Eno nodded. “Agreed. Considering what he can do, I’m surprised he hasn’t broken free yet. He’s either unconscious or possibly hanging out to see what he can learn.”
“We need to bust him out of there,” Adrian grumbled.
“The other thing to keep in mind is that we still have one hour until the appointed meeting,” Rayne chimed in. “Vitor has vetted that location. He feels that it is likely to be the hiding place of the prime minister.”
Caelan smiled slowly at his advisor. “You think we should hit both at the same time.”
“If they are linked to each other, they would not be expecting it,” Rayne replied.
“And if they aren’t, there’s a good chance that we could still learn something of value.” Calean nodded. “At the very least, we’d have Drayce back.”
“You want us to split up?” Eno asked.
Caelan nodded and glanced over at Davi. “Would you be willing to give Eno and Adrian a hand?”
“Seriously?” Davi gasped, his entire face lighting up. “Fuck yeah, I’ll help!”
He turned his attention to Eno, who was looking torn over this development. Caelan could easily imagine that he was thrilled at the idea of working with his brother but less excited about putting his brother in danger.
“Eno, scout the place carefully,” Rayne interjected. “If there are too many guards or you can’t gain some advantage over them, then hold. Wait until Caelan and I can join you.”
“Or if you can reach Drayce, tell him I said ‘toaster,’ ” Caelan added.
Eno stared at him for a second, his brows bunched over his nose. “What? Toaster?”
Caelan grinned. “It’s the code word he came up with. It means he has my permission to shift, and I will take full responsibility for it.”
A low giggle rose from Adrian, and he slapped his hand over his mouth to stop the noise, but his shoulders continued to shake. After a couple of seconds, he lowered his hand again and his eyes sparkled with unshed tears. “I can imagine us running through this building, screaming ‘Toaster! Toaster! Toaster!’ at the top of our lungs. That’s not going to be weird at all.”
Caelan could feel his own grin turning wicked as he nodded. “Trust me, it’ll stop being weird the second several tons of pissed-off dragon appear.”
EIGHTEEN
Rayne Laurent
“I worry that I’ve grown too jaded,” Rayne murmured as they approached the four-story apartment building. The sun had already set, and most of the windows glowed with warm light as the occupants finished with their dinners and relaxed for the night. Tension hummed through his frame. The curfew was still in effect, making traveling through the city right now dangerous all on its own. They needed to move cautiously, hoping that neither the Empire nor the Brightspire police spotted them.
Caelan chuckled next to him as they stood on the sidewalk, staring up at the mundane-appearing structure. “I’m afraid to ask why you say that.”
Rayne’s eyes skimmed over the apartment building, noting that it looked no different than any other place on the quiet residential street. It blended with all the others in that it was painted a bright color and all the balconies possessed overflowing flowerpots or little gardens filled with various herbs. There were colorful rugs, wind chimes, and other bits of art hanging to catch and spin in the wind.
All of it normal.
And somewhere in there was the Prime Minister of Ilon.
“After so many secret meetings in strange locations, I find that I don’t get excited about it any longer.”
Caelan sighed dramatically. “The thrill is gone.” He shook his head. “I’m more worried about you returning to normal life, helping me rule from a throne room all day. Won’t you be incredibly bored?”
“Your Majesty, I am very much looking forward to that so-called boring life.” He was happily anticipating it more and more with each passing day. He’d gotten the tiniest taste of it when they’d returned from Zastrad. While he’d been greatly concerned about Caelan and Drayce, there had been a routine to his day that he missed since they’d first left Stormbreak in the late spring.
And that routine started every morning with rolling over to stare at Eno’s sleeping face. He couldn’t imagine a better way to begin the day. For just a little while, all the worries of the kingdom, his king, and even the gods took a back seat to admiring the beauty and strength of his lover.
“Me too,” Caelan whispered and began walking toward the entrance of the building.
Rayne followed a step behind, a blade held tight in one hand as he continuously scanned the area for anyone who might be lurking in the shadows, poised to attack. The apartment they sought was on the third floor and faced the street. Vitor and Nina were both watching the building and were prepared to warn them if anything appeared suspicious. The last message they received had indicated that all was quiet.
Neither he nor Caelan trusted this situation, but part of him hoped that maybe the prime minister or whoever was in the apartment wouldn’t try to kill them the second they walked in the door. Of course, that didn’t mean Caelan wasn’t prepared, the protective shield ready to go up the second Rayne knocked. There was almost a crackle of pent-up energy in the air, pricking along Rayne’s skin.