Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 112416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 562(@200wpm)___ 450(@250wpm)___ 375(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 562(@200wpm)___ 450(@250wpm)___ 375(@300wpm)
Haru’s heart skipped and raced at Adrian’s question. He’d remembered that. With everything that had been happening during that visit, he’d recalled such an insignificant detail like a cherished shiny bauble. “We do. The Omari clan blend, though, isn’t known for its strength, but for its delicate taste and fragrant aroma. It’s a soothing tea.”
Adrian sighed and shifted toward the map he’d been studying. “I know. I miss it.”
Haru opened his mouth to say that he would contact Caelan immediately to have him request Nori send a pound of Omari tea to Damardor. But the words never left his tongue.
He felt it.
A new but familiar magic had returned to the city. It was a soft, faint hint of power—almost completely lost under the presence of the God of Luck’s magic and Shey’s stormy magic from Kaes.
“Ruben has returned to Bellcairn,” Haru announced.
The room exploded. Both Shey and Adrian launched from their chairs and crowded close. Even Tyche bounced on the balls of his feet, his cheeks puffed out after he’d stuffed an entire scone into his mouth.
“What do you mean? How do you know?” Shey demanded.
“The shard! You sensed the shard,” Adrian guessed, winning a wide smile from Haru.
“Yes, that’s it. I can feel the magic from the godstone shard. It’s much closer now. In Bellcairn.” He’d been feeling a faint signature from miles away for a week now, confirming that Ruben had remained in Milway to oversee operations at the hidden facility.
“Does this mean we can go kill him now?” Tyche inquired around a mouthful of scone.
Shey’s lips twitched as if he were trying not to laugh, but it was Haru who answered.
“We must hold off on killing him. Vitor and Adrian are confident that there is someone else issuing orders for Ruben and his followers. We must learn this person’s identity first, and then we may kill him.”
Tyche’s shoulders slumped, and he loudly slurped his coffee, an evil expression falling over his face as if he were murdering Ruben in his mind.
“How should we handle this?” Adrian asked.
“We need to make contact. You told me that Haru was pretending to be an investor to get in with them. Maybe he reaches out to see how he can get more involved,” Shey suggested.
“He is waiting for me to gain the shard of godstone from Sirelis. We could tell him I have it,” Haru suggested.
“Except you don’t,” Adrian pointed out as he walked back to the chair he’d been sitting in and threw himself into it again. Caelan had reported that Queen Noemi was not excited about sending a godstone shard to them but was willing to do it to help her son. The only problem was getting the shard quickly from Caspagir to Damardor. The one from the Isle of Stone had arrived so fast because it had traveled by dragon. Unfortunately, Shou returned to the Isle of Stone shortly after they left Milway. By their estimate, the shard from Caspagir was likely on a ship near Uris-Uladol right now.
“He doesn’t need to know that,” Haru said with a smirk. “He was very excited to acquire the one from Caspagir. It might be the pick-me-up he needs after the disaster that was Milway.”
“Not nearly enough of a disaster,” Tyche muttered.
Shey nodded. “True, but we can still fix that.” A wicked grin spread across the prince’s face, and Haru lifted his eyebrows. “I want to accompany you and Adrian to the meeting.”
“What? Are you crazy?” Adrian gasped. He jumped out of his chair and stomped over to where Haru, Shey, and Tyche stood. “He’s going to recognize you.”
Shey shrugged. “He’ll recognize me as the prisoner he threatened. I think it’s time that he faced who I really am.”
“Ooooooh!” Tyche’s eyes were so wide they had bugged out. “You mean you’re going to tell him he kidnapped and nearly killed the fucking prince of Caspagir!”
“Why not?”
“I want to go too!” the little god shouted. He jumped and sloshed some of his coffee out onto his hand. He cried and licked it off his hand, making Shey chuckle as he crossed to the counter to grab a towel for him.
“Fuck,” Adrian growled. He shoved both hands into his hair and paced away, moving toward the wall of windows that looked out over the city. “Maybe we should call Caelan before we do anything. Or at least contact Vitor.”
The spy had left town briefly to check on the operations of the facility in Milway, wanting to know whether it had been shut down permanently or if Ruben had gotten it working. They didn’t expect him in Bellcairn for another couple of days. And if he was at the facility, they wouldn’t be able to reach him anyway.
“Didn’t Caelan say that your mission was done the moment you found me?” Shey inquired. “Right now, you’re not working for him.”