He removed his hand from Davi’s shoulder and returned to his spot on the couch next to Drayce. His lover squeezed his knee, a concerned look in his eyes, but he didn’t speak.
“It’s not quite brainwashing,” Caelan started to explain slowly. He paused and shook his head. “I’d wager that it’s a result of exposure to the power of the godstone. Almost like a type of protection. The longer you’re here, the thicker the wall becomes. It convinces a person that there is nothing under the city. You don’t think about going down there. It just doesn’t exist.”
“Will that happen to all of us while we’re here?” Adrian demanded.
Caelan frowned at him. “Very likely. At least to you, Drayce, and Eno.” He smirked over at his advisor. “Rayne and I might escape it since we’re connected to a god or two.”
“Or I might hold out for an extra day or two while you’re left untouched alone,” Rayne murmured.
“So, it looks like we need to move fast in this before the God of Wisdom convinces us that there’s no such thing as an underground when it comes to Brightspire,” Adrian muttered.
“But there is nothing underground,” Davi argued.
“What kind of fucking God of Wisdom convinces people of lies?” Eno snarled, his arms folded tightly over his chest.
A dangerous one.
At the very least, this god was desperate to protect himself, but Caelan couldn’t begin to guess as to what it was. How long had this barrier spell been in effect? He couldn’t tell. It would make sense if it had kicked in once Safa and New Rosanthe appeared. Maybe it was a new development, and Lore was only trying to guard against the reach of the Goddess of the Hunt.
Either way, Adrian was right. They needed to move quickly on this. And it looked like they’d be doing their search to the entrance without the help of their insiders.
But he had a feeling there might be one person who knew something about the godstone.
“We need to find the prime minister.”
THIRTEEN
Rayne Laurent
It was well after midnight when Eno shuffled into the bedroom they were sharing, but that was to be expected. Every moment they weren’t in deep discussion about Caelan, New Rosanthe, and the godstone, the bodyguard was attempting to make up for lost time with his brother. Rayne’s heart ached at the thought of them trying to cram a lifetime of conversations into a couple of days.
And all with the sharp knowledge that they could be heading in different directions very soon.
Eno needed to remain with Caelan as they fought their way to the godstone and finally to the Goddess of the Hunt.
Davi needed to continue his work here in Brightspire, trying to uncover the truth about the lost children.
Rayne had briefly considered suggesting that Davi accompany them, but there was no question that they were heading toward almost certain death. Eno wouldn’t want his brother anywhere near that, even if it meant they got to spend more time together.
His lover huffed a laugh as his eyes skimmed over the array of papers and maps that covered the bed in front of Rayne. “It looks like you’ve been keeping busy. Find anything that will help us?”
A heavy sigh tumbled from him as he started to gather up the papers spread around him. “Not really.”
Eno’s hand reached out and suddenly covered his own, drawing Rayne’s gaze up to his face. “If you want to keep working, I can sack out on the couch.”
“Never. I want you in this bed next to me. Always.” The words were harsh and fierce, trembling with old emotions and new fears.
Eno smiled. “I was suggesting it for only one night.”
“And one night is too long.”
Still holding his hand, Eno cupped Rayne’s face with his free one, pulling him forward into a slow, draining kiss that smoothed over those new fears and stoked the love that burned so brightly between them. Rayne’s lips parted on a happy sigh, letting himself sink into the heat and feel of his lover.
How had this man become his everything? His entire life had been about learning all he could to be the best, most knowledgeable advisor for Caelan. He spent all his energy studying and cultivating his network of contacts and informants.
But then Eno had stepped into his life, and every moment they were together, he could feel himself getting pulled toward this man. He was happiness and security, frustration and fear, lust and hunger. He was a feeling of completeness Rayne hadn’t known he was missing.
His fears had changed over the last several months from not being what Eno wanted to not having enough time, though an eternity wouldn’t be enough time in Rayne’s opinion.