The discovery of Brandon's destroyed device changed the mood in the war chamber. The device lay on the conference table while the kingdom's best investigators examined the shattered screen, the blackened casing, and the deep marks along its edges.
King Eldric stood at the head of the table, his hands clasped behind his back. "What did you find?"
One of the investigators carefully turned the device over before setting it down again. "The damage wasn't caused by a single impact, Your Majesty. The casing was already damaged before it was crushed."
Eldric's eyes narrowed. "So it wasn't an accident."
"No." The investigator pointed to the broken casing. "Somebody damaged it first, then crushed it afterward."
He ran a finger along one of the damaged edges without touching the device directly. "There's nothing useful left on it. Whoever destroyed it made sure of that."
The chamber fell quiet.
Eldric turned toward Leo. "Any sign of Brandon near the eastern cliffs?"
