“They were fighting,” Lady Nille insisted. “I saw it myself.”
Selivia looked up at Latch. “I have to see what’s wrong. Can you make it back to your rooms alone?”
Latch raised an eyebrow. “I’m not going to collapse just yet.”
“There’s Heath, my lady,” Fenn said. “He’ll explain.”
“Oh! Good.”
The Chief Dragon Rider had just marched through the stone archway from the dragon garden. Dark-silver dragon blood stained his shirt, and he wore an even sterner expression than usual. The Soolen onlookers shied out of his path as he crossed the courtyard.
Selivia waved him over. “What happened, Heath?”
“Hello, Princess. Fenn. Lord Brach.” Heath nodded at the bodyguard and offered Latch a stiff bow. They didn’t know each other well yet. Heath always took a while to warm up to people, and Latch hadn’t exactly been sociable lately. “It’s not good. Althor attacked Laini.”
Selivia gasped. “He wouldn’t!”
“I’m afraid so,” Heath said. “Without provocation. They had quite a scuffle.”
“Is Laini all right?” Fenn asked, concern in her musical voice. She’d ridden Laini often when Selivia was with her true dragon companion Mav.
“She’s wounded,” Heath said. “We patched her up with Watermight for now.”
“But why would Althor attack her?” Selivia said.
“He has been acting aggressive lately.” Heath frowned at the stone archway, where Taklin, another of the dragon riders, was sending away curious onlookers trying to see into the dragon garden. “And Althor’s not the only one. I first noticed some odd behaviors about two weeks ago. I thought the weather was making the dragons irritable. But Althor tried to pick a fight with Boru before going after Laini. That’s not ordinary moodiness.”
“What do you think is causing it?” Latch said. “A disease?”
“Possibly,” Heath said. “We’ve isolated Althor and the others who’ve shown signs of aggression, in case it’s spreading. So far four may be affected.”
“Did this only start after we left Thunderbird Island?” Selivia asked.
Heath grimaced and rested a hand on his Fire cudgel, not quite looking at Latch. “Yes.”
“The Lightning?” Latch said.
Selivia met his eyes, unable to hide the dread spinning through her. “We’ve seen what it can make people do.”
“Could it have spread this far, though?” Latch said. “I haven’t felt it.”
“That doesn’t mean it isn’t out there.” Selivia thought of the huge storm that had just torn through the city and damaged some windows in the Royal Archive. “And you’ve been unconscious a lot lately.”
She didn’t add that Latch might not be the most reliable witness. He hadn’t realized what was happening to him last time either. She stamped down hard on the fears that rose with that thought. She couldn’t lose Latch to the Lightning again.
“We fought through a powerful storm to reach the island,” Heath said. “The Lightning might have injured the dragons then. This could be a delayed effect rather than some kind of active influence.”
“Let’s hope so.” Selivia glanced at the sky, where amber and purple light streaked the clouds. It had been a while since she heard any thunder. “What are we going to do about Althor and the others?”
“I want to send word to Cindral Forest for advice,” Heath said. “They’ve worked with dragons longer than any of us. If this is an illness, they’ll know about it.”
“That’s a good idea,” Latch said. “The Cindral Folk also have an excellent understanding of the dragons’ complicated relationship to the magical substances. Will you go in person?”
Heath hesitated. “That would help, but I . . . have something I need to do first.”
“I’ll go!” Selivia said at once. “Mav can get me there in a few days.” If the Cindral Folk knew about the magical substances, maybe they could help figure out the Lightning problem. Latch’s memory gaps had been a setback. They needed to approach this from a different angle. Excitement bubbled up in her chest at the prospect of an adventure.
“Mav could be affected by these behaviors too,” Fenn said grimly. “Traveling with him may not be safe.”
“Oh, he’s always moody,” Selivia said. “But he’s about as aggressive as a newborn kitten.”
The true dragon had moved out of Sharoth when the Cindral dragons occupied the garden. He didn’t like the coastal city, and he was making a permanent nest in the mountains above it.
“It’d put my mind at ease for you to speak to the Cindral Folk directly,” Heath said. “You know the dragons better than anyone. I’ll write down the specific behaviors I’ve noticed and prepare a letter with questions.”
“Excellent,” Selivia said.
But Latch was shaking his head. “Fenn is right, Sel. I don’t think it’s safe to travel with a dragon right now.”
Selivia shrugged. “Heath thinks it’s fine.”
“Does he.” Latch gave Heath a flat look, and a tense silence passed between them. If Selivia didn’t know better, she’d think Latch was standing a little straighter, as if trying to shrink the height difference between them. He couldn’t be jealous of Heath, could he?
“Just keep a close watch on Mav.” The dragon rider glanced around the courtyard and lowered his voice. “The Cindral dragons can keep each other in check, but a rogue true dragon would be a serious problem.”
“Shouldn’t you go to Cindral Forest yourself then, Heath?” Latch said, his voice a bit terse. “You are the expert.”
“No.” Heath didn’t react to Latch’s hostility. “I’m sure the princess will do a fine job.” He cleared his throat. “I’m sort of . . . busy.”
Latch blinked. “Busy?”
“Heath is going to Pendark with Tamri,” Selivia said.
“Can’t another dragon rider do that?” Latch said.
“No, Tamri needs him,” Selivia said quickly. “I’ll go to Cindral Forest.”
Heath looked at her in surprise, his cheeks turning as red as a soldarberry. She winked. So something was going on between Heath and Tamri. The pair hadn’t spent much time together since arriving in Sharoth, and Selivia had begun to doubt her theory.
“Okay. Right. Good.” Heath patted the dragon blood on his shirt, as if noticing it for the first time, sounding flustered. “I have work to do. I’ll prepare the letter by first light.” He bowed. “Princess. Fenn. Lord Brach.”
He hurried away across the courtyard, dodging the palace guards and Soolen nobles trying to pester him with questions.
Latch watched him go in silence.
“What was that about?” he said at last.
“Heath is in love with Tamri, even if he doesn’t know it yet,” Selivia said. Fenn gave a quiet chuckle. “They have to go together.”
“Oh. I see.” Latch relaxed visibly, and Selivia had to shake her head. He ought to know better than to be jealous of Heath after all they’d been through together. Not that he remembered it.