“You’re sure?” Adrian asked.
Haru arched a dark brow at him. “I lost you easily enough. I know when I’m being followed.”
Adrian rolled his eyes and Nori wisely interjected before more bickering could occur. “Do you know what clan might have possessed the property last?”
Haru straightened, his brow furrowing. “There were just the remains of a clan symbol, but I think it said Hayashi. I don’t remember them.”
“The Hayashi were never a large clan, but for some reason they ran afoul of the Takahashi more than a century ago. They were wiped out. What remains of them can now be found in the Chasm,” Nori said with a sigh.
Caelan felt Drayce stiffen and rise from where he’d been perched on the chair. He captured his lover’s hand and squeezed it so he couldn’t move away. The actions of his father or even grandfather were not his fault. He had no reason to feel guilty over what happened to the Hayashi. Particularly since it sounded like it happened years prior to Drayce’s birth.
“How far from here?” Eno inquired.
Haru wobbled his hand. “Two, maybe three hours by air. Probably on the shorter side considering I was traveling slowly, watching for anyone following me.”
“Roads?” Rayne bit out.
The dragon shook his head. “You’ll get about halfway there via roads, but what little I saw of them weren’t good. After a bit, they disappear completely. What reached the clan was likely dirt paths and those are all covered by snow.”
“Dragons are carrying you in,” Nori growled.
Caelan clenched his teeth and fought hard to keep his tone even. “I appreciate the offer, but as I said earlier, I don’t want to involve the Omari more than we already have. If the Takahashi catch dragons flying us to the site of the godstone, it will be dangerous for the entire clan.”
“The Takahashi have already attacked the Omari. We are involved,” Nori countered.
“Besides, this bonding with the goddess thing you’ve got to do is about saving Thia, right?” Haru continued. “Last I checked, all of the Omari live on Thia. It’s our responsibility to help you.”
Caelan turned to Rayne, eyebrows raised, silently urging his advisor to present the winning argument on why the dragons couldn’t help. Rayne cleared his throat and lifted both empty hands to his king. “As much as I don’t want to be carried anywhere on the back of a dragon, I have to agree with Lord Omari Nori and Haru.”
“Rayne!”
Drayce squeezed Caelan’s hand, dragging his eyes around to a set of sympathetic emerald-green ones. “Cael, we get it. You don’t want to risk any more lives. You’d leave us behind if you could manage it, but the Omari have as much right to fight for Thia as we do.”
Caelan tore his gaze away from Drayce and glared at the map. He was trying to protect the Omari, but the truth was that the dragons could get them to the site much faster and safer than if they attempted it on their own.
“Fine,” he snapped. “But the dragons who take us are all volunteers and they leave the second our feet are on the ground. They are not to stay and fight the Takahashi or anyone else who might be in the area.”
Nori chuckled. “Of course, Your Majesty. As you say.”
Caelan didn’t believe him in the slightest, but he had to let it go. He turned his attention to Eno. “Make sure all our gear is prepped. Send a signal to the Admiral that we’re preparing to make our escape. If we’re lucky, we should be ready for pickup in twenty-four to forty-eight hours.”
“Got it,” Eno said with a nod. “When do we leave?”
Caelan lifted his eyes to Haru since the dragon knew where they were headed. The dragon sighed and rubbed the side of his nose. “I hate saying this considering I will be one of the dragons flying you out, but it would be good if we leave a couple of hours before dawn. If we land when the sun has yet to rise, the darkness will help to cloak our approach.”
Drayce moaned. “Last night of soft sheets and the fluffiest pillows in existence.”
Nori snorted. “Pack one of your pillows so you have it when you return to Stormbreak.”
Drayce stared at the old dragon as if he’d offered him the moon. “Thank you.”
The clan leader shook his head and motioned to Haru toward the hall. The younger dragon smirked and darted down the hall, disappearing from sight.
“With this being your last night here, there is one other thing that I want to give you, Drayce.”
Caelan shrugged when Drayce looked at him. He had no idea what his grandfather was up to.
Haru jogged into the room, carrying something white in both hands. He carefully handed it over to Nori with a surprisingly formal bow and backed away. Drayce gasped beside him and Caelan peered closer to find that it was a neatly folded white robe exactly like all the Omari dragons wore.