Page 33 of A Kingdom Restored

He bit his lip, the familiar battle raging inside him. Guilt over keeping his wild speculations to himself pitted against fear of betraying Merletta’s trust.

“I don’t really know how to explain this,” he said carefully, “but I’ve sensed magic that doesn’t feel like any of ours. When Percival was attacked on the road, and when that chimney collapsed on me.”

Bianca stared at him. “You’ve kept that quiet!”

“It’s complicated.” Heath shrugged uncomfortably.

“Did you sense it here?” demanded Brody. “During the fire?”

Heath shook his head. “But it’s still possible it was the same person,” he said, a touch defensively. “Maybe they’d just left by the time Reka and I arrived.”

“But who could it be if it’s not one of us?” Bianca demanded. “Do you have any suspicions?”

Heath hesitated. “None I can prove,” he said evasively.

Guilt licked at his insides again, but he tried to push it down. His speculation about the faint magic that hovered around Merletta and others like her was nothing more than a stray thought. An absurd thought. One he couldn’t voice without revealing the truth of Merletta’s mermaid form. Which he’d promised not to do, he reminded himself unnecessarily.

“Heath isn’t telling us the full story,” said Brody dryly. “How astonishing and unprecedented.”

Outwardly, Heath ignored his cousin. Inwardly, the words sent a fresh wave of guilt shooting through him. It wasn’t as though his cousins could do anything useful with the information, even if they had it, he argued with himself defensively.

“I think I’ll speak to Reka,” he said aloud. “Ask him to reconstruct his memory of the incident. Dragon memory is fascinating. They use their magic to form a perfect recreation of any event they personally witnessed.”

“That does sound interesting,” Bianca acknowledged. “But how will you speak to him? I thought you said he was hiding out near your father’s country manor.”

“He’s got nothing to do,” Heath said absently. “I imagine he won’t mind coming.” He raised his voice slightly, unnecessary though it was. “Reka, do you have a minute? I’m at the site of the fire. Do you mind meeting me here?”

He squinted, focusing on his farsight rather than his normal vision. He could see Reka draped over Heath’s own cliff’s edge. The dragon had raised his head lazily at Heath’s call, and was cocking it to the side. With a sigh, he rolled sideways, straight off the cliff, the fall turning fluidly to flight.

“He’s coming,” Heath told his cousins. “If he flies at full speed, he should be here within half an hour.” He could have just spoken with Reka from a distance, of course. But conversation was more practical and comfortable in person, where possible.

He looked up to find both the twins staring at him.

“What?” he asked defensively.

Bianca shook her head slowly. “I’m not sure you really understand just how incredible your friendship with Rekavidur is.”

Her words sobered Heath at once.

“I do understand,” he assured her. “I really do. I just wish I’d grasped sooner how unlike the rest of his kind he is. Then maybe Merletta wouldn’t be in such a disastrous situation.”

“Merletta?” Brody repeated. “You mean Percival?”

Heath shook his head. “Percival’s situation is disastrous as well,” he acknowledged. “But it has nothing to do with the dragons.”

“What mess is Merletta in?” Bianca demanded. “Is that why she left so suddenly to go home, after you’d claimed she only came here to escape some threat where she’s from?”

“Yes, in a nutshell,” Heath sighed.

“What do the dragons have to do with it?” Brody pressed.

Heath rolled his shoulders uncomfortably. “It’s difficult to explain,” he hedged.At least, difficult to explain without saying too much, he amended in his mind. “But the dragons sort of want to…well, kill her.”

“What?” Bianca was clearly horrified. “Heath, just how many people are you trying to save from violent death by sheer determination?”

Heath grimaced by way of answer.

“Look, I have nothing against Merletta,” said Brody curtly. “Although frankly, I don’t want to get mixed up in whatever conflict she has with the dragons. And I don’t feel a responsibility to keep her safe. But you clearly do, and I don’t see how you can possibly focus on Percival’s situation if your loyalties are divided. If you let us get him safely out of the kingdom, then you can focus on—”

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