“I’m burning with curiosity to hear the extreme circumstances that prevented you from informing me about the expedition, Sophia.”
“Sophia had no reason to raise the matter with you,” Elowen said. “You weren’t invited.”
“Because Elowen thought you were training today,” Lady Sophia added quickly.
Elowen sent her friend a swift frown at the amendment, but Lord Bertrand didn’t seem to see it. He waved an airy hand.
“I only trained for an hour or so. No one at the tournament gives me enough competition to require serious training.”
Theo raised an eyebrow. It was a bold declaration given some of the sword work he’d seen from others in the training yard. He was aware that he had been placed in a pool of less skilled swordsmen to make sure he emerged looking capable, but he knew there were other groups with much stiffer competition.
“Perhaps you were misinformed about my activities,” Lord Bertrand told his sister. “But taking Simeon along with you without clearing it with me was too far, Sophia.”
Lady Sophia stared at him. “What do you mean? Simeon didn’t come with us. Why did you think he had?”
Surprise flashed across Lord Bertrand’s face, followed by irritation. “I’ve been unable to find him all day.”
Lady Sophia looked concerned, but she said nothing. Theo saw the way Elowen looked to her friend, as if hoping for a moment of silent communication, but Lady Sophia avoided her eye. Something clearly wasn’t right between them, and Simeon seemed to have something to do with it.
“I was just heading home, Bertrand,” Lady Sophia said. “We can walk together.”
“I’ve just come from there,” said her brother. “I thought I’d see if the princess would like to take a walk with me in the castle gardens.”
“Actually, it’s been a long day, and I’m ready to retire,” Elowen said. She stepped back, as if to take her leave, but was hailed by another young member of King Ronan’s court. The man bustled over, clearly full of news.
“Your Highness!” He bowed deeply to Elowen then, as an afterthought, more stiffly to Theo. “I didn’t see you at the tournament today. I hope you’re well?”
“Did you go to watch the commoners’ pig racing, Erik?” Lord Bertrand said, lazy derision in his voice.
“Yes, I did, and it was very entertaining,” the other young man said, unashamed. “At least until the news came in, theneveryone was too busy talking about that to pay much attention to the pigs.”
“What news?” Elowen demanded.
He turned to her. “There was a huge forest fire not far to the south of here. No one knows how it started, and they’re calling it suspicious. It was enormous, it’s destroyed a whole section of the forest.”
“How terrible!” Elowen said. “Was anyone killed?”
“They don’t know yet. It’s not a very populated area of forest, but there were a few houses destroyed. They’re trying to ascertain whether everyone got out in time.”
A friend of the newcomer called him from across the entranceway, and he quickly bowed before hurrying away.
“Another disaster?” Theo’s eyes met Elowen’s, his own frown reflected on her face. “The tower collapse, the dam failure, the landslide, now a fire.” He lowered his voice. “Have you noticed that all of these disasters are of a type that could generate significant magic?”
“Are you an investigator, Your Highness?” Lord Bertrand sounded amused. “A forest fire surely doesn’t fit that description.”
“If you mean it wouldn’t generate a lot of magic, it could, actually,” Lady Sophia interjected. “The fire isn’t tangible enough for its movement to stir up Dust, but the smoke is. A huge forest fire would no doubt create a vast plume of smoke, which moves constantly and swiftly.”
They all looked at her in surprise, Lord Bertrand’s eyebrow rising toward his hairline. “You seem to know a great deal about the matter, Sophia.”
She just shrugged, her cheeks pink but a hint of defiance in her posture. Her gaze wandered over the entranceway, and her color deepened as she caught sight of an approaching figure. Following her eyes, Theo saw Simeon coming in, looking wearyand dusty as if from travel, his gaze searching the space. When he saw their group, he moved quickly toward them.
“Simeon!” Lord Bertrand scowled at him. “Finally.”
“Apologies, My Lord, I heard you were looking for me,” the servant said, bobbing his head.
“Yes, all day.”
Something flitted across Simeon’s face at the terse words, but Theo didn’t know him well enough to read it.
