“Really don’t like how you keep saying Argridian rat.”
“Really don’t care,Argridian rat.”
Vex scowled. He’d joined every meeting where Kari and Nate went over their plans, and all he’d done was make smart-ass comments. He could see Kari’s growing exasperation, but damn it, he would’ve contributed if he could. But any suggestion he thought of, they’d already planned.
What would Ben do? He’d have added something useful about other allies or a single move that’d make the whole war easier. Vex had had lessons on diplomacy and war alongside Ben when they’d been younger, but he’d spent those classes drawing inappropriate sketches of the monxe tutors. Anytime Rodrigu had discussed strategy with him, Vex had been so fidgety he’d ended up with his legs slung over the back of the chair and his head on the floor.
Nate was right. WhywasVex here?
Kari stood, lifting her hands between them. “Nathaniel, we will send you in with the group bound for the guard tower. Is there a way to reset all the dead-end hallways, so we can move through the prison without hindrance? A fail-safe, perhaps?”
Nate shook his head. “Engineers designed these prisons to make escapes impossible. We won’t have much time before the soldiers stationed there raise the alarm and any Argridians in the city add reinforcements. Our best bet issplitting up, sending in as many groups as we can, and having our people go cell by cell to lead the prisoners out so they don’t get lost.”
“We could divide our numbers into four effective groups. How do the guards at the main control panel communicate with those in the prison?”
Communicate?Vex frowned, thinking.
“They don’t,” Nate said. “They establish a pattern for the day, the guards memorize it, and every guard knows where the smaller control panels are hidden in the prison itself.”
“Then we will need to memorize a pattern. Which arrangement would access the most cells at once? We can shift halfway to reach any cells we might—”
“Budwig!”
Nate and Kari whipped to face Vex, who had shouted the word.
He cleared his throat, trying as hard as he could to look helpful. “Budwig,” he repeated. “The Tuncians might have more sets of Budwig Beans when they get here. We can use them to communicate with the guard tower—have Nate open walls or shift hallways as we need them.”
Kari smiled. “Good idea, Devereux.”
Vex had to use his not considerable store of resolve to keep from looking at Nate and going,You hear that? The Argridian rat had a good idea!
Nate rolled his eyes as though Vex had said it anyway.“Speaking of plants.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a vial holding a tangle of leafy green vines.
“Now’s not the time for a Narcotium Creeper high, Nate,” Vex said.
Nate’s nose curled, but he ignored Vex. “Emerdian prisons are a treat, but this one is special. The architect took full advantage of Grace Loray’s offerings and cooked a couple bricks with Bright Mint. There’re a few enhanced bricks throughout the place, most on the lowest level, but damn it if they aren’t potent. A feat of Emerdian engineering—spend too much time around those rocks without proper defense, and you’ll lose your mind. Makes the prisoners near the bricks docile as kittens, but it’ll be hell trying to get them out.”
“The builders cooked Bright Mintintothe bricks?” Vex gaped. “Is that possible? And wouldn’t it make the prisoners smarter, enough to figure out how to escape?”
“You’d think that, wouldn’t you?” Nate beamed, enjoying his countrymen’s feat. “Emerdian bricks are made a certain way. Aspecialway. Pushes the effects of Bright Mint straight past thinking better and into a full-on mental breakdown. That’s what the Narcotium Creeper is for—it’ll counter the Bright Mint for the affected prisoners, and if any of our group get woozy.”
Vex recoiled. He’d heard that the Port Camden prison was disorienting, but he’d attributed it to entire goddamn hallways moving, not tomagic.
But Kari nodded. “I am pleased that you will be providing Narcotium Creeper.”
“Wait,” Vex said to Kari’s lack of surprise, “you knew about the Bright Mint?”
“The Council was aware,” Kari said.
Vex watched Kari watch Nate. They’d both known about the Emerdian prison’s extra twist of insanity? The way they were staring at each other—
It’d been a test. If either hadn’t known about the Bright Mint, they could’ve left that group in the prison, stoned off their asses, while their people got out. Beneath planning a dangerous prison break, there’d been a level of political bullshit Vex hadn’t known about.
He rubbed his temples. God, being a leader was exhausting.
The tension shattered when Nayeli barged into the room, her face sheened with exertion. Or maybe fear.
Vex’s stomach dropped. If she was afraid—
