The difficulty in that was that the same crystals making it impossible for Alex to escape also made it impossible for Aira to use even the little bit of her ability that the potion allowed her to access. She felt the low hum of earth-aligned elements in the walls around them as they approached the door and she knew she would have to be very, very careful not to touch any of the surfaces. It would be bad enough being inside of the room, but her energies would be further weakened and her abilities further suppressed, by exposure to more earth-aligned materials. Aira gestured for Dylan to take the lead as anger at the prospect of confronting Alex rose within her; if it weren’t for the poison he’d dosed her with before her verdict, Aira would have gladly killed him right at the moment the elders had decreed that it was her job to do so. Dylan opened the door and Aira saw Alex. The look on his face was much like the attitude he’d had while being held on the couch in her apartment. He was lying on his back on a small bed, propped up slightly with pillows, holding a book.
