Caelan released Drayce with his left hand and clasped his grandfather’s tightly. There was still much they had to discuss about the gods and the godstone. They needed to decide how to handle the Takahashi. But Caelan was content to let it wait for now. He, Drayce, and Rayne needed to heal.
And maybe he wanted to bask in the love of his family for a little while. The road ahead of him grew darker with every step, and this could very well be the last time he ever saw Omari Nori.
EIGHTEEN
Eno Bevyn
Eno took another sip of hot tea from his mug while watching a group of about fifteen Omari apprentices going through a training routine. They looked like they were in their teens, but they could have been a hundred years old for all he knew. Being surrounded by age-defying dragons was starting to give him a complex about his own age.
It didn’t help that he’d found his first gray hair in his beard this morning as he was getting ready. Rayne had kissed it and called it cute. Eno had kissed him and then plucked out the gray bastard. He might be thirty years old now, but that was still too young for fucking gray hair.
That gray hair he blamed on Drayce.
Gods, why wouldn’t he wake up? They’d been at the Omari manor for nearly forty-eight hours. Drayce had stirred, surfacing briefly to eat and drink a little before falling back into a deep sleep. Caelan’s grandfather claimed it was for the best, that his body and mind needed time to heal. But Eno would feel better when he finally heard Drayce’s voice. His smartass comments and cackle would be a sign that he was truly on the mend.
Approaching footsteps had Eno straightening from where he’d been leaning against a column and turning to see Adrian drawing near. The guard had been spending time with the patrols the past day, watching for signs of trouble from any of the other dragon clans. Things were quiet and no one seemed to trust it. The Takahashi were planning something.
“Any problems?” Eno inquired.
Adrian shook his head. “Nothing.” He stopped and suddenly smirked. “I get the impression that the Omari are humoring me by letting me tag along. I’ve never seen anyone move through the woods so quietly, and I’m a sneaky bastard.”
Eno chuckled, but it ended in a heavy sigh. “A thief. How did I not see that? I even recommended you to Caelan for protection.”
“Former thief,” Adrian countered. “I’m reformed, of course. One of those heart-warming, scared-straight stories of redemption and second chances.”
Eno motioned with his mug. “And are you ever going to tell me this tale of redemption and second chances?”
The guard shrugged and stared at the wooden flooring of the porch where they stood. “Maybe one day. When we’re drunk enough. It’s not really all that interesting.” The man’s expression turned sly when he lifted his gaze to Eno, and his eyes narrowed. “Though I am surprised your boyfriend didn’t tell you about my past.”
Yeah, he would have liked that heads up from Rayne. “Apparently my boyfriend bought into your tale of redemption and didn’t think your past was something I should be worried about. Plus, Caelan would have dug through your mind as well and verified whether you were trustworthy before allowing you to join us.”
The wicked dig found its mark as Adrian lost his smirk and shivered. Eno didn’t know for sure if Caelan would have read Adrian’s mind, but he suspected that the king would have taken a small peek since they’d have no choice in trusting the man with some important secrets. And no one wanted to think about someone digging around in their past.
“All the same, those skills paid off when it came to Drayce,” Eno continued.
Adrian’s expression soured and he shook his head. “Not enough. When he said he had another option, this never occurred to me. I keep thinking I should have knocked him out and carried him from that place like a sack of potatoes over my shoulder.”
A loud crunch had both Adrian and Eno jumping, the last of Eno’s tea sloshing in his cup as they turned to find Haru standing not more than three feet away, happily chewing on a dark red apple. Silent and quick didn’t begin to cover how this dragon moved.
“How would you have known what Drayce was thinking?” Haru asked with an almost mocking smile. “It’s not as if humans have wings to lose.” He took another bite, a bit of juice flecking his lips.
It was hard to argue with that logic, but it didn’t mean they didn’t ache for their friend.
Haru swallowed the apple in his mouth and lifted one arched eyebrow. “If anything, he should be honored for his bravery and sacrifice. He avoided a war.” The brow lowered and a devilish grin slid into place. “I doubt the same is going to be said for the rest of us.”