Chapter 18
Alex wasn’t a stranger to LA. Over the years, he’d had many reasons to visit, but he couldn’t say he was a fan.
Dorian’s home in the Tyfal area of the city was nicer than most places he visited.
His house was on unplottable land backing onto woodlands where Dorian could take his morning flights undisturbed.
He portalled directly into an entrance hall, which was the epitome of the current interior design trend.
Dorian could afford the best of everything.
His home and its furnishings were no exception.
He’d barely gone three steps when a wood nymph appeared, whom he presumed was Dorian’s PA.
“Mr Reynolds?” she greeted him.
“Yes, I appreciate this is not a normal situation, and what I’m about to tell you may not be something you’ve had to deal with before.”
“I’ve been a PA to movie stars for many years; there’s very little that shocks me these days. Please come through to the sitting room. It would be better to be comfortable while we discuss whatever’s going on with Dorian.”
He liked her no-nonsense attitude, and he could understand even from this minimal interaction why Dorian was so reliant on her.
She led him into a room that wouldn’t have looked out of place at Crofton Hall.
She directed him to sit on a Chesterfield sofa in front of a low coffee table. “Would you like some tea?” she offered.
“No, thank you. I think we’d best get this over with.
” He didn’t see the need to dally or sugar-coat the message.
“You are aware that Dorian has been consulting a mage by the name of Trevir. We understand Dorian had concerns about the nature of the relationship between Robin Flint and his husband, Prince Simon of the Calanti tribe.”
Her expression didn’t waiver and he was further impressed by her ability to stonewall. “Who is the we in this conversation?”
“The Dark Earl of Crofton, Senor Warlock Niven, Robin Flint, and a select handful of other individuals.” She didn’t wince at the names, which was something to be heralded, as he’d namedropped some seriously well-connected individuals.
“I am His Lordship’s personal secretary, and Dorian is currently at Crofton Hall. He is likely to remain so for a while.”
“Dorian did take professional advice on a personal matter,” she said.
“Dorian was found in an unfortunate position by Prince Simon, and an incident occurred. Currently, Dorian is stuck in his dragon form.”
“What?” she said, her demeanour shifting for the first time. His gut told him she could be trusted, and they’d get more assistance if he told her the truth.
“The magic Dorian used has somehow trapped him in his dragon form; he is unable to shift back into a human. Several other magical individuals are engaged in finding a solution. Now, Lord Crofton is willing to accept that Dorian was not acting maliciously; however, it looks like the mage Dorian worked with might be.”
He decided to leave Simon out of this for the time being.
“I’ve worked with Trevir before, both for myself and other clients; he’s never given me pause on whether he was trustworthy or not. If I’d had any doubt, I wouldn’t have introduced him to Dorian.”
Alex believed her, which made the Trevir situation even stranger.
“The magic tracers we’ve used show something akin to an interception spell had been used.
We had thought the idea was to sever the connection between Prince Simon and Mr Flint, and something had gone wrong.
Now, we don’t think that to be the case, but we are still investigating. ”
“Poor Dorian, he must be beside himself.”
“To be honest, I think he’s just as surprised he wasn’t skinned alive, and grateful for the help he is receiving.
Which is in part why I am here. He wanted you informed, and we need some of his effects that he used prior to the first time he applied the cologne. He’s also asked for a few other items.”
Debi puffed out her cheeks. “This is not good.”
“No, and you can imagine that while we are concentrating our efforts on helping Dorian, there will be others who will be interested in speaking to the mage. I’m sure no one in this city wants to be on the wrong side of Robin Flint.”
“Right.” She stood. “Let’s get you the items you came to collect, then we can discuss how we can contact Trevir. He’s not going to come willingly if he’s deliberately trapped Dorian as a dragon.”
They had another complication to deal with. “We also believe him to be a Sentry Mage, so difficult to track. But if needs be, I can pose as a customer to lure him out.”
She made an annoyed noise, and her leaves bristled. “If it comes to it, then we can make that happen. There’s also the chance that this wasn’t planned, and something went wrong. I’d suggest texting him from Dorian’s phone.”
“One small problem with that, all records, messages, and call logs have been deleted.” Alex dug out Dorian’s mobile and handed it to Debi. “You’ll see all wiped. So, I’m going to need a number for Trevir.”
She took the phone and spent several minutes checking various apps and contacts. “This is super strange. Look, I’ll contact Trevir. He said he was out of town for a few days, but I’ll invite him here, pretending to discuss how the plan’s going for Dorian. You can be waiting.”
Alex thought it a reasonable suggestion. “If he turns up, I shouldn’t have too much difficulty getting the truth out of him.”
“That sounds… ominous.”
He smirked. “Thank you.”
She laughed and led him out of the lounge and upstairs. “I’m assuming you’re after a personal artefact or two, which will be in Dorian’s master suite.”
“We need something he would have handled before he started using the cologne, but hasn’t done so since. He suggested there might be a hairbrush or other personal items.”
“He has a lot of beauty products. You could take a selection back. One of his body polishes is a monthly treatment, so maybe the mitt he uses for that might work.”
He didn’t want to mention the sex toys and hoped there would be other alternatives. “Maybe a book he’s recently finished reading.”
“Dorian’s not much of a reader. He likes a podcast, though.” She smiled fondly; she seemed to have genuine affection for her boss. “Did he ask for anything else?”
He told her about Dorian’s requests. “I’ll grab the lotion and the other bits. The egg game might be in the ottoman at the foot of his bed.”
He entered a room he assumed to be Dorian’s master suite.
Unlike the rest of the house, this room was more personal, less polished, and he imagined this was the place Dorian came to retreat.
The colours were muted bronzes and deep blues, and Alex felt more comfortable here than he thought he had any right to be.
Debi opened the ottoman at the foot of the huge bed. Dorian was a tall, broad guy, but the bed seemed excessive. Perhaps for his dragon form or maybe he liked the space when he had people over to play. He imagined Dorian didn’t want for company, which made the obsession with Robin even stranger.
“I think there might be a couple of things in here that could be of use,” Debi said. “I’m sure I haven’t seen his blanket out recently. And he doesn’t tend to send it for cleaning—it’s of a sentimental nature.”
Alex peered into the wooden box and saw the blanket she was referring to. He picked it up and experienced a wash of comfort. “This is a family heirloom.”
“Possibly, I’ve never asked. He sometimes places it over his pillow.”
If this hadn’t been used in a while, the blanket would be perfect, and Alex thought Dorian would like to have it with him. Maybe it was from the family nest, and would be a comfort to him. He looked again in the ottoman and saw a Perspex box containing a golden egg. “Is that the game?”
“Yes, he brought it out for a party once, but it wasn’t used. I think it’s a bit like Jenga.” She took it out and handed it to him. “I’m going to round up the lotions and a few other pieces that might be useful.”
Alex was left alone in Dorian’s bedroom.
There were several photos on a dressing table, some of Dorian receiving awards, but others were of him as a younger man or boy with a couple and a girl of similar age.
He wondered if they were relatives or friends, and Alex found himself wanting to know more about the real Dorian, not the movie star, or lover of Robin, but the man, or should he say dragon.
Debi returned with a silk drawstring bag. “Here you go. Tell Dorian if he needs anything, let me know. Do you think I could see him at some point?”
“He seems a little sheepish at the moment,” Alex said. “I’ll let him know you asked, and I’ll try to get him to call you.”
Alex thought it would be good for Dorian to talk to someone from his normal life, and Debi, while an employee, cared.
He wasn’t sure about who Dorian considered friends; there were people in the photos, but Alex remembered the comments Dorian had made about how people only ever wanted something from him.
“Thank you for helping him.”
Their reasons weren’t altruistic; the threat of Sebastian Hewel finding out was a strong motivator alongside their scientific and magical curiosity. “I promise I’ll keep in touch.”
A spark appeared in front of him, and he could tell from its energy that the message was from Ashley. He plucked it from mid-air and placed it in his pocket. “That was my cue that I need to leave for my next appointment.”
With the egg game under one arm and the drawstring bag in hand, Alex said his goodbyes and returned to Crofton Hall to listen to Ashley’s message.
He arrived in his own rooms, planning to take Dorian’s possessions to him after he’d dealt with Ashley and his conspiracy theories.
Ashley’s message contained instructions to meet at the encoded coordinates as soon as possible, where he would be waiting.