Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 136009 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 136009 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
“That’s a fact,” Kerrigan muttered.
“If you’re enacting change, then I want it to be for everyone,” he said on a shrug. “I’m sorry that I don’t care about your plight as much as I do theirs, but we are all in similar boats, and the tide would lift us all.”
Wynter sat back hard in her chair. “That’s a pretty story,” she said with a soft clap. “Did the Society plant that in your head?”
Gerrond had fire in his eyes at her suggestion, and it was not just terror. “I’m in the Society, a leader of House Sayair, and a renowned researcher. There’s no reason I would need to be sympathetic to your cause. I would just say the might of the Society would crush your two little dragons. Instead, I’m telling you the truth.”
“And what’s that?” Fordham drawled.
“They’re weak. The houses are fractured. Not everyone agrees with what the Red Masks did. I can get into the Society and tell them what they need to know. I can help you if you help me.”
Kerrigan, Fordham, and Wynter exchanged looks. Fordham tipped his head to the door.
“Come on!” Gerrond cried. “At least release the chains. I’m telling the truth.”
“We’ll see about that, pretty,” Wynter said, twirling her knife and booping him on the nose.
He jerked back as they all exited and looked frantic. “Please, wait!”
Fordham closed the door behind them and sighed. “That was enlightening.”
“Do we believe him?” Kerrigan asked.
“I do,” Wynter said, dropping her killer act. “His aura never changed while he was explaining, except moving between terror and indignation.”
“We should check out his bags and look into his research,” Fordham said.
“I’ll see what Tieran got from his dragon,” Kerrigan said. “Because if he’s telling the truth, then he might be an ally we can use.”
Chapter Eleven
The Plan
“I’m personally offended by this meeting,” Dozan said as he slid into the room.
Kerrigan rolled her eyes. “We don’t care. Sit down.”
He stepped forward into her space, and she just tilted her head up to meet his golden gaze. “You interrogated someone without me, princess?”
“I didn’t want them dead, so I didn’t invite you,” she quipped.
He smirked. “But making them scream is the fun part.”
“And here I thought you liked to get it over with quickly.”
“Never,” he purred.
Fordham slapped his hand against Dozan’s chest and pushed him a step backward. “Take a seat.”
Dozan smirked at him. “You’re so easy to rile. Perhaps you should work on that.”
Fordham gaze was steel when he said, “Perhaps I should put my fist through your face.”
“Fordham, shut up,” Kerrigan said, placing herself between the men. Her gaze shifted to Dozan. “Why don’t you go find Wynter? She mentioned something about your stamina earlier.”
Dozan’s eyes flickered open in surprise, so quick that she might have missed it. “You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you?”
“Told her it might not be worth it,” she shot back before Fordham could punch him.
Dozan grinned. “Maybe I’ll let her find out.”
“You do that.”
Dozan arched his eyebrow at Fordham before finding his seat.
Kerrigan whirled around and pushed Fordham. “You are just letting him push your buttons.”
“He irritates me,” Fordham muttered.
“Yeah, and he knows it,” she hissed. “You’re completely on edge and need to bring it way down or we’re not going to survive this. Dozan is the least of our concerns, okay? We’re allies. We’re on the same side.”
Fordham just shrugged. “I didn’t punch him.”
Kerrigan laughed. “You take a seat too. Scales.”
Fordham winked at her and then took up a spot to her left while everyone else settled in. Hadrian and Darby sat on a couch on the far wall. Clover smoked her cigarette on the balcony, her eyes never leaving the pair. Wynter sat straight-backed on a chair, glancing up at Dozan with all the grace of a feline ready to eat her prey. Dozan looked perpetually unconcerned, his antagonistic smile gracing his face. Were they both aware how obvious it was that they were circling each other?
The only person they were missing was—
“The stairs here are murder,” Kivrin said as he approached on crutches.
“Sorry, we picked the most secure location,” Kerrigan told him.
“Understandable. What’s this all about?”
“I’ll explain after we seal the room. How’re the sessions with Amond?”
Kivrin winced. “Here and there. He’s in worse shape than me at the moment.”
“Withdrawal?”
“Darby has been helping. She is much better at healing than she gives herself credit for, but Clover might have to give him some of that loch, or he’s not going to survive.”
Clover’s head whipped to them at the sound of her name. “Amond?”
Kivrin nodded. “It’s not looking great.”
She took another inhale on her cigarette. “I’ll see him after this.”
Kerrigan shot her a concerned look. “Thank you.”
Kivrin took a seat opposite Wynter, and Kerrigan pressed the doors closed. A second later, she sensed Fordham draw on his magic to seal the room from prying eyes and ears. He nodded at her.