Chapter 14
CHAPTER 14
E sta stayed in her dragon form, but I could still feel the heat and anger rolling off her.
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.
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 funeral was 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 to gently 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 at that 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 night there 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."
I cocked my head. "Yet you are here. What do you want?"
He opened his mouth. Shut it. Opened it again. "I know she is here."
I said nothing.
"And I understand and know why the queen has called off any more healings for the dragons now. Because Oziel, Morana, and Jagen look suspicious as hell right about now."
I noted the order he put them in but still said nothing.
"I came to ask, beg, crawl, whatever you would like me to do, to heal me."
I again said nothing, this time from surprise.
"I do not know if it was Oziel, Morana, or Jagen. All have proper motivations, and at times, both Morana and Jagen seem suspicious. But I do know that if I had my dragon form back, I could help run patrols. Help end this."
In yet again an absence of my words, Zaire blurted out, "You still don't think it could be me, do you?"
"And do you think it was me ?"
He let out a sigh. "You have been gone for both of the last two attacks. So no. I do not think it is you. Also, why would you kill the very people you just worked to heal?"
My eyes flicked to Dex's and back. "So it is possible for you to think logically."
"Keir. Please. "
I let out a sigh that seemed to come from my very bones. "I am not your king. Ask Esta, but not tonight. She needs to rest."
I moved to head back in, but he stopped me by reaching for me.
Dex moved in to stop him from touching me and he dropped it right away. "Look, I know we have had our differences, but we both want what is best for Dra Skor. Someone is trying to get Esta off the throne, and I want to help prevent that. You heard her. She needs her army back."
I hated to admit that he had a point. "So talk to her tomorrow. One of the others can heal you if she gives the okay."
He shook his head. "It has to be you."
"Why?" Dex blurted out. "That seems suspicious as hell itself."
Zaire held up his hands in surrender before dropping them. "I want it to be you. You are more powerful." He dipped his chin toward Dex. "No offense." He looked me directly in the eyes. "And I want only the best."
"Why are you even asking me this?" I snapped.
"Because I know you have sway with her. She respects what you think."
Dex huffed. "So you want him to manipulate her into changing you back? Right after she gave the order for no more dragon healings?"
"No." Zaire shook his head. "Look, I am sorry for how rude I was to you when you got here. I see now that you are the reason we are healing. The reason Dra Skor has a chance to build back stronger. Dra Skor needs you. And Esta needs her army. Ask anyone in Dra Skor, Malachi and I are the best generals she has. Having both of us back will send a strong message."
And Zaire wanted his dragon form back. His confidence back. "I will speak with her about it in the morning. It will be up to her if she trusts you enough to heal you given everything that has just happened."
Zaire leaned in and lowered his voice. "Just heal me and then send me to my lair or my rooms. No one even has to know I have been healed."
Another spy. A spy in the form of my biggest enemy since stepping foot in Dra Skor?
Zaire put out his hand for me to shake. "Thank you for listening to me, Prince Keiran."
He even used my royal title. I shook my head as I took his hand. "No guarantees, Zaire. I'm still not entirely sure I trust you."
He gave me a nod and a tight smile. "Man to man, I would expect nothing less."
Dex and I watched him leave until he was long gone.
"What the hell just happened?" Dex finally asked.
"I have no idea."