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)
After a few blocks, Adrian slowed to a walk and tossed the stolen badge into the first trash can he passed. It was tempting to press his luck and milk the badge for one more con, but there was a chance the badge’s real owner had heard whispers that someone had been visiting morgues throughout the city using his name and ID. Better to move on and try another angle if they had to sneak in to check bodies again. There was always the option of bribery. Splash some money around, and overworked, underappreciated clerks were usually willing to look the other way while you inspected the dead for a familiar face.
For now, Adrian was hoping they didn’t have to check out another morgue, but he didn’t think their luck was that good. He and Haru from the Omari dragon clan had been in Damardor’s capital for over three weeks but had found very few clues as to what had happened to Caspagir’s missing prince.
Groaning, Adrian shoved a hand through his messy hair. One minute he was watching Rayne Laurent—dauphin and personal advisor to King Caelan Talos—marry Eno Bevyn, another of the king’s senior advisors, and the next minute, King Caelan was pulling him aside with some crazy story about Prince Shey disappearing in Damardor while on a secret mission to investigate the Damardor government. Because no one wanted a war between Caspagir and Damardor, Caelan had sent Adrian and Haru in to covertly locate Prince Shey and drag his ass home.
Of course, if he and Haru were stupid enough to get caught in Damardor, they were just as likely to kick off a war between Damardor and Erya. Or worse, if the world discovered Haru was a dragon from the Isle of Stone, everyone everywhere would panic about dragons being real and invading countries.
Thinking about it all hurt his head.
Where the hell is Shey?
They’d literally stumbled across Kaede dead in an alley three nights after they arrived and had since begun haunting hospitals and morgues. The next night, they’d located Shey’s other companion and bodyguard, Juro. Things didn’t appear good for Prince Shey if something had happened that was bad enough to kill both his bodyguards. Yet, there had been no sign of Shey. Adrian was clinging to the desperate hope that the prince was still alive because he had borrowed magic.
“Where do we go now?” Haru asked.
Adrian and the dragon were the same height when Haru was in his human form, but there was something about Haru’s aura or presence that made him feel larger. As they walked down the sidewalk, Haru always positioned himself so that he was between Adrian and the cars in the street or even other pedestrians. Of course, Adrian had seen Haru as a dragon, and there was no doubt in his mind that Haru could stop a tank with barely more than a flick of his tail.
“No clue.” Adrian sighed. “Cael sent the wrong person on this little mission of his.”
“You’re worried that I’m not up for the challenge?”
Adrian tossed him a dark look that did nothing to wipe the tiny grin from Haru’s lips, as usual. “No, I’m talking about me. I’ve done plenty of sneaky shit in my lifetime, but I’m out of my depth here. Finding Shey in a city and country I don’t know at all is worse than trying to find a needle in a haystack.”
Haru nodded and hummed. “Searching for a needle in the ocean.”
Yeah, that would be worse. He could only figure that it was a saying more common to the dragons of the Isle of Stone.
“It was pure luck that we stumbled across Shey’s companions. If he’s not dead, I can’t imagine how we’re going to find him. However, I will say that if this is all a brokenhearted tantrum because Rayne married Eno, I’m going to kick his ass when I do find him.”
“I don’t understand. Why would Shey be opposed to Rayne and Eno’s marriage?”
Adrian paused at a corner, staring up at the traffic lights while he scrubbed a hand across his sweaty face. The summer heat seemed to be trapped in the city despite the fact that the sun had set hours earlier. Cars rushed by in a growl of engines, stirring up the breeze, but it did little more than push noxious fumes into their faces. His clothes were sticking to him, and he wanted to sit somewhere cool and dark while drinking something cold and alcoholic.
“Didn’t Drayce tell you? Shey and Rayne dated for two years. I think Shey even tried to win Rayne back after he was already seeing Eno. Rayne shot him down. But all that stuff about Shey being heartbroken is probably nonsense.”
Haru hummed thoughtfully. “Members of the Takahashi clan are prone to exaggeration—”
“Ha! Yeah, I dare you to say that to Drayce’s face.” Adrian poked Haru in the shoulder before starting across the street. Haru at least had the good sense to wince. Drayce refused to even acknowledge the clan of his birth, and for good reason. As far as Drayce was concerned, he was an Omari now, and for the rest of his days, thanks to his love for Caelan.