Page 67 of Kingdom of Feathers

Enough with this, Conan,Lyall cut in wearily.King Basil had nothing to do with Wren’s accident. Bram was following him, remember? He was completely unaware of what was happening, and when he found out, he paced his room for an hour.

So Bram claims,scoffed Conan, clearly unwilling to see reason where Basil was concerned.Even if that’s true, there’s still what he did to Caleb. When we’re free I’m going to make that worm answer for it. Iknewhe came here to do us a mischief! Probably wanted to finish the job.

That’s not fair,snapped Wren, knowing there was no point engaging, but unable to stay silent when Basil was so wrongly attacked.What happened to Caleb wasn’t Basil’s fault.

Or yours,interjected Caleb firmly, clearly guessing her thoughts.No one bears any blame for this except the evil madwoman who cursed us.

Is that true, though?Averett mused.If Wren is right, and that enchantment was too great for her power, maybe someone elsewasinvolved. Someone who’s still alive, and possibly still working against us.

So you believe Basil and me, Averett?Wren pressed eagerly.

Averett rolled his sleek head thoughtfully.I’m starting to see that something doesn’t add up.

At this defection by his one ally, Conan made a noise of disgust and broke away from the group, taking to the air, presumably to let out his frustration in a good long fly.

And the attack on you has made me nervous, Averett continued, ignoring his brother’s departure completely.Someone was behind it, and it terrifies me to think that it might be the same someone who was willing to kill us all.

Wren nodded, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. It was another fear that haunted her every day. There’d been no sign of further attack, but that didn’t reassure her. With her father’s attitude toward Basil unchanged, she’d been unwilling to insist that her near drowning hadn’t been an accident. But she’d made some discreet inquiries, with the help of Lady Anneliese, who’d proven herself delightfully willing to ask questionsforWren, without asking questionsofWren.

Based on Lady Anneliese’s innocent inquiries of her suitor, the ability to control plants was quite a specific type of magic, one which none of Myst’s resident enchanters were known to have. Sir Gelding’s power, Wren had already discovered, had nothing to do with plants.

She wondered if there were any such magic-users in Tola, but asking Basil that question would require communicating with him, which Wren was too terrified to do. What if some look or gesture of hers was the final piece he needed to solve the puzzle of her swans?

Well, Lyall sighed, the sound coming out as a soft bugle.Without any resources behind us, it’s hard to see how we can effectively investigate the incident.

Wren sighed as well. He was right, and they all knew it. So now they were all just waiting, waiting, waiting. Two more weeks, and everything would become much simpler.

Lyall wandered off, followed by Averett, back to the pond to forage for some food. Wren looked down at Caleb, stuck at her side until she helped him down.

I understand why you miss him, Caleb told her softly.He treats you like a real person. Like a normal person. I like him for it, and I hate that his perceptiveness is forcing you to distance yourself from him.He leaned forward and nipped her sleeve affectionately.But it’s not for much longer.

Wren gave him a weak smile. She didn’t say as much, but she had little hope of being able to continue her friendship with the Entolian king. She knew how much his lack of progress had frustrated Basil before she’d cut him off from continuing their investigation. Now that he didn’t even have that, she couldn’t see him sticking around in Myst for two more weeks. She was honestly amazed he’d already stayed an extra fortnight since she flew at him and made a fool of herself.

A sudden shadow overheard made both her and Caleb look up, and Wren felt her mouth fall open in astonishment at the unexpected sight of a dragon flying low over the castle. Another shape followed, scales glittering in the sunshine. Two dragons!

Wren stood abruptly, breaking her contact with Caleb. She took a step toward the castle, then remembered that he needed her assistance to get down from the bench. She leaned down hurriedly, lifting him bodily with a grunt.

I’m too heavy for you, he protested.

No you’re not, she contradicted cheerfully.Not for a short distance.Just as she deposited him in the water, a series of flapping splashes alerted her to Bram’s arrival. He landed on the water, swimming swiftly to meet her.

Wren kept one hand on Caleb’s side, and placed the other against Bram.

Two dragons have just landed in front of the castle!he announced eagerly.I was watching King Basil as usual, and I saw them! He ran straight out to watch them land, but I thought I’d better tell you before following him.

Thanks for the thought, answered Wren.We saw them fly overhead.She fixed Bram with a hard stare.Now stay here.

But—!

She cut off his protest.It’s too dangerous for you to be near Basil. Or anyone else who might figure out who you are, whichdefinitelyincludes dragons. I’ll check it out and let you know what I find out.

Bram rustled his feathers in agitation, but Wren didn’t stay to argue. Picking up her skirts, she ran toward the entrance into the castle, her attendant guards following at a smart trot. The palpable excitement in the corridors showed how quickly news of the dragons’ visit had spread.

Wren hurried through the bustle, eager not to miss whatever greetings her parents might be exchanging with the unexpected visitors. Mistra was perfectly friendly with their draconic neighbors, but actual visits to the castle were rare. Although the beasts flew overhead frequently, shedding their magic, Wren had only seen one up close a handful of times in her life.

When she reached the castle’s huge front doors, she had to push her way through the gathered throng of servants to get outside. After a short while, her guards became impatient of the chaos, and one of them barked out an order. Once the crowd realized it was their princess trying to elbow her way through, they parted quickly.

Wren emerged into the afternoon sunshine, blinking at the impressive sight before her.

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