“Have you ever been outside of Erya?” Caelan inquired suddenly.
Adrian jerked upright, cursing his guilty reaction. The king had caught him with his mind wandering. “No, I’m sorry. I was sent on a few training missions near the border with Ilon, but I never actually left Erya.”
“No apology necessary. Not everyone gets the chance to travel,” Caelan easily replied. “I’ve been to Ilon a few times, but never the capital. I’ve heard stories that it’s beautiful.”
“I’ve heard the same said of Sirelis,” Adrian murmured. “You’ve been there?”
Caelan nodded. “Sirelis is lovely. It has an old-world charm. It’s not overly burdened with skyscrapers or skylines filled with steel and glass.”
“What about Zastrad? I don’t think I’ve even seen a picture of any city in Zastrad.”
A heavy silence fell over the room so that there was only the bubbling of the boiling water on the stove. The three men exchanged glances and sharply looked away, the jovial mood dissolving before Adrian’s eyes. Zastrad was not filled with happy memories. But he should have realized that. It was where Drayce had disappeared.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked—”
“No, don’t apologize,” Eno interrupted. “You didn’t know.”
“He’s right,” Caelan added. “If you’re going to be with us, you can’t be afraid to ask questions or speak your mind.” He paused and scrubbed a hand over his face. When he dropped it, a sigh escaped and the small smile on his lips appeared forced. “Shit went very wrong in Zastrad. We accomplished what we set out to do, but high prices were paid. I’m sure we’ll tell you more about it soon, but…not tonight.”
Rayne lifted the pot of boiling water off the stove and poured the contents into the colander, sending up a thick cloud of steam. The man leaned his head back as far as he could to protect his glasses from getting fogged up. “To answer your question, Zastrians are largely a nomadic people, following herds and the fairer weather. Towns are tiny and usually temporary, consisting mostly of colorful yurts. The capital of Mrtyu was exquisite. Perched on a mountainside, it was very peaceful.”
Something about Rayne’s use of the past tense and melancholy tone sent a chill through Adrian. Was Mrtyu still standing? Or did the appearance of Drayce in his dragon form have something to do with Rayne’s comments?
Rayne cleared his throat and set the pot aside. “I honestly have no idea what to expect with the Isle of Stone. I’m praying to whatever gods may listen that we are not faced with many days in the saddle yet again.”
Eno stepped up behind the advisor and wrapped his arms loosely around his waist before pressing a kiss to his neck. “But you became such a fantastic rider while in Zastrad.”
The man’s shoulders slumped as he huffed. “A car. I want a car if we must travel a long distance. Or walking is fine as well.” Rayne twisted in Eno’s arms so he could point at Caelan. “I’m serious. I will walk across the Isle of Stone if I must. I’m not getting on another horse.”
Caelan straightened and placed his hand to his chest. “I’m not suggesting we ride across the island. I’m all for cars. I’d just as soon never get on another horse for as long as we live.”
Eno kissed the back of Rayne’s head and released him, allowing the man to more easily finish dinner preparations. Eno leaned on the center island and folded his arms over his chest as he looked at Caelan and Adrian. “I can’t believe how many times Drayce fell off his horse.”
A loud bark of laughter jumped from Caelan. “I forgot about that! I thought he was going to break his neck.”
“Tying him on was the only way,” Eno muttered with a half smile.
“What?” Adrian demanded. This felt like a slightly safer topic even if it did involve Drayce.
“Drayce would get so bored while he was riding that he’d fall asleep on the horse and slide off,” Caelan explained, still chuckling.
“We had to tie him to his saddle after he fell off the third time,” Eno continued. “It was the weirdest thing. Even tied, you’d glance at him and find him in this weird, uncomfortable position, and then a loud snore would rise up from him. In the middle of the day!”
Caelan shook his head. “Drayce can sleep anywhere, at any time, in any position.”
“His preferred time and location seemed to be in the middle of class in both high school and university, though,” Rayne chimed in. “I guess we shouldn’t have been surprised that he chose to sleep while on horseback.”
“I had no idea,” Adrian murmured. “Every time I saw Drayce around the Towers, he was always so active and energetic. I can’t imagine him slowing enough to sleep.”
The king smiled at him, his expression wistful. “He didn’t slow down often. Falling asleep tended to happen suddenly. We’d be playing video games and his character on the screen would stop moving. I’d look over and find him asleep with the controller still in his hands.” Caelan suddenly turned toward the breakfast bar and set his chin on his stacked arms in front of him. “I miss him,” he whispered so softly Adrian wasn’t entirely sure he heard him.