Caelan glanced over at Eno and Rayne to see their reaction to Adrian’s suggestion. It wasn’t horrible, just very difficult and dangerous. More dangerous than what they’d faced in Zastrad. Caelan had managed to hold his own against some raiders who had kidnapped him, Drayce, and Rayne, but it had also turned into wholesale slaughter. Not something Caelan wanted to repeat.
And what about the fact that Caelan had never gone head-to-head with a dragon in a fight? He might be impervious to fire, but that didn’t include his companions. He had no idea if he was strong enough to take on a dragon, let alone an entire clan of them. That was exactly what he’d be doing if they got caught freeing Drayce or sneaking up to the godstone.
Mio’s soft voice suddenly drifted into the room from under the closed door. “Your best option is going to be contacting the Omari.”
Adrian straightened and cringed. He was supposed to be listening near the door for Mio’s approach. Caelan smirked and waved toward the door for Adrian to allow her to enter.
The young woman with platinum-blond hair swept into the room with a serene smile. She’d changed into a sky-blue robe with little flowers embroidered all through the fabric, giving her a look of spring freshness despite the bitter winter cold that was sweeping over the island. She perched on the arm of the sofa closest to Rayne so that she was between Caelan and his advisor.
“Takahashi Masaru has zero love for his son Souta. If he’s got him in prison and with good reason, it’s only a matter of time before he executes him,” Mio stated with a nod.
“Drayce, I mean Souta, has to have been here for several weeks at least. Why hasn’t he already executed him? What’s he waiting for?”
“The perfect moment.”
Rayne uncrossed his legs and leaned forward so that he could face Caelan and look up at Mio. “What do you mean? What perfect moment?”
“Dragons live an incredibly long time. We don’t see any reason to rush into anything. Clan leaders all know that you don’t act unless it can be turned to your advantage, such as giving you leverage over an enemy or an ally. It costs Masaru little to keep Souta alive and imprisoned, but how often is he going to get the chance to execute his son? Not often, considering he has just two sons, and he needs one to carry on the clan legacy.”
“So, you believe he will wait until the execution of Souta will be most beneficial to his plans,” Rayne finished.
“When? How?” Caelan snapped.
Mio shrugged. “No idea, but with you here stirring things up, it will likely happen sooner rather than later. It’s very possible that what time Souta had left, it’s now been cut in half.”
“But you mentioned contacting the Omari,” Adrian reminded her. The guard had returned to his spot behind the couch closest to Eno, his hands braced on his hips. “Would they help us?”
A light and airy laugh fluttered up from Mio. “Why? Because you’re good people? No.”
“Would they help us to gain an advantage over the Takahashi?” Caelan inquired.
Her laughter died and she slowly smiled at him. “Maybe.”
“Would they help to get revenge for the clan leader’s son being sent away?” Adrian asked.
Mio’s smile twisted into something cold and a little wicked. “Yes. Yes, I think they would.” She turned her gaze on Caelan, the edge falling away from her smile. “Most dragons hate the Takahashi for one reason or another, but no one hates them like the Omari do. They’ve lost countless clan members over the centuries to the Takahashi, and the clan leader has never forgiven Masaru for sending his son to Erya as the babysitter for the Guardian.”
Caelan narrowed his eyes on Mio. “How do you know about the Omari being sent to Erya?” Drayce had made it sound like the role of protector of the Guardian was a secret.
Mio snorted. “Dragons are really bad gossips. I’ve served inside of the Takahashi for years. I know how to hear things.”
Caelan dropped his head against the back of the chair and barely held in his groan of frustration. He didn’t know if this was good news or not. The enemy of his enemy was a lovely route to pursue, but there was no telling if this clan leader was going to actually like him any more than Masaru, considering their culture’s opinion of half-breeds.
“We would have to proceed very carefully,” Rayne cautioned. “It may be best if you don’t meet with the head of Clan Omari first, but rather let me see if I can speak with him? Her?”
“Him. Omari Nori,” Mio filled in. Caelan returned his gaze to Mio to find her expression had become thoughtful. “Clan Omari is one of the more tolerant clans, particularly for being as big and powerful as they are. The Omari are second in size and strength to only the Takahashi, and that drives both Nori and Masaru insane.” She paused and stared at Caelan, her lips pursed for a second before she offered him a small smile. “Omari Nori is a patient and thoughtful dragon, but I don’t know how much that’s going to help you.”