Ash was first, but sidestepped and gently urged me forward to go first. I didn’t think he was worried, more a gentleman, but I was looking forward to his reaction when he saw what Ibrahim could do.
I stepped up onto the edge of the basin, holding out my sword. It was an impressive-looking piece, a light blue steel with an elaborate handle, bearing the markings of the Memenion kingdom. Ash had given it to me before we left, making sure that I would have something to protect me from the shadows.
I held it aloft, and Ibrahim muttered incomprehensible words under his breath. The water started to move toward me, a thin stream rising up in mid-air, breaking off from the pool. Slowly it began snaking itself around my sword, without touching it. Droplets started to fall on the weapon, each landing with a hiss as if the blade was burning. Soon the snake of water had disappeared entirely—the water had infused into the weapon, making it gleam brightly.
“Wow,” I whispered.
Ibrahim smiled at me.
“Take care, Ruby.”
“I will,” I replied, staring at the blade. The handle felt warmer than it had before the infusion, but that could have just been from holding it—and I could have sworn I could actually see the bright light glowing through the steel.
I stepped back down, letting Ash take his turn. He looked a little paler than usual. When Ibrahim had finished, working his magic on the sword of Hellswan, he joined me.
“How was that?” I prompted.
Ash was silent for a few moments.
“Amazing,” he said, still looking a little out of sorts.
“You’ll get used to it eventually,” I replied, taking his hand. “I guess in the same way I’ve gotten used to the sentry stuff you can do.”
He nodded, looking over at the jinn who were standing back from the basin, watching the rest of us.
“What about the jinn?” he asked.
“They’ll probably rely on their own magic. Technically, the waters were supposedly created by them in the first place.”
Queen Nuriya whispered something to Aisha. The younger jinni left the room with her husband, returning later with some small water flasks they must have taken from the saddles. Then Aisha and Horatio joined the back of the line.
“Aisha, what are you going to do with the water?” I asked.
“We will do our own thing, infusing it into our bodies and our magic. But we don’t trust a warlock to do it. No disrespect to Ibrahim, he is talented, but we must do it ourselves.”
I nodded, noticing the dragons in the line whispering amongst themselves. No doubt they had their own reservations about this—they never took assistance from the witches if they could help it, at least when it came to travel.
“We should make sure the other sentries and guards all have their weapons spelled as well, right?” I asked, turning to Ash.
“We have a few barrels with us, we’ll fill them and take them back to the palace.”
“Should we take it all?”
“We need to take what we can,” Ash replied, glancing at the Impartial Ministers sitting on the bottom of the steps that led up to the basin, muttering to one another.
“What about them?” I asked.
“We don’t have a choice, Ruby. If it’s between saving the rest of Nevertide’s citizens and keeping a few angry old men alive, I have to choose the former. I need to see the bigger picture, and I want a fresh start for Nevertide once this is over. No trials, no entity, no Impartial Ministers deciding the outcome for the rest of us.”
“Okay,” I whispered.
“You’ll see.” He smiled, squeezing my hand. “You’ll see.”
Ash
“Meet me downstairs in a few hours.” Tejus turned to me the moment we re-entered the barriers surrounding the palace. The witches had ‘vanished’ us here from Ghoul’s Ridge on the return journey, now they knew the route, and the dragons had flown. I’d been dubious about being influenced by that kind of magic – I could hardly comprehend it, but I couldn’t deny how convenient it was to be instantly transported.
“We need to decide the best strategy for attack,” Tejus continued. “We should involve GASP as well.”
“Don’t you think it’s best if we let the entity come to us? We can better protect ourselves here than out in the open, especially if you’re thinking of going down to the cove.”
“Perhaps,” he mused, looking at the barriers—still holding strong after the visit from the shadow.
“Ash?”
Ruby’s mother called my name. She was standing on the terrace that surrounded the entrance to the palace, along with her husband. The rest of the army were returning indoors, the warlock and witches remaining outside to infuse the weapons of the guards who had remained here.