“And he didn’t steal all your good luck for that?” Adrian teased.
“I thought about it,” Tyche muttered and then flashed Haru a smile as he handed over one of the to-go cups with the coffee shop’s logo. “The hotel concierge promised that this shop used Besan beans for their premium roast. I got yours like you prefer it—two sugars and three splashes of whole milk.”
Haru lifted the cup to his nose and drew in a deep breath, inhaling the rich scent of the coffee that Tyche swore was the very best in the world. “How do you drink your coffee?”
“Black like his soul,” Shey chimed in before Tyche could say a word.
Tyche shot him a scowl. His eyes were angry, but his lips were twitching into a grin. “Only if it’s good coffee. Good beans need no enhancement. I add cream and sugar if the coffee has been made from inferior beans.” Tyche took a big drink, seeming indifferent to the blistering heat. If he hadn’t been born a god, he would have made a magnificent dragon. As soon as he swallowed, he let out a long moan. His entire body sank two inches as if he were so relaxed he could barely keep himself upright.
“If you have an orgasm in front of everyone, I promise to never let you live it down,” Shey joked.
The bliss-filled expression didn’t waver. “I don’t care. This is perfect coffee.”
Haru glanced at Shey to find that the prince’s smile had softened as he continued to stare at Tyche as he swayed and sipped his coffee. Haru took a drink of his coffee and blinked, ripping his attention from Shey to the cup. “You’re right. Besan beans really are the best. I can taste a difference.”
“See! Great coffee is worth seeking out.” Tyche rushed to the kitchenette in their suite and picked up a plate of blueberry scones, which he thrust at Haru upon his return. “Here. Here. Take a bite of scone after taking a drink. They complement each other perfectly.”
Haru did as Tyche instructed and hummed happily as the two tastes blended together perfectly.
Adrian turned in his seat to watch them. “I never imagined I’d see the day where you were both losing your minds over coffee,” he said with a chuckle.
“Would you like a taste?” Haru offered, holding out his coffee cup.
“No, thank you. I’ve never been a big fan of coffee. I prefer tea.”
Tyche gasped. “Blasphemy! That’s the blasphemy table.”
“No, he has a good point. There are some lovely teas in the world. We don’t drink coffee on the Isle of Stone. We have tea.”
Tyche’s expression scrunched up. “But tea isn’t as strong as coffee.”
Haru smiled at him. “You’ve never had dragon tea.”
“It’s true,” Adrian agreed. “I had some teas while staying with the Omari clan that were way stronger than coffee, with some interesting, complicated flavors.” He turned his gaze up to Haru. “Don’t the different clans specialize in making their own signature blends?”
Haru’s heart skipped and raced at Adrian’s question. He’d remembered that. With everything that had been happening during that visit, he’d recalled such an insignificant detail like a cherished shiny bauble. “We do. The Omari clan blend, though, isn’t known for its strength, but for its delicate taste and fragrant aroma. It’s a soothing tea.”
Adrian sighed and shifted toward the map he’d been studying. “I know. I miss it.”
Haru opened his mouth to say that he would contact Caelan immediately to have him request Nori send a pound of Omari tea to Damardor. But the words never left his tongue.
He felt it.
A new but familiar magic had returned to the city. It was a soft, faint hint of power—almost completely lost under the presence of the God of Luck’s magic and Shey’s stormy magic from Kaes.
“Ruben has returned to Bellcairn,” Haru announced.
The room exploded. Both Shey and Adrian launched from their chairs and crowded close. Even Tyche bounced on the ballsof his feet, his cheeks puffed out after he’d stuffed an entire scone into his mouth.
“What do you mean? How do you know?” Shey demanded.
“The shard! You sensed the shard,” Adrian guessed, winning a wide smile from Haru.
“Yes, that’s it. I can feel the magic from the godstone shard. It’s much closer now. In Bellcairn.” He’d been feeling a faint signature from miles away for a week now, confirming that Ruben had remained in Milway to oversee operations at the hidden facility.
“Does this mean we can go kill him now?” Tyche inquired around a mouthful of scone.
Shey’s lips twitched as if he were trying not to laugh, but it was Haru who answered.
