Wren nodded at him. “So far, the humans are keeping their distance. But we should probably hide whilst Jane goes into town. The humans in this area are more used to dragons than other parts of North Wales because of us patrolling the nearby farms, but I wouldn’t exactly say they love us.”
Kai looked to Jane. “Remember your promise.”
“I know, if I see anything suspicious or suspect I’m being followed, then I’ll meet at the rendezvous point near the river. And I’m only to ring you if I’m positive no one can listen in.”
“Good. Then go before I change my mind,” Kai murmured.
Jane sighed, but turned and walked briskly toward the town. If she kept up the pace, it should take her ten minutes to get there.
His dragon spoke up. She’ll be fine. Let’s hurry to the river just in case she needs us. I’m not sure how the humans in this town will react if they find out Jane is mated to a dragon-shifter.
I suspect they know, considering most of the town can see this area.
Being carried by dragonwing is one thing, being mated is another.
Not wanting to listen to his beast drone on about possible dangers to Jane, Kai looked to his fellow Protectors. “Let’s split up and each take a different route to the river. While unlikely, we might find clues along the way.”
The Welsh dragons murmured their assent. Kai motioned toward the northwest. “I’ll go that way. Wren, you travel directly north and, Eira, take the northeast. Make sure you’re at the meeting point in an hour.”
As Kai started walking, he tried his best to focus on finding clues. If Jane could handle acting and fooling Tobias White—a dragon hunter and key member in the scandal surrounding the former Director of
Dragon Affairs—she could certainly handle talking to a postal worker in rural Wales.
His beast spoke up. Knowing Janey, she won’t stop at the post office.
Thanks, dragon, for giving me something else to worry about.
Unlike you, I like to think of all possible outcomes. We must protect our mate.
Not wanting to argue with his dragon, Kai ignored him and studied his surroundings. It was a long shot that any dragon hunters had come this way, let alone left behind tracks or other clues, but Kai wasn’t about to dismiss it. After all, the hunters had caused more havoc on his clan than any other enemy in recent memory. Underestimating them was foolish.
~~~
As Jane walked down a street called Smithfield, she spotted the red and yellow sign that denoted all post offices in the UK.
She turned the corner of the gray stone building and walked inside the newsagents. Not unlike the town where her parents lived, the post office operated inside the small store. She walked past the aisles of food, crisps, and sweets until she came to the queue line for the post office counter. A woman in her fifties stood alone with a slightly bored expression on her face.
Jane went to the woman. She had debated trying out her Welsh accent but had decided against it. This far north there were a lot of Welsh speakers, and Jane didn’t know much beyond a handful of words.
She took out her mobile and smiled at the older woman. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you had seen this young woman recently?”
Jane showed a recent picture of Delia smiling at the camera—a sixteen-year-old girl with short, brown hair and green eyes.
The woman glanced at it and back to Jane. “Why are you asking about her?”
Not wanting to prompt the woman to ask too much about the specifics, she replied, “She’s my sister-in-law and she’s missing. I’m trying to help my husband find her.”
Looking down again, the worker frowned. “She seems familiar. A tall girl like her was here yesterday, although she had much lighter hair. She asked to use the phone and sounded like she was local. I don’t usually allow it, but her mobile had died and telephone boxes are hard to find anymore.”
If Delia had indeed listened to everything Jane had told her about past assignments, she wouldn’t rule out Delia wearing a wig or coloring her hair. “Did you overhear anything she said whilst using the phone?”
“No, I went toward the back to give her some privacy. I turned around for a moment, but when I looked over my shoulder, she was gone. You can ask the cashier if he saw anything. Gwilym worked yesterday, too.”
Jane could leave it there, but she wasn’t about to wonder what-if later. “Did my sister-in-law say anything else? Or did she only come to use the phone?”
“Nothing else that I can remember. Many people come this way in the summer for the walks, especially with Cadair Idris right there, so I barely pay attention to the unfamiliar folk during the tourist season. I only remember about the phone because so few people ask that anymore. Sorry, love.”
“No worries. Thanks so much for your help.”