Eno pouted, but it did nothing to soften Rayne’s glare. “Fine. But he needed to know. Caelan and Drayce know about us. I’m not going to hide us while we’re on the road because we’re worried about Adrian.”
“No, seriously, I’m fine with it,” the new bodyguard interjected. He held up both hands to ward off Rayne’s dark looks. “Yes, I’m surprised, because I’ve seen the women Eno has dated and I didn’t think you were his type, but if he’s happy, I’ve got no problem with it.”
Eno didn’t think it was possible, but Rayne’s glare grew darker. There was something so very sexy about a possessive, jealous Rayne.
“Very happy,” Eno practically purred, his smile growing wider as Rayne unbent and relaxed before his eyes. The poor advisor still appeared uncomfortable, but his hackles were no longer standing on end.
“Good. Yes.” Rayne frowned at the stainless-steel tabletop and Eno waited as he likely organized his thoughts.
None of them had thought they’d be bringing someone new into their group. Not at this stage. Both Rayne and Caelan had been against it when he’d first suggested the idea weeks ago. It had taken several days of arguing for them to finally see the wisdom of it. Even if Caelan was a walking natural disaster, they still needed another person to help watch his back, to guard all their backs.
“Does anyone else know about all these godstones and gods?” Adrian asked in a low voice.
“The leaders of Caspagir, Ilon, Zastrad, the Isle of Stone, and unfortunately New Rosanthe do,” Rayne replied. He paused and his frown deepened. “General Morgan knows some, but not everything.”
Adrian planted his hands on the tabletop and leaned toward Rayne. “Shouldn’t the people of Erya be told about the gods and godstones? Shouldn’t everyone know what New Rosanthe is trying to do? What the king is doing to save us?”
“What good will that serve other than to potentially create a panic? If we fail and the Goddess of the Hunt is freed, where will the people of Thia run that she can’t reach them?”
Rayne shook his head, and Eno’s heart went out to the younger man.
Although only a few years separated them, Eno felt like he’d aged ten years while on the journey through Zastrad. At the very least, watching his king die had been enough to shave a few years from his lifespan.
“This is more than protecting Erya. We are protecting all of Thia with our lives. The Goddess of the Hunt must be stopped from escaping her prison, and the only person who can do that is Caelan. Our job is to protect the King of Erya with our last breath, if necessary,” Eno explained.
Adrian nodded. “I understand. I’ll do whatever is necessary to keep the king safe.”
Eno looked up to find more worry filling Rayne’s eyes. If only dying to protect the king was the hardest thing they needed to do.…
“Keeping the king safe may also mean protecting him from himself,” the advisor warned in a low voice.
Adrian’s gaze jumped from Rayne to Eno. “I don’t understand. Has this got to do with his bond to the gods?”
Rayne licked his lips and continued in the same cautious fashion. “The Guardian of the Godstone does not simply gain the power of the goddess when he bonds with Tula. The bond opens a channel directly to the goddess. Or in Calean’s case, two gods and a goddess. He can hear them speaking to him, and he can respond in kind.”
“Oh fuck,” Adrian whispered. His legs seemed to give out and he dropped his ass onto the stool. The sentiment was correct.
“From what Caelan has told me, the gods don’t have the same regard for human life that we do. They tend to see humans as more expendable, or at least they are largely indifferent to our existence. In times of high stress, Caelan is battling his surroundings, the threats from New Rosanthe and Safa, as well as the damaging desires of the gods whispering in his mind. It can make his actions erratic at times.”
“Unpredictable,” Eno added.
“Fuck,” Adrian repeated, proving that they’d broken the poor man at last.
“It is why we try to keep Caelan calm and protected,” Rayne continued.
“It’s also why it’s important that we get Drayce back,” Eno pressed on. “He’s one of us, yes, but he’s also able to talk Caelan down better than anyone else. Drayce can reach him when he’s lost to the gods.”
Adrian nodded and flashed them a crooked smirk. “Is it crazy that I’m now starting to second-guess what I thought was good luck to be chosen for this mission?”
“I’d be more concerned for your sanity if you didn’t second-and-third-guess yourself right now,” Eno replied.
Adrian grunted and turned his attention to the weapons and ammunition he was tucking away into a number of bags. He had a lot to think about, and Eno was happy to leave him to his thoughts.