Page 41 of The Dragon King’s Claw (The Dragons of Serai #17)
All morning, even as I worked, I had dreaded finding a message from Hallaxgral. I thought for certain that he would compel me into unraveling another murder. But no message came. The last communication was one he had left before all the others—that I was getting closer. Had the game changed?
As I stared at the hides we'd found folded at the bottom of the stack of tanned leather waiting to be dyed, I knew the game had indeed taken a turn.
What had started as a vicious game of murder was now becoming a vigilante's spree of vengeance.
I was right about Hallaxgral and his kind eyes.
He had chosen his targets with care. And fuck me if I didn't mentally applaud this particular choice.
Because the hides in front of me didn't belong to animals.
“Fuck,” the King whispered. He swallowed and turned away. “Damn them to a torment-filled afterlife.”
There was nothing overtly disgusting about the tanned leather. It had a different feel to it than the rest. The pores were more noticeable. The skin was thinner. But once you knew what it was, it was repulsive. I couldn't bring myself to touch them again.
“Bastards,” Sir Gilhu hissed. “They pick on the weakest race. As if humans don't have it bad enough.”
I looked at the knight in surprise. Sympathy from a Dragon? How interesting. But I suppose you could feel superior and sympathetic at the same time. One might even inspire the other.
“We don't know that these are human,” the King said.
“Tribe members have said that human flesh is the tastiest.” I put the remains in an empty wooden chest I found. “I think it's fair to assume these were human. And then there were the bones.” I looked around.
“Disgusting.” Sir Heicren shook his head and swallowed roughly.
“My predecessor discovered what the Uklur were up to,” the King said. “King Liulur was the one who started the hunts.” His jaw clenched as he looked at me. “I finished them. At least, I thought I had.”
“You can't be blamed for this. People are bound to slip away. Genocide is harder than you'd think.”
The King let out a shocked snort, then clamped a hand over his mouth. “Dear Gods, don't make me laugh about cannibals and genocide. Especially when a couple of them got away.”
“Well, someone found them.” I rubbed my face. “Hallaxgral. He found them and handed them to me. He literally shot this man in front of me.” I took the air stone out of my pocket and poured it from its pouch into my palm. “And then he left me a clue because I wasn't thorough enough.”
“Yes, you were.” The King laid his hand on my shoulder. “You couldn't have known to inspect the tanned hides for evidence that they were human.”
“But I should have inspected them. I pride myself on conducting the most thorough investigations out of all the claws.
And still, it wasn't enough.” I looked back at the stone.
“This is a two-part clue. The gold was one part, but the stone is trying to tell me something else.” I cracked my neck and looked around the tannery's back room.
“I think I've found the big secret here. Now, I need to figure out this topaz.”
“Should we speak to Lansho's brother again?”
“Brother-in-law, and no. I need to take this to someone without a stake in these murders.”
“Another jeweler?”
“Yes.” I tucked the stone away and looked around the basement again. “There's something wrong about the proportions of this room.”
“Check the walls!” King Tor'rian motioned at his knights even as he yanked a shelf away from a wall and inspected it.
We found the hidden room a few moments later. If you can call it a room. It was a small space dedicated to one thing—the drying of meat.
“Those Brujai got off easy,” the King snarled.
I nodded as I stared at the human jerky. My thoughts returned to the first crime scene. The one with the Chelli. The scent of meat had hung in the air. Now, I stared at more flesh turned into meat. It felt like another clue.
“Wait,” I whispered. “Greishen killed Kun-lo.”
“Did he?” The King gave me a heavy look. “Or did he deliver a dreaming human to a couple of hungry Brujai who would have paid well for the delicacy?”
“Well done, Your Majesty.” I looked from the remains to the King. “I believe you're correct. Either that, or Greishen murdered humans and used the Brujai as a convenient way of getting rid of the bodies.”
“Yes, that's another option.”
“I need more information and evidence.” I spun away from the dried meat and rushed up the basement stairs.
The King didn't even curse this time, just followed. But as he came, he commanded one of his knights to summon yet another Talon team to collect all the remains.