Page 47 of His Greatest Treasure

It took me a moment longer to realise that Mother’s bond had also risen up, wrapping around me protectively.

For a second, it almost looked like the two bonds were duelling. These strange, magical threads battled against each other and I’d never seen them do that before. Motherneverchallenged Lord Somerville. The closest she’d come was asking him to bring Morgan home.

Six months before, I’d have stayed in my room because I’d been told to. I would never have dared to go and investigate. But I was restless and I was sick of being treated like a child and I needed to move or I’d run outside and see Blaze again.

So I slipped out of my room and crept along the corridors, following the two bonds that led me straight down to Father’s study.

There were spells on the walls and doors to stop sound from getting out, particularly around Father’s study. It would be dangerous for just anyone to hear what the dragon elder was talking about day to day, at least that’s what I assumed.

To be fair, there were spells on all the doors, since dragons had excellent hearing and none of us wanted to be able to hear everything that happened in the whole castle. We’d get too irritated with each other if we had to listen to every conversation everyone had.

Even though I was used to the soundproofing, I felt a flash of annoyance. I could hear Mother’s voice but I couldn’t hear her words. My insides squirmed and the bond we shared flared again, as though she were stepping in front of me to deflect an attack.

I tried to push down the squirming feeling, and concentrated on the bonds. I’d never seen them behave in this way.

Slowly, I crept closer until I heard Father’s voice. He was talking calmly, like he always did. I missed the beginning of his sentence but just about managed to hear him say, “like he should.”

I practically pressed my ear up against the smooth, polished oak of the door to hear Mother reply.

“Please reconsider, Lord Somerville. We could hire the same tutor that we hired last year. He was a respectable, learned man.”

Hearing her phrasing it that way was strange. She meant hire the same tutor that they’d hired for Morgan a year ago. It was just that Morgan had been disowned and we weren’t allowed to speak his name. We shouldn’t even be thinking about him, if truth be told.

Lord Somerville spoke sharply. He sounded impatient.

“He was not satisfactory. He did not draw out the power I wanted.”

“That was not a fault with the tutor.”

“His methods are too slow. It took him over six months to make even the smallest progress. I want faster results. I need to knownowwhat we have in our clan.”

“But nother, please.”

I actually reeled back from the door with a gasp of surprise. Had my mother justpleadedwith Lord Somerville?

“She has the power to identify such magic. We know this.”

“But think of what she did to Alexander! I don’t want her here. I don’t want her near my son.”

Mother’s voice had risen in volume and pitch. She almost didn’t sound likemy mother any longer. She sounded like someone totally alien to me, someone I didn’t really know at all.

Lord Somerville’s voice, though, remained the same. He sounded bored, and it was a jarring contrast to Mother.

“I have already arranged for her tutelage.”

“You can change your mind, Lord Somerville.”

“We have agreed payment already.”

“I’d pay her to leave! Please, don’t let her near Alphonse.”

Me?

She made it sound like I’d be in danger or something, but I couldn’t possibly be in any danger while I was inside the clan’s territory.

There was a long moment of silence inside my father’s office, and I could imagine him retreating away from where my mother stood, distancing himself from her emotional outburst. He’d have that look on his face, the one I’d spooked myself with in the mirror when I looked too cold and distant.

At last, he said, “The arrangements have been made. She is coming here to train my son.”

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