Page 35 of Enchanted Crown
Amory closed her eyes as she explained. “Someone went into the infirmary and attacked the healed shifters. Savanna and Samori are gone. Kian somehow managed to knock over a tray, alerting the healers to what was happening.” Her throat bobbed as she struggled to keep her voice even. “They suspect if Kian would not have alerted them, all of the healed shifters would be dead.”
Malachi shifted only to wrap an arm around Amory and hold her.
Before Amory started sobbing she managed to get out, “Whoever is doing all of this does not want Dra Skor healed.”
One of Esta’s dragon eyes met mine just before she let out a roar which shattered the glass on the door closest to her, veins of the break traveling up the length of the door. My Enchantment was fighting against my own skin, begging me to somehow help.
But there was nothing I could do. It was already done.
Savanna.
Who would want to hurt her?
“Who the hell would be foolish enough to stand in the way of Dra Skor being healed?” Jagen raged.
“Convenient that our savior was gone again for this attack,” Zaire commented.
Esta blew enough smoke at him that he had to take three steps back.Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why, Zaire? It’s power recognizing power. He is the most powerful Enchanted in Dra Skor right now. Our enemy knows that. Stop trying to blame him for everything! Make yourself useful.
“You are the most powerful Enchanted in Dra Skor,” Zaire was foolish enough to argue.
Not without my army.
She spun and threw her tail out. He had to duck to avoid it, her intent clear.
We were gone for only a few hours,Esta said with another roar.
I knew what she had to be thinking. That if we hadn’t taken a moment to enjoy the sunset, or each other, or watched Krew’s ship fade away onto the horizon, maybe we could have been back here in time. All the what ifs had to be slamming into her right now. As they were to me.
“Your father has gone to tell your aunt,” Amory said softly.
Esta stomped her front foot in anger.
“Does Kian know?” I asked. Both Kian and Savanna were teenagers. And I didn’t know what they were to one another, but I did know they were rarely separated.
She gave me one nod. “He wasn’t done healing and the healers needed to take a better look at his injury. They eventually had to sedate him.”
I closed my eyes for a moment, wishing I somehow could have been there for him. Somehow could have helped. “Esta.” She was tense under the power of her grief and her restlessness. “Go. Go be with your family. The rest of us will figure out the next steps.”
She gave me one look of thanks before launching herself into the sky.
I rolled up my sleeves as I shoved my own grief aside momentarily. “What do we know? Any leads?”
Zaccai stated.No, Your Grace. No leads. The healers came to check on Kian, found the dagger lodged in him close to his heart, and our culprit had already fled.
I looked to Zaccai, the only one in the room who didn’t seem to be in shock. “Can you bring me the dagger?” I paused, not sure how far I was overreaching, but I had to do something to track down who had done this horrifying act. “Can I speak to the healer who found them?”
Zaccai gestured with his head.Get on.
“I’m coming with you,” Amory demanded. She spun to Zaire. “You want to organize some patrols?”
“Of course,” was his curt response.
So we split up. None of us had had the foresight to make sure there were guards in the infirmary. None of us had thought even our culprit could stoop to this level. To hurt and kill the shifters sleeping and finishing healing. Based on everything I had just been told, it seemed there was one weapon, the killer going one body at a time in killing the healed shifters.
I wasn’t foolish enough to think our missing person, the man who threatened and bribed Mikael, was responsible. Our missing lead was likely already dead. The real villain had to be somewhere here, right under our noses. Right in this very castle.
And the more I thought on it, the more I wondered if earlier in the day Krew’s display of power and threats had gotten to whomever it was. Rattled them.
