Page 24 of The Dragon King’s Claw (The Dragons of Serai #17)

The Dragon King waited for me, sitting in a booth beside the one containing the body while I worked. Despite his obvious desire to speak to me afterward, I tried to leave with the Talon team. He was not pleased.

I was halfway across the room when the King snatched my wrist and yanked me to a halt.

“Not here,” I hissed under my breath.

“Fine.” He led me around a corner to a secluded part of the floor.

Off the main room, there were smaller rooms meant for feedings or other more intimate exchanges. Some of them had private nooks for the latter. And no, the furniture was not bloodstained. Eljaffna are conscientious when it comes to blood. Yet . . .

“Son of a bastard!” I snarled and dove for the floor.

“For fuck's sake! I only want a few moments alone with you!” the King snarled back. “You can give me that after I've waited hours for you!”

I looked at him as if he'd gone mad, and then realized his misconception. “No, not you. This! Look .” I waved at the floor.

“It's a stain.”

“It's a blood stain.” I lurched to my feet and hurried back to the main room, hoping to catch the Talon team.

The King grabbed my arm.

“You are impeding my investigation again, Your Majesty!”

He jerked his hand away.

I ran past him. The outer room was mostly empty, just a few talons left to secure the scene until I excused them. “Get me a collection kit!” I shouted at one of them. “Hurry! Get down there before the team leaves and stop them. I've found more evidence!”

“Yes, sir!”

“I'll be in the first room down the west corridor.” I didn't bother waiting for a response. They'd find me.

The King stood in the corridor entrance, frowning. I ran past him again. Thankfully, it was a broad corridor. And he let me pass without issue. But then he followed me back to the room. I scanned the floor first and found another spot of blood closer to the wall.

“Why are you so interested in that stain?”

Still searching, I said, “It's a blood stain.”

“Isn't that rather common here?”

I looked over my shoulder at him. He was standing in the doorway, keeping the scene clear for me. At least he was learning. “No, Your Majesty. It is not. Eljaffna never waste blood. Every drop is savored.”

He snorted.

I let it go. Because I had found something else.

“Now, what's this?” I pushed against the wall and a panel opened.

“Claw Shinkai, sir? Uh, excuse me, Your Majesty. I'm sorry.”

“Go on, but be careful where you step,” the King said. “There is blood to be collected right there.”

“Oh! Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you. Well done!”

I would have laughed had I not been so focused on the door. Instead, I called to the talon, “A light! Now!”

“Yes, sir!” He grabbed one of the floating spheres and brought it over. “Is that a secret passage?”

“Indeed.” I angled the light into it.

“How did the management not know about this?” the King, suddenly behind me, demanded.

“Maybe they do know.” I stepped inside, careful to search the floor first. There were more spots of blood. “He definitely brought the body in through here.”

“Sire, please,” a Dragon knight said. “At least allow me to go in first.”

“No!” I swung back to point at the Dragons. “You—all of you—stay back! You and your big, blundering bodies will destroy evidence.”

The King snorted a laugh. “You heard the poet. Back away, boys.”

I left them behind, turning a corner before coming to a stairwell.

I could hear voices. The walls were thin.

Down I went, following a trail of blood until I came to the bottom floor.

A door opened into the alley behind Newfangled.

I stepped out into the cool night, holding the door open, and stopped short.

Every muscle in my body went slack. I just stared, hand still on the door.

Then I regained my senses and let out a foul curse.

It must have been loud enough to carry up two flights of stairs because seconds later, I heard the pound of footsteps. A few moments after that, the King appeared behind me along with his guards and the talon, who brought up the rear.

“Don't let the door close,” I grumbled as I stepped outside and across the alley. To the opposite wall. To inspect it.

“What the fuck?” the King hissed as he joined me.

“That would be more blood,” I said. “What a damn waste.”

The King snorted again, then looked at me. “Oh, you're serious.”

“Of course, I'm serious.” I glanced at him. “Blood is life. And it is doubly evil to kill someone and waste their blood like this.” I waved at the writing on the wall.

“I'm more concerned about the fact that a madman has targeted you.”

“Not targeted for death. Only for the game.” I scowled at the words. “I'm the safest man in the city. At least where Hallaxgral is concerned.”

“Fuck,” the talon whispered. “Is this message for you , Claw Shinkai?”

Still staring at the words written in blood, I murmured, “That is correct.”

“But why you?”

“Isn't it obvious?” the King asked. “It's because he's brilliant. He's so fucking brilliant, this bastard is jealous. He wants to prove that he's smarter than Claw Shinkai. That will not happen. Will it, my Claw?”

I was thrilled with the King's speech until those last two words. Then I winced and turned to glare at him. “You did that on purpose,” I muttered.

“Did what?” He cocked his head.

I glared at him.

“It's only the truth.” The King grinned. “You are brilliant.”

“I'm not talking about that. Ugh! Never mind.

I believe you're correct. He's trying to prove that he's smarter than me.

And, to answer your question, Talon, I don't know why.

Maybe I've ruined his plans in the past. Whatever his reasons are, he has matched wits with me.

And so, I have two murders to solve tonight—Claw Greishen's and Kun-lo's.” I looked at the talon. “Did you bring that collection kit?”

“Yes, sir!” He handed over a leather bag.

“Thank you. What about the team?”

“I stopped them in time. They're waiting out front, sir.”

“Go fetch them. Bring them here.” I waved down the alley. “We have another scene to process.”

“Yes, sir!” The talon ran off, down the alley to the street.

The Dragon King read the words on the wall aloud, “You have until nightfall tomorrow to find him or he will have company. How fast can you dig up the past, Shinkai?”

I wrote the message in my borrowed notebook and then looked up to find the King staring at me yet again. “What?”

“Where are going first?”

I groaned.