Chapter 14
Omari Haru
Pleasantries were exchanged, and Haru managed to hold on to his tight smile without clenching his teeth.
He’d survived plenty of meetings with rival dragon clans he didn’t care for.
In each of them, he’d been expected to play nicely and not shame the Omari clan.
Each time, those meetings were a test of his restraint and self-control.
Haru pulled on all those skills now as he held Adrian close.
He would not slaughter the monsters around him, as they drank and ate with abandon, while the people of Bellcairn starved and cowered in fear.
He would not endanger his Adrian. And he would not besmirch the honor of his clan or his cousin, King Caelan.
The only thing that helped him remain in control was the feel of Adrian’s tense body pressed to his. Adrian had to be protected at all costs.
“How about we borrow the study for a bit, Yujian?” Ruben suggested. “It’s too noisy out here, and I’d like to talk a little business. You can leave your boy here with Matthys and his sister. They can entertain him while we chat.”
Adrian stiffened. The hand hidden inside Haru’s shirt gripped his side as if he were physically attaching himself to Haru so they couldn’t be separated.
“I don’t want to stay here,” Adrian mumbled. He lifted his head and flashed Haru a look overflowing with worry.
Haru leaned in and kissed Adrian’s forehead. “You stay here and play nice. Let Daddy work, and we’ll get you a pretty, shiny surprise afterward.”
In a heartbeat, Adrian’s expression flashed to something threatening. Haru suspected Adrian was preparing a list of all the ways he wanted to kill Haru. That was fine. It would help to keep his worries at bay while they were apart.
“Fine,” Adrian agreed sullenly. He slid out of Haru’s lap and to his feet. His powerful body slouched and yet he still exuded beauty and control, leaving Haru wanting to pull him close again.
Haru rose and straightened his clothes before taking a step to Matthys as he hovered at Ruben’s side.
“Not to worry, Yujian. We’ll watch over your companion,” Matthys stated with a lazy smile.
Haru grinned back with a flash of teeth. “Yes, you will. You will also keep in mind that he’s not my companion. He is my precious treasure. And if anything happens to him while I am away, I will pull out your spine with my bare hands and beat every one of your guests to death with it.”
As Haru spoke, all color drained from Matthys’s face. He swallowed hard and nodded quickly while Ruben chuckled beside him.
Vitor had said he could lean into the eccentric. It would be expected of him, though he probably wouldn’t expect Haru to be this kind of bloodthirsty eccentric.
“Come, Yujian. He’ll be fine,” Ruben repeated, and Haru followed him through the crowd and up a pair of winding stairs to a palatial study on the second floor that provided another view of the city.
Once the doors were closed by a servant behind them, silence claimed the room.
It was as if the party had stopped the moment they left.
“Don’t mind Matthys or his sister.” Ruben walked over to a dark wood sideboard and pulled the crystal stopper from a decanter.
He poured a tumbler of amber liquor for himself and one for Haru, as if this were his own home.
“They’re morons, but they have a strong sense of self-preservation.
Nothing is going to happen to your treasure. ”
“I noticed this about Matthys,” Huru murmured, accepting the offered glass.
“Self-preservation?”
“The moron part.”
Ruben grunted and motioned for them to take a seat in the chairs set off to one side of the room.
For a study, there were very few books, which seemed odd.
Or maybe not if Matthys was a moron. There were shelves of art, pottery, and other interesting collectibles that were worth millions.
A sleek modern desk sat facing the windows, but there was nothing on the desk but a pad of paper, a pair of fountain pens, and a desk lamp.
Otherwise, there was nothing to indicate that Matthys used it for actual work.
“The Drost family has been wealthy for generations,” Ruben explained.
“Their kind of laziness is bred into them after so many generations. All they care about is protecting what they’ve got.
They are so sure their money is always going to be there.
They’ve got no hunger. No ruthlessness.” Ruben smirked at Haru and lifted his glass to him. “Certainly not like you.”
Haru nodded gracefully. “It has taken me many years to accumulate my hoard. It is not enough to protect it. I must eliminate all threats. I must be the strongest.”
Ruben hummed and took another sip of his alcohol. Only then did Haru dare to drink any of his own. It was a smoky beverage that warmed his chest. Not as nice as some of the liquors his people brewed and distilled, but it was tolerable.
“People like Matthys are easy to find. Followers. Willing to toss their money at anything that seems like a sure thing and doesn’t require any effort on their part.
They make a donation and believe they are protected.
Their work is done.” Ruben leaned forward, narrowed his dark eyes at Haru.
“But you and I are doers. We don’t mind getting our hands dirty if it means having more control. A bigger slice of the pie.”
“And which pie are you coveting? Damardor?”
“New Rosanthe.”
Haru arched a manicured brow at Ruben. “Matthys made it sound like your little group is indifferent to who rules in this part of the world.”
“Like I said, not the type to get their hands dirty.” Ruben’s fat lips twisted into a sneer that caused the bridge of his nose to wrinkle.
“New Rosanthe is a gold mine—both literally and figuratively. The country has some of the richest veins of minerals in all the world and a fair amount of technological advances. In the meantime, New Rosanthe’s upper echelon is still fighting over who will slide onto Emperor Naram Suen’s throne now that he’s dead.
The man never selected a successor because he was sure that any person he picked would help him along to his ugly end.
Their leaders are distracted, and their military is in disarray.
They are the perfect plum just waiting to be plucked. ”
“But your window of opportunity must be closing fast.” Haru waved a hand in the air, as if brushing aside Ruben’s serious words like a bit of smoke.
“Do you even have control of the Damardor government and military? You’re going to need it if you’re going to conquer New Rosanthe.
Disarray or not, New Rosanthe still has one of the strongest militaries. ”
“I can rein in Damardor. The government is already in my back pocket. But sadly, their military isn’t the match of New Rosanthe. We need something stronger, better.”
Haru snorted. “And fast. You can’t build an effective army overnight.”
“That I can do.”
Haru’s brows drew together over the bridge of his nose, and he frowned. “I do not understand. How?”
“With magic.”
Haru chuckled as he was sure he was supposed to. This was the part where Haru shouldn’t believe him. The part that was supposed to be impossible, but he knew what to expect. “Magic? I thought you were serious.”
“I am very serious.” Resting his elbows on the arms of the chair, Ruben pressed his fingertips together, tenting his hands in front of him. “The old major gods are free at last. My sources say they were trapped in godstones around the world, just like the one that had been in Stormbreak.”
“I’m aware,” Haru murmured. “I’ve seen the reports of magical encounters. However, I didn’t think you were insane enough to suggest that we attack the gods themselves for their powers.”
“Not the gods.” Ruben narrowed his eyes. “Their children and their acolytes. Those weaker and moldable souls have been blessed with their own magic. Gifts from the gods themselves.”
Haru grunted. “Maybe not quite as ludicrous as I first thought. Continue.”
Ruben smirked. “We’re men of the world. Experienced and wise. We both know that these poor people don’t understand the power they’ve been given. Their gifts need to be redirected. Harnessed.”
“Used for your own means,” Haru supplied. His stomach twisted into a painful knot, but he kept his outward expression blank. One of the people he was talking about using was his Adrian.
“Can you imagine an entire squad of fighters with magic at their fingertips? New Rosanthe’s military wouldn’t stand a chance.
We could march into the capital and steal the throne before they realize what’s happened.
” As he spoke, he made a scooping motion with his right hand and tightened it up into a fist as if he’d grabbed up the entire empire himself.
“And you think you can convince all these people to do your bidding?”
Ruben relaxed in his chair and waved his right hand, brushing aside Haru’s question.
“Everyone has a price or a pressure point that can be manipulated. Handling people is not a concern. The harder part of our endeavor has been locating the people with magic. They prefer to hide in holes like rats rather than flaunt their gifts. As you might guess, they aren’t plentiful.
However, the calculations we’ve made show that we need only a dozen at most to give us an edge. ”
Haru tossed back the last of his alcohol and set his crystal tumbler on the table at his elbow with a loud thud. “I take it this is where I’m supposed to come in.”
Ruben grinned. “Well, Matthys has said that you are a man who can get his hands on anything. I believe we even suggested you bring something specific to the party.”
Yes, the proof Vitor had promised.