Haru also rose to his feet and turned, his eyes following Adrian. A rock sank into the pit of Haru’s stomach as he watched his lover pacing. All his instincts demanded that he pack Adrian up and ship him out of Damardor as soon as possible. At least to Sirelis, if not all the way back to Stormbreak in Erya. The best place would be safely tucked away with the Omari clan, but he knew that was insane. He’d be lucky to get Adrian to leave Damardor before Shey was located.
But Adrian had magic.
A simple, beautiful, deadly magic that was a gift from Caelan. Their connection also allowed them to sense each other from any distance. It was the only way they’d been able to find Caelan inthe depths of the Ordas, where no electronics could work thanks to the old god magic that saturated those jungles.
Haru could never ask Caelan to end the connection between them. It would shatter Adrian’s heart. That special connection gave Adrian a sense of belonging and value.
No, it meant he would have to be extra vigilant. No one could know about Adrian’s magic and live.
“It would be best if you kept your voice down,” Vitor advised. “My people were able to check the guests staying in the rooms around us for threats, but it is still best to err on the side of caution.”
Adrian’s shoulders slumped, and he let out a heavy breath. “You’re right. I’m sorry. But this is some insane stuff,” he continued in a lower tone as he paced to the coffee table. “I’m not mistaken in that there are just two sources of magic in this world, right? Gods and…” Adrian stopped and pointed at Haru’s chest rather than saying the word out loud.
Haru reached out and caught that hand. He lifted it to his face and pressed a kiss to the fingertip. Adrian tossed him a look but said nothing as he gently pulled his hand free.
“That is correct. And since there have never been rumors of…” Vitor stopped and nodded his head at Haru, leaving the word unsaid once again, “being in Damardor, I am leaning toward the idea that someone or a group is searching for the old gods.”
Adrian appeared as if his legs were going to buckle. Not that Haru was feeling much better after that explosive statement. He reached out and put his hands on Adrian’s hips. Carefully, he guided Adrian to his chair, where he sat.
Vitor scooted to the very edge of his seat and spoke in a near whisper. “There are many things I don’t understand, but you must consider this from the eyes of an outsider. For nearly a year, huge magical events have occurred.” Vitor lifted a handand counted each of them off on his fingers. “The great storm and battle in Sirelis. Some people have attributed it to Caelan, but others claim it was the return of Kaes, and he merely possessed the body of the prince. There were two battles in Stormbreak—both of which had appearances by Tula.”
Adrian scoffed. “Not surprising. Everyone knew the Goddess of Life called Stormbreak home.”
“Thanks to the godstone,” Vitor added. “There was the black dragon sighting and explosions in Zastrad. Most believe it was the Dead God waking from his long slumber.”
Haru grinned. He would have to tease Drayce about that, calling him the Dead God.
“And then, more recently, there was the bloody, chaotic fighting in the Ordas that led to the collapse of New Rosanthe.” Vitor frowned, glaring at the coffee table for a heartbeat. “There are no coherent reports about the events of the Ordas, but many say that it marked the return of the gods.”
People weren’t wrong. Other than the complete destruction of Zyros and Lore, the other four major gods were now out of the godstones and free to wreak whatever havoc they wished. Of course, Haru wasn’t expecting to hear anything from them for a few centuries. Why rush? Gods were almost immortal. Old age wasn’t about to kill them. Plus, there was now the God of Hope to protect humans from magical mischief.
“It’s not just the old six,” Adrian murmured.
Haru twisted to see Adrian scrub his hands across his face. “What do you mean?”
Adrian dropped his hands into his lap with a soft slap and gazed up at him. “I don’t know if your people have the same stories, but the pantheon of gods was bigger than the main six. In the Ilon capital of Brightspire, there’s an entire Shrine District withhundredsof temples, shrines, and cathedrals to minor gods. I heard that most of the gods died during the rise of Zyros,but what if some of them still exist? Couldn’t they form the same bonds with people like Tula and Kaes did?”
“Oh, you mean the little godlings,” Haru stated with a nod. “We have them, but not as many as your people. They guard the streams, snow, wind, and other parts of nature. They are never seen and don’t interact with us.”
A ghost of a smile crossed Adrian’s lips. “Because you had Caris watching over you and your kind.”
“Caris has taken good care of us,” Haru replied, puffing up his chest a bit. What dragon didn’t love the Goddess of Fire? She was their protector.
“My thoughts align with yours, Adrian, but what I lack is solid proof. Right now, we have some scraps of information and suspicions. Not much else,” Vitor admitted, drawing their attention to him.
“Have you told my cousin about this?”
Vitor nodded. “Early this morning, I gave my report. He was not pleased.” His entire body stiffened, making Haru think Caelan’s reaction had been rather explosive.
“Is Rayne back?” Adrian demanded.
“Yes, arrived yesterday.”
Both Adrian and Haru exhaled a breath. Caelan was steady and thoughtful, but Haru understood that some still thought him to be impulsive and hotheaded. Haru was sure that was merely his dragon blood. However, Rayne was a calming force in Caelan’s life. He would keep the new king from making any rash decisions.
“So, there’s a good chance that this is what Shey was investigating,” Adrian said.
Vitor shifted in his chair, moving into a more relaxed position. “Yes, I think so. However, we have no way of uncovering how much he knows or the specific direction of his investigation.”
