Page 27 of Destiny of a King

He should have thought better than questioning the prisoner in front of her. It had not gone well when he confronted Eunice, and no one had struck her. Yet it had upset Adira enough for her to blatantly offer the woman solace. At least this time, she had not openly shown her concern.

“Take him to the castle,” Dravic ordered. “Put him in the dungeon. I will question him later.”

The two warriors bowed, then seized the prisoner and dragged him away.

Dravic took Adira’s hand and, without a word, began the walk back toward Caerith.

The castle was quiet except for the strange sound of the wind that managed to slip through the stones. Sometimes it sounded like groans, other times a wailing woman, and less often like a soft whisper.

Tonight, leaving the dungeon after learning nothing from the prisoner, the wind sounded like a frustrated groan, exactly as he felt… frustrated.

“You fear what could easily help you.”

Dravic shook his head, hearing Fiora’s admonishing tone.

“One day, I am going to banish you,” he said, taking the steps to his bedchamber.

“Yeah, tell me how that worked out for your grandfather,” Fiora challenged, her golden glow making it easier for him to see his way along the curving stone staircase.

“It brought the kingdom peace,” he argued.

“It locked away the very thing that could help protect Scotara and keep it safe.”

“As if fairies could help protect Scotara,” he said with an unamusing laugh.

“Do you need reminding of who helped protect you in the forest today?” Fiora challenged, flying nearby, though keeping out of his reach, not trusting him to swat at her. “Or who knows how easy the information can be obtained from the prisoner without leaving him bloody and senseless.”

Dravic stopped when he reached the hallway that led to his bedchamber. “You believe a fairy wiser than a king?”

Fiora went to answer, then clamped her small mouth shut but only for a moment. “I am not going to argue that point with you. What I am going to tell you is that you cannot trust anything that prisoner says to you, for eventually he will lie so the beatings will stop.”

“But, of course, you know how to get him to talk.”

Fiora shook her head. “I cannot make him talk, but a Wise woman can see his past and know who sent him and why he is here.”

Dravic muttered beneath his breath.

“Didn’t think of that, did you, oh, wise king?”

Dravic groaned. “Now I understand why my grandfather banished fairies.”

Fiora grinned. “Because they speak the truth?”

Dravic shook his head again.

“Send for either Bria or Wynn and get truthful answers and learn even more than the prisoner would reveal to you.”

Dravic grumbled.

Fiora chuckled. “Annoyed you didn’t think of it, aren’t you?”

“I have had enough of you for one day,” Dravic snapped, annoyed that the fairy was right.

“The feeling is mutual. I am going to go get myself a drink or two,” Fiora said, pleased with herself.

“Be careful, Fiora, or you will pass out one day from drink where you will easily be found, and you will wake to find yourself captured in a cage.”

Fiora laughed again and that annoyed Dravic even more.