“Only that moving target is you.” Rayne reached out and tapped the top of Caelan’s head a couple of times with one finger. “I don’t like where your thoughts are headed. You need to redirect them now. Queen Amara sacrificed herself to protect Erya, and look at where we are.” Anger immediately heated Caelan’s blue eyes, but Rayne pushed on. “I’m not dismissing her sacrifice. Only pointing out that we have more time to think of better options.”
“Do you have any idea how annoying it is for you to always be right?”
Rayne smirked. “See it as empowering you to always have the upper hand on your opponents by having my wisdom at your fingertips.”
Caelan narrowed his eyes on Rayne and leaned in close. “I hope your boyfriend makes you beg for mercy.”
Naturally, Rayne’s brain immediately conjured up images of every time he’d begged for Eno to touch him, hold him, fuck him within an inch of his life. His cheeks burned hot enough to ignite paper and he choked on air.
Caelan collapsed against the pillows, lost in great gales of laughter. Yes, his prince had read his thoughts even if he didn’t know who the boyfriend supposedly was.
“Yes, well.” Rayne cleared his throat and tried again. “I, unfortunately, didn’t foresee Croft’s actions. I am sorry about that.”
“No apologies,” Caelan said easily with a wave of his hand. “You’re not a fortune-teller. Otherwise, I like to think you wouldn’t have allowed us to leave Stormbreak in the first place.”
Rayne had no reply because he honestly didn’t know what he would have done if he’d known how things would work out for the queen. He would never have wished for her death, but at the same time, Caelan gained the power of the God of Storms and a better understanding of the godstones in the world. They needed to think more steps ahead in this game than simply the fate of Erya. Even if it meant sacrificing those they loved.
16
Drayce Ladon
Two days of waiting and Drayce was about to go out of his mind. The first day was a lot of arguing between Eno and Melita as they brainstormed ideas for retaking Green Gate. They were also trying to get messages to Tomas for more weapons and men. It wasn’t likely they’d get either, but they had to try.
By the morning of the second day, Tomas appeared in person. The man looked as though he’d aged ten years since Drayce had last set eyes on him. He was still scary as hell, but now with more gray hair and wrinkles in his deeply tanned face. It was the face of a warrior seriously out of fucks to give.
Of course, Tomas had a few loud things to say about Caelan being left in the hands of the traitorous Chancellor. But Eno never blinked or wavered. He simply replied, “I’m following my king’s command,” and sucked the wind out of Tomas’s sails.
But they did get more trained soldiers and even some new toys to help their missions.
Now that Drayce was stretched out on the rooftop in the rain with the sniper rifle fitted with a high-power scope, though, he couldn’t decide if he was being punished. It wasn’t like Tomas had planned on it raining. And it wasn’t his goal to have Drayce soaked clear to the bone, but Drayce was pretty sure the bastard would be amused by it.
Another wind cut through the city and Drayce tried not to shiver. It wasn’t that cold of a day, but the wet clothes mixed with the wind and black skies weren’t exactly keeping him warm. He’d set out before dawn on their third day away from Caelan and Rayne to scout out possible places for him to take up position.
They were going for another two-sided attack just prior to the shift change, hoping to catch the current guards exhausted and slacking. With improved coordination and more people, their odds were a little better for success, but still not great.
It was probably best that Caelan and Rayne weren’t here to participate in this insanity.
But some part of Drayce couldn’t help wishing that Caelan were beside him, a smirk on his lips and laughter in his sky-blue eyes from some smartass comment Drayce had made. He missed his best friend. Three days wasn’t the longest they’d gone without seeing each other, but it was certainly the longest they’d been separated while Caelan was being held by someone trying to steal his kingdom.
Focus!
They would take back Green Gate, and then they would be able to take back Caelan and Rayne from Croft.
Carefully he removed the cover from the scope and peered through it toward the heavily guarded entrance into the farming community of Green Gate. There were about ten more soldiers than the last time as well as the addition of a turret gun. Just fucking great. He could only assume that similar precautions had been made on the other side of the wall.