Page 35 of The Dragon King’s Claw (The Dragons of Serai #17)

I was right about the dilution of the case of kurline. The entire case was diluted by ten percent. Just enough that a cursory inspection wouldn't catch it. And just enough to give the thief a pint of kurline. A fucking pint.

Despite being correct about the kurline, I wasn't satisfied.

Because I was wrong about Katai. So far.

I had discovered no connection between him and the theft or Hallaxgral.

But how could I? There was no evidence that could tie the theft to anyone, much less Katai.

Of course, he could have committed an unrelated crime. Another case to solve.

“Tekhan.”

I stared blankly out the window of the King's carriage as we rode to wherever Vasren had taken his lover. My mind was focused inward, trying to unravel the clues.

“Tekhan.”

Hallaxgral, whoever he was, hadn't left another clue or another time limit.

The discovery of Kun-lo's remains had to represent a round concluded, and Hallaxgral had proclaimed himself the winner of that round.

Was the prison explosion the start of a fresh round?

Of course it was. But the only message I received was that I was getting closer.

So was Hallaxgral himself the next level of the game?

Did I have to find him to end this? Either way, I had to find him.

Regardless of the innocence or guilt of his victims, he was still a murderer.

“Tek!”

I flinched and looked at the King. “What is it?”

The King sighed and grimaced.

“What?” I asked again.

“I've been calling your name.”

“I've been thinking.”

“Yes, I realize. Can you not think and hear simultaneously?”

“Yes, but I've learned to block out sounds when thinking is imperative.”

“Of course you have,” he muttered.

“What is it? Why are you upset?”

“I suppose I'm not used to fighting for someone's attention, even when it's them who I must fight against.”

“Right.” I ran my tongue over my teeth, feeling the point of a fang to remind myself not to let the King pierce my normally thick skin. “I apologize for not paying more attention to you, Your Majesty.” I turned to face him. “What is it you wanted to speak to me about?”

“First of all, you can stop with that tone, Tekhan. I'm not asking you to coddle or dote on me. I would simply like a response when I speak to you.”

I inclined my head. “Yes. Courtesy. I can manage that.”

The King snorted a laugh. “Can you?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Now, what was it you needed to speak to me about?”

“The kurline. How much was used in the bomb?”

“Not much. The paper factory bomb had a teaspoon of kurline in it. I assume the same amount was used in the prison bomb.”

“Damn it all!”

“Yes. He has enough left to make another bomb. Several of them.”

“Dear Gods.”

“Now, may I return to my pondering?”

“No. Not yet, Tekhan. There is one more thing that I wish to speak to you about.”

“What is that?”

“Torture.”

I lifted my brows.

“In particular, yours.”

I looked away.

“Don't turn away from me!” He grabbed my hand. “Tekhan, you said those Eljaffna were traitors.”

“Yes, and I told you why.” My stare lowered, staring toward the sidewalk while not seeing it.

“I believe you,” he went on. “But I don't believe you told me everything. You are hiding something from me. There is more to it.”

My heart started to race. I thought I'd gotten away with it. No! I had. I just had to keep calm. He was testing me. So, I slid my stare over to him. “What exactly do you think I'm hiding, sire?”

“Will you please stop? It's just you and me in here. Talk to me like your lover, not your king.”

I lifted my brows. “I don't believe that you're asking as my lover.”

“Then you're wrong.” He squeezed my hand. “What did they demand of you, Tekhan? It couldn't just be to influence me about the import rights.”

I sighed. “Can you not just let this go?”

“No, and I'll tell you why—they hurt you.

A lot. And they did it because of me. That much I know you're telling the truth about. You were tortured because of me. And whatever they asked of you, it must have been horrible. Bad enough to warrant torture.” He leaned in to add, “Bad enough for you to withstand it.”

I pressed my lips together to keep from telling him everything. I couldn't. He would betray me. And that would . . . it would hurt worse than the torture I had endured. Even if I separated myself from the pain, I'd feel it for a few moments. And those moments would be excruciating.

“Thank you,” Tor'rien whispered.

I jerked my stare back to him. “For what?”

“For what?” His eyes went wide. “For being loyal to me. For enduring that for me.” He lifted my hand and kissed it.

“If you can't tell me what they asked of you, I'll accept that.

It's the least I can do. But I want you to know that I know what you did for me, and I'm grateful.

It's been a long time since someone has shown me that kind of loyalty.”

My jaw fell open.

“Even though it was before you and I became lovers, I'm not surprised that you would be loyal.

You are an incredible man, one who upholds my laws and stands by me no matter what you think of me.

Because you believe it's the right thing to do.

And that is humbling. So, tell me when you can, if you wish to, or don't. But know that I will always listen and be as loyal to you as you have been to me.”

Tor'rien cupped my cheek and eased me closer, into a kiss.

With shock holding me, the minutia of the kiss blossomed.

I could feel everything. The velvety skin of Tor'rien's lips.

The tingle that came when he brushed them over mine.

The hesitant, then firm slide of his tongue.

Without analyzing these things, I enjoyed them more.

Felt them on a deeper level. And they sank into me with that feeling.

Deeper and deeper. Tor'rien's kiss wove past all of my resistance in a way even sex with him hadn't.

I felt closer to him. Close enough to confide.

I jerked back. Panting, only a few inches away from him, I stared into his eyes.

Eyes convey a lot. But not as much as people think. It's the micro-movements around the eyes that have led to the belief that eyes can give a true glimpse into a person's psyche. And yet, I wasn't analyzing twitches or tightness. I just looked.

Tor'rien held my stare. He looked back. I don't know what he saw, but it must have been satisfying because he smiled and broke the enchantment.

Sliding his hand away from my face, he said, “I can wait.”

It was exactly what I needed to hear, and it made me wonder if I was wrong. Perhaps people could see the truth simply by looking into someone's eyes.

The carriage came to a stop.

“One more thing, Tekhan.”

“Yes?”

“Don't ever do that again.”

“Do what, Your Majesty?”

“Choose me over you. If someone is hurting you, and you can make it stop by betraying me, do it. I'd rather have you safe than loyal.”

My brows lifted. “Respectfully, Your Majesty, no. Fuck, no.”

“Tekhan, I will never get the image of you, broken and bloody, out of my mind. It will haunt me forever. Please, don't add to it.”

There was no suppressing the tide of feeling that bombarded me with his words. No denying it. And no words came forth from me in response to his. I could do nothing but sit there and stare at him.

Then Sir Gilhu opened the carriage door and broke the enchantment. I dashed out, unsure if I was running from the King or what he made me feel. Then I stood on the sidewalk and took in the neighborhood.

Several things bombarded me at once, my mind collecting them and piecing them together.

This was a poor neighborhood. There were humans in the alleys, creeping in shadows usually reserved for Raltven.

The area around the royal carriage quickly cleared, telling me that most of the residents didn't want to be noticed by the King or his entourage.

An oddity in any other neighborhood. But in places like this, it made sense.

Especially with me escorting the King. The badge on my coat wasn't comforting to these people, even those who weren't criminals. A badge meant trouble.

And this was where Katai lived.

Vasren lived in the castle, and he wouldn't have taken his lover to this area of the city. No, he brought Katai there because, despite the location, it was Katai's home. A neighborhood full of poverty and crime. It seemed like an obvious answer to the question of Katai's innocence. Too obvious.

Straightening my coat, I stepped toward the building. This wasn't a single home, but a collection of apartments similar to my building. But my apartment was in a pleasant neighborhood, and that made all the difference.

“You're sure this is where Vasren brought him?” the King asked Gilhu.

“Yes, Your Majesty. This is where Katai lives. Vasren gave me the address himself before he left with his lover.” Gilhu wrinkled his nose as he looked down the street. “Honestly, I don't know how he met a man from this . . . neighborhood.”

The King looked around. “A city must have areas such as this, Gilhu. The classes are integral to a functioning society.”

“Sire?” Gilhu made a face. “I don't think you know what sort of people live here.”

“Doubtless, there are many criminals. But there are also people who can't afford to live in a nicer area. They are all a part of the city, Sir Gilhu. I cannot oust my people just because they are poor. Nor can I force landlords to charge less in nicer areas. If they did, those areas would stop being so nice.” He shrugged.

“Balance would be restored no matter what I did.

I stopped fighting against it a long time ago and that's when I learned criminals are as important to a city as wealthy nobles are.”

I stopped to stare at the King. Criminals were important to the balance of a city? That was the first time I'd heard such a thing. But after my initial rejection of the theory, I realized the King was right. Balance. And yet, what I said was, “I don't entirely agree, Your Majesty.”

“No? I'm surprised, Claw Shinkai. I'd think you'd know it even better than I.”

“I said, entirely. It's not that crime serves a purpose, but more that it's a byproduct of so many people from different social classes and races living together. It can't be avoided. If it could, every city wouldn't have a Hall of Talons. Crime results from a healthy economy.”

The King laughed. “Yes, perhaps. But that doesn't mean we allow it to thrive.”

“No, Your Majesty. We will not.” I looked up at Katai's apartment building. “I will not.”