Page 38 of Three Scorched Kingdoms

She did well.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t extend to the strategy of solutions.

“What kind of defenses can we mount against such things?” asks one of the captains.

“And where the hell did these things even come from?” asks another.

Paige and I share a look. Blossom and Mag tense. And Leo sees it all. I take a deep breath, knowing I can’t put this off any longer.

“The world I went to housed many dangerous creatures,” I say. “But the worst of them all is a wizard named Constantine. He is an evil man whose power comes from siphoning or draining the magic of others. When he tried and failed to drain Paige, I believe his anger led him to take revenge against me and my people.”

“You think this Constantine supplied the orcs their weapons?” Leo asks.

“Yes,” I tell him.

“But how would he have gotten them here in the first place?” Leo asks.

“A portal,” Mag explains. “He uses them to travel between worlds.”

“Is that how you got home?” Leo asks.

I nod. “Mag, Blossom, and Paige all had portal magic. On the day we arrived home, we fought Constantine and his creatures. He won and stole their portal magic. Paige was able to conjure one here so we could escape.”

Leo’s expression has hardened. It’s obvious he’s angry about the threat against us. “Can you portal back again?” he asks. “I’d like to have a shot at this asshole.”

Mag, Blossom, and I all turn to Paige.

She frowns. “I’m not sure,” she admits. “But even if I could, we need a plan. I won’t walk us into battle without a strategy.”

The other advisors murmur their agreement.

More respect.

“Does he have access to our lands?” Leo asks. “Can he come here anytime he wants?”

“No,” I say firmly.

But Leo looks unconvinced. “Are you sure?”

“As sure as I can be. Why do you ask?”

“It’s probably nothing... it’s just…” Leo glances at all the faces assembled. His hesitation reminds me of last night’s dinner. When I knew he and my mother were keeping something from me.

“If there’s a threat, we need to know it,” I say.

Leo sighs. “Mother—the queen has been keeping it at bay. But when we flew over the camp earlier, I saw that it had returned.”

“What is it?” I ask a little sharper than I’d intended.

If Constantine has supplied some other weapon or threat?—

“She calls it the blight,” he says quietly. “The land… it’s dying.”

No one speaks, but the other advisors look just as shocked as I am.

“We assumed it was the goddess’ magic receding. Without a dragon king on the throne… It started after you disappeared. The queen’s fae powers connect her to the land, to nature. She used them as long as she could to heal the dead places. But… it keeps returning.” His eyes are a bit haunted as he looks from me to Paige. “Do you think Constantine did this too?”

Paige turns to me, pale now. “He’s draining this world. Taking its power for himself.”

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