Page 147 of Blood of the Stars

It wouldn’t take long for news of his arrival to reach Enla’s ears. His return had probably shown up in a dozen of the paths she’d seen when she’d sifted his soul. She’d find him soon enough. Sweeping past the guards, he made his way through the halls and up the stairs until he reached his parents’ chambers. He hesitated at their door, regretting the late hour, then felt ridiculous for letting the guards see his hesitation.

Fist raised, he pounded on the door.

From deep within, his father cursed the guards, whose faces remained stoic.

“What is it?” His father’s deep growl came through the wood.

“It’s me, Father. I come with news from Islara.” Gaeren reached for his dagger before remembering he’d given it to Daisy. He slipped his hand to the pommel of his sword, standing a little straighter.

Silence greeted him, then the creak of hinges. A sliver of torchlight fell on weathered skin and a cloudy blue eye. Gaeren took a step back, gawking at his father’s stooped form and sunken cheeks. Had his father contracted whatever ailed his mother?

The King of Elanesse stared past him before wetting his dry lips and barking at the guards. “Send for Enla and Cook. We’ll take tea and bread in the sitting room.”

“I’m already here.” Enla’s unusually soft voice came from Gaeren’s back.

The grin pulling at his cheeks halted when he saw the haunted look in her eyes. She bent forward, but her embrace carried formality rather than affection. Gaeren tensed.

“Are you all right?” he whispered.

“You’ve been gone a long time.” She pulled back, her eyes studying his. “Too long.”

That guilty nerve twinged. “There are things I need to tell you.”

His father stepped back, widening the door for the two of them to enter their chambers before he shuffled in toward the sitting room.

By the time refreshments were brought, their mother had made her way to their father’s side on the chaise. Gaeren had watched her progress through the room, holding his breath as each step seemed slower than the last. She patted down her greying hair, eyes unfocused and face tense with pain.

“Has the red bush tea helped you some?” Gaeren asked, even though it clearly hadn’t.

“You were a dear to send it.” His mother’s smile seemed forced, her words stilted.

Gaeren and Enla took seats across from their parents, the tea and biscuits between them. Enla’s hands folded so tight her knuckles turned white.

Their father grunted, never one for small talk. “What news do you bring from Islara?”

“Mayvus destroyed the entire city.”

Enla’s face paled, matching her bloodless fingers. She’d probably seen the possibility in her visions and hoped it wouldn’t come to pass. His parents showed no reaction.

“You saw this with your own eyes?” his father asked.

“I came upon it within hours. The rubble still smoked from Durriken’s fire.”

“A terrible beast. She tried to tame him, but his magic is old.” His mother’s soothing tone eased Gaeren’s tension even though he knew she was using her magic on him. It was part of the reason he’d never been able to stand up to his father. Any fight he felt in the king’s presence was usually drowned out by the queen projecting unwanted emotion on Gaeren. Even as she manipulated him now, a fire burned beneath his calm, ready for the moment she faltered.

“I saw the memories with my spoke,” Gaeren insisted. “Durriken has been branded by Mayvus to do her bidding.” He hadn’t seen that last part, but he trusted Daisy’s word.

Their parents exchanged a glance, and Enla’s eyes slid shut.

“Were there any survivors?” his father asked.

“I rescued two children.” Their faces swam before his eyes, the boy’s cry for his father rising in Gaeren’s ears.

A hint of a smile crossed Enla’s face.

“It was an unfortunately aggressive show of support.” His father frowned, choosing his words too carefully. “Publicly, we’re calling it a senseless tragedy. An ancient beast gone mad. Troops have been dispatched to track down the dragon and hold him accountable for his crimes.”

With every word his father spoke, the fire of Gaeren’s indignation cooled until his insides felt frozen with shock. His mother kept her gaze on the king, nodding along her agreement. Enla’s eyes remained shut, her face passive except for a hint of wetness on her lashes.

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