Ruben frowned and dropped into the chair set perpendicular to Haru’s. He huffed, his face bunching and twisting up like an old wet towel left to mildew on the bathroom floor. “I have spoken with my partners about bringing you into our organization. They feel that maybe the timing isn’t right at this moment. We need?—”
Adrian was nearly knocked to the floor as Haru leaped to his feet. The dragon saved Adrian from embarrassing himself by keeping a tight hold on his waist so that Haru was nearly carrying his entire weight until he found his feet. “We’re leaving.”
Ruben gasped and jumped to his feet as well, a second later. His eyes were so wide they nearly popped from his head as he hurried to get in front of Haru, waving his hands back and forth as if to stop him. “Wait! Wait! We’re not saying never.”
“I also know when I’m being used and toyed with. I never enter any partnership unless I understand who’s running the show and have a hand in how operations progress. During our first meeting, you spoke of magic and creating your own powerful army. You talk about assuming genuine power here in Damardor and beyond, but I see nothing but a bunch of rich wastrels playing at silly games.”
Ruben’s gaze shifted to Adrian, who purposefully kept his expression blank, as if he weren’t paying attention to a word that was being said.
“We are not playing games.” Ruben appeared to be on the verge of stomping his foot.
Adrian bit the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning. Haru had deftly forced the man into a corner. It was time to put up or shut up.
“I have seen no proof of this. Yet, you requested two items of actual power from me that were very complicated to acquire. They were part of prisons for gods. I’ll not see these items wasted on frivolous endeavors.”
Okay, Haru was convincing as Yujian. It sounded as if he cared about the shard of godstone in his possession.
“Very well. Tomorrow morning, you will join me on the train traveling south to Milway. It’s about three hours away from Bellcairn. A car will be waiting to drive us another hour to our destination. The facility there holds our most promising candidates. The last message I received from the supervisor there was that she was on the verge of breaking a very promising magic user. We’re hoping that if we can break her, the other two stubborn dregs will follow in her footsteps.” Ruben paused and cocked his head to the side, seeming to assess Haru in a new light. “Maybe you’ll also be able to offer some insight into a problem we’ve been having.”
Haru arched one eyebrow. “Which is?”
“Our candidates keep dying before we can break them. It’s a nuisance.” Ruben smirked. “You, on the other hand, can be quite persuasive.”
Adrian hummed and wrapped his arms around Haru. “Daddy isverypersuasive.”
Haru chuckled, and Adrian thought he was going to vomit after delivering a line like that. However, Ruben laughed as well, dispelling the last of the tension in the room.
“Yes, I’m sure he is. However, there will be no access to the facility unless you give me the shard.”
Haru reached into his pocket and pulled out the six-inch long box. He unlocked it and handed it to Ruben.
The man’s fingers were trembling as he snatched the box up and flipped open the lid. A strangled gasp left him, and his knees gave out so that he sat hard on the arm of the chair he’d vacated. “My…my word,” Ruben stammered, his voice a breathless whisper. “It’s…it’s so beautiful. I never expected you to get your hands on such a large piece.”
He carefully reached inside and tried to work it loose. As he did, his fat fingers slid along the sharp edge, and he gasped. He jerked his hand back to reveal a long, thin gash across the pads of two fingers.
“Watch it. The crystal is very sharp,” Haru said needlessly, with a hint of a smirk.
“Yes. Yes, I can see that,” Ruben agreed, his excitement not dampened in the least. “This is the same material as my shard from Erya. It’s the genuine article.”
“So, this confirms our passage on the train tomorrow and entrance into the facility?” Haru inquired.
Ruben’s smile dimmed as he stared at Adrian. He clearly didn’t want Haru’s little plaything with them for serious business. Yet Haru had gotten him a shard of godstone from the isle of fucking dragons. He could suck it up for one day.
“Yes, of course.”
“And I’ll meet your boss?”
Ruben’s expression hardened, and he snapped the box shut. “That won’t possibly happen until I get my hands on the shard from Caspagir.”
“Naturally. I’ll hold up my end of the bargain. No worries.” Haru tightened his arm around Adrian’s waist and held him close. “Since the shard has been delivered, Mitso and I must prepare for tomorrow’s outing. What time should we meet you at the train platform?”
“Eight in the morning will do,” Ruben agreed, his voice dismissive, as if he were turning all his focus on the shard as he opened the box again.
Panic screamed through Adrian, and he tried to break free of Haru’s hold. This was the part of the plan where Adrian was supposed to create a distraction and swap the real crystal for the fake one. Yet he couldn’t do that if Haru had him glued to his side.
“We’re leaving already?” Adrian whined. “We just got here.”
“I know, my treasure, but we’re going traveling tomorrow and that means we must go shopping for you. It’s our little rule. New places mean new clothes.”
