Chapter One #2
Oh, fuck! I wasn't na?ve enough to think that Vasren had crossed the channel to profess his love to me and beg me to return.
He was there to arrest me and take me back to Kochan for justice.
I could tell by the way his narrowed eyes scanned the room.
Oh, fuck me. I wouldn't be able to stay in Hidzi after all.
I had to get out of there and get back to my manor to pack.
“Why are you afraid of him?” the King demanded.
I tore my eyes away from my beautiful ex-lover and looked at the King. Still, I tracked Vas in my peripheral vision. “I . . . oh, shit.”
He chuckled. “How bad was your breakup?”
I stared at him. What would he think if I told him the truth? I was a damn good judge of character, and my instincts told me that this man would understand. But it was a risk. If he didn't, he'd turn me over to Vas.
The longer I stared at him, the more the King frowned. “What did you do, Kataru?”
Why was I surprised that he remembered my name? Well, my new name. Maybe I wasn't surprised, but relieved. If he were sexually interested in me, it would help. I glanced at Vasren and realized that the only way to hold off a Dragon was with a stronger Dragon. I needed the Dragon King.
“I'm a fugitive,” I whispered.
“What?” Both eyebrows surged up again. “You're . . . what was your crime?”
“I infiltrated the criminal underground of Rushao, pretended to be a murderer, and led a claw on the King's Talon Force on a merry chase around the city so that he would expose a group of murderers, thieves, and general assholes who had either indirectly or directly killed many humans, including a relative of mine.”
The King blinked. And again. He looked through the glass doors at Vasren.
Looked back at me. “Sweet Goddess, I would call you a liar, but that story came too quickly to be a lie.” He leaned closer and breathed in slowly.
“And I discern no dissembling. It's the truth. You became a criminal to expose criminals?”
“Yes, I did it for my family. To quiet their ghosts,” I whispered the last part and ran a hand over my face.
“Ghosts of the dead and my conscience. It wasn't right.
Just because they were human, their deaths were overlooked.
But I found an honorable man in the Kochan Talons.
I knew he'd punish the guilty, no matter who their victims were.
But I didn't have enough evidence to take to him. I had to lead him down a path that would show him the truth. To do that, I had to do things to get his attention—terrible things. But I did them to terrible people.”
I looked over at Vas. He was sniffing the air.
Soon, he'd find me. We'd been lovers, and he knew my scent.
He could find me in a crowd. He might have even followed my trail across the channel.
Dragons were the best trackers on the planet.
I should have gone further. But I had heard that crossing water broke a scent trail, especially a huge body of water.
To tell the truth, I wanted to remain within sight of his home. What a stupid mistake!
“How terrible? Did you kill people?”
I met his stare. “Yes. I killed a man who had been a party to burying a group of humans alive, a group of Eljaffna dream dealers, and two cannibals.”
“I'm sorry, did you say, cannibals?”
“Yes, a Brujai couple. They were members of the Keten Tribe—a tribe massacred for being cannibals. Obviously, some escaped the massacre. But they were just the cleanup crew—assassins who had a disturbing way of disposing of the bodies of their victims.”
“What the . . . you have my attention. Please go on.”
I couldn't believe I was telling him my story. All of it. I hadn't shared it with anyone. But he was taking it rather well, and it was damn nice to get the trauma off my chest.
“All right.” I stepped back, away from the light coming in from the ballroom. “I'll tell you everything. I hope I can rely on your mercy.”
“It's too late to worry about that now, little one.” The King stepped in front of me, blocking my view of the ballroom completely. “Tell me your tale. All of it.”
“All of it? In that case, I have to start with Kun-lo. He was my grand-uncle. Kun-lo was murdered when he was only 16.”
“Was he one of the buried humans?”
“No, he didn't go to work the day of the mine collapse. He was just a loose end that had to be cut.” I felt the old bitterness rise.
Even with justice served, it still simmered inside me.
“Kun-lo's family worked in the Hallax Mine along with many other humans.
The owners were two Chelli men and a Ricarri woman who was married to the general of the King's Horns. It all started with drugs. The mine owners secretly drugged their human employees with frang nectar. This made them slower, but they worked harder for barely anything. One day, the Chelli miners hit a pocket of flammable gas. The mine caught fire. The Chelli got out, but the humans were too slow.”
“Because of the nectar.”
“Yes, and it was supplied by a group of Eljaffna merchants. But back to the mine owners. Instead of helping the humans or even just standing there and doing nothing, the Ricarri woman decided it was the perfect opportunity. You see, the humans hadn't been paid for that month yet.”
“Sweet Goddess,” the King whispered. “No.”
“Yes, she convinced her Chelli partners that it was in their best interests to close the mine with the humans inside. The Chelli men brought the rocks down, blocking the entrance. The humans, including several children, were trapped in what was basically an oven. They were burned alive.”
“Holy fuck!”
“Thank you for that. But as I said, Kun-lo wasn't there that day. He went swimming with some friends. But that didn't save him. The mine owners found out there was a survivor.”
“Someone who might go to the Talons.”
I nodded. “The Ricarri woman had a claw working for her—an Eljaffna with violent tendencies.
He killed people and made sure the deaths were never solved.
Anyone who went against her wound up missing.
She was never investigated because she was the wife of the General, but even if she had been, her claw would have seen to it that she was proved innocent.
She had the claw kill Kun-lo. The claw—an officer of the King's law—then gave Kun-lo's body to the Brujai couple to dispose of.
Nice and clean. He was even assigned Kun-lo's missing person case to investigate.”
“Dear Goddess.”
“I don't know if he orchestrated that or if it was just chance, but he must have had a good laugh at that. Oh, I think I left him off my list. I killed him too, Your Majesty. I killed that dishonorable, murdering bastard and left him as a clue for Claw Shinkai to find.”
“I see. Anything else?”
“I abducted the Ricarri woman's son as part of my clues for Claw Shinkai.
But I didn't put the boy in danger. I swear I didn't. And Claw Shinkai found him quickly.
He's my one regret. I shouldn't have involved a child, but I wanted his mother to feel a portion of the pain that the mothers of the murdered children had felt.”
“I believe you.” The King shook his head. “Fuck me, I believe everything you're saying. Either you're an incredible storyteller or a genius with a talent for intrigue.”
I shrugged. “I suppose that's for you to decide.”
He grunted. “Tell me, did it work? Were they caught by Claw Shinkai?”
“Yes, I put my faith in the right man, and he figured it out. With a Claw discovering the facts and putting them together, the evidence was enough. Claw Tekhan Shinkai brought all of them to justice. For that, I'm in his debt.”
“Even the Eljaffna who supplied the drugs?”
“If you recall, I said I killed a group of dream dealers. Those were the Eljaffna. But I only sort of killed them.”
The King chuckled. “You sort of killed them?”
“I planted a bomb in the prison, but I made sure it would only hurt them.”
“Look at you.” He shook his head. “I would never have thought you were capable of such.”
“I didn't think I was either. Even after hearing my grandfather's stories about the family he lost. How he knew they'd been murdered, but no one would listen to him because he was human.
I went to Kochan to investigate and learned the truth, but even then, I didn't think I could do anything about it.
I was just a human. No one would listen to me.
The Talons laughed me out of their hall.
But injustice is a bitter thing that grows inside you, spreading its roots deep.
It showed me that my doubts were put there by others.
I couldn't let other people's beliefs define or limit me.
So, you see, the injustice I sought to rectify was against myself as well.
It became even more personal than it had been.
And when it's that personal, it can't be ignored.
I knew I wouldn't find peace until the dead had been avenged.”
“I understand.” He put his hand on my shoulder. “And I swear to you that humans are treated fairly in my kingdom.”
“I hope that's true, but King Tor'rien believed the same about his kingdom, and he was wrong.”
The King made a pensive sound. “I have faith in my Talons, but I will look into their records personally. I must be sure.”
“You will?” I cleared my throat. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Don't thank me yet.” He glanced over his shoulder and then back at me. “As drastic as your methods were, they got results. I don't think you're a murderer. An executioner perhaps, but not a killer. I'm glad you got your justice for your dead and for yourself.”
“Thank you. Does this mean you'll let me leave?”
“I didn't say that.” The Dragon King grinned.
My heart raced. “Are you going to hand me over to him?”
“I didn't say that either. I'm inclined to protect you, Kataru.”
“You are?” I glanced at Vas. “What if it starts a war?”
“It will not. But answer me this first: How was your lover involved?”
“He's one of King Tor'rien's guards. The King took a special interest in the case, mainly because Claw Shinkai turned out to be his mate.
I met Vasren during my, uh, the enactment of my plans.
He wasn't supposed to be part of it. Neither of us was supposed to fall in love. But I did. He did. And then my plans bore fruit. The truth was revealed. I was about to be revealed as well.”
“So, you ran.”
“I had planned on leaving from the start. I didn't want to, but I had to. I had committed crimes to expose other crimes. So, I left a letter for Vasren and one for Claw Shinkai, explaining everything. And then yes, I fled. I came here for a fresh start.”
“But he found you.” The King turned so we could both see Vasren prowling through the room. “Are you sure he's here to apprehend you?”
“I lied to him and then abandoned him. Yes, I'm sure he's here to bring me to justice. And I deserve it.”
“No, I don't think you do.” The King took my hand. “You cannot stay here, and running has proven futile. I think you should come with me.”
“What?” I whispered. “But . . .”
“I can leave someone here to watch over your business for now.”
“I could take my ship and go to another kingdom.” I winced. “When it returns from its latest trip.”
“I believe I'm your best option, Kataru.”
I stared at him. There was no misinterpreting the King's offer. He'd protect me, yes. But he'd want me in return. Fair enough, but the thought made my stomach clench. I looked into the ballroom once more. As if he could sense me, Vasren suddenly turned my way. And started for the balcony.
I was out of time.
“I accept your protection, Your Majesty.” I bowed my head. “But there's one more thing you need to know.”
“What's that?”
I looked up and met his gaze. “My real name is Katai Gral. It's the least I can offer you.”
The Dragon King's eyes flashed as he yanked me into his arms. “And what's the most?”