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“I’d say our best place to start is the Shrine District. They’ve got cathedrals, temples, and shrines dedicated to all the old gods there.” Adrian paused and rubbed his jaw. “If I was gonna hide the godstone, wouldn’t the best place be among all the other edifices built for the gods?”
“Is it that big of a hiding place? There are only six gods,” Drayce scoffed, and Adrian grinned at him. “What?”
“The people of Ilon honor all the old gods,” he answered.
“What—” Drayce began, but Caelan cut him off.
“Ilon’s scholars have dedicated a lot of time to the study of the history of Thia, which means they haven’t erased quite as much as the other countries. As part of Thia’s history and Ilon’s art, they have built shrines to both the major and the minor gods.” Caelan lifted his eyes to Adrian and smiled. “I’ve seen pictures of the Shrine District. It’s beautiful.”
“And tied for second place for the largest district. The first largest is University Hill. Second is the Shrine District and the Artists Quarter.”
“What’s the smallest?” Eno asked.
“Parliament Plaza,” Rayne mumbled, sounding like a man who’d been frustrated by the workings of Ilon’s government more than once.
Drayce leaned forward, crossing his legs in front of him and placing his elbows on his knees. “What about us? Where should we head?”
“If you want the latest gossip and to get the vibe of the city, I’d head for the Bazaar. It’s where you’re going to encounter the biggest crowds of people as well as those who are coming in from outside Brightspire. It’s where everyone goes to get the latest dirt.”
“And why do I feel like it’s also the best place to get smuggled goods?” Rayne drawled with a smirk.
Adrian grinned right back at him. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Like I said, I was only there the one time, and that was just a bit of innocent fun with a couple of friends.”
“I doubt you know the meaning of the word innocent,” Rayne mumbled, but his smirk had turned into more of a smile. Adrian doubted Rayne knew the meaning of the word either—but then, what good was an innocent advisor to the king?
Folding his hands behind his head, Adrian stretched his legs and stared at the flickering fire in front of him. The conversation became background noise as his mind drifted to the memory of the hectic chaos of the Brightspire Bazaar. The region was a number of narrow streets filled with eclectic shops carrying different sorts of interesting items, both legal and slightly illegal.
All the streets spiderwebbed off the enormous square in the center that housed the giant building for the proper bazaar. Inside it was a mix of temporary and permanent shops, offering everything from food to handicrafts to services to imports and even doctor’s offices. Anything you could possibly want was in the Bazaar. The air had been rich with spices, cooked meats, and exotic perfume. Every color of the rainbow dazzled the eyes.
And then there were the people.
Everyone in Brightspire came to the Bazaar. No one was too rich or too poor to wander among the shops and stalls. Every language that could be imagined was spoken there.
To a fifteen-year-old kid, the Bazaar had been pure magic.
Haru would have loved it.
Adrian was almost startled at the thought of the dragon, but as soon as it came to him, he could feel the smile tugging up one side of his mouth. The sunset-colored dragon would have been in heaven in the Bazaar. He would have zipped from one stall or shop to the next, wanting to taste and touch all the interesting items. He would have eagerly spoken to every vendor, every customer, aching to soak in the experience so very different from his own home.
A sharp pang cut through his chest. He wanted to take Haru to the Bazaar. He wanted to trail after the dragon, grinning like a fool as he watched him experience everything he possibly could. Haru’s giddiness was infectious.
And maybe he wanted to watch Haru create chaos among the stalls, ruffling feathers everywhere he went, while Adrian was the only one to know that a dragon was loose among them. There was no denying that he had a twisted sense of humor.
But as clearly as he could imagine Haru loose in the Bazaar, a sharper image filled his mind. The last time he’d seen Haru.
Adrian grabbed his last spare shirt from the drawer and tucked it into his bag. They were leaving for the boat in a few hours. Just enough time for him to make a last check of his room to make sure he didn’t forget anything. He hadn’t spread out his meager belongings too much, but they’d stayed at the Omari compound far longer than any of them had anticipated. Items naturally migrated and fell into the cracks.
He turned at the sound of his door softly sliding open. His eyes widened as Haru, in his pristine white robes, slipped through the narrow opening before closing it. The dragon’s handsome face was unexpectedly stern. His dark eyebrows were sharp slashes above his dark-blue eyes while his full lips were pressed into a hard line.
“What are you—”
Haru’s hand slammed into his shoulder and pushed, forcing Adrian to scramble backward step for step with Haru until he finally hit the far wall. Adrian sucked in a ragged breath, his entire body bathed in the heat radiating from the dragon.
For several seconds, he didn’t say anything at all. They just stood there, staring at each other. Adrian’s eyes moved so slowly over that perfect face, memorizing every line and curve. When he fell asleep at night, he wanted to be able to recall the sharp slant of his nose, the peaked bow of his upper lip, the various fractals of blue that made up his eyes. He wanted to remember the lush fringe of eyelashes that formed dark crescents on his pale cheeks.
Haru leaned close, and Adrian was hit with the haunting scent of jasmine. He breathed deep, trying to mark his lungs the same way his flesh had been. The smoothness of Haru’s cheek caressed Adrian’s bristled one. His hot breath danced across his ear, and that low voice filled his mind.
“You’re not free of me yet. I will come find you. I swear it,” Haru growled, his words something between a promise and a dare.
