“This isn’t a random call. But you answered with so much politeness and poise that I haven’t had a chance to enlighten you on the purpose yet.”
I roll my eyes. “Stop wasting my time,Your Majesty, and spit it out.”
“Stop wasting my time, he says,” Cael parrots at me, shaking his head. “If only you knew.”
“Cael.”
“My, but she really does have you all tied up, doesn’t she?” Cael muses, and I move my hand up to hit the Disconnect button.. But then he adds, “I’m calling about Oros.”
My hand returns to my side. “What about him?”
“We have a meeting set for a little under two hours from now. Virtual. Do you want to join?”
“Yes,” I say without hesitation. “But I assume that means you need me in Lunar Sector.” Because I won’t be able to join securely from here. The watch is powerful and useful. Alas, it has limits.
“It does,” he admits. “However, it should be a brief discussion.”
I nod. “All right. I’ll re-secure my runes here, then come in just for the call.”
As much as I would love to take Ashlyn with me, I can’t. If her presence is felt or even suspected in Lunar Sector, then I’ll have to answer to a trio of powerful V-Clan Alphas that I really don’t want to deal with right now.
Cael’s expression says he feels the same. Still, he asks, “Will she be safe there?”
“Temporarily,” I reply. “But I can’t be gone for long.”
“We’ll time it,” he says. “Tell me what you’re comfortable with and you can leave if we reach that limit.”
“I’ll talk to Ashlyn about it, see what she prefers.” I don’t want to leave her here unprotected or without any concept of when I’ll return. “If she’s not comfortable, though…”
“Then I’ll handle the call alone and provide you with a summary.”
I nod.
“But Grey,” he says, a note of seriousness in his tone. “He mentioned needing to share important information about a new Omega acquisition. He told me to be prepared toaccepthis declaration, whatever the fuck that means.”
I frown. “You don’t think it’s related to Nikiski, do you?”
“I don’t know. Oros is impossible to read.”
“Most Drakon-Clan Alphas are,” I mutter, running my fingers through my hair as I try to interpret the cryptic information. “Gold Sector has a lot of caves, right?”
“I believe so, yes.”
“With candles?” I ask.
He shrugs. “I haven’t visited that area of the world since the Pre-Infected Era, so I honestly don’t know what the Greek Isles have become. Other than dragon ridden, of course.”
I sigh. “Yeah, all right. I’ll talk to Ashlyn.”
“Good. Let me know if you’re not coming, otherwise I’ll see you in”—he looks at something off screen—“ninety-eight minutes in my office.”
The screen goes black, signifying the end of the call.
I shake out my wrist, mostly to make the translucent magic retract into its metal encasing, but also because I need to reassure myself that the watch isn’t a collar.
With a mental grimace, I shadow back into the cave and find Ashlyn right where I left her.
If only, I could join her again.
