Shinobu leaned forward and whispered something in his father’s ear. He probably had to tell his father about the night raid since he cared so little about the Phantoms of the Chasm. Masaru’s expression cleared in an instant and he gave a small nod, waving Shinobu away.
“I caution you to guard your words, Your Majesty. I will allow them this time, as you are unfamiliar with our culture,” Masaru grumbled, seeming to dismiss the issue altogether.
“Yes, you’re right. I don’t understand a culture that preys upon its own people rather than protecting them. I don’t understand the cowardice that comes from hurting those who can’t properly protect themselves.”
Sharp fingers pinched Caelan’s side and he didn’t have to look to know it was Rayne warning him to watch his temper, but what was the point? He’d read Masaru that first moment they’d met. The man was concerned only with his power and the prestige of his clan. He wanted his own son dead and to keep anyone else from getting the power of the Goddess of Fire even if he couldn’t have it himself.
Masaru leaped to his feet, his face growing redder while his body practically trembled in his rage. “You go too far! You know nothing of our people. My duty is to protect my clan above all else. Not something a king who is flitting about the world would understand.”
“My duty as the Guardian of the Godstone is to first protect all of Thia, whether I believe some people deserve it or not,” Caelan snarled. “I understand there is no Erya without Thia. Just as there is no Isle of Stone without Thia.”
Rayne’s strong hand suddenly clamped down on his arm as if the man had read his mind. It was on the tip of his tongue to continue that he was beginning to wonder how much the Isle of Stone truly needed Clan Takahashi. But Caelan swallowed back the words.
“The Guardian of the Godstone has no business among the dragons. I’ll give you this one chance to leave,” Masaru snapped.
Caelan pulled out of Rayne’s grip and took a step forward. “We are not leaving until I meet with the Goddess of Fire and you return my dragon to me.” He dropped his gaze to stare at Drayce, who was watching him with wide, fearful eyes.
A low chuckle drew Caelan’s attention to Masaru. The dragon returned to his seat, a smug grin on his lips and his head tilted up. “I’ve spoken to the Goddess of Fire. She wants nothing to do with you. Meeting denied. You can leave now.”
He didn’t believe him for a second. The other gods hadn’t spoken one word directly to the leaders who protected the godstones. Kaes had never conversed with Queen Noemi or Prince Shey. Nyx admitted that Caelan was the first human he’d spoken to since he’d gone into the godstone. Sweet Lu had never had to put up with his mocking and snickering. Something told him that this cold bastard had never heard a single word from Caris.
The need to call Masaru a liar to his face was nearly overwhelming. His body vibrated with it, but words like that burned bridges beyond repair. He was lucky they were still speaking after having used the word coward.
“You’re putting all of Thia in danger. I will not allow that. I must bond with the goddess,” Caelan replied tightly.
Why are we wasting time with this? Tula sighed dramatically. All we need to do is slip into his mind and steal the location of our sister. We do not need this dragon’s permission to do anything.
Caelan hadn’t wanted to admit that he was starting to agree with the Goddess of Life, but he shook his head sharply, trying to dislodge the thought. He was not going to steal away another’s free will just because he didn’t agree with them. He refused to turn into the monster she demanded he become.
“This is your final warning. Leave the Isle of Stone while you and your companions are still able,” Masaru pressed.
Caelan took a breath, but it was Rayne who replied. His advisor practically jumped forward and bowed deeply to Masaru. “Thank you, Lord Takahashi, but we are without proper transportation to leave in an instant. Would you permit us two days to make preparations to return to Erya? As you know, we are simply humans and cannot set flight as a dragon can.”
Part of Caelan wanted to grab Rayne and shove him back. He had overstepped, but he also knew Rayne wouldn’t have made such a bold move if Caelan hadn’t forced him into a corner first. He was attempting to salvage what he could from this meeting before Caelan lost all control and gave in to Tula’s evil wishes.
Clamping his mouth shut, Caelan lowered his eyes to Drayce. It was more calming than staring at Masaru. The dragon’s face made him want to rip his head off with his bare hands—an idea that brought out savage glee from both Tula and Kaes. Nyx made little noises of displeasure and disgust at the waste.