Phony Potions

Chapter 45

His body language showed no signs of betrayal, and seeing how honest and open and clueless he was, I couldn't believe I thought him capable of an elaborate deception before. Yet, he and I had only known each other for a day, and in that time, I had never been honest. He could not trust me. I could not trust him.

Even if I told him Mallow wasn't a gift, he wouldn't help me rescue her. No matter what he said, we weren't friends. I had to do this without his help.

"It's nothing, Winsor. I'm just sluggish from yesterday. You'll take care of those wanted posters?"

"Oh yes, Azark. I'll go find Father right now. He's been acting odd today, but I will talk sense into him—"

Osoro's lips moved, and I stared trying to figure out what they were saying as Winsor prattled on in front of me.

At the front of the room, Bernard stood. He cleared his throat and declared, "This entire thing is absurd!" Bernard's voice belted across the crowd. Winsor's jaw dropped. The bubbling of the crowd began to die down. "For a second born to inherit Blythe, when I, the rightful heir, am still here!"

Winsor's knees shook, and I realized the word Osoro had been muttering again and again was distraction. My heart sunk to the bottom of my ribs.

"What?" Winsor's tone was choked with disbelief.

"Winsor Reglar is unfit to lead. I stepped down first out of pity, but it would be a grave injustice to allow him to inherit the city!" Bernard shouted. The crowd shifted uncertainly, eyes falling on Winsor. It was like back at the play, except there was nowhere to run away to this time.

"I.... you..." he sputtered. His attention fully absorbed by Bernard, I backed away from him and toward the exit Osoro was gesturing toward. With any luck, the Divinis was also involved in watching this spectacle. Their argument grew in intensity. I caught a swish of fabric, Azeria's dress, as she hurried to Winsor's side.

"A son and a boy is all you'll ever be. Be quiet and go back to your shoes, Bernard," she said disparagingly, supporting Winsor's inarticulate stammering with her words. She slipped a hand beneath his elbow. "Winsor today is a man; a condition of which I am sure you are unfamiliar and confused by."

"A man who needs a woman to fight his battles for him?" Bernard said. Falsity rang in Bernard's voice, which for the role had grown more masculine and deeper than how he usually spoke. Is this how Bernard talked when he had teased Winsor in the past?

"...A... I.... That's rich from you, Bernard. You never had less than three other sorcerer's helping you when you decided it was time to fight," Winsor said. Unlike Bernard, he was sincere. He was hurt. I felt embarrassed just hearing him.

"More proof that I am a natural leader, and you are ill suited," Bernard barked.

"Sons, stop this..." Naobe came from the back, a doorway close to me and Osoro. I twisted so that she did not see my face until she passed. Although she tried to push through the crowd, it had constricted with the rising tension. Without magic, she was helpless to shove her way through, her anxious pacing outside the fence of people reminiscent of the sickly mother I had swindled.

"Winsor, Bernard, please stop!" Her words went unheard.

The audience was eating it up, their attention leaping between the two brothers. As far as sorcerer parties go, this was probably the most interesting thing that could happen. The audience burbled like a river.

"Bernard is a better leader. I've been thinking this the entire time." Goldwynn's voice? I glanced over my shoulder and saw the Arcana Enforcement Agent stand beside Bernard, not impartially like I was pretty sure he was supposed to be in these situations. Even Bernard seemed confused, and he glanced at Goldwynn twice to confirm he was actually there. His uniform instantly made the match seem uneven, although it was two against two now. "Winsor can have his Age Day. He can even have you, fiery and short lived as you will be Azeria. However, he may not have Blythe. The Arcanacracy deserves someone powerful and proud to rule over this city."