Kazh stands by the window, hands neatly folded over the head of her cane. She turns to face me with a quirked eyebrow. “Who took a piss in your coffee this morning, General?”
I pause, locking eyes with her. Something else behind me catches her attention. Her eyes widen, lips parting.
“You didn’t.” She breathes out the words.
I glance over my shoulder to find Jax standing right behind me, still wearing his ragged clothes, blue-and-purple bruises littering his pale skin.
“What?” I ask, turning back to her. “Jax’s free, House Dzuni voted, we just finished the binding ritual.”
Kazh’s eye twitches. The grip on her cane tightens, and she lifts it briefly before setting it down with aclack. The way she glares at me tells me if we were alone, she’d beat me with that cane.
Instead of lashing out at me, she turns her wrath on…Noire. “You call yourself a Taaslord? An advisor?” She clicks her tongue and shakes her head. “Un-fucking-believable.”
“Kazh, what’s done is done,” I say with a sigh. “I told you I need Jax’s help. I can’t do this alone.”
You won’t have to. Ever, Jax’s voice tells me in my mind.
Oh fuck. I thought I had a good grip on the shields.
“Jax!” I snap again. “For fuck’s sake. Can you at least try to stay out of my mind?”
He grimaces. “Sorry.” After a pause, he adds, “But just so you know, I can hear you, too. So, you may want to work on that.”
I grind my teeth in silence.
“What?” Kazh’s tone sends a chill down my spine.
“It appears that the General and her Blood Sentineal share a mind connection, too,” Noire explains calmly. “Which is…unusual.”
Kazh looks about ready to give up on being my mentor. For good.
“What went wrong, do you know?” I look between her and Noire. “If this mind communication is not normal, why…why do we have this connection?”
Noire shakes his head, apologetically. Kazh’s mouth twists into a sneer. “The ritual doesn’t create connection. It exploits whatever’s already there.”
My pulse stutters.
“This bond…it was meant to be used on men who are disposable, to preserve the General’s rule. Not to be used on someone the General is emotionally connected to.”
My chest tightens.Fuck.
“I—I don’t—It’s not—” I stutter.
It’s hard to find words. In the end, I give up to try and explain.
“It is what it is,” I say, coldly. “I guess we’ll have to find a way to deal with it. Now, we have something more important to discuss. The hunt for my dragon. We’ve wasted enough time as is; we must leave as soon as possible.”
“I’ve already reached out to the monks of Killygano Monastery. They have agreed to host you, and are expecting your arrival any day,” Kazh says, startling all of us.
For someone who was so against me journeying to find a dragon to bond, this is rather supportive.
“Thank you, Kazh. That’s amazing,” I say and dip my chin. “Then I see no reason why we can’t leave as soon as possible.” I turn to Noire. “As we agreed, you’ll stay here to hold the fort while I’m gone.”
Noire bows his head. “With pleasure and great honor, General.”
I glance at Ezkai Emil and Ezkai Bjorn stationed by the door. “I guess you boys will be going with me.”
Noire chuckles. My guards don’t answer, their gazes don’t even waver from being trained somewhere above my head. Only sign that they’ve heard me is the corner of Ezkai Emil’s lips twitching.
