Page 32 of The Dragon King’s Claw (The Dragons of Serai #17)

“Get up!” the King hissed as he hauled me to my feet. “You don't give up, Tek. Never. And you certainly don't fall to your knees unless it's for me. For my pleasure. Do you understand?”

I blinked, my stare focusing over his shoulder. Someone was running toward us. A talon.

“Tek!” The King shook me.

“Yes, I understand!” I jerked myself out of his grip, pushed past him, and ran to meet the talon halfway. “What's happened? Where was that explosion?”

Panting, the man stopped and just gaped at me.

I grabbed his shoulders and shook him much as the King had done to me. “What happened?!”

“The prison, Claw Shinkai. There was a bomb.”

“The prison.” I let go of him. “What?”

“The Chief wants you there. You're to drop everything else and report immediately to the Talon Prison.”

I glanced back, saw the King standing right behind me, and looked past him. “I can't. I have to finish this.”

“But, sir—”

“Tell the Chief I'll be there as soon as possible.”

“Uh, oh. I, uh, all right.”

“Go!” I shoved him back in the direction he had come even as I went back the way I had come.

“Did he say the prison exploded?” King Tor'rien asked.

“Yes.” I paused to look at him. “But this isn't over. I need to find Kun-lo's killer.”

“But the note said that he won.”

“It also said I'm only halfway there. Hallaxgral won this round, not the entire game. And I'm not letting him win another.” And then I ran. Because I knew every minute counted. I wouldn't waste another. Especially not on the King.

The grave was abandoned. The gardeners had run off at the sound of the explosion and the Dragon knights had protected the King. No one cared about a long-dead boy who planted flowers.

Dear Gods, why did that make me want to cry?

I knelt beside the body and carefully unwrapped it.

Despite my gentleness, the shroud disintegrated.

“I care. I cared back then, and I care now, Kun-lo. I will find your murderer, and if he or she still lives, I will see that justice is served. You will be avenged, my friend. And if no one who loved you is alive to mourn you, I will do that too. I will sing your soul to the Gods in the way of your people. You will be laid to rest. That is my vow to you.”

All that remained of Kun-lo were bones. I brushed away the remnants of his shroud. Murder often sinks deep, leaving evidence in the bones. If there was anything on those bones that could identify the murderer, I would find it.

In the distance, bells continued to clang. I wouldn't heed them this time. I couldn't. A dead boy and very possibly some living ones, relied on me to win the game.

“Tekhan.” The King laid a hand on my shoulder. “How can I help?”

“You could run interference with the Chief. Maybe send one of your knights in my stead to gather information. Tell them not to move anything. Not even the bodies. Leave them where they are for me to inspect.”

“How long are you going to be?”

“I don't know, but those dead can wait. This one has waited long enough.” Then I saw the glint of metal. “What's this?”

From within a cage of finger bones, the object taunted me. I had to break the fragile remnants of tendons to open the boy's hand. But I'd already made my initial inspection, so I felt confident that there was nothing else to find.

“A button?” I murmured. “He must have pulled it off the murderer in a struggle. You fought, didn't you? Good boy. And you kept this safe for me all these years. Thank you.” I turned the button over and saw the engraving.

The breath caught in my throat. My hand clenched around the evidence. I couldn't speak. Thoughts battered my mind, vying for order. During the chaos, the King called my name. But I was gone, focused on the past.

“You're missing a button, Claw Greishen.” I flicked my finger toward my superior.

He narrowed his eyes at me. “It's not your place to lecture me on my uniform, Talon Shinkai.”

“I didn't mean to lecture, sir. I only wanted to inform you before someone else noticed.”

Greishen grunted and spun away.

“No,” I whispered, coming out of the memory. “A murderer on the force. No. And assigned to investigate the murder of his victim? How the Gods must laugh at us.”

“Tekhan?” The King knelt before me. “Show me the button.”

I opened my hand and lifted it for the King to see.

Everything popped into place when I met his stare.

Dear Gods, he steadied me like nothing else.

Made sense of madness. Why? Why him? I stared at King Tor'rien as he lowered his gaze to the button, and then he took it from me and lifted it into a shaft of sunlight.

“Is this a talon's button?”

“No.” I took it back. “It's a claw's button. And it belonged to Greishen.”

“What? How could you know that?”

“Because I remember when he lost it. It was mere days before he was assigned to the Kun-lo case.”

“You can remember someone losing a button over fifty years ago?”

“Sixty-eight years. And I store information. When I need it, I access it.” I shrugged.

“Seeing this button triggered the memory.

It all makes sense now. It wasn't racism that made Greishen so careless with this case.

It was self-preservation. He deliberately didn't find anything because he was the murderer.” I growled in fury.

“The stalker! There was an Argaiv seen following Kun-lo before he disappeared. It was Greishen.” I shook my head. “I never would have suspected him.”

“The man investigating the disappearance was the same man who caused it?” The King shook his head. “That is a terrible coincidence.”

“Yes. But bound to happen with a murderer in the force.” I grimaced. “How many other people did he kill? It must have been hundreds over the years. Becoming a claw was brilliant. The perfect occupation for a murderer. He hid in plain sight.”

“However many there were, his victims can rest now. He has paid for his crimes.”

“No, he hasn't!” I shot to my feet, clutching the button. “He's dead, yes, but he should have been disgraced first. Imprisoned. I can't imprison him, but I can disgrace his name.”

“Tekhan.” Tor'rien stood and wrapped his hand around my fist. “Think about this. Greishen is beyond such things now. The only people you'll hurt are his family and the Talons.”

“The Talons? How?”

“Trust in them will falter. Do you want that?”

“It doesn't matter what I want. It's the truth. People deserve to know the truth. Greishen's victims deserve it to be known.”

“Maybe. But we decide what truth to give the civilians. Just because they deserve something, it doesn't mean it's good for them. Our jobs, at their hearts, are both about protecting people. Is it protecting them to spread fear and distrust?”

I stepped back, pulling my fist away from him. Yes, he steadied me. Focused me. But he also influenced me in other ways. And I couldn't have that. I had to remain impartial about this. I knew the game depended on it.

“The game,” I whispered.

“Oh, fuck this damn game!” the King snarled.

“You've already seen what happens when I don't play by his rules.” I waved toward the road. “If I don't report this, someone will die.”

“Then report it. To the Chief. Allow him to decide what to do with the information.”

“I don't know if that will work.”

“It's the rules, isn't it? He's testing you to see if you will obey the law, even when it's difficult.”

“Yes. So, I should see justice done.”

“No, that's not the rules for a claw. You must report your findings to your superior officer and allow him to decide on the path to justice.

You are not a tooth of my law, sitting in judgment in a court.

You are a claw. Let the teeth judge. Let your chief decide what to put before them.

That is your job, Claw Shinkai. Doing anything else would be an abuse of your power, wouldn't it?”

“Fuck.” I chewed at my lip and stared down at the body. “And what about you, Kun-lo? Are you satisfied? Is your spirit at peace?”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a sympathetic look come over the King's face. But then, to our mutual surprise, a soft breeze scented with flowers came through the trees and brushed our cheeks.

“Dear Gods,” the King whispered. “Was that . . .?”

“Coincidence,” I said. “But I'll take it.” I crouched and laid my hand on the boy's skull.

“I will see you laid to rest properly, Kun-lo. And if any of your family still live, I will notify them myself. But I must ask you to wait a little longer for that. I have to save the living first.” I stood up, and when I turned to leave, I saw a Talon team waiting in the trees.

There were only four of them, probably all the Chief could spare.

But they were enough to collect the remains.

I'd have to thank the Chief for his understanding.

“Please be respectful when you collect the bones. Have them inspected for any residual magic or toxins, and then wrapped for burial.”

“We’re taking the remains back to the Hall of Talons?” one of the talons asked.

“Yes. For now. If anyone is available, have them look into Kun-lo's family.

The Chief knows the case. I need to notify any surviving relatives that we found him at last. His parents are dead, but there may be other relatives.

If no one is available to conduct the search, I'll handle it myself later.”

“Yes, sir.”

The team got to work, and so did I. The day, although it was now night, was far from over.