“Fine,” he gruffed.
They walked away from Mordred and exited the long hall. The Monster King inhaled the fresh desert air as they left. It had been weeks, and the stupid, fucking Jotnar hadn’t come any closer to breaking down the dome. He desperately wanted a fresh veilroot smoke, so he strode ahead of Jason and headed to his office, Jason following him like the fucking puppy he was.
When he opened the door, his informant was sitting in a chair waiting for him, looking like he had flown through the night to reach the Camp.
“Ahh… at last, we meet again,” the Monster King said as he approached his desk, reaching for the veilroot and a piece of paper within his desk drawer. He watched Jason’s eyes widen as he recognized who stood before him.
Interesting… How did he know of him?
The informant didn’t respond. He was a quiet one, which often irritated the Monster King. He looked back over at him as he licked the paper and rolled up the smoke.
“Jason, I need a light,” he commanded.
Jason walked over and lit the match for him, which he easily could have done himself, but it was better to watch him do it.
He inhaled the veilroot, and the calming sensation spread to hisfingertips.
“What did you learn? Where’s the moonstone?” he asked the informant.
“It was stolen,” he replied.
Anger surged through his temple, and he ground his teeth together. “How did it slip past you?”
“I had some assumptions that one of the people traveling with us wasn’t who they claimed to be. And now I have reason to believe that this person, Kalon, is actually who you call Somnium.”
The Monster King’s eyes widened, and he paused, with his veilroot smoke grazing his bottom lip. No one had ever seen Somnium’s face before. He was elusive, appearing only in armor and a mask.
“How did you figure this out?” he asked as he inhaled once more, watching the informant through narrowed eyes.
“We were in a fight with a Gnashing Flora, and suddenly the plant started to writhe into itself, like it was having a painful nightmare. I’m aware you suffer from the same?” his informant asked.
Yes. Yes, he did. He had one just this morning. He desperately wanted to kill that fucker, Somnium. He loathed having someone control him—someone more powerful than he and able to withstand the magic of the Dark Stone.
“What does he look like?” He blew smoke into the room.
“He’s tall with dark olive-toned skin, long black hair, and the brightest blue eyes I’ve ever seen.”
He knew about the piercing eye color. He could see them behind the mask every time he arrived to pick up the children they had gathered for him.
“And how did he steal the stone?” He inhaled the smoke again and blew it out through his nostrils, glaring at his informant with hatred for Somnium.
“He tricked Seda by kissing her and stole it from her neck in the middle of the night,” the informant said with birdlike eyes that flicked between him and his smoke.
The Monster King looked over to Jason, who was fidgeting.Jason pretended he didn’t care about Seda, but obviously, he did, given the nervous anxiety that rolled off his body.
He looked back at the man before him. “And where is Seda now? Is the Lionne still with her?”
“Yes, they’re in Umbrea. I nearly got caught sneaking through her corridor at night. King Ael seems interested in her. He lived in Joro for many years, passing as a human named Cahir.”
He heard Jason gasp, and he looked over at him while pursing his lips.
“Do you know of him, Jason?” he seethed, studying him intently.
Jason nodded, his face returning to its usual dull, neutral stare. “Yes, Sire. He was trying to conceive with Seda while they were in Joro. I had no idea he wasn’t human.”
Fucking fool,the Monster King thought.
The Monster King sneered and looked back over to his informant. “And why should I continue to trust someone who’s betraying their own kind?”
