Page 6 of Red Fury

Octane leans forward in his chair. “What we found was…disturbing.”

Why does Octane have access to this kind of information?

I glance between the three of them, my dragon stirring restlessly beneath my skin. “What kind of information?” My voice is deep, almost too deep.

Arctic’s jaw tightens. “Evidence that Ice was in communication with someone on the Mainland, possibly more than one person. We couldn’t determine who or get specificsabout their discussions, but the communications were definitely there. Based on bits and pieces of information, we suspect that it was with someone in the government.”

“He was monitoring at least two Council members on Draig Island, as well,” Steel adds, looking directly at Octane. “Again, we couldn’t recover the details, but he was keeping tabs on your people.”

Octane’s face remains impassive, but I catch the slight tightening around his eyes. “That is concerning.”

“It gets worse,” Arctic continues. “We also discovered that there’s an undercover Draig operative on the Mainland. They’ve infiltrated the government and currently hold a position on Secretary Harrison’s payroll.”

“Really?” I lean forward in my seat, putting my still-full cappuccino back down. “That’s…strange. Do we know who it is? Do you know this person?” I ask Octane.

“No,” Steel says grimly. “That information was completely wiped. We don’t know their identity, their mission, or how long they’ve been there.”

I look at Octane, whose face has gone pale. Either he’s a hell of an actor, or this is news to him, too.

“I didn’t know about this,” Octane says quietly. “Then again, I’m not privy to such information. Trying to build relationships between the two islands has been…challenging.”

I’m sure it has.

Arctic studies him for a long moment. “That’s what concerns us. Either your Council is operating without your knowledge, or…”

“Or this is a rogue operation,” Steel finishes.

There is a third option: perhaps Octane knew about this but didn’t share it.

“I’m sure the Council knows about this, and they aren’t telling me, but I can’t say either way.” Octane shrugs.

Crap!

A Draiger with access to the Mainland government. Someone with the potential to influence policy regarding both islands. Someone who could be feeding information to enemies we don’t even know we have.

“This is pretty bad,” I state the obvious.

“It sure is,” Steel agrees.

“What do you need me to do?” I ask. There’s a reason they’ve asked me to come today.

The king’s expression grows grave. “I know it’s unorthodox, but we’re sending you to the Mainland, Fury. As a bodyguard for Secretary Harrison, working for a company called Sentinel Security.”

I lean back in my seat, lifting my brows. “You’re right, that’s unheard of and completely against every rule in every book. If I’m caught, I’ll be executed, and it could spell trouble for both islands.”

“Your mission is threefold,” Steel continues, as if I didn’t speak. “Find the Draig infiltrator. Determine their agenda. And gather as much intelligence as possible while you are there. Anything is better than what we have now.”

“I’m going to add a fourth,” the king says. “Neutralize the Draig agent if you deem them a threat to us, or to the humans. You do it by any means necessary.”

“Without acting too hastily,” Octane adds.

“Yeah, agreed,” Steel says. “Be sure about the agent being a threat before you take drastic measures.”

“But do what you need to keep our island safe,” Arctic adds.

I nod slowly, my mind already racing through the implications. This isn’t just a mission, it’s a potential death sentence. One wrong move, and I’ll be executed. Or worse.

“It’s up to you whether you want to take this on or not,” Steel says. “It’s a big deal. We’re asking you to leave the island,which is in direct breach of the rules. We’re not sure how long this could take; it might be days, but it could be months, and it’s not without significant risk.” That’s a drastic understatement. “We have two other potential candidates lined up, if you decline. Know that you are our first choice.”