I nodded.
“I’ve had the best healers working on him, yet they’ve been unable to find anything wrong. I thought he might have been poisoned, but there’s no trace of that. All this happened not too long after Premier arrived. In all my research, trying to help my father, I found mention of some of the things wizards could do using potions. How they could incapacitate a person, or make them sick. Not just sick in the body, but in the mind. I believe that’s what’s happening here.
“All of what’s taken place can’t be a coincidence. Remember how I told you our defenses are weakened? Well, strangely enough, there’s not been a major attack in months. The smaller attacks have been harder to fend off, with fewer men, but it’s like they’ve been testing our defenses. I have no proof or evidence, but I believe Premier’s controlling the creatures. Much in the same way Renak did. There will be another—”
“War,” I said.
“Yes. Only this time there will be no Shala or Wizard’s Council to stand against Premier. With the Great Barrier up, there will be no help from the south. We’re all alone.”
I let her words sink in. She was right. Premier had to be stopped now, before another bigger, more devastating war took place. “You think Premier’s a wizard?”
She nodded. “I do. I’ve not seen him use any sort of magic, but there are too many unanswered questions. Too many coincidences. And no matter how ill my father is, I can’t see how he could be persuaded to disband our troops. It’s who we are.”
“I understand.” I squeezed her hand, and she returned it.
“Can you tell if Premier’s a wizard?”
I exhaled, slumping my shoulders. “No. I tried to when I got here. I didn’t sense any magic, but there’s something about him. Something wrong. If my master were here, he might be able to help us.”
“That’s all right.” I could tell she was disappointed, but she immediately moved on to the next issue. “All right then, if we can’t get proof against Premier, I need you to rescue the elves and convince King Sharald to send his army here before the attack comes. It will come. Trust me. And we must win, or all of Northern Shala will be overrun.”
“I will do as you say, Your Highness. I am yours to command.”
She smiled and brushed aside a lock of her hair.
“But are you sure King Sharald will listen to me? What if he wants to fortify his forests?”
“He might, but he won’t. He sent Prastian up here, and he sent you with him. King Sharald trusts you, Hellsfire. We have an alliance, but more importantly, a friendship. He’ll help us.”
“What if he won’t?”
“Then all is lost.”
I thought of Sharald’s words to me near his pond. He had wanted me to come because he was worried about the creatures of the Wastelands trickling down into Northern Shala. But was he worried about Alexandria and the people here? I searched my memory for any hint of it. I couldn’t find one. He had seemed concerned about Sedah, but I believed that was more to entice me to come here. But elves cared about all life. He would help. I had to do all I could to persuade him to.
“I’ll do my best, Krystal. Bringing the missing elves back to him should help.” I paused, thinking. “You know, I don’t understand why Premier didn’t just kill them.”
“He is. Slowly. Painfully. That is his way. He’s methodical, a planner, an observer. He feeds them and gives them water, but without the sunlight, fresh air, and forest, the elves will die. The elves tried to cross him, and he wants to make them suffer for it.
“Whatever happens,” Krystal said, “I want you to rescue the elves and leave Alexandria. It will no longer be safe for you here, once they escape. I will do all in my power to protect you, but Premier has far too many of Alexandria’s resources at his disposal. He’ll kill you if you get in his way, and I’m afraid my father would let him. Get back to the forests, and you’ll be safe.”
“What about you, if Premier finds out what you’ve done? You’ll be in harm’s way. I don’t want you to get hurt. Come with me. We could flee the city together and come back with Sharald’s army.”
Krystal’s eyes shone with tears. “Still trying to save and protect me, hero? No. I couldn’t leave my father and my people. This is my city. I will not leave it while it’s in danger.”
I wanted to convince her to come with me, but her face was set like stone. She wasn’t going to be swayed. “All right. Just don’t get in harm’s way, Princess. I can’t protect you if I’m not with you.”