“I think your team may need a rest, Sterling,” Elissa spoke gently. “I know we’ve all been under a lot of stress as of late with the rapid influx of new arrivals, and your… diverted mission,” He eyes flicked to Martin before returning their calm gaze to the team leader standing before her.

  Elissa had once been someone of consequence, perhaps a queen or a general. Authority radiated with every word, which is probably how she came to be the one in the position to approve personal missions.

  “But,” she continued. “I know you better than to assume you are joking with me. So, you surely must understand the gravity of what you ask.”

  “I do, ma’am.” Sterling said firmly. His hands collapsed themselves tighter behind his back, the skin going white from the pressure.

  Elissa leaned back in her chair, shaking her head, “While from a surface perspective, this idea has some level of merit, it’s simply too high a risk. We have too many Sparkless occupants to risk an entire teams of those with Binds over what is, in full honestly, almost certainly a suicide mission.” Her gold eyes met Sterling’s with that frightening intensity that should shut down any budding argument.

  Regardless, Sterling spoke, “We’re well aware. Surviving the Upper City long enough to reach the palace is an impossibility on its own. But then to find a single middle tier bound Demon in a hive of Fae, convince her to come willingly, then find a way to bring her back without being discovered… I can not say I don’t disagree with your assessment. But,” Sterling took a deep breath, steeling his nerves, before taking a step forward. “We don’t intend to go through the Upper City. We don’t plan on trying to find and convince her. Ma’am we don’t even plan on seeing her until she’s no longer able to be tracked.”

  Elissa's eyes narrowed, “And you somehow believe you can make a Demon invisible to her master?”

  “No, Ma’am,” Everyn finally spoke up, flinching as her voice cracked. “Not invisible, unrecognizable. At least temporarily, until she can be brought back here where she can’t be found.”

  Elissa sat upright, “And you plan on doing this, how?”

  “The same way we stay hidden. Dewsilver, Ma’am.”

  Elissa released a long, slow sigh, shutting her eyes, “I do believe I understand what you think you can do, but of all disciplines an Alchemist must know better. If we could sever a Demon’s connection to its master with Dewsilver, we would have done that long ago.” She stood up, deep lines furrowing her brow. “Hells, if any of you believe what you told me, she would have done it long ago. No,” She said firmly. ”My final answer is no. You do not have permission to try to attempt this asinine plan of yours. You are dismissed.”

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  Sterling gripped Everyn’s shoulder as she opened her mouth to protest.

  “Yes , Ma’am.” he replied softly as they all left the room.

  “So that’s it?” Martin cried once they were out of earshot. “Just, ‘no’!”

  “Just ‘no’.” Sterling confirmed. “I’m sorry. We did try, but she is right and this was a longshot.”

  Everyn scoffed, “Not ‘just no’. Please, you know damn well as good as I do that the Dewsilver would work. If she had just given me a chance to explain, she would have agreed. Back me up, Ryala.”

  Ryala nodded lightly, “The formula is strong. But, I do understand her logic as well. Many things could go wrong and we are needed here. We can not afford to risk our lives for a selfish reason. I am sorry, Martin.”

  Martin’s eyes fell, “So that’s really it? We can’t do anything to help her?”

  “Look,” Everyn scowled looking at the rest of them. “If anyone is most against this plan it’s me. Trust me, I have no desire to help a Faedemon, but I can’t disagree with the fact that she would be useful to have. If the Dewsilver is strong enough to block orders given to her and she really is some ‘incredible holy saint Demon’ like you seem to think, Martin. The information she could give us would be indispensable."

  “I agree,” Sterling said. “But Elissa is right, If this would work, don’t you think she would have done this herself by now?”

  “Not if she never had access to Dewsilver.” Valan finally spoke up. “Think about it. If at some point in history the Fae ever found out there was something that could loosen their control on their Faedemons, don’t you think they would make damn sure that they could never get their hands on it? I mean, they have full control of everything in their Demon’s mind and bodies, right? If a Demon ever discovered what Dewsilver could do, that information would be forcibly forgotten. Or if they ever got near enough to Dewsilver by accident that their connection even began to become unstable, they’d surely be pulled away, right?”

  Intrigue piqued in Sterling's eyes, “You aren’t wrong. It’s not like Dewsilver is common, either.”

  “Nor would a Faedemon ever have any reason to seek it out for their missions” Everyn agreed. “It’s alchemically useless. Not combustible and too weak to forge weapons or armour. The only use I think I knew for it was good for was to paint in the homes of nobles.”

  “Your nobility thought it would protect them from spies,” Ryala added. “And perhaps a layer that thin might have somewhat protected against low level psychic attacks of a novice, but if anyone of real skill made such an attempt, the distortion would be minute. Your people are fortunate that the Psychic discipline on this continent is tragic.”

  “Exactly,” Everyn agreed, ignoring the insult. “The amount a Faedemon would ever reasonably come in contact with wouldn’t even be noticeable to them. The only place there would ever be enough to cause any real effect would be here,” She pressed her hand against the lightly shimmering wall. “Or if someone were to be able to get a Demon to sit still long enough to pump her full of enough of the stuff that her blood would sparkle like a dragon’s horde.” She grinned. “ Or, you know, it kills her before her body can filter it from her blood. Either way, the problem’s solved.”