“What happened?”
His father’s voice was calm but unyielding, and the whole incident poured out. By the end of it, Laura’s eyes were wide with horror, and the duke’s face was extremely grim.
“Who would dare to do such a thing?” he asked, and Heath could sense both fear and fury beneath his steady words.
“I don’t know,” said Heath helplessly. “It’s possible that I’m overly suspicious, of course, and it was truly an accident.”
No one looked convinced.
“What happened to your arm?” Laura asked suddenly, spotting the developing bruise.
“The horse’s hoof nicked me,” Heath told her. “But it’s really nothing.”
“We’ll let the physician be the judge of that,” said the duke, his tone still one of tightly controlled anger.
Before anyone could send for the physician, however, the door burst open, and Percival appeared.
“Heath, my friend just told me what happened! Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” Heath said soothingly, instantly switching into the usual placating role he played with Percival.
“He’s not,” Laura said forcefully, clutching the now-content Germain even more tightly to herself. “His arm has been trampled, and he’s been scared half to death.”
“You’re exaggerating,” Heath said. He went to raise his uninjured arm in a calming gesture, but thought better of it, given the child in his arms.
“She isn’t exaggerating,” interjected the duke. “This is a serious matter.”
“It’s more than that!” Percival raged.
His face was growing red in his anger. If Heath hadn’t been able to see the real fear for him that added a frantic edge to his brother’s demeanor, he would have been frustrated by Percival making such a scene about something that didn’t involve him. But Percival’s next words drove all other considerations from his mind.
“It’s a declaration of war by the crown against power-wielders!”
“Don’t be absurd,” said the duke sharply.
“Absurd?” Percival repeated incredulously. “The king has tried to kill both of your sons now, Father. What will it take for you to get angry? Will he have to attack Laura, too? Or her babies?”
“Enough!” Laura’s voice was unusually angry as well. “My children are off limits for using to make your point, Percival.”
He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, but his voice was no less fierce. “You know what I mean.”
“I know that you’re way off the mark,” Heath said, exasperated. “King Matlock had nothing to do with what happened to me just now.”
“Don’t be a fool, Heath.” Percival’s eyes were bright with barely-suppressed energy. “Weren’t you coming back from the castle, after a summons by Prince Lachlan? It was an ambush, just like my attack.”
“I trust Lachlan completely,” Heath said. “He’s as much our family as any of the cousins you were so fond of in Kyona, Percival. He would never be involved in an attempt to kill me.”
“You’re as blinded as Father.” Percival was actually quivering with tension now. “And it will get you killed.”
“Calm down, Percival,” Laura said.
Heath felt a wave of her power spreading out from her, but Percival clearly wasn’t having a bar of it.
“Don’t try to calm me down with your magic,” he growled. “Just because I’m the only one in this family who can see what’s happening doesn’t give you permission to blind me along with the rest of them.”
He stormed out, and Heath let out a humorless laugh, unable to help himself. It was Percival’s suggestion that he was the one to see what no one else did which struck Heath as grimly amusing.
“I don’t agree with Percival’s interpretation of events,” said the duke into the uncomfortable silence left by Percival’s departure.