The Midnight Clan went quiet, but it was a pondering quiet.
The most unlikely person broke it.
“I want a job,” Neb said.
“Neb!” Huso gaped at him.
Neb shook his head at his friend. “I don't want to live like this anymore. Sure, I'll be good with this for a while.” He bounced the pouch in his hand. “But I'll share it with the clan and it won't last me a lifetime. If I take a job, though, I will have a continuous flow of coin. I'll have a nice bed to sleep in and food to eat. In the fucking castle, Huso. I'm proud, but I'm no fool.” He lifted his chin and looked at the Dragon King. “I'll take the job, Your Majesty. I don't care what it is.”
Cyn jumped down and shook Neb's hand. “We'll find you something you enjoy doing.”
“Where he goes, I go,” Huso said. “I accept your offer too.”
“Wonderful!” Cyn slapped his hand down on Huso's shoulder. “Boys, go pack your bags and come to the castle when you're ready.”
I nudged Kimu.
Kimu looked down at the pouch in his hand, then up at me.
“It would be nice to have my best friend living in the same castle as me,” I said.
“Listen to you, you fucker,” Kimu huffed. Then he mimicked me, “In the same castle as me.”
“I'll take some honest work,” someone said.
And that broke the floodgates. Raltven after Raltven accepted the King's offer.
Finally, Kimu said, “All right. I'll go too. I can't deal with clan pressure.”
I hugged him. “Thank you.”
“Thankyou, Ru. You taking that job has changed all our lives.”
“It wouldn't have if you hadn't supported me.”
“All right, everyone who wants work, please come to the castle tomorrow afternoon. I'll have things prepared by then,” Cyn said. “And one more thing. In four days’ time, my dread will arrive for Ru'din's presentation. You are all invited to the celebration feast that follows.”
There was a pause, then the Midnight Clan cheered once more. They cheered so loud that my ears rang.
Chapter Forty-Four
Four days later, I strode through the castle corridors on my mate's arm, heading for the throne room where I would be presented to the Darimar Dread. Behind us were all the members of the King's Guard and the members of my new guard—all Raltven. Among their number were the most deadly members of my clan. And Kimu. And they weren't the only Raltven additions to the castle. Cyn had found a job for every Raltven who wanted one, getting many of them apprenticeships with people who would have never given one of us a chance. As for Neb and Huso, Cyn hired them to do what they did best. They were our spies.
Yep, Cyn paid the boys to keep a watch on everything and everyone in the castle. But we were the only ones who knew about it. Everyone else, including Juri, did not know what the boys did. Juri thought they were just leaching off us. When he had the nerve to say that shit to my face (when Cyn wasn't around, of course), I'd pointed out that courtiers did the same thing. He never mentioned them again.
And it turned out to be a smart move on Cyn's part. Huso and Neb were damn good at their jobs. No one saw them unless they wanted to be seen. They navigated the castle like a pair of ghosts, gathering information and reporting to Cyn daily. And they didn't just report things they thought might be important. They told us everything. Every-fucking-thing. Some of the shit they discovered made Cyn and I laugh our asses off, but some of it made us stare at the boys in wide-eyed shock. Let's just say, courtiers get bored and do some pervy shit. But the important thing was that Cyn and I would never be taken unaware again.
I wouldn't be surprised if the boys were hiding somewhere in the throne room—a place currently off-limits to all non-Dragons. Except for me, of course.
“Sorry, guys,” I said to my guards. “You gotta stay out here.”
“We'll guard the doors,” Kimu said when the others started to balk.
“Thank you.” I smoothed my new scarlet silk tunic nervously as the Horns who were already guarding the throne room doors opened them.
“They'll love you,” Kimu whispered.
I grinned my thanks, then took my mate's hand, and entered the room.
