Page 111 of Kingdom of Locks

“He seems entirely satisfactory,” he commented to Felicity.

“Thank you,” said the young queen, struggling heroically to keep in laughter.

Rekavidur straightened. “I have brought a companion, Dannsair. I trust you do not object.”

“Of course not,” Justin commented, looking marginally more relaxed now the dragon had drawn back. He bowed again to the purple dragon. “We are honored by your presence, Dannsair.”

A steward behind Justin cleared his throat nervously, and the king turned to look at him. “Forgive the interruption, Your Majesty, Mighty Beasts,” he said, bowing low. “But it’s almost time for the ceremony to commence.”

Justin turned to speak to the man, and Amell saw Zinnia approach the two dragons. He raised an eyebrow as he watched them all speaking, amazed at how casual she seemed to be. He was even more amazed a moment later, when the yellow dragon turned its head to scan the crowd, its eyes settling on him.

With a few stately steps, the dragon stood before Amell, who bowed low.

“Well met once again, Rekavidur,” he said formally.

“Well met, Prince Amell,” the dragon responded. He swiveled his head slowly, his eyes passing over Aurelia, who was standing with Imelda. “It seems your cloak yielded significant results.”

Amell nodded fervently. “You could say that.”

“I did say it,” said Rekavidur, sounding confused and a little irritated.

“I meant,” Amell amended hastily, “I agree.”

The dragon let out a sigh that smelled faintly of smoke, but said nothing.

“I don’t feel I sufficiently thanked you for your assistance,” Amell said, keeping his voice low. “I haven’t told anyone about your role, except Aurelia, who understands she needs to keep it to herself.”

He waited, but the dragon made no comment, either in thanks for Amell’s discretion, or in acknowledgment that secrecy was necessary.

“But I am grateful,” Amell finished, a little lamely.

“I accept your gratitude,” Rekavidur said placidly. “But it was not for that purpose that I involved myself. It is better to be effective than to be thanked, and sometimes anonymity is the best way to achieve that.”

“Anonymity,” Amell muttered. A sudden, absurd theory seized him. He remembered thinking how easily the dragons could identify and round up the escaped prisoners if they chose, and what a shame it was that his father wasn’t free to ask for their help. “You weren’t behind the anonymous letters my father received, were you? Disclosing the location of fugitives from the prison?”

Rekavidur stared back at him in total silence and stillness. Amell felt his mouth fall open.

“Surely not,” he protested. “I mean, you’re a dragon. You wouldn’t do that. It would be against the agreement. You’d be helping us with a problem created by human magic.”

“Would I?” Rekavidur asked, his face and voice still utterly expressionless.

Amell’s eyes widened. “Are you…are you saying the prison break was caused by,” he lowered his voice until it was barely above a whisper, “bydragonmagic?”

“In point of fact,” the dragon responded calmly, “I am not saying anything. What you are inferring is not within my control.”

Amell swallowed, shaking his head as if to flick off water. “That can’t be what you’re saying,” he said, trying to convince himself more than the dragon. He glanced around to make sure no one was listening. “You just helped me because you hold the agreement loosely. I know that, because you helped me find the clearing. That was Cyfrin’s magic, nothing to do with dragons whatsoever.”

Rekavidur’s silent stare was so intense, it had a weight of its own.

“Was…wasn’t it?” Amell asked helplessly.

“Well met, prince of men,” Rekavidur said calmly. “As I said.”

With that dismissal, he turned, his attention restored to the new parents and their infant prince.

Amell stood as if transformed to stone, his mind exploding with questions. Had he misunderstood that interaction completely? Or had Rekavidur just implied that there had been dragon involvement, not only in the prison break, but in Cyfrin’s schemes?

His shocked eyes passed over the crowd, and fixed on Zinnia, who was looking between him and the yellow dragon with an expression of great strain on her face. As soon as she realized he’d noticed, she looked quickly away.

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