Page 78 of Knightfall
“That’s true.”
Avia pulled a pin out of her dress and threw it at me. “You’re not supposed to agree! You’re supposed to reassure me.”
I shrugged. “Sorry. Connor’s the one who’s good at that.”
She sighed. “You’re right. How are the two of you?”
“Same.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Me too.”
We were sharing a sisterly moment, that Ryan was studiously trying to ignore, when Declan barged in. “Did you hear?”
Everyone turned to face him. He shut the door and looked around surreptitiously. “Wyle tested the water and the land samples you brought back. Neither are contaminated with sulfur or sulfate salts. That’s not what’s killing the cattle. It’s dragon’s breath.”
The air was sucked out of the room.
Everyone became a statue.
“The beast …” I whispered. “The one I heard they’re sending after Avia …”
This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening, I told myself.
What’s happening?
I didn’t bother to respond to Quinn as I made my way to the bed and sat. Memories swirled through my head. Memories of shadows cast by huge wings. Of air so hot it hurt to walk outside. I gulped. Lewart, my birth father, ran through my thoughts. The hazel eyes I’d inherited had been his.
Sard. Sard. Sard.
Avia came to clutch at my hand. “It’s not going to happen, Bloss. It’s not going to happen to you.”
“What’s not going to happen?”
Avia’s mouth struggled with the geas. I’m not sure how she did it, but she managed to say, “Knight Lewart.”
Ryan and Declan exchanged a glance.
“Your father?” Declan looked at me.
I nodded.
“He passed during the last Fire War,” Ryan stated.
Again, I nodded.
“He and his team were cut down—”
I started to shake my head but the geas froze me.
Luckily Declan saw. “They weren’t cut down?” He turned to Ryan. “Tell me everything you know about what happened. She can’t talk again. Must be related to her magic.”
“Knight Lewart was the dragon-charmer. That’s what they called him. He could tame the wild beasts. It’s why everyone believed it when Queen Gela said Bloss had gone dragon-hunting. She’s his birth daughter. Everyone assumed she could charm the beasts as well.”
There was a long, pregnant pause.
Declan turned to stare me in the eyes. “Did you inherit your father’s power, Bloss?”
