He nodded.
I found an outfit in the armoire suited to a day of exploration. True, I was getting married this evening. But before that, I’d be hunting for answers at the site of an explosion.
It didn’t take long to pull on the green trousers, tunic, and vest. I was starting to like the clothes of the fae. They were comfortable, but attractive.
Lore waited for me by the door, and we walked in silence through the castle and out onto the grounds.
I saw the wreckage as soon as we exited the building. It took my breath away. “Oh my God.”
He nodded, silent.
The blast zone was the size of several football fields. Part of the maze had even been taken out.
My parents.
Panic lanced me. Was their statue okay?
From my vantage point at the top of the castle steps, I could see most of the middle of the maze. Though I wasn’t sure exactly where the statues were located, I was almost certain they hadn’t been damaged.
I couldn’t bear to lose those statues as well as them. The feeling was ridiculous. It was just stone, after all. But it was my only connection with them, and I didn’t want to lose it.
I couldn’t be thinking of that right now, though. I needed to focus on the problem at hand.
The explosion.
In a daze, I walked toward it. The debris was scattered far and wide, an apocalypse of broken glass and shattered plant pots. Greenery was strewn everywhere.
“There had to be so many valuable plants here,” I murmured.
“There were.” Lore stayed close by my side. “Medicines and ingredients for potions. It’s an enormous loss.”
“What a tragedy.”
“No one was hurt, though.”
“Thank God.” I stopped at the edge of the worst of the rubble, staring at the massive pile with dismay.
Had I done this?
But how?
I’d woken up dirty with no memory of the last hour, but that didn’t necessarily mean I was the culprit.
I swallowed hard and tried to remember what had happened. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t remember anything beyond passing out.
Shit.
More fae began to arrive, and I realized that my time was up. It had flown by, and I still had no answers. When Meria and Eve stopped by my side, gratitude welled within me.
Their presence was an immense comfort.
“Are you okay?” Meria asked.
“Yeah.”
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Eve said.
“I’ll tell you about it later.”
The group had swelled to over two dozen. Everyone had arrived, it looked like. They spread out around the wreckage, inspecting it with varying expressions of worry, anger, and dismay.
I had no idea what expression I wore, but I hoped it was the right one. The last thing I needed was to be noticeably painted with guilt over something I wasn’t sure I had anything to do with.
There was no clear leader amongst the group, and I suddenly realized the valuable role my parents must have played. The powerful kings and queens of the Fae Courts wouldn’t kneel before another but having neutral mediators would have made the High Court run more smoothly.
Lore stepped forward. “We can search the rubble today, but I found nothing last night. And my search was extensive.”
Fionn, the King of the Irish Fae, stepped forward. “Then what do you propose?”
“I have called upon a Time Spinner. They won’t be able to arrive for two days, but when they get here, they can turn back the clock and see what truly happened.”
Lore suspected the witch with the deathly magic, so did that mean that the Time Spinner would see her? Or me?
“That could be too late,” said the Queen of the Mountain Fae. “What if there is another attack?”
“Do we even know if it was an attack?” I asked. “Could it have been an accident?”
“Highly unlikely,” she said. “The contents of this greenhouse were so valuable that it was likely planned.”
“I am open to other ideas,” Lore said. “But when my Time Spinner arrives, we’ll have our answers.”
“My father has asked a seer to come,” said Gabriel, Prince of the French Fae. “She may be able to provide answers.”
I looked to Vusario. Might he know what had happened? His gaze was blank as he looked out over the wreckage.
Apparently not.
“And I’ve invited my best trackers,” said one of the Autumn Fae. I recognized her from the dinner last night but didn’t know her name.
“Good,” Lore said. “In the meantime, there is a wedding to prepare for.”