Not merely crystal, I realized, in the part of my mind that was not frozen in horror. The black substance was too pretty to be quartz, too flawless and clear in its faceting. The stone caught the light like diamond, because that was what their flesh had become. Black diamond, the rarest and most valuable of all.
The Tok began to scream. So did several others of the men in the room.
Through it all I remained still and kept my face impassive.
* * *
He shouldnt have tried to hit me. He deserved what he got. He shouldnt have tried to hit me.
And the man who tried to help him? What did that one deserve?
They are all my enemies, my peoples enemies. They should not have they should not Oh, gods. Gods.
The Nightlord cannot be controlled, child. He can only be unleashed. And you asked him not to kill.
* * *
I could not show weakness.
So while the two men flailed and screamed, I stepped around them and walked up to the table. Gemd looked at me, his mouth distorted with disgust and disbelief.
I said, Take all the time you like to discuss my order. Then I turned to leave.
W-wait. Gemd. I paused, not allowing my eyes to linger on the two men. Rish was almost half diamond now, the stone creeping over his arm and chest, down one leg and up the side of his neck. He lay on the floor, no longer screaming, though he still keened in a low, agonized voice. Perhaps his throat had turned to diamond already. The other man was reaching toward his comrades, begging for a sword so he could cut off his arm. A young fellowone of Gemds heirs, to judge by his featuresdrew his blade and edged close, but then another man grabbed him and hauled him back. Another wise decision; flecks of black no larger than a grain of sand sparkled on the floor around the two men. Bits of Rishs flesh, transformed and cast about by his flailing. As I watched, the Tok fell onto his good hand, and his thumb touched one of the flecks. It, too, began to change.
Stop this, Gemd murmured.
I did not start it.
He cursed swiftly in his language. Stop it, gods damn you! What kind of monster are you?
I could not help laughing. That there was no humor in it, only bitter self-loathing, would be lost on them.
Im an Arameri, I said.
One of the men behind us abruptly fell silent, and I turned. Not the Tok; he was still shrieking while blackness ate its way down his spine. The diamond had spread to encompass Rishs mouth and was consuming the whole lower half of his face. It seemed to have stopped on his torso, though it was working its way down his remaining leg. I suspected it would stop altogether once it had consumed the nonvital parts of his body, leaving him mutilated and perhaps mad, but alive. I had, after all, asked Nahadoth not to kill.
I averted my eyes, lest I give myself away by throwing up.
Understand this, I said. The horror in my heart had crept into my voice; it lent me a deeper timbre, and a hint of resonance, that I had not possessed before. If letting these men die will save my people, then they will die. I leaned forward, putting my hands on the table. If killing everyone in this room, everyone in this palace, will save my people, then know, Gemd: I will do it. You would, too, if you were me.
He had been staring at Rish. Now his eyes jerked toward me, and I saw realization and loathing flicker through them. Was there a hint of self-loathing amid that hatred? Had he believed me when Id said you would, too? Because he would. Anyone would, I understood now. There was nothing we mortals would not do when it came to protecting our loved ones.
I would tell myself that for the rest of my life.
Enough. I barely heard Gemd over the screams, but I saw his mouth move. Enough. Ill call off the attack.
And disband the alliance?
I can speak only for Menchey. There was something broken in his tone. He did not meet my eyes. The others may choose to continue.
Then warn them, Minister Gemd. The next time Im forced to do this, two hundred will suffer instead of two. If they press the issue, two thousand. You chose this war, not I. I will not fight fairly.
Gemd looked at me in mute hatred. I held his eyes awhile longer, then turned to the two men, one of whom still shuddered and whimpered on the floor. The other, Rish, seemed catatonic. I walked over to them. The glimmering, deadly black flecks did not harm me, though they crunched under my feet.
Nahadoth could stop the magic, I was certain. He could probably even restore the men to wholenessbut Darrs safety depended on my ability to strike fear into Gemds heart.
Finish it, I whispered.
The black surged and consumed each of the men in seconds. Chill vapors rose around them as their final screams mingled with the sounds of flesh crackling and bone snapping, then all of it died away. In the mens place lay two enormous, faceted gems in the rough shape of huddled figures. Beautiful, and quite valuable, I guessed; if nothing else, their families would live well from henceforth. If the families chose to sell their loved ones remains.