“Not in the palace gardens themselves,” Queen Rochelle said. “Too much isn’t known about the creatures.”
“It was Brach’s fool notion to get the Cindral Folk to teach us their ways.” Chadrech picked a bit of seaweed from his teeth. “You see where that’s gotten us.”
A muscle moved in Latch’s jaw, but he didn’t respond to the dig. His father, Commander Brach, had used Cindral dragons to transport Watermight across the continent in a bid to conquer the land of Trure. He had taken his armies through Cindral Forest and stolen a large number of the creatures. Latch had worked hard to repair relations with the Cindral Folk in the years since the war, but it was still a touchy subject.
“We’ll find out what’s wrong with the dragons,” Selivia said. “Latch and I are planning to travel to Cindral Forest to ask the Folk for their guidance.”
Queen Rochelle and Prince Chadrech exchanged glances.
“More departures?” The queen tapped a long nail on her dinner knife. “I do not appreciate my guests coming and going as if my palace were an inn.”
“We can’t delay the sealing of the Lightning chasm,” Chadrech said. “Surely this little jaunt can wait.”
“The Cindral Folk might help us understand the Lightning,” Selivia said. “There could be a link between it and the dragons’ behavior. It could lead to a breakthrough.”
Chadrech leaned back from the table, stretching his hands behind his head and tipping his chair onto two legs. “Perhaps I should accompany you then.”
“The trip will be quick.” It took all of Selivia’s willpower not to beg him to stay behind. She’d had quite enough of traveling with Prince Chadrech. “There’s no need to trouble yourself.”
Queen Rochelle raised an eyebrow. “I haven’t given you permission to leave.”
Selivia’s stomach sank. Her first impulse was to fly off on Mav no matter what the queen said, but they needed this alliance. The peace of the continent was still new, and she’d already given up so much to preserve it.
“Your Excellency,” she said. “The Cindral dragons have never acted like this in the five years I’ve known them. They must be lashing out at each other now for a reason.”
“They’re animals,” Prince Chadrech said. “You shouldn’t be surprised when they act according to their nature.”
“This isn’t their nature,” Selivia snapped. Latch nudged her under the table, warning her to moderate her tone. She drew a deep breath. “They’re not just beasts. They’re intelligent individuals with the ability to make their own decisions. There’s a reason behind what happened today. We just need help finding it. Please, allow us to make this trip.”
Queen Rochelle studied her across the table, sipping thoughtfully from a fine clay cup. Chadrech examined his fingernails as if they were the most interesting things in the room. Selivia tried not to fidget. What if the queen never let her leave Sharoth again? Their alliance was important, but Selivia couldn’t stand being trapped here forever.
At last, the queen set down her cup with a decisive thud, and Selivia knew the answer would be no. But before the queen could speak, a knock came at the dining chamber door.
The queen’s steward, Piersha, glided into the room and spoke quietly to Queen Rochelle, then she beckoned to someone waiting in the corridor. A Soolen woman in her thirties entered, wearing soaking wet traveling clothes. The rain never let up for long these days.
“Your Excellency, please forgive my state,” the messenger said. “I have urgent news from the coast.” She looked at the queen’s guests uncertainly.
“You may speak freely here,” Queen Rochelle said.
“Yes, Your Excellency.” The messenger bobbed her head, flinging water onto the pale rose tiles. “There has been an attack three days’ ride to the east. Two large birds set upon a fishing boat and killed one of the fishermen.”
Chadrech sat upright, dropping his chair legs onto the floor with a thud. “Birds?”
“Aye,” the messenger said. “I didn’t see them myself, but I hear they had wingspans as long as a man is tall, and their feathers were gray with flecks of white.”
“Thunderbirds,” Latch said softly.
Selivia shuddered. She remembered the creatures all too well, with their flashing, intelligent eyes and their cruel talons dripping with blood.
“You say these creatures were off the coast of the peninsula?” Chadrech said. “Not on the East Isles?”
“That’s correct, Your Excellency,” the messenger said. “The fishermen came from Coral Harbor.”
If Selivia remembered her Soolen geography correctly, Coral Harbor was a small village on the mainland just north of Thunderbird Island.
“Thank you,” Queen Rochelle said. “You may go.”
The messenger departed, leaving a trail of rainwater on the floor tiles. The queen turned to her guests. “So. The thunderbirds have left Thunderbird Island. That is where these attacks came from, correct?”
“There are a handful of thunderbird colonies in other places,” Chadrech said. “They could be a different group than the ones who killed my men.” He didn’t sound convinced. In fact, he looked ill, and his hands shook on the table. He’d seen the worst the thunderbirds could do. To Selivia’s surprise, guilt surged through her for her uncharitable thoughts about the Crown Prince. She was sorry for what he and his men had endured in that horrid place—especially because it had been Latch’s doing.
“It’s no coincidence,” Queen Rochelle said. “The creatures never attacked humans before all this began. What say you, Lord Latch?”
Latch grimaced. “Both the thunderbirds and the Cindral dragons were exposed to a great deal of Lightning. I suspect these incidents are connected. I don’t know if it’s an injury or if the substance is still active, though.” He paused. “I can’t feel it anymore.”
Queen Rochelle studied him closely for a moment. “Your journey to Cindral Forest is well timed,” she said at last, “if the Cindral Folk do indeed have answers.”
Selivia sat forward. “We can go?”
“You may go,” Queen Rochelle said, “providing Queen Dara remains here. Someone must uphold our bargain.”
“Oh yes,” Selivia said quickly. “She’s not leaving until the job is done.”
She didn’t envy Dara bearing the brunt of the queen’s attention until Siv and Vine returned. She’d be going for runs three times a day before long. Dara was better with direct challenges than the subtle art of maintaining complicated relationships. Once, Selivia had thought charming influential acquaintances was one of her strengths, but Queen Rochelle and her son put her competence to the test.
“Don’t delay your departure,” Queen Rochelle said, as if she hadn’t been about to deny them permission to leave in the first place. “I expect a full report on everything you learn from the Cindral Folk.”
“Yes, Your Excellency,” Latch said. “We’re honored to serve you.”
Selivia echoed the sentiment, putting on her most agreeable smile. This could get them back in the queen’s good graces. Selivia would be a Soolen resident for the rest of her life, and she needed to make the arrangement tolerable.