The Vier was already thawing.

“Get him to the Nightwell,” Mattias commanded in a low tone that still echoed as though shouted. “It’s time.”

“The dam,” Hedy breathed, though how she pieced all this together when unable to hear baffled me.

Luuk needed only to spit on the dam and it would disintegrate, freeing the Nightwell into the now-functioning canals to spread to all the people of Fairhoven. Possibly even beyond. People would be so desperate for water that they’d lap it up. Swim, drink, boat, wash—and they’d all get Banes.

Then Mattias would have control of them, all with a single word from his mouth to their ears.

Coralythe, the militairen, and Luuk exited the room. “Wishtress. To me.” Mattias pointed to his side, and I obeyed without hesitation.

Enough of this. I would not let him command me any longer.

I summoned my Bane.

Before I could enact my plan, Mattias gave one final command to the woodsfolk who still surrounded Sven, Hedy, and Kees. “Kill them.”