“Just because someone is following a schedule doesn't mean they can't make time to plant an explosive.”
“But the guards didn't see anyone.”
“There are no alchemical agents to render a person invisible, but there could be a magic spell.”
“So an alchemist and a magic-user working together?”
I nodded. “Or one of them buying a spell or explosive from the other.”
“Damn it all! For that matter, it could be a random person who purchased the spell and the explosive.” He started up the stairs.
I followed. “If it were a horn, they wouldn't need a spell.”
“But the other horns on duty would have seen them planting the device.”
“I disagree. You have horns posted at intervals along the walls. Late at night, they're all focused outside the walls. They wouldn't have been paying much attention to each other.”
The King grimaced. “It's possible, I suppose.”
“Is Commander Ronru investigating the guards on duty that night?”
“I haven't given that order.”
“Maybe you should.”
He stopped on the landing for the fourth floor and handed me the box. “I'll speak to Ronru, and when I speak to the Talon Captain, I'll ask him to send a claw to do some digging as well.”
“Really?” I took the box and gaped at him.
“Yes, why are you surprised?”
“Kings don't take advice as well as others. Especially if it's advice they don't like.”
“I want to find who did this. If it's one of my horns, it's even more important that I know.” He leaned down and kissed my cheek. “I'd prefer it if you didn't leave the palace with only one guard.”
I blinked, shocked even more. “Was that a request?”
“I'm trying to abide by our contract.”
“I don't believe asking me to leave with guards was part of my terms.”
“No, but leaving freely was. I've realized that if I force you to take guards with you, I’m not being true to our contract.”
“Holy shit,” I whispered. “That was honorable. Thank you.”
“I don't want to trick you, Sevarin. If you're unhappy, that will make me unhappy. What's the point of a relationship if you're miserable and constantly manipulating each other?”
A warmth filled my chest. Usually, people try to find loopholes in contracts. Falken was doing the opposite. For me. “I will endeavor to take more than one guard with me when I leave the palace.”
“Thank you.” Falken grinned brightly. “I'll come by your lab after I finish speaking with the captain.”
I nodded and watched him head downstairs. What he had said made sense. I could leave at any time, and if he angered me, I might. It behooved him to keep me happy. Still, I think he genuinely cared about me, and that made me feel safe. When I feel safe, I can bend a little.
“As long as you don't bend yourself in two,” I muttered as I headed to my lab.
Chapter Seventeen
It had taken me all day, but I had checked all of my notes, and most of the infected enchantments had a resonant enchantment loop added to them. Those that I didn't note as having loops were enchantments I couldn't verify, such as the failing ward on a building in central Eberein. Even if I had verified all of them, I would have wanted to conduct an experiment to verify my theory.
