Page 36 of Enchanted Crown
But that meant they had to be in that war room or heard about it promptly following.
When the head healer brought out the weapon, Amory let out a gasp.
“What?” I asked.
“That is a Mallick family weapon,” Amory stated. “Esta will need to see this.”
“So the killer was sending a message?”
The healer spoke up. “It is likely the dagger was not meant to be left behind, Prince Keiran. I saw the body running away myself, one arm and leg of average height and build the only thing I saw. I was too late.”
I reached out to touch her arm. “This was not your fault.”
“We need to show Esta this,” Amory urged.
“May I clean it up first?” the healer asked kindly. “The Mallick family does not need to be reminded of what they have lost today.”
But what if it was someone in the Mallick family doing this? That brought my suspect list down significantly. Morana, Oziel, their father Lennix, and Jagen. All of whom I currently wanted apprehended and interrogated. I supposed Lennix was out if he was too weak, though he could be pulling the strings behind the scenes. And Oziel was rarely at the castle. So if I had to narrow it to two, I was betting Morana and Jagen were our top suspects.
Whatever had set our culprit off today may have made them slip up and make this mistake. It was time to unmask our traitor.
I trusted none of the four. And wouldn’t allow them near Esta.
The double funeralwas a sight I never wanted to see again in my lifetime. The shifters were in their human bodies when they died, so at least I did not have to smell burnt dragon, but looking out over all of Dra Skor, I hated to see not one, but two pyres.
Kian was a wreck, still weak and would have to go back to sleep to rest longer. He remembered nothing from the attack, just remembered jolting awake in pain. Had he not, we could have very well been standing in front of seven pyres. I tried togently remind him of that this morning, but he had lost his friend, so I wasn’t sure it had helped or even sunk in. He couldn’t do much around his grief and no one blamed him for a second.
My magic was hard to contain all morning. My own emotions and Esta’s warring for position. None of this was fair. I had healed seven shifters just for two to be brutally murdered while they recovered.
Esta stood next to her father, her nana present and on the other side of him. Three generations of Mallicks present for the funeral of one of their own.
Esta said loud and clear, “We say goodbye to our fellow brother and sister today.” She paused and looked in my direction. I didn’t know what she needed from me, but she could take it, whatever it was. “Samori Singh and Savanna Van Kaar. Peace you have found. Death into Zion, Samori and Savanna.” Her voice cracked. “You will be missed. May you light our way home.”
All of Dra Skor, myself included, pounded our fists over our heart twice.
As the stomping started up, signaling the lighting of the pyres, I found myself glad. Not because I didn’t want to celebrate this, but because this had been a hard day.
Esta’s aunt Amaya was inconsolable. I wasn’t sure if a person could die from a broken heart, but if so, Amaya might not make it through this.
And seeing Esta’s nana, such a strong woman, lose it was enough to send me over the edge.
Esta shifted and launched into the sky as the stomping grew louder and louder. And then with a roar which was beautifully horrific in both power and anguish, the pyres were lit.
Just as we were all about to leave to head back to the castle, Esta’s grandmother marched over to her uncle Lennix. I didn’t know what was said, but it appeared from the distance I was atthat Nana Mallick held the dagger which had killed Samori to Lennix’s throat.
I would figure this out, find who was responsible, but not this day. This day it didn’t matter. Savanna and Samori were already gone.
Late that nightthere was a knock on my door. I was immediately irate. Esta had finally fallen asleep in my bed, and I didn’t want anyone to wake her for at least eight hours. She’d barely slept since losing her cousin.
I opened it a crack to find Zaire. Of all damn people.
“He won’t leave,” Dex whispered to me. “Sorry.”
I didn’t bother to find a shirt as I moved into the hallway and stood with my door at my back. If Zaire was requesting an audience with the queen right now, he had another thing coming. Esta was exhausted and angry. And so sad it was killing me.
“What?” I snapped. “It has been a hard enough day for all of us, don’t you think?”
“I—Yes.”
