Page 24 of Enchanted Queen
Maybe it was because I was still feeling exhausted, or what I had been wrestling with the past few months, but I found myself saying, “But battles always leave scars.”
Malachi was the one to respond.We all have scars, it is how you wear them which matters. You can let the scar fester and become an open wound once again or conquer it so entirely that it only remains a memory of a time in which you rose again.
I looked into his eyes and found I had no words after that.
You do not appear to have many scars, Prince,the queen added.
Was that actually a compliment? Coming from her? I shot her a playful grin. “Keep looking.”
She did the eyeroll thing again.
“I will get started on this immediately tomorrow, or should I say later today,” I offered.
Amory explained, “We have told the rest of the advisors you are here to mend some tensions between our countries, so you will still have to show up for an hour or two with me at the library each day. Most of them are buying it, since there has been a recent exchange of power in Wylan, but many think you are simply here to spy. You’ll likely meet most of the queen’s top advisors in the coming days.”
I asked, “Will the fact that I know the truth of your Enchantment be an issue? I get that you do not want to give them false hope, I just want my men safe as well.”
“Only if you try to flee in the dead of the night,” Amory responded.
I gave her a shrug. “Well, Iwassleeping in the dead of the night until one of my men woke me.”
“Consider yourself lucky. My Queen wanted to scare you awake,” Amory said, exasperated.
The other two snorted a laugh.
I let my magic flare to warm my skin. I saw all three of them immediately look to the tendrils of power racing up and down my skin. I welcomed that burning tingle. “Our Enchantment works a little like a built-in defense mechanism.” I looked at the queen. “So if you find yourself burnt or knocked on your tail, please know that I tried to warn you.”
Is that supposed to scare me or excite me?the queen asked, unimpressed.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Your choice, Your Grace.”
Amory walked over to Malachi. She wasn’t a tall woman by any means, so I was shocked when she gripped his mane and then pulled herself up onto his back, seated between his massive black wings.
“It has been a long night, and I am ready to sleep now. Morning will be here entirely too soon. Goodnight, Prince Keiran,” Amory said.
“Goodnight.”
As soon as they were gone, I shut the doors and began using my magic on the vials, unable to take not trying it a moment more. As I feared, nothing happened. The blackened water seemed immune to my bright blue magic piercing into it.
How was I supposed to gain their trust enough to go to the lakes to experiment on the water, and even then, how was I going to figure out how to reverse what my father had done?
Only he could continue to leave scars this deep long after his death.
CHAPTER9
“Do you think bonded magic is the key?” John asked me hours later.
I hadn’t ever gone back to bed. I’d stayed up working with the vials. And when I had gotten frustrated, John and Emric had taken over, also trying to will any dark magic or poison out of the water.
I tried to imagine the water clear, will it to be healthy, even picturing a healthy Dra Skor which was free to use its Enchantment again, the land teeming with their land creatures and winged creatures.
I stretched my neck. “I do not know. I hoped not.” I looked at my sound barrier around us to make sure it was still strong. “There is no way in hell I feel even remotely good about having to bring both Krew and Jorah here. It seems barely safe for the queen, who is a dragon. I do not trust them with our king and queen for even a moment.”
“Your magic can combine with Jorah’s though,” John stated.
I let out a long sigh. “And she seems to be regarded well here if they call her ‘The King’s Killer.’ Still, I don’t like it. Let’s do absolutely everything we can before we even hint at it to Jorah.”
Emric made a shooing motion at us. “You two go be delegates; I will keep working with our water.”