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No matter what happened after tomorrow, I wouldn’t let him break me.

That evening, as I rested on the giant clamshell serving as my chair in the dining hall, I stared at my food, unable to eat. Unable to do much of anything but think through everything I’d seen and heard, trying to find a connection, something that would give me a way out.

But try as I might, I kept coming up empty.

"…and make sure she gets the pufferfish poison for the dragons," Ateleíotes said.

Whoa…what? Did he just say dragons?

I tuned back into their conversation. My hand, which had been pushing small bits of octopus around my plate, stilled.

"How long will this trade continue?" Zephyrion’s lip curled into a sneer. "It’s beneath us to do business with a serpent, especially a witch."

They had to be talking about Calypso. There might have been other sea serpent witches, but these sirens had an established connection to Calypso. But how had she and dragons ended up in the same conversation tonight? I mentally smacked myself for not paying attention sooner.

The king took a bite and chewed before answering. "It will continue as long as I wish. The dragons pay her well for their little crystal potion, and she pays us for the poison. It’s a symbiotic relationship."

My breath caught in my throat, remembering what Dominic had said about pyrocrystals right before our match:

"Ichiro has figured out a way to create them en masse and is selling them to Gifted people. They’re a very powerful and addictive drug to anyone not bonded to a dragon. He’s using them to force submission and seize control. Soon, he’ll be more unstoppable than he already is."

If Ichiro was behind the pyrocrystal problem in D.C., did that mean Ichiro was working with Calypso too?

Holy coconuts, Catwoman.

Did Dominic know about their arrangement? It seemed unlikely, but we hadn’t exactly had the chance to discuss the details. The only times I’d heard about the crystals were that time with Dominic and once with Frankie. I’d found a crystal in the gym, not knowing what it was. Of course the fae woman knew.

Thoughts of the dragon made my heart clench painfully, as they always did. There was so much I regretted over the last fewweeks, but hurting him had to be among the worst. That and trusting the sea witch, of course.

I’d hurt Frankie too, I was sure, but I knew she would understand in time, if not immediately. I’d failed them both.

Trusting the witch was just stupidity on my part. I had purposefully hurt Nic. Yes, I’d done it to save him, but I’d still done it.

Maybe I could win his forgiveness by telling him about Ichiro and Calypso. Or at least maybe it would be a step in the right direction, even if he’d moved on already.

If I ever got back to land, that is.

That prospect was dwindling with every passing moment.

CHAPTER 19

Dominic

Dragon kings of old had established the High Draconic Council centuries ago, back when the first humans bonded with dragons, enabling their spirits to live on inside human hosts. In the early days, we hadn’t learned to control the bloodthirsty beasts with tattoos yet, tethering their spirits to ours, and too many hosts died beneath their claws and magic.

Although those of us hosting dragon spirits prided ourselves on our innate ferocity and need for dominance, discovering the link between tattoos infused with the dragon’s magic and control over said beasts had been pure coincidence. Once we had control over our dragons, we established the Council to better manage the affairs of dragonkind.

The Gifted Interests Government had existed for far longer than our Council, but after a few disagreements led to massive losses—ontheirside—they agreed to let us handle ourselves.

Yes, we were above the law everyone else had to obey. Our laws were simpler and more primitive, and our justice system quick and heavy-handed. In response, every Sato’s life was governed primarily by the family motto: Kill or be killed.

I stepped out of the limo and adjusted my black suit jacket. While I had attended plenty of Council meetings in the past, this would be my first as the Sato empire’s official heir. Judgment would be even harsher today, which meant every detail mattered. Jou’s heat radiated outward, ensuring not a single wrinkle marred my expensive suit and soothing my tensed muscles.

A small gathering of non-Gifted humans watched as the impeccably dressed dragons descended on the Council building in the heart of D.C. They would wonder who we were, but their internet searches would provide nothing more than gossip, naming most of us as mob families. To be fair, that much was true.

Their gossip was fine by me. The more the non-Gifted feared us, the easier it was to keep them at a safe distance.

Normally as we entered the building, Rin would be by my side as my unofficial right-hand man. I didn’t need a bodyguard, per se, but among this crowd, having someone to watch your six was always a wise idea.