As far as Tate was concerned, they were even.
“The situation in the palace is a bit uneasy at the moment.”
“Does this have anything to do with where you went?”
One of Ryu’s fingers tapped against the arm of the chair as he considered his words carefully. “No, that’s a separate matter.”
Tate’s eyebrows rose at that unexpected statement. The way he said that made her think he wasn’t off on an errand given to him by the emperor as she’d thought.
“By presenting you to court, the emperor will stabilize his own position while also firming up your status. In his eyes, this kills two birds with one stone.”
Tate could see the appeal of such a move. It was exactly the sort of thing she’d expect from a man related to Ryu.
“You going to share what you were up to?”
Ryu’s eyes lit up with warmth. “All you needed to do was ask.”
Tate snorted. As if she believed that. For now, however, she’d play his game. “Then consider this me asking.”
“I was investigating the whereabouts of your old friend,” Ryu said in a lazy voice.
Tate tensed, knowing exactly who he meant. There was only one person that came to mind. Nathan. A man from the same era as Tate. He was once someone who, if not a friend, was at least a close acquaintance. He’d sided with the Creators by the end and was sealed in a pocket dimension until an idiotic group decided to sacrifice a bunch of newly formed dragon-ridden to awaken him.
“That’s very dangerous,” she said in a soft voice.
Nathan wasn’t like Tate. He remembered the times before. His ability to use the artifacts left by the ancients was even more developed than Tate’s. Moreover, he knew all the secret caches they’d left strewn around the continent. It made him a threat that couldn’t be underestimated.
Tate didn’t like that Ryu had gone after him on his own. She liked it less that he’d done it without telling her. If he’d been caught and killed, she never would have known what happened. Ryu would have simply disappeared.
Seeing her emotions, he touched her hand, his cool fingers slipping into hers. “I kept my distance. My only intention was to gather information.”
Tate closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She should have known this would happen. You didn’t tell a man like Ryu about the biggest threat Aurelia had faced since its founding and not expect him to do something.
This was who he was.
She exhaled slowly, opening her eyes. “What did you find?”
“Not much. Enough to know he’s gathering resources and is planning something.”
“Resources?”
The word Ryu used was an important clue. The way he said it made Tate think he didn’t mean the empire’s citizens. That left one choice.
“He’s waking sleepers, isn’t he?”
Ryu’s nod was slow.
With them, he could make an army. It seemed Nathan had an affinity for monsters. Made sense. As someone who’d switched sides to the Creators, he’d likely know how to control them.
“That’s annoying,” Tate said.
Ryu’s answering grunt held a hint of laughter.
He reached over, catching her wrist and drawing her out of her chair toward him. There was a look in his eyes that said he was done talking.
Tate felt an answering jolt, her gaze dropping to his lips and lingering there. Ryu’s eyes darkened as he pulled her closer. Tate sighed as his lips brushed hers.
The kiss had no chance to deepen before there was a chiming noise from the other side of her bedroom.
