CHAPTER 14: GUILTY REGARDLESS OF INNOCENCE

Caedrion spent the next few days experimenting with the magical capabilities that Baelius was able to perform.

The more he studied and analyzed the Flame Transmutation that those who carried the blood of the Crucible were blessed with, the more Caedrion reflected on the words that glowed in his texts:

"And from the Crucible came flame, and through flame came change.

But flame, for all its fury, is momentary.

Structure is eternal.

Where the Crucible tempers, the Architect defines.

One builds.

One burns.

But only the Architect holds the pattern.

Only she remembers what the Crucible forgets.

Flame cannot destroy what is already complete."

Without a doubt, the powers of the Crucible were immense, but as he suspected, volatile, short-lived, and of course, lacking inherent direction.

Fire, in and of itself, was a living, breathing entity. It consumed. It grew.

And if left unchecked, it would burn everything around it, only to snuff out its own existence amid the ashes of its destruction.

But the powers the Crucible granted its descendants were even more dangerous. It was not mere fire, but the absolute control, manifestation, and manipulation of flame itself.

Baelius, of course, was simply glad to be able to practice his magic at all, something that had been forbidden his entire life.

Hell, the very idea of him having magic was practically a crime worthy of capital punishment.

Here, however, Caedrion analyzed, documented, and instructed.And in the days that followed, the two began to understand themselves, the world around them, and the entity known as magic far more deeply than they ever imagined.

But word eventually reached the ears of House Ignarion...

In the Hall of Flames, the Ember Court gathered to discuss what had transpired.

Veltharion was in a particularly horrific mood, not stricken with rage, but with grief, concealed beneath flames that now burned brighter in his heart than ever before.

Caustian cast him a sympathetic glance before speaking words that would only wound the Lord of their House even further.

"We have identified the fugitive’s location. He is hiding at House Ferrondel. They claim the man is innocent and was framed by another... yet they have not professed who that may be."

Quiet murmurs rippled through the chamber.

Most who had any sense knew Valerius was guilty during the inquest, but why would House Ferrondel sacrifice the heir of their line for the sake of a meager nullborn?

Now, however... this had become more than a family problem.It was an international dispute.

The elders were every bit as displeased as the Lord of their House, but for different reasons.

Caustian sighed heavily, shaking his head.

"The Lady of Dawnhaven has extraordinary means to discern the truth. If House Ferrondel performed a proper interrogation and has chosen to let Baelius live freely within their territory, then it is clear his guilt was presumed too early...We may have to face the fact that there is a traitor within this very court."

Subtle glances turned toward Valerius, and then to his father, Veltharion, seated at the head of the table.

Yet Veltharion did not stir.

His gaze seemed distant, as though he lived in a realm beyond such earthly matters.

But before he could be forced to respond, Valerius spoke, haughty as ever.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Have you gone senile, Elder Caustian? It’s clear House Ferrondel is conspiring against us! They poisoned their own heir and planted the evidence themselves. This is all part of a scheme to rebel against our House!"

Caustian, and many others, cast disgusted glances toward Valerius, but the young heir didn’t seem to notice.

He was guilty. And yet, rather than let the matter die, he insisted on pouring gasoline onto the fire he had lit.

The Great Elder was just about to scold him when the Lord of House Ignarion finally spoke.

"The boy is right. Now that things have come to this, we must see them through. There is no alternative. We give House Ferrondel an ultimatum: hand Baelius over to us, or we raze the last of their territory to the ground. Ensure only ash and dust remain of their once-mighty House."

Caustian’s eyes widened, wider than they had in two hundred years.

He turned sharply to Lord Veltharion, hoping to plead reason.

"My Lord, with all due respect,there is a reason the Great Ancestor was never able to conquer Dawnhaven. The barrier that protects it is eternal... and powerful. A gift left behind by the Architect herself. It would take us a decade just to consume its power, and a generation of our House would burn to ash in the process.This petty matter is not worth such a monumental expense. I urge you to —"

He was cut off mid-sentence by the clang of Veltharion’s blackiron gauntlet against his armrest.

The metallic crash echoed through the chamber, silencing all dissent.

Veltharion’s gaze burned hotter than the fury of a thousand suns, but it was not Caustian he looked at.

He turned instead to his son.

"It is a fraction of the cost we would suffer if we failed to avenge this insult. The very idea that Baelius was framed implies someone from our House committed the poisoning. And that alone would destroy our standing among the Great Houses.

There is no choice now. They either bend the knee, or we destroy them."

He did not wait for further retort. He rose from his seat and began to storm from the chamber only pausing to cast a chilling glare at Valerius.

"You. Come with me, boy.I need to speak with you... in private."

A chill rushed down Valerius’s spine.

Despite being surrounded by the oppressive heat of an active volcano... he had never felt so cold.

He dared not tempt fate.

And so, without a word, he followed after his father, knowing full well he was about to receive the scolding of a lifetime.