Page 110 of Kingdom of Locks

“Ask Tora,” said Amell dryly. “I’m sure she’d love to tell you all the embarrassing details of her campaign.”

Zinnia grinned. “I think I’ll do just that,” she said, taking a step away.

“Hang on,” Amell stopped her. “Before you go…I was hoping Basil might be here, but since he’s not, I’ll ask you.”

She tilted her head questioningly.

Amell glanced around and lowered his voice. “Has he made any progress on his inquiries regarding the idea of a conspiracy of magic-users targeting the crowns?”

To Amell’s surprise, a wary look instantly came over Zinnia’s face.

“He’s been focused on other things. It hasn’t even been four months since his wedding.”

“Oh, of course,” Amell said quickly. “I meant no criticism. I just wanted to check in. I’ve made inquiries, and I’m pretty confident in our Enchanters’ Guild. I spoke with Justin about it, too, and he says the same. If there’s a group of enchanters collaborating for mischief, I think they’re probably operating outside of any official guild.”

Zinnia said nothing.

“I’ve even wondered if the prison break could be connected to it all,” Amell went on. “The power definitely came from outside the prison, and we never identified who was behind it. It makes us all very uneasy, to be honest.”

“Were they all caught in the end?” Zinnia asked, her tone stilted.

Amell shook his head regretfully. “Most of them were tracked down, either in the initial hunt, or through the anonymous tips my father received. But there are three still out there. They seem to have completely slipped through the net, unfortunately. I think wherever they are, they’re smart enough to keep their heads down.”

Zinnia bit her lip, looking troubled, but making no comment.

“What do you think?” Amell asked, his curiosity roused by her manner. “Do you think there’s a broader conspiracy going on across the kingdoms? Or is there some other explanation for the excessive amount of power some of the attackers seem to have used?”

Zinnia opened her mouth, then closed it again, a look of great frustration crossing her features. She drew a deep breath, and gave her head a little shake.

“It’s not for me to say,” she said lightly. “It was good speaking with you, Amell. I’m very happy for you and your princess.”

And with that, she moved toward Tora, her steps a little too swift.

Amell frowned after her, his mind full of questions. Something was definitely off with the confident, outspoken Zinnia. Her expression when he’d asked for her opinion struck a chord of memory in his mind, and it took him a moment to place it. Suddenly it hit him—it was like a reflection of his own frustration when he’d been hampered from telling anyone about Aurelia and Imelda.

He drew in a sharp breath. Was it possible that Zinnia had stumbled on some secret of her own, and been exposed to this strange new form of concealment magic that stopped the tongue? It seemed possible—Amell knew he hadn’t been the first one to be affected by it, so he shouldn’t assume he’d be the last.

But as he watched her chatting cheerfully with Tora and Furn, he couldn’t help questioning his guess. It was a bit of a stretch, based on a few strange looks.

A sudden shadow overhead made Amell look up, and a moment later the rosebushes were temporarily flattened in a rush of wind. Two enormous shapes descended, purple and yellow scales flashing in the sunshine as the dragons touched down next to a fountain in an open area of grass.

“Rekavidur!”

“Reka? Dannsair?”

Amell didn’t need either Felicity’s cry of delight or Zinnia’s quieter exclamation to recognize the two dragons he’d met in the forest near the prison. He’d wondered if any of the magical creatures would attend the baby prince’s dedication.

“Greetings, Mighty Beasts,” King Justin said gravely, bowing to the two dragons.

“Greetings, king of men,” said Rekavidur and Dannsair in unison.

The yellow dragon’s eyes passed to the young queen. “Greetings, Felicity,” he said in his gravelly voice. “I was pleased to receive your invitation.” He snaked his head down until it was inches from the child now nestled in Felicity’s arms. “Is this your offspring?”

“Yes, this is little Julian,” she said happily. Amell noticed that Justin looked a little more tense at the proximity between the baby and the dragon’s razor-sharp teeth.

Rekavidur gave a long sniff, his orb-like eyes settled on the child. With a sudden gurgle, little Prince Julian flung his pudgy arm out, grabbing at the dragon’s snout.

Several people audibly gasped, and Justin’s arms twitched, but Rekavidur just wrinkled his nose firmly, dislodging the child’s grip.

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