Page 10 of The Silver Spider
Chapter Four
Kailigh staredat her youngest daughter, face hard. Her fingers itched to slap someone, and if Cinvarra didn’t start talking, it would be her.
Her youngest child sat demurely, hands folded in her lap, eyes downcast. Kai wouldn’t be falling for that, no she wouldn’t.
“Let’s go over your well-crafted tale again,” Kailigh said. “You came upon a small group of vagabonds in the woods.”
Cinvarra looked up. “Oh, yes. Playing with matches.”
“Playing with matches.”
Maddugh, standing behind her, snarled. Kai reached back and grabbed his wrist. The dragon was furious—flying reptiles, who breathed fire weren’t best equipped to put flames out. They’d had to use a considerable amount of magic to contain the blaze once it finally ate through whatever containment had kept it from spreading.
Nearby Amnan rubbed his fingers, sniffing again. They’d retrieved samples of the soil where Kai recognized the remnants of an odd chemical/magical mix. A mix strongly scented of her missing eldest daughter. Who Cinvarra insisted wasn’t missing, but was simply out hunting.
For an entire day. Despite a forest fire which should have acted as a beacon to bring the girl back home to see what was going on, hunt or no.
“Put her in the dungeon,” Amnan suggested, eyes lidded.
Normally Kai would object to that kind of statement—but this latest mischief was serious. Serephone and Cin were up to something, something that could have killed people. It was more serious than a simple young adult prank. Cin wasn’t yet eighteen, but Sere was drinking age and should know better.
“You wouldn’t!” Cinvarra snapped, her vacuous expression evaporating as she glared at Amnan.
He smiled at her, showing slightly sharpened teeth.
“That’s a promising idea,” Maddugh said. “Children who play games deserve spankings.”
“Mother!”
“Don’t you mother me, girl. You tell me what you and Sere are up to right now, or I drag you to the dungeon myself.”
A rap on the office door and Persia entered, face tight. “I can’t find her, Ma. She’s gone.” She strode to Cinvarra, grabbed her by the front of her blouse. “Where did my twin go, you twaddlewat?”
“You have five seconds to let me go before I—”
“Before you what?”
“Four, three, two—”
Kai pinched the bridge of her nose, wanting to growl herself. “Persia, let her go. If there’s to be any snatching, I’ll do it myself.”
“If I don’t get her first,” Maddugh muttered.
Persia released Cin and spun on her heels, striding to the corner of the room to cool off.
“Cinvarra.”
The girl took her seat, smoothing her skirts. “Serephone went to Seattle.”
Amnan leaped towards the door.
“Wait!” Maddugh roared. “Don’t go off all half-cocked, boy.”
Amnan spun, snarling. “She already has a day’s head start! I don’t have time for any more discussion.” He glared at Cinvarra, expression venomous enough that the younger girl recoiled.
Maddugh’s face was just as steely. “She is my step-daughter. I have contacts in the Seattle Dome. I’ll make inquires. We’ll do this quietly to ensure we don’t reveal her identity to possible enemies. You will stay put and let me handle this. That is an order, Amnan.”
The princeling stared his father down before nodding curtly and leaving the room.
