For all its straightforward simplicity, Flashstone incursions are among the most difficult to defend against. Its ability to burn straight through every type of power with impunity requires far more complicated preparations to prevent massive damage to the lands beneath.

The difficulty of working it afterwards, along with its extreme scarcity, has also made it one of the most expensive and prized resources in the world.

-A Guide to Uncommon Minerals

“No.” Pelys stepped forward. “No more duels. This is a Sarosa matter now, and Astesh is no part of it. You have confessed. The right of challenge lies with Reirn Ovnon. He will decide your fate from here.”

“This is between Varons, eirn Sarosa. You have no part in it.” Retti turned to me, eyes pleading. “Eirn Astesh. You have seen Desten’s condition. You know what happens when you try to correct things in public. I know you were trying to help. What happened? Why did you stop?”

Because there was nothing to find. She had to know that. All the nonsense about prismatics had no bearing on reality. It was just fanciful fiction. Nothing worth thinking about.

My confusion must have shown, though I still couldn’t move, and Retti shook her head. “They’ve gotten to you already. I’m sorry. Nod if you accept my challenge; I cannot let you speak. The danger to my family is too great if anyone knows.”

“Astesh, don’t!” Pelys ordered.

But I had no choice. Retti was controlling my body with her power in the same way Desten Utrenad controlled his own. I felt myself nod.

I strained at my power, trying to somehow slide it into the patterns Pel had tried so hard to teach me. Break free and run. I could run, if only I could break free; I could do something, anything but stand here and die.

Something deep within me rebelled at the idea of Fyless’s pink being added to Desten 4’s chaotic rainbow. It was wrong. No one should have that much power, that many hues. It was unthinkable.

Though my power flared and strained, though pink glinted in lightning-tracks across my skin, though time slowed to where I could watch every tiny motion as Retti drew the dueling circle around us, I still couldn’t move.

The power flooding me broke my mental paralysis. I couldn’t move, but I wasn’t quite entirely helpless. Power didn’t require movement, only thought. I spun a shield around myself, reinforcing it with everything I could pour in. I’d never practiced flying without physical movements, without feeling like I was striding through the sky, but I had nothing else left.

I could see her moves, slowly, deliberately, watch the exact direction she struck and where she would land seconds before it actually hit. She started with a simple spear, like the one she’d skewered Pelys on, that hurtled toward my throat. This was nothing like the exhibition she and Pel had just put on, there was no testing, no defence. She would simply kill me. That’s all.

I desperately pushed myself to the side, flying out of the way just in time. Without control over my limbs, any hope of balance was destroyed and I toppled to the ground. My bubble absorbed some of the impact, then puffed away. I spun a new one into place, heart racing. I couldn’t get enough air, my lungs constricted to shallow breaths by the rigid force shell holding me still.

The second attack came closer, as I scooted myself away across the floor. The spear hit the edge of my bubble, dissipating it entirely. I had to fight back somehow. I couldn’t keep dodging forever, and Retti was aiming to kill. But I’d never figured out how to make attack spikes, even without the dissipation effect.

Well, I did have one weapon. Between my own bubble shield and the layer of force surrounding me, I was a fairly solid object at the moment. I could take a page from Pel’s book.

I oriented myself and flew at her, a bit wobbly until I got the hang of it. With my power running at full strength I moved too fast for her to react. My aim was a bit off, clipping her shoulder instead of ramming fully into her, and then I bounced off the interior of the duel barrier. It was a bit convenient, actually, this full-body shield around me.

Lights flickered around me and for a moment I thought I’d collided too hard. Or maybe it was the lack of air.

Then I realized what it was. The whole duel shield had started to glow and warp.

I’d seen this before. When Fylen died, Desten 5 had collapsed the dome in onto him, killing him instantly.

I couldn’t do anything. I could fly around inside the barrier all I wanted, but there was no way to evade this.

It felt oddly fitting, that this would end the same way it had begun. I knew the truth, and Pelys knew, and that would have to be enough.

Tiny fractures appeared in the barrier as it distorted, turning from a smooth sphere into a jagged collection of spikes and bulges and stretched-thin patches. For a moment I dared to hope that I could find a hole, reorient myself and slip free before it closed in on me, but it shifted far too quickly and the rips opened and closed too unpredictably.

I had seconds. Less than seconds. Even if I could think of a way out, I wouldn’t have time to move myself.

I didn’t want to die.

I didn’t care how fitting it would be, it would be stupid to die now. I strained, desperately trying to stretch my power into the dispersal, into something—

Blue power flashed into the red, mixing and slicing and spreading. For a moment, the very tips of the spikes of red power speared into me, puffing my bubble into nothing and passing through the red shell encasing me as though it didn’t exist.

I didn’t even feel their impact, though I could see them slicing into my body, then the entire thing puffed away. Pelys stepped forward, and with another quick burst of blue - I watched it slowly stretch toward me, a jumbled cloud of power that held no particular shape - popped the force holding me still.

I gasped for air, and that’s when the pain hit. I almost passed out, but I held on. I had to move. This wasn’t safe. My power still raced, slowing the world, keeping me just lucid enough.

Retti and Pelys slashed at each other again, this time with no pretense of non-lethality. Retti’s blade sphere had expanded, and I now saw it was made of eight jagged triangular blades that tilted and spun in irregular arcs, scything through anything that came near. Pelys had dispensed with any bubble, erecting a series of small rectangular shields between himself and Retti, relying on his own agility and speed to evade any but the most perfectly-aimed attack. He wasn’t attacking, only defending.

Silver flared into Retti from behind, cracking her bubble but not destroying it as Vess joined the fray.

Retti half turned, saw him, and stopped attacking. Her bubble inflated, crackling as it pushed outward larger and larger, then she dropped out of sight.

For a moment, Pel and Vess continued attacking, before Retti’s bubble vanished and they realized she’d cut through the floor.

Then yellow light surrounded me. I lurched upright in sudden panic, but it was only Desten 3. He’d crawled out to me, his own bubble flickering and unsteady, but growing stronger by the moment.

“It’s alright,” Desten said as I swayed unsteadily. Darkness assailed my vision, and I felt him catch me as I toppled over.

Red light flared in the distance, and I saw a burst of yellow fire that seemed to grow more and more distant as I finally lost consciousness.

I woke in sunlight.

No, that was just Desten’s power. It was still night.

Or was it a different night? I didn’t know. Everything ached and my skin itched dreadfully. How long had it been?

“Astesh, you’re alive!” Desten 3 said, which was simultaneously reassuring and concerning. I hadn’t realized it would be in question.

“Retti?” I asked. I didn’t hear any sounds of fighting. “Is she still—”

Desten shook his head. “I don't know." He leaned back, tension beginning to fade from his expression. "She went down into the floor below, and the Sarosa went after her. Then the barrier went down, and everyone ran. I didn't know what to do, so I focused on keeping you stable."

"Thank you." I glanced down at the myriad bloody gashes in my robe, testament to just how close Retti had come to finishing me with her collapse-the-duel-barrier trick. "I think I owe you my life. And Pelys. I owe him twice over, now."

"This is not how I expected the night to go," Desten said faintly.

I laughed weakly. "If you knew Pel, you’d be less shocked. I'm honestly more surprised the building is still standing than anything. I didn't really believe I'd survive."

Desten gaped. "You ... you knew this would happen?"

I shrugged. "Not this exactly, but ... well, like I said. I know Pel. He's not one for tea and parties. He's more the kind to smash you through the wall and into the ground, then offer you a drink after."

"But, you came anyway."

"I promised I would, and I promised myself I wouldn't be a coward. So, well, I had to."

"Even thinking you could die?"

"I did try to convince you not to come."

"But you could have mentioned your Sarosa friend was insane! If I'd known this would end up with you bleeding out on the floor in front of me, I'd never have come."

"I needed to know," I said quietly. "So I didn't try too hard to dissuade you."

"Know what? Nothing that happened tonight makes any sense!"

I sighed. "It does to me." Then forced myself to stop before spilling everything. As much as I might like Desten 3, I wasn't about to trust a noble with my secrets. Never again.

"What part of any of this makes sense?"

"Pelys knew that someone here was responsible for killing Fylen, the Sarosa reirn and heirn's only son, but not who exactly. He brought anyone who could possibly be involved here, determined not to let anyone go until he knew the truth."

"That's crazy. What if it hadn't been anyone here?"

"It was, so he was right."

"But would he have kept us hostage forever? That's just wrong."

"I'm sure he would have released us once it became obvious neither of us were the killer," I assured him. "I know him. He can be hotheaded and he doesn't respect rules much, but he's a good man. One I do think you should ally with if you ever get your book off the ground."

"My book?"

I glanced sideways at him. "You think I didn't notice? You've been researching a lot more than usual, ever since Leetan. You've had an idea for a second book. That's what you've been working on so diligently."

Desten looked embarrassed. "I know you didn't think much of the first one. I wanted to wait until it was done to show you, and I hope maybe you could help me with the revisions?"

"I understand. And I'll be happy to help when you are ready to move forward."

"For now, can we go?"

I nodded. "It's probably a good idea to be gone when Pel gets back. He's bound to be a bit upset."

"Can you fly?"

I pulled tentatively at my power, and it pulsed readily to life. “Yes, I think so.”

“Then let’s go home. We can sort this out on the way.”

We flew out through the destroyed balcony doors, and I noticed another hole in the wall a story lower down. Pel and Retti were not holding back, wherever they’d ended up. I looked around in case I could pick out a flash of red and blue light where they fought, but there was no sign of them. And I felt strangely relieved, glad I didn’t know what had become of her. She was crazy, obsessed with saving her husband and willing to kill anyone who she imagined to be in her way, but with Pel and Vess attacking together she wouldn’t stand a chance. Perhaps she’d tried to flee, breaking that hole in the wall so she could escape. Perhaps they were still chasing her even now.

I didn’t feel the need to search for more answers. I’d followed my obsession this far, and it only left me feeling emptier. I’d liked Retti. I felt sorry for Desten 5. And poor Tali’s life would be utter chaos now.

I couldn’t do anything for them. Whatever happened now was out of my hands.

I followed Desten south, and tried not to worry.

I still worried. Even safe at home in Desten 3’s spare bedroom, I worried until exhaustion overtook me and I finally slept.

I spent the next day distracted and unfocused, unable to shake the memory of the night before. As much as I wanted to move past it, I couldn’t stop contemplating Retti and Desten and Tali’s fate. Hadn’t their family suffered enough? If only Retti had come up with any other solution than turning her own son into a killer in her madness. Nothing Fylen could possibly have known or said would be worth this.

So when an invitation arrived from Pelys to join him for breakfast the following morning, it came as something of a relief. I didn’t want to know, I wanted to forget any of this had ever happened. But I couldn’t forget, and I’d come this far. I had to see this through.

I didn’t mention it to Desten. He was distracted by his project, and I didn’t want him to try to accompany me. This would be horrible and awkward enough without witnesses. If Desten tried to protect me it would only get him hurt. He wouldn’t stand a chance. So I would go alone.

True, there was a good chance I’d end up thrown off a balcony again, regardless of whether I remained on Pel’s enemy list or he decided we were friends again. But at least I would know. And maybe that would be enough to put this all behind me.