Legends of the Dragonrealm, Vol. III (70 page)

Throughout the conversation, Aurim had remained quiet. Cabe had paid scant attention to that fact until now, originally believing that his son had simply been mulling over the possible threat they faced. Now, however, he noticed the peculiar expression on the younger Bedlam’s countenance, as if his son were trying to recall something of import. “Is something wrong, Aurim?”

The expression faded. Aurim briefly looked annoyed with himself, but then even that expression faded as determination took over. “Nothing, Father. I’m ready to begin whenever you like.”

Cabe wanted to sigh, but held back.
He
most certainly was not ready. Nonetheless, they had no choice. He tried to sound confident as he began, “Then this is how we start. . . .”

X

VALEA DOUBTED THAT
Toma had bothered with the stables, but her father had insisted that she search them regardless of that doubt. In truth, she was certain that it was
because
Toma would not have come here that her parents had chosen her to be the one to investigate the stables. Her mother and father had chosen to search all of the more likely spots. Aurim, too, had been relegated to probing areas of the Manor grounds where the drake had most likely never set foot. On the one hand, the young enchantress appreciated her parents’ protectiveness, but on the other hand, she also resented it. After all, she was a grown woman now, was she not?

Standing to one side of the nearest stable so as not to draw so much attention, Valea began her search. Tendrils of magic visible only to her own senses snaked over and around the building next to her. Unimpeded, they began to sink into the walls and ceiling, hunting. If there was anything unusual in the stable, she was confident that she would find it. Of course, since it was highly unlikely that there
was
anything to find, the novice sorceress found it impossible to become very excited about her work.

As she had expected, her initial search brought nothing significant to light. The horses used by the Bedlams were stabled here. It had seemed as likely a target for Toma as any of the other structures here, and the fact that she found no trace of the renegade’s passing only served to strengthen her belief that this entire location was a waste of her efforts. Still, the witch knew that if she failed to search the stables thoroughly, it would be on her head if Toma
had
left something behind, something that might later endanger her family.

“Ssseeking a place of sssolitude, Valea?”

She gasped in surprise, then silently reprimanded herself for her reaction. Her probes faded as her concentration broke, but Valea hardly cared.

From behind the stable emerged Kyl. He had changed from his traveling clothes into a fresh outfit—a sleek, dark green piece that happened to be one of her favorites. The high collar and the lack of any lighter colors to contrast the darkness made the drake seem a man of deep mystery.

He had worn it for her; she was certain of that. It thrilled her to think that Kyl had gone to such trouble.

“I found myssself ressstive after I had cleaned up and ssso I decided to take a walk,” Kyl continued, shortening the gap between them as he talked. “When I reached the ssstables, it occurred to me that a ride might be in order. Then, I caught a glimpssse of you and recalled that I had never properly greeted you after our arrival.”

“There was no need.” It was a struggle for her to sound calm. Inside, Valea was again a maelstrom of emotion.

“There
wasss
need, though. It wasss unforgivable.”

Only an arm’s length separated them now. The young witch waited for Kyl’s strong arm to bridge that gap, and for a breath it seemed it would, but then the drake’s hand continued beyond her to brace against the stable wall. It was not what she had hoped for, but the action still left the two of them so very close. All he had to do was lean forward a little.

“Talak wasss fassscinating, Valea! Ssstrange and beautiful! You have ssseen it before, I know, but I wish you could have been there to sssee it with
me.
”

She was beyond words.

Kyl seemed not to notice . . . or perhaps he only pretended. Valea could not say. “Sssuch splendor! Sssuch majesssty! King Melicard isss rightfully proud of hisss kingdom. He hasss a loyal following, a magnificent city, and mossst beauteous queen.”

Jealousy pricked Valea. Erini
was
beautiful, a true fairy-tale princess. She also looked little older than Kyl. With Talak so close to the citadel of the Dragon Emperor, there was no doubt that the demands of his throne would bring the handsome drake and the queen of the mountain kingdom together fairly often.

She realized that she should say something.
Anything.
“She loves him very much, you know.”

It was not what Valea had meant to say. She was certain that her cheeks were crimson now.

“She doesss, indeed.” Somehow, the drake had lessened the distance between the two of them even more. Valea was struck by contending choices. One part of her was afraid and wanted to step back. The other part of her wanted the last remnant of the chasm closed. “It wasss ssstrange, though. Talking to her, being around her, I found myssself thinking of
you
, Valea.”

Her reaction to this declaration infuriated the young Lady Bedlam. As if acting under some impulse of their own, her feet moved, propelling the maiden
backward
three or four steps until she was beyond the stable wall and out in the open.

To her vast relief, Kyl did not look repulsed. He followed her, albeit stopping at the corner of the building. The special smile that he reserved just for her was there. “I thought about you mossst of the time I wasss there, Valea. I like to think that you were alssso thinking about
me.
”

Even having heard all that she had, Valea could not believe her good fortune. “Then, it’s true? It’s as Benjin Traske said?”

Now Kyl looked puzzled. “Ssscholar Traske? What hasss he to do with thisss?”

Valea took a deep breath. This was it. He had all but said the word, his fear that she would reject him probably the reason he had not taken the last step. She would do it for him.

Slowly, hesitantly, Valea began, “Scholar Traske . . . he said that . . . he said . . .”

CABE PROBED THE
library one more time. There was no trace of any hidden spell or physical trap. There was not even any sign that Toma had ever been in this room.

The warlock sighed. He had been carefully inspecting each room of the Manor, and although he was still not even half finished, much of the day had passed. So far the results of his thorough search had yielded nothing. Unfortunately, with Toma that did not mean that the drake had not been here. The duke was a master sorcerer who had often in the past surprised even those who had thought that they had known his limitations. His skills were far more versatile than those of the more traditional Dragon Kings. Toma dared to do things that no one else did, which made him the wildest of wild cards. He had more or less vanished after the terror of the Ice Dragon, but now and then rumors of his activities surfaced. However, so far as Cabe had been able to tell, the rumors had never proven to bear any truth.

Which, of course, did not mean that Toma had been idle all these years.

Cabe wondered how the others were doing. None of them had contacted him, but he tried not to be paranoid. If something
had
happened, he would have known.

The constant probing was making his head throb. Cursing under his breath, the warlock decided to get a breath of fresh air. He stepped out of the library, crossed the hall, and made his way to the nearest window. A minute or two of relaxation was all that the sorcerer needed. It was odd how small, fairly simple spells could often take more out of the caster than huge, earth-shaking ones.

Leaning out the window, Cabe surveyed his tiny kingdom. Somewhere, possibly even beneath his very feet, there might be a clue to whatever Toma had done while here. Studying the bookshelves had revealed nothing. Perhaps there was nothing to find, not even a trap of some sort, but the warlock could not risk that chance.

His eyes alighted on a crimson-tressed woman standing next to one of the stables. It could not be his wife, who searched the lower floors of the Manor, which meant that it had to be Valea. Cabe recalled that she was supposed to be searching the stables, but at the moment, she was simply standing there. Why?

He had his answer when Kyl stepped part of the way out from behind the stable wall.

The enraged sorcerer did not even wait. He was gone from the window and next to the stable in less than a breath.

“Valea.”

At the sound of his voice, she froze. Whatever his daughter had been about to say died on her lips, probably a fortunate thing in his opinion. Even Kyl looked satisfactorily guilty for a change.

“Father, I—”

“I gave you a project to do, Valea. A very important project. Have you finished it?” Cabe tried his best not to let his anger show through, but even he was aware of the harshness tinging his words. Kyl’s eyes flickered, but other than that there was no sign that the drake might have noticed. The warlock had no doubt that he had, however.

His daughter’s expression told him the answer to his question even before she replied. “Not yet.” Her cheeks were crimson. “I only paused for a moment . . . I . . . I’ll get back to it now.”

Curtseying to Kyl, the young witch rushed off. Cabe’s anger drained away. He had embarrassed his daughter. Granted, the search was of the utmost importance at this time, but that was not why the warlock had come down here. He had come down here because his daughter had been alone with a . . . with a
creature
. . . that had designs on her.

It could have been handled differently, but when it came to his family, the master sorcerer could not always think straight. Now, he and Valea were at odds again—and his actions had most likely pushed her further toward the drake.

“There isss sssome major project underway, Massster Bedlam?” Kyl asked politely, his entire person radiating innocence.

“More of an exercise, Kyl.” The warlock now wished that he had thought of some better excuse, but for most of those living at the Manor, calling the search an exercise would have been sufficient. Cabe had been too concerned with beginning the hunt to think about what Kyl or Grath, who understood the ways of sorcery, might conclude from the Bedlams’ peculiar activity.
Two decades and I still think with the cunning of a serving boy!
It could not be helped, though. Kyl might suspect, but unless he was somehow in league with Toma, he would be able to do no more than guess.

“Ssso sssoon after our return? We have only just arrived!”

“I felt it was necessary, Kyl. Didn’t Scholar Traske ever surprise you and the others with sudden tests or projects of his own?”

The drake verified his supposition with a grimace. “Massster Trassske had an amazing talent for the unexpected tessst. Yesss, I sssee your point.”

It was doubtful that Kyl actually did, but the warlock was happy to let it go at that. Kyl would think whatever he wanted to think. Once the search was ended, it likely would not matter very much. Whether any trace of Toma’s passing was found or not, Cabe’s family was now warned. Toma would not find entry into the Manor so simple the next time he tried.

What did he want, though? That’s what I would like to know!
The obvious motive concerned the very drake before him. Cabe realized that he would have to speak to the Green Dragon as soon as the Manor was considered safe again. The Dragon King would want to know what had happened. He might also be the best one to handle the delicate matter of questioning Kyl. For all he disliked the heir’s manner, especially toward Valea, the warlock
was
concerned about the drake’s well-being. Toma could offer the emperor-to-be nothing; therefore, the renegade sought to
take
from Kyl.

It was tempting to warn the young drake even after he had commanded Valea not to do so, but Cabe persevered. Best to wait for the Dragon King. The lord of Dagora would better know what to do about his nephew.

“I shall leave you to thisss, then,” the dragon heir was saying. “I apologize if I interfered in sssome way. I happened by, sssaw Valea, and sssince I had not yet greeted her since our arrival, I thought it polite to do ssso now. Again, Massster Bedlam, my apologiesss.”

“It’s nothing, Kyl.”

“That isss very kind of you to sssay. I shall trouble you no longer, then, Massster Bedlam.” With that, the drake bowed and quickly departed.

Cabe watched him walk off, more certain than ever that he had just interrupted something important between his daughter and Kyl. He hoped that whatever it was had not gotten out of hand.
Only a few more weeks and he’ll be far enough away that she can start to forget him.
It would be wise, he thought, to take Valea and Aurim to some of the more peaceful human kingdoms, such as Penacles or Gordag-Ai. Let them meet more people their own age. There were a few at the Manor, but unfortunately, here Aurim and Valea were considered the young lord and lady of the house. That was why the drakes had become their closest friends over the years; the others considered the two their masters as much as Cabe and his wife were.

Yes, it would be wise to do some visiting after Kyl assumed his throne. Penacles especially seemed a good choice.

That was still weeks away, however, and in the meantime, Cabe would have to continue to watch his daughter. It might have been easier on him if she had at least chosen Grath; the younger drake had always seemed kinder, more sensible. Less
deadly.
He was thankful that Aurim, at least, had not gotten involved in any romantic entanglements. At this point, the master warlock was not so certain that he could have handled yet one more situation.

Which reminded him that there was still a search to complete. Toma was, by far, the most immediate danger to everything. They had to make absolutely certain that neither he nor some legacy remained within the boundaries of the Manor. Cabe knew, however, that even if they found nothing, he would still be unable to relax. The mere presence of the renegade had shattered his sense of security. Not even his home was safe.