But he’d hoped.
Caelan had sent a message to Omari Nori prior to Adrian leaving the group. The clan leader received information regarding the gods and the Empire’s threat to Erya as well as the other countries. He knew the dangers his grandson was facing, but there were also dangers to all the dragons on the Isle of Stone if they helped.
Adrian stared out the floor-to-ceiling window of the West Tower, taking in the bright, glittering lights of Stormbreak spread out in front of him. Snow had fallen on the city throughout the day and the heavy clouds had moved off around sunset so that the sky was a diamond-studded blanket. He should have been happy to be home, and some small part of him was. He’d taken an afternoon to visit with his mother, who just remarked on how thin he was and how his beard was now flecked with gray. There had been no need to remind him of how he hadn’t replaced the weight he’d lost on the trek from Brightspire.
He rubbed his now bare cheeks and glanced at his reflection in the windows. The beard only made him look older, and it was utterly unnecessary. The new lines stretching out from his eyes were reminder enough of that. Working for the king was not making him any younger. If anything, it was regularly shaving years off his life, and yet he wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.
Turning away from his reflection, he continued to stroll through the empty hallways. He was on the floor that held Caelan’s chambers. When they’d returned from the Isle of Stone, he’d heard that Drayce’s things had been moved into what had been called the “Consort’s Chambers” directly across from Caelan’s. The idea of them maintaining separate living chambers was utterly laughable. During their off-hours, the dragon was never more than a handful of steps away from Caelan. There was no way they were sleeping separately. If anything, he was amazed that Rayne had managed to pry the king out of the dragon’s grip each day so they could attend meetings.
Eno’s and Rayne’s apartments were on another floor, and Adrian’s was on a floor below them. All close enough to reach the king in a matter of minutes, while giving them each at least a feeling of privacy.
What would Haru think of these Towers? Of their rooms?
The thought slithered through Adrian’s brain before he could stop it. He halted in the center of the hallway and dropped his head back, sighing loudly. That damn dragon was never far from his thoughts. At least, not during his off-hours. If he wasn’t occupied with worries about his friends, he was thinking about Haru.
The errant thoughts were slipping in more frequently now that he was home. Everything was seen through new eyes after spending nearly a month on the Isle of Stone. His world was so very different from Haru’s. What would the dragon think? Would he like it? Hate it? Want to immediately rush home?
Adrian chuckled and started walking again. No, not Haru. He’d want to linger over every little thing. To explore, taste, smell, and touch it all.
He paused near another set of windows and pulled out his phone. There were no emails waiting for him from anyone. Not that he’d expected there to be any.
His heart sped up as he tapped the button for the email app. It instantly opened to a blank message with Haru’s name filled in. Since reaching Stormbreak, he’d stared at this blank message at least a hundred times, trying to figure out what to say. It was almost a foregone conclusion that he was going to send something to Haru. Even if it never mentioned what was happening, he knew it would lead to it. His deeper intention was always to beg the dragon to come to the continent and help save his king.
But that was expressly against Caelan’s orders. It was treason.
As forgiving and understanding as Caelan was, Adrian knew his king would be pissed if Haru and the other dragons came because he interfered. This should be handled by the king and his advisor. A gang of trained diplomats. Not a rogue bodyguard.
It was reason enough to have Adrian executed. Or at the very least, imprisoned for life.
Was it worth it?
Yes.
Even if his actions led to danger, scandals, and a general mess all around, he had to believe that it would work out in the end because the dragons were not a threat to Erya or the other countries. If anything, they could spell the difference in whether Caelan and his friends survived this fight, and he would do whatever he had to in order to keep them safe.
Cursing himself, Adrian typed out a simple question: Are the dragons staying out of it?
He hit Send and sighed. It was likely Haru would know exactly what he was talking about. The dragon was close with his uncle and seemed to be abreast of all clan business, even if he wasn’t next in line as clan leader. If he didn’t know, Adrian was willing to spill the beans and draw Haru in. Yeah, he was stupid, but he’d taken this step; why not go all the way?