Page 77 of A Kingdom Restored

“So tell me everything about this power you sensed at the attacks,” Merletta said, halfway through the afternoon. “You really think there were merpeople there?”

“I know it seems absurd,” said Heath, “but it’s the only explanation that makes sense.” He patiently repeated every detail of the relevant encounters.

“And you and the prince investigated, but you could find no trace of the attackers in Valoria?” Merletta pressed.

“Lachlan did find something,” Heath corrected.

Merletta listened as he explained about the missing guard uniforms, and their conclusion that someone had paid mercenaries to impersonate royal guards during the attack on Percival.

“We think we may have even identified some of the mercenaries,” Heath told her grimly. “Not that it did us much good. They were all dead.”

“What? How?” Merletta demanded.

Heath sighed. “Various circumstances, no clear evidence of foul play. But we’re pretty convinced they were all poisoned.”

“Poisoned?” repeated Merletta, aghast. She shook her head, her voice dropping to a mutter. “It’s him. It has to be. Poisoning is his preferred method underwater. Why change a winning approach, when it can just be adapted to work on land?”

“You’re talking about the Record Master?” Heath asked sharply. “You think he’s behind the times you were poisoned?”

“I think he’s behind everything,” Merletta said darkly. “I once thought it might have been a conspiracy somewhere in the middle ranks, but…” She shook her head. “You should have seen him at my trial, Heath. He hides it well, because he keeps out of sight. But he’s at the center—the center of the world, as far as he’s concerned. It’s always been all about him.”

Heath’s voice was grim, and he held himself tightly in the saddle. “He might have the power to lead the triple kingdoms to total destruction,” he said. “But in my world, he’s not at the center. If it is him with the king in Arinton, we won’t let him get away with this.”

The horse was topping a small rise, and Merletta drew in a breath at the sight before them.

“Looks like we’ll know one way or the other soon enough,” Heath said. “We’re almost there. That’s Loch Arine.”

“It’s like a mini ocean,” Merletta breathed, her eyes drinking in the view of the long body of water stretching between them and a small town which rose up a hill on the far side. “The town is still a couple of hours away, isn’t it? Will we make it in time?”

“The king’s mysterious correspondent said he would stay for two days,” Heath said, uttering the title with a touch of sarcasm. “I think we’ll make it.”

There were still a few hours before sunset when the group approached the town. The prince and his guards pulled up alongside them as Heath urged his horse up the start of the gentle slope.

“I think it will be best if I speak with my father first,” the prince told Heath. There hadn’t been much opportunity for speech with the closely guarded Prince Lachlan, but Merletta knew that Heath had filled his cousin in on the basic reason for their hasty journey.

“All right,” said Heath. “But I’m not going to risk letting the correspondent get away. If I have to barge in where I’m not wanted in order to stop that, I will.”

The prince frowned at his cousin, keeping his horse abreast of Heath’s with a steady hand.

“I think it’s time you told me why we’re here.” Prince Lachlan’s gaze flicked to Merletta, but he seemed to decide her presence was unavoidable, since he pushed on. “I’ve been frank with you, so you know that I haven’t been able to discover anything concrete about my suspicion that someone unknown to me has been in my father’s ear. Why exactly are you so convinced that my father is in Arinton specifically to meet with this person?”

Merletta could almost feel Heath’s wince from her position behind him. She certainly felt the deep breath he took before speaking.

“I haven’t been as frank with you as you’ve been with me,” he admitted. “Not even close. I know the king is meeting with his correspondent because I saw it happen.”

“You saw my father meet with him in Bryford and didn’t tell me?” Prince Lachlan demanded. “When?”

Heath shook his head. “Not in Bryford. In Arinton. Yesterday morning.”

“But…” The prince trailed off. He was clearly confused, but perhaps it was part of his royal training not to admit he didn’t understand.

“I saw it with my magic,” Heath said bluntly. “I can see things I shouldn’t be able to.” His words tumbled over each other, the dramatic revelation clearly not well rehearsed. “I know you must be wondering why my family always claimed I had no magic to speak of, but they didn’t know.Ididn’t know. It only started a couple years ago. It was Merletta that triggered it, actually.”

“Me?” Merletta asked, startled.

Heath nodded. “When I thought you were dead, I used to see you. It took a long time for me to realize it wasn’t just my imagination.”

“You’re saying...” The prince’s voice sounded hollow. “You’re saying you can watch whoever you want, like the dragons can watch us if they choose? And you’ve been using that to spy on my father?”

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