“In the castle?” I asked in surprise.
“No, in our kingdom.” My grandfather grimaced.
“I was hoping for a little more specificity,” I said dryly. “I need an exact location to investigate.”
“We can take you to Master Erlandral,” my grandmother suggested. “He's monitoring the surges in the Vicanesse Mountain Range. It's where he says he senses them most strongly.”
“Sounds like a point of origin to me.” I looked at Everan, who had been suspiciously quiet. “Do you have anything to add?”
“Just a few questions.” Everan looked at my grandfather. “Is this the first incident you've had?”
“Yes.”
“You're certain?”
“I think I'd notice the ground trembling beneath my feet,” King Benalt said irritably.
“I'm not referring to earthquakes alone but any indication of magical imbalance,” Everan clarified. “What about Terraelle? Have they experienced anything odd?”
“Terraelle?” I asked my uncle.
“The nearest city,” he whispered.
My grandfather frowned. “Not that I'm aware of.”
“The mage I sent to evaluate the forge said it was the Earth element that was wild.” Everan crossed his arms over his red velvet tunic.
Yes, I'd worn my dress to match his tunic because that's what royals do when they visit other royals.
“Are you accusing us of something, King Everan?” King Benalt growled.
“Not you, but your element.” Everan leveled his violet stare at my grandfather. “It seems strange to me that an Earth imbalance would begin in the Fire Kingdom.”
“Why would that be strange?” King Benalt shot back. “The God of Earth resides in your kingdom.”
Everan considered this. “True, and if the imbalance originated with Kolltean, it would make sense for it to start in Fire. But if that were the case, don't you think the earthquakes would be occurring in the South instead of here?”
King Benalt made a thoughtful sound. “Perhaps.”
“So, I ask again.” Everan unfolded his arms but kept his stare locked on my grandfather's. “Are you certain there have been no other disturbances?”
“Fetch Commander Fabin,” Nial said to a footman standing at attention near the door.
“The Commander? Why?” King Benalt asked his son.
“If anyone would know about disturbances in Terraelle, it would be Commander Fabin,” Nial explained. “If you'd like to take Amara to meet the mage, you can go ahead without me and I will question the Commander.”
“Commander Fabin would have reported any disturbances to me,” Benalt protested.
“Not if he thought they were minor.”
“Magical imbalances are never minor.”
“He may not have investigated the incidents in the manner that King Everan did,” Nial argued. “Depending on what—if anything—happened, he may have simply dismissed it and never considered that it could be a magical imbalance.”
“Surely not,” my grandmother scoffed.
“I'd like to be certain,” Nial insisted.
