Lenora raised her hand first and Artesia quickly followed. Some of the dwarves glanced at the two women first before raising their hands. I thought this was going to be an easy vote, until I saw a number of dwarves like Gort and Om sitting with their arms firmly crossed. At the end, just under half the dwarves sided with us. Gort smirked again.
“No,” I whispered.
“I’m sorry, Hellsfire,” Lenora said. To everyone else she said, “Prepare our defenses. Double our patrols. Send scouts to Alexandria to see if it’s fallen. Let’s get to work.”
The dwarves began rising to see to their preparations. Jastillian clapped my back and said, “I’m sorry, lad.”
My palms were flat against the stone table. My fingernails dug at the cold, hard surface. I had come all the way out here for nothing. Nothing! The princess, the king, all the people of Alexandria and Sharald were in trouble, and all the dwarves could think about was themselves. The cowards!
I could no longer control my power. The torches in the room erupted, then died, plunging the room into complete darkness. I sensed everyone in the room had frozen, all turning to stare at me. Instead of reigniting the torches, I stood up, letting the fire and my anger flow out of my hands until I became a burning torch. The flames danced on me, circling my body and encasing me in an aura of flame.
The doors flew open, and guards rushed in. The sound of weapons being drawn rang in my ears.
“Hellsfire,” Jastillian said. “What are you doing?”
“I came here for your help. I’m not leaving without it.”
“My people have spoken,” Lenora said. “We’re not helping Alexandria.”
“What if I can ensure your victory?” My voice was confident, even though I didn’t feel that way.
“How could you possibly do that?” Om asked.
“We won’t fight alone.”
Gort snorted. “The elves.”
“No, not the elves.” I ignored Gort and gave my attention to the others who had voted against me. “I could get another wizard to help—a powerful and experienced one, and with him, a dragon.” I had no idea if I could convince Master Stradus and Cynder to come out of the White Mountain to help me, but I had to risk it. It was the only way to convince the dwarves. They would fight if they knew they could win.
“Could you reach him in time?” Artesia asked.
“Yes,” I said without hesitation. “Give me your fastest horse, and I'll get there.”
“From what Jastillian has told me of wizards,” Lenora said, weighing her words carefully, “since the Great War, they prefer not to meddle in the affairs of the world. Can you convince him to aid us in battle?”
I nodded. “He'll help.”
“With this new information, we must take another vote,” Lenora said.
“How do we know he’s not lying to us?” Gort asked. “It’s been centuries since we’ve last seen a wizard—or a dragon. Now they’re in abundance?”
I focused on Gort. The fire surrounding me burned brighter and hotter. “Are you questioning my honor?”
The guards shifted, looking at me and Gort before glancing at Lenora to see what they should do. Gort’s eyes narrowed, and he never wavered. This fool was going to cost Krystal the help she needed. I was no ambassador. I wasn’t good with words. I could only do what Jastillian suggested—show them strength. I wasn’t going to stop until they relented.
Lenora stepped in front of Gort. “You’ve made your point, Wizard Hellsfire. Allow us to vote. There will be no more interruptions or outbursts in my chambers. You will abide by the outcome of the vote, whether you like it or not.”
I nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
The surrounding fire flew to the torches. They burst into life, reigniting all at once like stars. The guards lowered their weapons, but didn’t put them away. The rest of the dwarves sat back down, and I joined them.
“All those in favor of helping Alexandria, vote ‘aye,’” Lenora said.
The same dwarves as before raised their hands. A few more had changed their minds, bringing it to over half the table. Most of the ones who hadn’t voted yes held fast. I exhaled, feeling that my show was for naught and that I had let the princess down. I had no idea what to do now.
Then Om raised his hand. “Aye.”
The other dwarves looked at Om in surprise. Some of the ones who had voted against me raised their hands, except for Gort. He clearly was having difficulty containing his anger at Om. A little over three-fourths of the table voted in favor of the proposal.
“Then it's settled,” Lenora said. “I want the army ready to mobilize by the end of the week. I want the fastest scouts sent to Alexandria as soon as possible. We must know if Premier has already taken the city.” Lenora smiled, then raised her fist and roared, “Let's drive the creatures back where they belong!”