I felt frozen. Not with cold and certainly not corruption, but I could not move. I absolutely would not harm Darrow or Loelle, or anyone upon his orders. But the consequences of my refusal were equally horrifying.
Joth withdrew a dagger from the belt at his waist and set it in my hands. “You wish that this was the Olden Blade, no doubt,” he said, winking at me. “But as that particular weapon is obviously a threat to me now, I have that in my protection.”
I stared down at his dagger. “I can’t do it this way. Not so close.”
“Then how will you do it?” Joth asked.
“Darrow has a disk bow.”
“I have no disks,” Darrow said, for Joth to hear.
“Yes, you do.” Joth nodded at his satchel. “Give them to me.”
Darrow slowly reached into his satchel and pulled out two disks, one black and the other the white one that had restored my life. He placed them on Joth’s flattened hand.
“These won’t do,” I said to Joth. “You could always restore someone from a white disk’s effects. And the black disk will work too fast. If you wish for me to prove my loyalty, then give me a red one.”
“Creating a wound that cannot be stopped up?” Joth said. “Is that because you still have magic and hope to save your victim?”
I must’ve hesitated a second too long, because he grabbed my hand and suddenly his even tone became a snarl. “How are you alive, Kestra?” When I hesitated again, he said, “There’s a rumor from one of my half-lives, about a disk that contained a power to restore life.” He showed me the two disks that Darrow had given him. “Which of these is capable of that?”
“These disks will kill, nothing more.” I tried to squirm away from him but failed. “You’re hurting my arm, Joth.”
He released my arm, then threw both disks against the wall of the throne room, shattering them. Then he looked up at Amala as she was reentering the room. “We will take no chances. Bring me another black disk.”
Amala bowed and left the room, and while we waited, Loelle said, “My son, do you remember our time in All Spi
rits Forest?”
His mood seemed to soften. “Of course.”
Loelle stepped forward, subtly motioning to me to move away from him, which I did. “Do you remember the way you cared for the half-lives, watched out for them?”
“I remember.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “I care for you too, more than you can imagine. It is a mother’s love, and the power of it is greater than the corruption within you.”
“Love is weakness!” he shouted, then with an eye on me added, “A soft heart is a pierced heart. Didn’t you teach me that once?”
I stared back at him, surprised to be feeling sympathy for what he had become. “A pierced heart can be shared. One that is hardened remains alone.”
Loelle finally reached his side, placing a hand on his arm. “Release the Ironhearts at Woodcourt. Give them a chance to kneel to you, even as we do.”
She knelt at his feet and motioned for Darrow and me to do the same.
Darrow said, “If we kneel, will you release those still at Woodcourt?”
“I have loosened my grip on their hearts enough that they can come here to bargain for their lives.” Joth reached out his hand to summon me to him, but I pretended not to see it. “Together we will build a kingdom with the Alliance as the first of our servants. At least, those who are allowed to live.”
At that moment, Amala returned to the throne room holding a black disk. She dipped her head at Joth, who held out his hand for the disk. Once he received it, he passed it to me.
“Now get the disk bow for her,” Joth ordered.
Amala obeyed, placing it in my hands.
I took the bow but asked, “Is there no other way to prove my loyalty?”
Joth turned to me. “Reconnect with me. We are stronger when we are together.”