I nodded but didn’t say anything. The dragons for all their pretenses at being above petty squabbles that didn’t involve stopping the rogues among their numbers hadn’t quite let go of all past grievances. The western dragons and the eastern dragons were similar, yet different. The fact that the eastern dragons only had four royal families with a king at their head made it tricky when dealing the western dragons and their princes. For the most part, however, the eastern dragons stayed out of western politics. I rubbed my thumb across Lauren’s shoulder as I contemplated what to say. “We were on our way to Cairo. Then, a dragoness attacked.”
“How did you know the attacker was female? That information hasn’t been made public yet.”
Lauren suddenly stirred although she didn’t try to sit up. “I told him. I sensed it. She’s young too. Is that why they haven’t shared it yet?”
“Partially.” Royal’s fingers tapped against the steering wheel and then his voice lowered as he rumbled, “There is also the fact that she is Heru’s younger daughter.”
“What?” I went still, keeping a hand on Lauren’s shoulder out of habit as she lowered the blanket enough to peer up at me with wide dark eyes. “The attacking dragoness was the daughter of the dragon prince?”
“Yes.”
“Then, how did you get involved? I thought you said it was a Carith and Krall concern. Since when do they interfere with a dragon prince’s household?”
“Since Fidda’s attack coincided with five other attacks by dragons on airships belonging to Kevin Atwater’s company, Titan Airships. Who happens to be a friend of Peter and Ravenna’s in addition to having enough connections in that upper circle of high powered paranormals to make life difficult for the dragons if he decides to take offense.”
“Five other attacks? Were they all by relatives of dragon princes?”
“One was a water dragon who had no business being in the Mediterranean, but the others were carried out by young idiots with the misfortune of being related to a dragon prince. I was called because Heru is already heading to Thrace for a meeting of princes. His nephew was also involved. Same age as Fidda. Old enough to not have the protection of juvenile status, but young enough to want to pick a fight with the Fae.”
“Atwater was in Rome,” Lauren interjected, her soft voice cutting through the tense silence that had fallen. “He was helping Prince Tao.”
I cursed under my breath as the memory slammed into place. “That’s right. In May. They went after a woodwose? What were they thinking?”
“A woodwose who is having problems in-house of some type too,” Royal added gruffly. “And the answer is, those young idiots weren’t thinking. Someone, most likely Weard or the rogues, has been passing out information stating that the Fae were conspiring to remove power from the dragon princes. Citing the Carith and Krall clans as an example of proper royal power being stolen.”
“They clearly aren’t studying their history closely enough, then,” I muttered.
Lauren sighed. “I don’t know much about dragons, but I do know that Carith and Krall are royalty in all but title in the States. And, it was decided to do so because of the presence of Auberon and the Therian shifters’ king. There’s more flexibility to work if you’re not officially royal with specified borders.”
“Yes.” I glanced down at her. “How are you feeling?”
“Absolutely horrid.” She closed her eyes briefly and then added, “At least my nose stopped bleeding.”
“What exactly did you do up there, girl? Suleiman was ranting about not being able to find more than two High Elves, and he was certain there had to be more to cloak the airship so thoroughly. His fleet couldn’t even find it until he broke the glamour.”
Lauren grimaced. “I tried to use my Jinn talent and it . . . got a little out of hand.”
I traced a finger across her cheek, pleased to see that her creamy tan complexion now had more tan in it than there had been earlier. Feeling Royal’s attention on me, I gave her a questioning look. At her nod, I answered the unspoken question. “When we were in Italy, we discovered that Lauren isn’t just a Spotter. She’s half-Jinn.”
“Jinn? Her?” He glanced back at us. “Why didn’t we know about this? Someone should’ve known.”
“Her father glamoured her memories in addition to hiding her identity. I wouldn’t be surprised to find that he suppressed her Jinn talent to force it into dormancy.” I hesitated only a moment before adding, “He was Elam Serkan.”
The car jerked before Royal straightened it again. “You’re joshing me. Serkan didn’t have any children. I checked the records myself back in the day. He was an artifact hunter. He didn’t even officially have a wife on record although there were rumors he got involved with a woman from one of his cases.” He tossed a quick glance at us, eyes crinkled in thought. “And, this is old gossip. I only heard about it because my trainer decided to lament having to deal with dragons and dragonborn. Said he missed the Jinn who could use more than brute force to bring down a suspect.”
“Oh don’t worry. I’m sure he’d be very proud of your finesse in brute force these days.” I winked at Lauren. “You only break buildings on special occasions now.”
“Look not all of us can suppress our presence to the degree a cold blooded Myrmidon can, but I don’t break buildings. Never have.”
“So we’re going to just pretend that Oslo never happened. What about Katmandu? Singapore? Oh and Cairo.” I paused deliberately and then added with exaggerated contemplation, “Actually, I’m surprised Egypt let you back in even with Ravenna pulling strings. Cairo was rather messy.”
“Myrmidon, I do not have to keep you in this car. I can leave you on the side of the road, and it would not bother me in the least.”
I smothered a chuckle. “Oh come now, dragon. You would put out your best friend and his wife, whom you claim to like better, on the side of the road? In this heat? Who’s cold blooded now?”
“Still you,” Royal retorted. “And, I never said anything about abandoning Lauren. I only plan to kick you out. Lauren is more than welcome to stay in the car for the rest of the ride. And, you are more than welcome to walk.”
“How far is it?”
“About another hour.” The car started to slow. “See how much you like the desert after walking that far, Myrmidon.”
“Royal, I know Mathias has decided he can mouth off to any dragon, consequences be damned, but I would greatly appreciate it if you didn’t abandon him on the side of the road.” Lauren’s voice was soft, but clear as she pushed the blanket down a little further.
“Are you certain? The ride would be quieter without him, you know.”
She laughed. I can’t believe she laughed at that. I glared down at her, but she wasn’t even looking at me. So, I shifted my glare to Royal although I didn’t descend to a juvenile display of a rude gesture. No matter how much I wanted to do so at the moment.
Lauren patted my knee even though amusement still tickled her words. “Yes, I am sure. Especially since every time I leave this man to his own devices lately he has found more trouble than even a Ten should handle. He didn’t tell you about the shifters in Italy who laid him up for the better part of two months in the end. A bear shifter almost killed him. I have decided the only way to make sure he stays alive and in one piece is by keeping him close at hand.” A slight edge of fierce possessiveness suddenly entered her soft voice as she added, “So I would greatly appreciate it if you didn’t dump him on the side of the road.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I started to chuckle only to jump when Lauren pinched my leg. I looked down to meet her fierce eyes. “Mathias, stop antagonizing dragons. I told you to stop it in Venice. You had better start behaving with a little less hubris.”
There was only one appropriate response. I offered her a crooked smile as I bowed my head slightly. “Yes, dear.”
* * *
Chapter Three
Mathias
Lauren’s coloring wa
s finally better when we followed Royal into the upper flat of a building on the edge of Giza proper. I for one was glad for it. Visiting a doctor here would cause far too much attention in the aftermath of the attack and from what little I knew of Heru, the dragon prince of Egypt wasn’t likely to overlook two foreign paranormals showing up at the healers. Not with the newest incident of aggression between species involving his own household.
I dropped our go bags next to a low couch as I glanced around the sparse room. Other than some brightly colored rugs and hieroglyphs painted on the far wall above an older model telly, there wasn’t much to attest to Royal’s presence. “Who’s in the flat below?”
“No one. I can make up a bed for you two down there tonight if you prefer a lack of electricity and working fans.” Royal lowered his keffiyeh and smirked at me as he added, “My cousins may not be Weard, but they do know how to make a safe house look utterly uninteresting. The lower flat is glamoured to be condemned and this upper flat doesn’t exist as far as anyone outside is concerned.”
His smirk faded as he scowled at a distinct line of sand coating the windowsill. “Not again.” He cursed under his breath as he wiped the dust and sand away. Then, he pulled back the window shade just enough for us to catch a glimpse of the pyramid rising high in the distance. “Tourists are all over it most days. If you want to get into the pyramids unnoticed, your best bet will be to try at dawn during morning prayers. It’s also when the guards change shifts.”
“Of course there will be guards,” Lauren murmured as she moved past us into the small kitchen area of the flat.
My lips twitched as I studied her. “Well, we have a dragon we can toss at them. He might even belch fire if we get him properly soused beforehand.”
Royal glared at me. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a bloody idiot?”
I smirked. “There’s been mention of it.”
“There will be more than a mention,” he muttered. Then, his glance strayed to Lauren as she began standing on the tips of her toes in order to rummage through the lower shelfs. “What are you doing, woman?”
“Looking for tea.”
“Why?”
“Something needs to settle the two of you down before you accidentally strangle each other. Tea seems to work well on Brits.”
“That’s painting with a broad brush,” Royal grumbled.
She glanced over her shoulder, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Am I wrong?”
“No. I keep the good leaves on the shelf to your right.” Royal looked at me and added, “She’s even bossier than the last time. What have you been feeding her?”
Lauren blew out a noisy breath but didn’t turn to face us as she retorted, “I have to keep a Myrmidon alive who sasses any dragon he comes across and keeps getting in terrible shape when he fights Therian shifters. Remind Mathias that I’ve put too much work into him to lose him to inappropriately timed sarcasm.”
I spread my hands wide and forced offense into my voice instead of laughter. “I am standing right here.”
Lauren pulled the tin holding the tea leaves down as she replied simply, “I thought you would listen better if the advice came with a British accent.”
Royal barked a laugh.
I rolled my eyes at him, but my intended retort died on my lips as screams suddenly sounded from the street below. Lauren froze, clutching the tea tin to her chest, as she turned wide eyes on me. I held up a hand and crept to the window overlooking the narrow street. Royal joined me, flicking the window shade back just enough to give us a view. There was a scuffle two houses down. Men in tactical gear pulling people from the home. I tensed as I recognized one of them. He’d left his keffiyeh hanging open, allowing everyone to see his scarred visage.
Royal shifted beside me, his voice low as he murmured, “Isn’t that Khalid?”
“It’s him.”
Royal swore softly. “I thought he was dead.”
“Looks like he survived being imprisoned by a dragon king,” I muttered before I backed away from the window. Crossing to Lauren, I cupped her face in my hands as I bent to press my lips to her hairline. “Don’t worry. We’re safe here.” Shifting so we were both able to look at Royal, I added in a slightly louder tone, “Right, Royal?”
The dragon’s eyes had lightened to orange, and he blinked the change away before smiling. “Of course. Like I said, no one knows this flat exists. Since it’s a Carith and Krall safe house, it’s completely off the grid as far as other entities are concerned. Not even Prince Heru knows that this is where I’m staying.”
Relieving Lauren of the tin, I tossed it to Royal who caught it onehanded. “Make up a pot for your guests, dragon, or have you been in hiding so long as to forget your own rules of hospitality?”
“I rather think it’s the company that makes me forget,” he retorted.
Lauren squeezed my hand, as Royal began preparing the tea, before she slipped away to the washroom. Once the door closed behind her, I turned my attention back to the window. A quick peek proved Khalid was still on the street, directing Weard hunters to other houses. Letting the window shade fall back into place, I clenched my fists as I struggled against the urge to go down there and inflict some very cold justice on the dragon.
“Think of your mate, Myrmidon,” Royal’s low rumble broke into my thoughts. “She will never forgive you if you go down there and catch Weard’s attention with all the unnecessary dramatics you enjoy.”
Breathing out a slow breath through my nose, I forced lightness into my voice as I turned to face him. “Unnecessary dramatics? That seems more in line with your behavior, dragon.”
Royal’s back was to me as he set a battered kettle on the stove, but humor infiltrated his voice. “Oh? What makes the man who nearly went on a killing spree because he couldn’t admit he’d established a mate bond with that pretty little Spotter claim that I am the unnecessarily dramatic one?”
I smirked as I folded my arms over my chest and perched on the edge of the table. Drumming my fingers against my elbow, I pretended to contemplate the question. When he glanced at me, I waved a hand to encompass our surrounds. “You are in Egypt.”
“You don’t deserve any tea,” he retorted. Lauren slipped out of the washroom, her hair now free of the loose restraints of her head shawl, and the dragon immediately gestured at me as he demanded, “How do you tolerate him? He’s insolent.”
Lauren’s lips curved into a slight smile. “He does have that flaw.” Before I could protest, she continued, “I wish to thank you, Royal. I don’t know how you even knew to come find us, but thank you. Clearly, our enemies are closer than we had hoped and we would’ve been in serious trouble without you.”
Royal bowed his head as he handed her a mug. “Glad to help. Good job I found you both too or else Khalid wouldn’t be snooping around Giza. He’d be interrogating you.”
Lauren claimed a second mug and brought it over to me before she took a seat at the table. I didn’t move until she pinched my leg. I smirked at her, and she rolled her eyes. Then, I frowned at my tea. “This isn’t earl grey.”
The dragon snorted. “Oh I’m sorry, I used the last of the earl grey two days ago. You get ginger.”
“How could you let your tea stores reach such a sad state of repair? It’s practically sacrilege.”
“I wasn’t expecting visitors,” he countered. “And, you should be on your knees thanking God that I even have ginger.”
I opened my mouth to protest further when Lauren interrupted, “The ginger is fine, Royal. Thank you.” She gave me another look as Royal approached the table with his own mug of ginger tea, of all things, and a tin of biscuits. I resisted asking if he was offering crumbs too. Barely. Lauren didn’t seem to trust me to behave, however, as she hurried to ask, “Do you know anything that might help us with our search? Some clue?”
“Nervous about venturing inside a pyramid, love?” I asked.
I hid a smile behind the rim of my mug when Lauren looked askance at me.
“You should be nervous too, Mathias. Rhodes was bad enough with that nest of gryphons. The pyramids are known to be filled with all sorts of traps and curses specifically to deter anyone seeking to loot them.”
“Khufu’s pyramid is the most famous and as the Great Pyramid it is the Ancient Wonder.” Royal’s gaze flickered, turning orange, as he suddenly clamped his mouth shut.
Leaning forward, I rested my elbows on the table as I studied the dragon. We had known each other long enough that I recognized the signs. “The dragons have some differing opinions about the pyramids, don’t they?”
Orange eyes met mine before he gave a curt nod. He expelled a breath then lowered his voice to just above a whisper as he leaned forward and said, “There is a reason Prince Heru’s family line has always dared to take the names of the true pharaohs and the old gods for their heirs. They were once the true pharaohs. There is a story that Khufu and his sons, Khafre and Djedefre, were of that draconic line and that they built the pyramids to guard something more valuable than earning a place among the gods. Djedefre was the first to inherit Khufu’s throne, but he did not last. His people loathed him, so his pyramid, which was never on the Giza complex, was destroyed. But Khufu and Khafre, their pyramids still stand. Even though Khafre’s pyramid could not overshadow his father’s, Khafre is the one who protected the true treasure of the pharaohs by erecting a guardian.”
“You mean the Sphinx,” Lauren asked in a soft whisper.
Royal nodded. “There are different theories as to who truly built the Sphinx, of course. Some scholars say it was Khufu, but others claim it is older than both of them and the pyramids were built here because the Sphinx was already here. I have no idea about which is the truth. You’d need to find a Lore keeper for that. All I know for certain is that the line of dragon princes over Egypt still believe the Sphinx lies as guardian over a treasure so powerful, so dangerous, that it could destroy all the world.”
Quests by Numbers (Rogue Spotter Book 5) Page 4
