“Excellent.” Draven at last uncrosses his arms and pushes off from the door. Taking one single step to the side, he jerks his chin towards the door. “Then get to it.”
The terrified tavern keeper flicks a glance at me. I nod, giving my permission as well. Scrambling up from the floor, he swallows and then starts edging towards the door.
“Today, if you don’t mind,” I say in response to his slow pace.
He jumps and then hurries forward with quicker steps. On the floor before me, Kil continues sobbing where he is still lying curled up on his side. Gordon, still on his knees with his hands raised, is white as a sheet. The tavern keeper cringes and bows his shoulders when he is forced to pass by right in front of Draven to reach the door.
Smug satisfaction pulses inside me as I watch him run out the door to do our bidding. Across the dirty floor, Draven and I exchange a villainous grin.
Goddess help the rest of the world when Draven and I are on the same side.
CHAPTER FORTY
“Azaroth’s flame, Tim, if you get into one more brawl, I will?—”
Lightning crackles through the room.
Before the door has even finished closing behind the tavern keeper, the elite Silver Clan soldier known as Sharptail is struck by Draven’s lightning. His muscles spasm, and he hits the floor hard.
Summoning a bone white flame of fear, I slam it into his chest.
The tavern keeper and his two patrons are one thing, but an elite guard trained to protect the Icehearts’ most precious asset is quite another. He will be too well-trained to break from just a little torture the way the others did earlier. And I’m not taking any chances.
A strangled gasp rips from Sharptail’s throat as my magic slams into him while he is still trying to regain his wits after Draven’s lightning strike. Pleasure immediately floods me.
Leaning against the edge of a table, I watch him try to make his muscles work properly again while I continue to increase my magic. Draven stalks up to him and grabs him by the collar.
With a firm yank, he pulls him up to his knees and locks commanding eyes on him.
Fear pulses in his eyes as he meets Draven’s gaze. Most of it is mine, but I think a part of him is terrified of Draven all on his own. After all, Draven didn’t earn the nameShadow of Deathfor nothing.
“Where is Lavendera?” Draven demands, his fist still buried in Sharptail’s collar.
“W-what?” Sharptail stammers. “I don’t?—”
“Keep wasting my time, and I’ll go find your precious cousin Tim instead.”
I flare the wildfire of fear in his chest.
A panicked cry of terror escapes his mouth. Next to me, Gordon and Kil watch him with wide eyes from where they’re kneeling on the floor. The tavern keeper remains pressed against the wall on the other side.
“She’s in the library!” Sharptail presses out. “Please, don’t hurt my cousin. Lavendera is in the library.”
“What library?” I ask.
“That building halfway between our barracks and the palace. The one with the green door.”
I glance at Draven, who is scowling down at Sharptail, before I ask, “Do you know it?”
“I’ve never been inside,” Draven replies. “But yeah, there is only one building with a green door between the Silver Clan barracks and the Ice Palace, so I know where it is.” He shifts his gaze back to the guard before him. “How often is she there?”
“All the time.” Sharptail stares back at him, his eyes wide with fear as I continue to increase my magic. “It started like two days ago. She’s being kept in there all the time. I think there is some kind of massive, important project she’s working on. I don’t know. I’m not responsible for guarding her this week. Please. That’s all I know.”
Cold dread washes through my veins as understanding dawns inside me.
“The Gold Clan,” I blurt out.
Draven flicks his gaze to me, and realization hits him as well. “Fuck.”
