Page 94 of First Light

“Anglia is a seafaring country, and Cymric maps are some of the most extensive in the Shadowlands. Far better than the fae’s, though they’ll never admit it.”

Carys’s eyebrows went up. “Of course. Because of the dragons.” She glanced over at the four beasts who had silently shifted, still bathing in the milky light. “But if people can go back and forth between the fae gates, why not just steal maps from the human world to use here?”

Dafydd let out a great laugh. “Now you’re sounding like Seren.” He cleared his throat, but a smile stayed on his face. “That becomes complicated. It’s a mirror world, but things aren’t quite as exact as you might think. The magic does what it wants at times. Borders shift. Islands rise or disappear. The Shadowlands shift in ways that the Brightlands do not.”

“I hadn’t thought about that.” Carys continued walking toward the old stone tower, remembering Lachlan’s story and imagining the childSeren reaching out for the fire-breathing beast when other children would have hidden. “She was never afraid of him. Cadell, I mean.”

“Were you when he found you?” Dafydd’s eyes were intent on her face. “Did you feel any fear?”

“Not even a hint.” The corner of her mouth inched up. “Do you have any idea why he came to me?”

“None.” Dafydd shook his head. “As Lachlan and Duncan know each other, twins from opposite sides do meet. In some places the fae gates appear to be a little…” He pursed his lips. “Thinner. More fluid. But none of those Brightkin have ever shown any ability to use magic. Not that I’ve ever heard of.”

“So you have no idea why I can speak to Cadell?”

“None, Carys Morgan.” He reached out his hand and she took it. He lowered his voice and glanced at Mared, Cadell, and the other two dragons. “I would take you back to Caernarfon with me, but Robb seems determined to find out more about you. What do you want?”

“I want to stay here.”

“Why?”

Carys didn’t know what to say. Dafydd probably thought his daughter had died of a fever like everyone else.

“Carys?”

“Someone killed Seren,” she blurted. “And I want to know who.”

Dafydd’s eyes flashed with anger, and he turned away.

“Dafydd?” She walked in front of him. “You’re not surprised by what I said, are you? You knew—you suspected anyway.”

“Of course I did.” His voice was rough, but he finally looked at her. “When Robb told me my daughter had died, he said it was from a fever. And she had been ill. I knew that.”

“But?”

“Mared and I always suspected we were not getting the full story. Serenhadbeen ill with an infection. That’s why she sent Cadell away when his children needed him even though she normally would have gone with him. But she was recovering and she was strong. Then when she died…”

“Why didn’t you pursue it?”

Dafydd took a slow breath and let it out. “We could never know for sure.”

“Do people just die here for no reason?”

“Yes.” He looked at her. “Not for no reason, but life here is much more precarious than life in the Brightlands. We don’t have hospitals. We don’t have the same medicine. Healers are very skilled, and magic is powerful, but people can die very young.” He lifted his chin. “Why areyoucertain?”

“Because of the way that everyone reacted when Duncan said it,” Carys said. “Whatever happened to Seren, there’s more than they’re letting on. Why hide anything if it was natural causes?”

Dafydd turned and looked at the castle behind them. “Eamer thought that pursuing the truth might endanger our relationship with the Alban court. She didn’t…” He frowned. “She cared for Seren, but she never loved her as I did. I thought she was thinking more rationally and I was blinded by grief, so I let it go. Now I see that I should have pursued it more.”

“We can find the truth.” Carys lifted her eyes to meet his stoic gaze. “I think we can figure it out.”

Dafydd said nothing. He didn’t agree. He didn’t disagree.

He has many lives more than his to consider.

She turned to look at Cadell and realized that Dafydd’s quiet might mean that he was speaking with Mared in his mind the same way she was talking to Cadell.

Dafydd is a king,Cadell continued.Keeping peace means saving lives.

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