Page 82 of The Mage and His Stolen Prince
“Sounds like he’s lost all relevance,” Maximus replied.
“Well, let’s find out what the mayor has to say!” Delilah valiantly pressed on, throwing the front door open and marching straight into the building.
He won’t have anything to say because I haven’t intimidated him yet.If this went badly enough, I’d have to reset time again. Though there was still the matter of Trey being attached to me. “Unlock this,” I ordered, holding out my cuffed wrist.
Trey didn’t even look. “No.”
“You promised to unlock it once we reached the forest.”
“We’re still in town.”
I frowned. “You’re being contrary on purpose.”
A slight smirk twitched on his lips. He leaned close enough to press those smug lips to my ear, “What are you gonna do about it?”
I watched him steadily and murmured, “Do you want me to show you in front of your friends?”
The soft rumble of his laugh reverberated in my own chest. “See? Chaining you up forced you to stop running away.”
I’m not running away; I’m running toward something.I tugged him forward into the hall. I needed to hear what the mayor said so I could adjust my plans accordingly.
Fitz requested an audience through the mayor’s secretary, and a few minutes later we all filed into the mayor’s office. It was a small, humblespace that struggled to fit seven people. There were only two visitor chairs in front of his desk, so we remained standing.
The mayor decided to stand as well rather than peer up into six unfamiliar faces. “Mayor Brando,” he introduced, holding his hand out to each of us in turn. When he noticed Trey’s hand chained to mine, he quickly switched to shake Trey’s left hand, then switched back to shake my right. “What can I do for you?”
“We’re here to ask about the Lord of Grimnight,” Fitz explained. “As I understand it, your town has been affected by the curse on the forest: taking in refugees from Traumstead, ghost wolves harassing the farmers, trees encroaching on your properties.”
“They didn’t win!” Mayor Brando declared, shoving a triumphant finger in the air. “They. Did. Not. Win.”
Fitz blinked. “Win what?”
“Thewar, my good sir. In the question of man versus nature, man thrived!” The mayor lowered his arm and fussed with his waistcoat, settling himself back into a professional demeanor. “For fifty years the forest threatened our town. The trees fought us when we tried to cut them down, killed a lot of good men before we changed tactics, digging moats and the like to slow them down instead. And our efforts prevailed! A few weeks ago, the trees simply stopped growing.” He beamed and rocked back on his heels. “They haven’t even touched the last markers we set in place, when usually they would have grown past them by now.”
“So the curse reallyisbroken,” Angelica said, her lips pinched with displeasure.
Mayor Brando frowned. “Why so disappointed? We put a lot of effort into that fight, young lady. This is cause forcelebration.”
“We’re seeking a quest,” Fitz explained, “and thought we might find one here.”
“Ah, I see the problem now. I could send you on a quest, if it would help? Fetch an old book from the Traumstead Library—”
“No!” cried everyone except Maximus.
“—or something enchanting and complex, like capturing the heart of the forest, if you like.”
“We’re not seekinganyquest,” Fitz clarified. “We are here to defeat the Lord of Grimnight.”
The mayor’s enthusiasm morphed into disapproval. “I don’t think you’re ready for that fight, children.”
“We’re all of age,” Fitz corrected.
“Son, I am fifty-seven years old. Anyone under the age of forty is a child to me. Listen closely: the Lord of Grimnight is not to be trifled with. He rules the forest with an iron fist.”
I do?I stared at the mayor, bewildered.
“He does?” Delilah asked, voicing my own confusion.
“Those who defy him are removed from this plane of existence, never to be seen again. Even the trees fear him. They whisper his misdeeds through their leaves,” the mayor lowered his own voice to a whisper and fluttered his fingers like rustling leaves. “Some believe the trees stopped growing because he is stealing energy from them, preparing something more sinister.”
