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)
“Oh, you mean the little godlings,” Haru stated with a nod. “We have them, but not as many as your people. They guard the streams, snow, wind, and other parts of nature. They are never seen and don’t interact with us.”
A ghost of a smile crossed Adrian’s lips. “Because you had Caris watching over you and your kind.”
“Caris has taken good care of us,” Haru replied, puffing up his chest a bit. What dragon didn’t love the Goddess of Fire? She was their protector.
“My thoughts align with yours, Adrian, but what I lack is solid proof. Right now, we have some scraps of information and suspicions. Not much else,” Vitor admitted, drawing their attention to him.
“Have you told my cousin about this?”
Vitor nodded. “Early this morning, I gave my report. He was not pleased.” His entire body stiffened, making Haru think Caelan’s reaction had been rather explosive.
“Is Rayne back?” Adrian demanded.
“Yes, arrived yesterday.”
Both Adrian and Haru exhaled a breath. Caelan was steady and thoughtful, but Haru understood that some still thought him to be impulsive and hotheaded. Haru was sure that was merely his dragon blood. However, Rayne was a calming force in Caelan’s life. He would keep the new king from making any rash decisions.
“So, there’s a good chance that this is what Shey was investigating,” Adrian said.
Vitor shifted in his chair, moving into a more relaxed position. “Yes, I think so. However, we have no way of uncovering how much he knows or the specific direction of his investigation.”
“While insane and frightening,” Adrian stated, running a hand through his hair, “it is out of the scope of our mission. Our job is to find Shey and bring him home. That’s it. How much, or even if, Erya needs to get involved in this other nonsense is business between you and Cael.”
Vitor nodded. “Agreed. Unfortunately, you will need to wade in deeper if you are to find Shey.”
Haru was relieved that no one was adding the caveat that they were assuming Shey was still alive at this point. If these villains were searching for people who had magic, Shey had something they wanted, and it would keep him alive. The key thing was to find him first.
“Do you have any suggestions? Because we’ve hit a brick wall here.”
Vitor’s thin lips curled into a slow, wicked grin that left Haru clenching his teeth. Before the man even spoke a word, he was convinced whatever he was going to say would be a horrible idea.
“As you explained, you work in the slums and the poorer areas where it is easier to collect information through a bit of generosity. Unfortunately, these secrets are housed at the other end of the social spectrum.”
“The rich people,” Adrian grumbled.
“Exactly.”
“But how are we to infiltrate their ranks?” Haru inquired. “I have met some of them while I was in Stormbreak attending Rayne’s wedding. They’re very insular. If not for Cael and the novelty of my home, they wouldn’t have spoken to me.”
Adrian lurched forward. “You’re not suggesting that we admit to people that Haru is a dragon?” He finished on a harsh whisper, sounding as if he thought Vitor had lost his mind.
“Absolutely not. Such secrets are far too valuable to toss about so cheaply.” Vitor stood and walked to the bed, where he picked up a manila folder. He brought it back to the seating area and handed it to Adrian. “As luck would have it, I have been corresponding with a very well-connected businessman here in Bellcairn. He’s deeply embedded in the political scene in Damardor and has many connections in New Rosanthe. We’ve done a few deals but never met in person.”
Haru peeked at the documents Adrian held in his hands. There was a complete dossier on this Matthys Drost with pictures of him and his associates, business, hobbies, and other interests. “You would like us to act as bodyguards when you meet this man?”
“No.”
Both Haru and Adrian looked up at the very firm answer. Not what Haru was expecting at all.
“I try to limit direct interactions with targets. My tasks are better handled from the shadows. You will need to go in, posing as my cover, Yujian Visconti.”
“Shit,” Adrian hissed. “I don’t know. I’ve had a lot more practice working through the seedy end of things. Rich and glitzy events make my palms sweat. I still get butterflies living in the royal towers.”
“You misunderstood. I want Haru to pose as Yujian Visconti,” Vitor corrected him.
Haru’s eyes widened and his lips parted, but he couldn’t find the words to respond. This was definitely not what he’d been expecting. Pose as an Erya businessman? How could he do that convincingly?
“You’ve lost your mind,” Adrian scoffed, and Haru had to agree with him.
“I haven’t.” Vitor stood and motioned for Haru to stand as well. With a wave of his hand, Haru followed Vitor’s direction to step away from Adrian and turn to face him. “Everything about Haru is graceful and elegant, but in a completely effortless way. His speech is interesting and cultured with just the right mix of an exotic accent to keep people wanting to listen to him, even if he’s uttering pure nonsense.”