name of the king and pocketing the money for more than two hundred years. Everyone wanted something, especially the battlers of the former Viragon Sisterhood. Every day, he made time for people to beg for aid, and in most cases, he gave it to them. Today seemed to be no different. Dozens lined up, waiting for a chance to speak to the king. If they didn’t get their turn that day, they would return the next day, and the next, until the king heard their request.
Adro went to the wide oak table near the back of the room where the king sat, talking to a middle-aged couple. Books and scrolls and bottles of ink and quills lay scattered across the table’s smooth top. On Gavin’s right sat the king’s adviser, Edan Dawnpiper, who as a lordover’s son, guided Gavin well through his new life. On his left was his champion, Daia Saberheart, ever present and watchful. Though she sat in a velvet-covered, high-backed chair, her right hand lay on the hilt of her sword as though it had been lashed there. Had there been imminent danger from the two mysterious, disappearing women, Adro would have interrupted the king’s business with the two petitioners, but Taria’s words had eaten away at his confidence.
He had to admit, they were there for but a moment before disappearing. They hadn’t left a single trace of their presence — no whiff of perfume nor water droplets on the floor, and they hadn’t even been wearing rain cloaks. How could they have gotten here without getting wet? Unless they truly were a figment of his imagination.
When the petitioners bowed and left, Adro cleared his throat and stepped up behind the king, bent and whispered into his ear. “My liege, I must speak with you a moment about two unexpected visitors I found wandering alone in the palace.”
Gavin turned in his chair, alarm plain on his scarred face. “What visitors? What did they want?”
Adro noticed the next petitioner had stepped up to the table and was watching and listening with interest. “We should talk more privately.”
“Your pardon, everyone. I’ll be with you in a minute,” Gavin said to the waiting petitioners. He stood, as did Daia and Edan, and followed Adro to the room’s rear door through which he’d just entered. When they were out of the crowd’s earshot, they turned to him with expectant interest.
Adro told the king what he’d witnessed. “I started to ask who they were and why they were in the palace without an escort, but then they disappeared. Vanished. It was as though they’d never been there.” He expected Gavin and Daia to laugh it off or tease him as Taria had, but instead they cast a wary glance at each other.
Gavin’s brow dipped. “Describe them.”
“Well, their faces looked identical — twins, I guess — and they had black hair with streaks of white. They were middle-aged, wrinkled but not withered. Blue eyes — more brilliant blue than mine are. They wore flowing robes and no rain cloaks, yet they didn’t drip water on the floor.”
“Did they say anything?” Gavin asked.
“No,” Adro said, relieved the king believed him. “I called for a guard, and Taria came running. She must’ve been close by, but she hadn’t seen them. I sent her to guard Queen Feanna while I came to tell you what I saw.”
“Do they sound familiar?” Edan asked Gavin.
Gavin shook his head. He’d only known one pair of twins in his life, and they were brothers.
“By your leave, I’d like to organize a search of the palace,” Adro said, eager to demonstrate his worthiness.
“No need. Daia, I’ll just borrow you for a moment.”
Adro didn’t truly understand what he meant by that, but it was rumored Daia had been chosen as the king’s champion partly because she had some kind of mystical power that enabled Gavin to use his own magic more effectively. Everyone watched the king’s eyes flutter back and forth as though he were dreaming with his eyelids open. It was a disturbing sight, and Adro was glad he hadn’t stumbled upon Gavin alone doing that. He’d have thought the man was having a seizure. Edan and Daia appeared to be unconcerned by his strange eye movements and tense expression and simply waited.
At last, Gavin blinked and shook his head. “I didn’t see anyone out o’the ordinary. Guess they aren’t in the palace anymore, or even on the island.”
“It’s worrisome that two strangers could have simply walked in without being noticed,”