“Your Majesty!” Elias gripped his shoulders and helped him stand. The king wobbled. Elias led him to Gerard, who lay waiting on the ground.

  “Climb up, Your Majesty.”

  The king climbed into the harness, his movements shaky.

  Elias got in behind him. Thankfully the harness had been designed to hold up to three people. He strapped both of them in. It did not go unnoticed to Elias that the king had yet to speak.

  What was that magic that had hit him? What did it do to him? Elias had never seen that strange pale light before. Could it have belonged to those robed figures?

  “We’re ready!” Elias yelled.

  Gerard took to the skies. They flew straight towards the monastery. But as they flew, Elias spotted the three strange robed and masked figures amongst the trees.

  It’s them.

  Elias sat up. He lifted his hands and signed, dragging up the last dregs of the magic still in his body. He gritted his teeth. He screamed as he flicked his fingers down. Lightning zigzagged. It struck them.

  Elias did not wish to kill them. They needed to be interrogated. After all, he did not know who they were or what their part was in all this plotting.

  But Elias and Gerard had to get the king to the monastery. Saving him was their top priority. And he did not want these people getting away or attacking anyone else.

  So Elias pulled on every last drop of energy he had left. He let it all flow and watched them collapse. But still, he kept pouring out his lightning, until he felt like he would pass out, until he was certain they were dead.

  We’ll collect their bodies. Hopefully we can learn something from their corpses.

  Elias closed his eyes as they flew. He sagged in the harness, the exhaustion too much.

  In a handful of minutes, they landed in the courtyard at the White Monastery. A crowd had gathered. Elias had never seen the courtyard so full. But the dignitaries, nobles, ambassadors, and everyone else edged back, giving Gerard space to land.

  Gerard’s siblings ran towards them.

  But Elias’s gaze fixed on one specific individual amongst the crowd. “Grand Healer!” Elias shouted. “The king needs your help!”

  Chapter

  Sixty-Three

  Elias undid the straps holding him and the king in place.

  “Father, what happened?” Konrad asked. When the king didn’t respond, Konrad frowned and looked at Elias.

  “There was an attack.” Elias climbed down from Gerard’s back. “Your father was injured.” He held out his hand to the king.

  The king took it and descended. He still did not speak.

  A servant brought a robe that fit the king properly. Senta removed Elias’s ill-fitting coat and replaced it with the robe. The grand healer stepped towards King Alaric and gazed into his face.

  “He was hit by … strange magic, and he fell from the sky,” Elias said.

  “Strange magic?” Konrad asked. “What strange magic?”

  The grand healer touched the king’s cheeks, gazing into his eyes. Senta removed the harness from Gerard, who immediately shifted.

  “It was like a pale light. I’ve never seen anything like it before,” Elias explained.

  A servant handed Gerard a robe, which he tugged on. Konrad, Gerard, Senta, and Luther crowded around the grand healer as she examined the king.

  The grand healer glanced at them. “Please, Your Highnesses, will you give me space so I can attend to him properly.”

  They stepped back whilst continuing to watch the grand healer at work.

  Elias glanced around, searching the crowd. But he couldn’t see the one person he was looking for. “Has anyone seen Colette?” He remembered passing her empty room. His fingers clenched. Where was she?

  “She’s fine, Elias. You don’t have to worry about her,” Senta said.

  “Really?”

  Senta nodded. “It’s thanks to her I’m alive.”

  “What?”

  “I ran into her as I headed towards our rooms. We went in together,” Senta said. “It was clearly meant to be an ambush. But when they attacked me, she unleashed a massive lightning storm.” She laughed. “Together, we were able to take out our assailants.”

  “What?” Elias looked around. “But where is she now?”

  “Resting. She overdid it a bit.” Senta studied Elias. “She is a lot more powerful than I was led to believe.”

  Elias didn’t respond to that. “But is she okay?”

  “She is. A healer saw her, and now she is in bed, sleeping. Juniper is watching over her.” Senta’s lips quirked. “Colette hit me a little with the lightning. But just a bit. She killed all those she was actually aiming for.”

  Elias let out a breath. Actually, it was lucky that Colette had not accidentally killed herself and Senta.

  “Prince Elias.”

  Elias turned towards the voice. The grand monk and grand shield walked towards him.

  “I am sorry to bother you after what it appears was a great ordeal.” The grand monk’s grey brows drew together. “But can you please explain what happened. Provide as much detail as you can.”

  The grand shield took Elias’s arm in a gentle but firm grip. She guided Elias away to a less chaotic part of the courtyard.

  Elias wanted to protest. He wanted to remain with Gerard, his siblings, and the king. But obviously somebody had to tell the grand monk what had occurred. And he supposed it made sense for that person to be him.

  He launched into his tale, trying not to leave out any details. He kept glancing at Gerard as he spoke. But Gerard didn’t look back; he was too focused on his father. A few others gathered to hear Elias talk, including Lord Barrett Morton and Prince Ash Rosewood.

  “Queen Consort Adelina is still at the tower now. We shackled her to a pole. Someone will need to go and retrieve her.” Elias paused. “She needs to be questioned. She knows vital information that may assist in understanding what has occurred.”

  “I will lead the warrior doves to capture her and bring her back.” The grand shield wrapped her fingers around the hilt of her sword.

  “I’ll accompany you.” Lord Barrett Morton stepped forward.

  The grand shield smiled thinly. “Thank you, but that will not be necessary, Your Lordship.”

  “Unfortunately I think it is. Despite her crimes, she is still, at least for the moment, the queen consort of Draconia. Someone from Draconia should see to her capture and ensure she is treated as her rank demands.” He glanced at the king and his older children. “And I do not believe anyone else is available.”

  The grand shield exhaled but nodded. Apparently, she did not wish to be the cause of a political incident.

  “And others will need to collect the bodies from where the battle occurred,” Elias said to the grand monk. “There were three figures, dressed in grey robes and wearing black masks. I believe their identities are extremely important to uncovering all those involved in the plot.”

  The grand monk inclined his head. “I will organise their collection.”

  “Please inform me as soon as they are brought back. I would like to examine them,” Elias said.

  “Of course, Your Highness,” the grand monk said.

  “There may also be soldiers and sorcerers alive,” Elias said. “I would take individuals ready to fight.”

  The grand shield and grand monk nodded.

  Elias wished he could go with them. He wanted to see the bodies as soon as possible. But there was still so much to do here.

  He glanced at Gerard, who was with his father and siblings. The king now sat on a stool as the grand healer examined him.

  “And, Prince Elias, you mentioned that you fought tonight.” The grand monk steepled his fingers. “It was my understanding that you did not have that ability.”

  Elias straightened. “I am a lightning archmage. As you no doubt are aware, we keep our identities secret.”

  The people gathered around began to murmur. And with that, Elias’s identity was no longer a secret. He did not know how he felt about that.

  “I see.” The grand monk paused for a moment. “It must have been quite a shock for your enemies to realise what a powerful sorcerer you were. It thwarted everyone’s plans.”

  Elias nodded but kept glancing at Gerard, who still did not look at Elias. He wasn’t necessarily avoiding Elias. He was just busy with his father.

  But now that the fighting had passed, Elias wondered where they stood. They’d come together to stand and fight against a mutual enemy. But what now?

  Maybe all Gerard’s doubts and hurts regarding Elias had returned now that the adrenaline and threat of imminent death had disappeared. He’d not wanted anything to do with Elias earlier. Did he still feel that way?

  Chapter

  Sixty-Four

  Elias stared at Gerard, willing him to turn around and look at him. Any look. Some sort of sign to give him a hint of where they stood. But Gerard just kept watching his father with the grand healer.

  “Well, I am glad you, Prince Gerard, and King Alaric survived. You fought bravely, Prince Elias,” the grand monk said. “Today could have been a dark day if you had not.”

  Elias reluctantly tore his gaze from Gerard. “I am glad to be of help, Grand Monk.”

  “And you have been injured.” The grand monk’s eyes fixed on Elias’s forehead and then his shoulder. He glanced at one of the healer doves. “Healer Hawes, can you attend to him?”

  The healer stepped forward. “Of course.”

  “In a moment.” Elias turned and took a step in the direction where Gerard and his family had been with the grand healer seconds ago. He frowned. They were all gone. Now there was just an empty stool.

  He looked out over the crowd still milling around. He could not see Gerard anywhere.

  “It would be best if you are seen to immediately,” the grand monk said. “In case any of your injuries are serious.”

  Reluctantly, Elias nodded.

  Several minutes later, he strolled down the corridors. Dawn had yet to arrive. Guards, nobles, royals, and monks passed him. Several tried to stop him to talk. But Elias had a duty to attend to.

  He wanted to go and find Gerard. But before that, he’d need to deal with his own father. And Elias did not think sharing the occurrences of the night with him would be easy.

  He rubbed a hand over his face.

  What will happen now?

  Elias and Gerard had survived the night. But everything had dissolved into disorder. Draconians had betrayed Draconia. Voltarians had betrayed Voltaria. Zephyrias had turned against Voltaria.

  At least when there had been a war with the dragons, one knew who one’s enemy was!

  And tonight the dragon king had been hurt. What would happen if he had been severely injured? He’d seemed … okay. But not well. What would be the fallout from that?

  Something also niggled at the back of Elias’s mind. There was far too much chaos in all this.

  The plotting of Empress Emmeline appeared to have nothing to do with the plotting of Warden Flint of the Grey Mountains or Princess Lantana of Botanial. And yet it seemed far too coincidental that all these separate plots were being enacted here at the peace assembly.

  And there were others involved too. Those robed figures. He hoped he’d find out more about them when their corpses were brought to the monastery.

  Elias’s feet dragged as he walked. He struggled to see how the peace treaty could be salvaged now. Peace had seemed so fragile before. How could it survive such a blow?

  He reached the apartments for the royal family of Voltaria and Zephyrias. He supposed it was just the quarters for his father now that the empress and his half-siblings were dead and Elias and Colette had left.

  The guards opened the doors. Elias entered and walked down the hallway, steeling himself for the conversation he dreaded having. But thankfully, Elias did not have to be the one to break the news to his father.

  The emperor sat sobbing at an empty table.

  One of the Voltarian councillors stood beside him. “I am sorry, Your Majesty, to be the bearer of such wretched news.” Councillor Everdeen clasped her hands behind her.

  Elias could not believe that the news had already reached his father. But he supposed Elias had spent several minutes being tended to by the healer.

  The councillor looked up at Elias as he approached. Councillor Everdeen had of course pandered and bent to the empress’s will. But despite that, she’d always seemed to want what was best for Voltaria. And she hadn’t been involved in tonight’s betrayal. As far as Elias knew.

  The emperor shook his head. “It can’t be true!” he cried. “She can’t be dead!”

  The councillor looked to Elias.

  “Thank you, Councillor Everdeen,” Elias said. “I’ll take it from here.”

  She bowed and left.

  “I am sorry, Father.” Elias stepped forward, struggling to find the words. However, he did not have the energy to try to sugar-coat it. So he just said the truth. “Empress Emmeline, Beau, and Anais dead. I saw them die myself.”

  Elias left out the part where he had been the one to kill them. Of course, his father would eventually find out. But Elias didn’t need to say it now.

  The king wailed.

  Elias’s chest tightened. Because even though the man had let him down over and over throughout his life, the sight of his father crying with despair gripped his heart.

  “Councillor Everdeen said Emmeline was a traitor and that she and Anais and Beau tried to kill you.” Tears streamed down the emperor’s cheeks. “But that can’t be true! That cannot be possible!” He looked at Elias, as if begging him to refute the report.

  “Unfortunately it is true,” Elias said, trying to keep his voice calm. “I promise you, Father. I was kidnapped by the empress. I was bound. There is no misunderstanding that. She planned to kill me. She told me so herself.” He paused. “She tortured me.”

  “No!” The king banged his fists on the table.

  Elias flinched.

  “No! She would not do that. Emmeline was loving and kind and wonderful! You are wrong!”

  “She hated me!” Elias said. “Always has. Even since I was a nine-year-old boy. And today she and Anaias and Beau tried to kill me.”

  “You just didn’t accept her,” his father said, voice hoarse. “She never was anything but a loving mother to you.” His voice echoed in the small dining chamber. “You’re a liar!”

  Elias reeled back as if slapped. He pressed his lips together. He wanted to shout. He wanted to yell at his father about the empress’s plans to grind Voltaria into the dust.

  Furthermore, he wanted to point out how the emperor had failed in his duty to protect and care for Voltaria. And his son.

  His father gripped his shaking head in his hands, bending low. He tugged on the white strands. “It must be a mistake. You have misunderstood. She, Anais, and Beau are alive and well and have done nothing wrong.”

  Elias turned and stared out the window. The dark sky had started to lighten. “She also confessed that she ordered Mother’s murder so she could marry and control you,” Elias said, voice flat. “And today she told me she planned to murder you too. She said she was weary of you.”

  A garbled noise escaped his father. “Lies! You’re a liar! A liar!”

  Elias didn’t look at him. Perhaps he should have been kinder. Perhaps he should have been softer in revealing to his father what had occurred. After all, he’d just lost a wife and two children today.

  However, at that moment, Elias could not care for a man who’d showed so little care for him. Elias had been kidnapped and tortured by the emperor’s wife and children. Blood, wounds, bruises, and grime covered him. And his father had shown not a slip of concern for him.

  The emperor sobbed and wailed and shook. “You’re a liar! You never accepted her! You never loved her as she loved you! You were jealous of her!”

  Elias had heard enough. He’d done his duty. He’d told his father what had occurred. Without saying another word, he turned and walked away.

  Right now, his father’s world was collapsing. Some might think that Elias should be there for him as a good and loyal son. But when Elias’s own world had collapsed after his mother’s death, his father had been too busy falling in love with his mother’s murderer to be there for Elias.

  So Elias just kept walking. He’d give his father the same support and love that his father had always given him.

  In the days to come, more of the story would come out amongst the public. His father would find it harder to deny the truth. But Elias could not find it in him to care.

  His father’s wailing followed Elias as he approached the doors, leaving the quarters for the royal family of the combined Kingdoms of Voltaria and Zephyrias.

  Part of Elias thought he should feel bad. But as the doors closed behind him, muffling his father’s cries, all Elias wanted was Gerard.

  Chapter

  Sixty-Five

  “It is an unusual injury. But I believe he will be all right,” Grand Healer Eveline said softly.

  Gerard and his siblings exhaled. Juniper squeezed Senta’s shoulder.

  “I concur.” Healer Doran, King Alaric’s personal healer, stepped forward. “He has already improved greatly in the short time since he arrived. If he continues in this manner, I have no doubt that King Alaric will recover completely.”

  My father is okay. The kingdom is secure.

  Gerard did not want to ponder what would have happened if his father had died tonight. The loss of his father would have no doubt taken a huge emotional toll on Gerard.

  But their father was also the king. The impact of losing him on Draconia would be immense. And if he died, Konrad would become ruler. History had taught Gerard that such a transition of power could be tumultuous. Plus, the dragon king dying during the peace assembly would create further complications.

  But he is alive. That is one problem we do not need to deal with.

  And they currently had more than enough problems that needed dealing with. The grand healer and Healer Doran stood by their father’s bedside. Although, the bed was only newly assigned to King Alaric.