The Eagle Princess

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

King Avram took the attack on Larissa as a personal affront. He might not have liked her personally, but she was a guest in his palace and her well-being was his responsibility. Anything that harmed her was an indictment against him.

Though Kaz was reluctant to leave her alone again, he trusted Indigo to watch over her while his father summoned him so that he could yell at him for his negligence.

"How did this creature even get into the palace?" The king demanded to know, pacing up and down in his private sitting room.

Kaz stood in the middle of the room, hands clasped behind his back, and only watched as his ruler worked out his agitated energy. Mostly, he was trying not to question why Prince Cadmus was here, sipping tea on the long couch as though he had not a care in the world.

"Whatever it is, it's completely invisible to the eye. From what I know of it, Rissa's bird is able to see it to some degree, but Ink wasn't in the room when it attacked."

"If the girl knows that the bird can see it, she should keep the bird with her at all times." Avram growled.

"You have to excuse Larissa," Cadmus said, setting his tea down onto the side table. "I've known her for some time, and I can tell you that she's not the brightest. The girl is only focused on fashion and her looks. She doesn't understand difficult concepts like this."

Kaz felt his eye twitching, but he got it quickly back under control. From inside a pouch in his belt, he pulled out the thing he had cut from her neck. "She was being choked with this. I felt it tied around her neck by accident."

Avram frowned at his hand, then back up to him. "There's nothing there."

"It's invisible. But you can still feel it."

Kaz held out the band and Avram stepped forward. His eyes narrowed in confusion as his fingers touched upon what appeared to be nothing, but felt like a thick, heavy band.

"Extraordinary," the king marveled. "There really does appear to be nothing there."

"Powerful magic. Rissa initially thought, when we were attacked on the road, that the witch Téa-Zosma was responsible. There was cause to believe the witch would have a grudge against her family. However, Rissa assures me that the witch is a very large woman. It would be difficult for her to use the doors we have here, much less stand in a room, even invisible, the size of the one we were in without being noticed."

"There is something magical happening here." Avram released the band so that Kaz could store it back into his pouch. He wasn't releasing the item for a moment, afraid that if he did so he wouldn't be able to find it again.

"Indeed, but if it's not the witch, then we are blind. In more ways than one."

"Perhaps my father and I could help." Cadmus stood up, giving them a friendly grin. "We've been friends with fairy folk for many generations. We have a great deal of information on them within our libraries. I could have someone begin looking through the records."

"Such an undertaking would take weeks," Kaz frowned. "I was hoping for a more expedient solution."

"Do you have any such source of knowledge here in Methone? No? I thought not. You should accept my help. It's the best offer you'll likely have."

"You know," Kaz took a step towards him, "one of the first questions Rissa asked when her voice returned was to wonder where you were."

"I had no idea she cared so much." Cadmus smiled, but Kaz could see the knowing smirk in his taunting gaze.