“Show me these show wagons. There must be some lying around. Are the riders practicing for the next event?”
“I—” She glances at me, then back at him. “Okay.”
No one at the table hides their surprise at her answer.
Meela stands, huffing out a breath. “I was bored here anyway.”
Raef watches her for a moment, unmoving.
“Are you coming?” she snaps.
I have absolutely no idea where she’s going to take him.
He strides after her, catching up in a few long strides. She’s already halfway up the aisle when he turns around and winks at us.
Silence falls between us for a moment. I continue to look in the direction they’ve already disappeared through, unsure what to say next.
“That was a ridiculous lie,” I finally say. “There are no wagon tricks.”
“I know,” Daegan replies. I feel his gaze on the side of my face, but I don’t want to meet it for some reason. “So, you were talking about dragon dicks.”
My cheeks, and really my whole body, warm at the way that word falls out of his mouth so smoothly. It wasn’t a question, and there’s a hint of amusement in his voice. One I haven’t heard before. I risk a sideways glance at him.
“No,” I say.
His chest bounces once, like he’s holding back a full laugh.
“Anyway,” I breathe, “that was smooth of him. He was trying to get rid of her?”
A curt nod from Daegan. His lazy, half-lidded eyes are back. “I’m assuming she knows nothing?”
I nod. “Have you told… anyone?” I have one person in mind, but I don’t want to say her name specifically.
“No.”
“None? Not even… some of your people? I assumed that was maybe why some stayed behind.”
“Some stayed behind because they didn’t listen to orders. Their presence isn’t needed here anymore.” His eyes flick to my lips again for a flash, then back up to my eyes. “Or wanted.”
There’s a light feeling in my chest as our eyes lock. Unspoken words linger in the air. Is he telling me Yara isn’t wanted here? Didn’t Raef say she was his “plaything” or something like that? Why would that change now?
He clears his throat, glancing at the books in front of me. “Where did you start today?”
I tell him about the books I pulled, and he nods, returning to that section and grabbing a few more for himself.
We sit in silence, flipping through endless pages, our elbows occasionally bumping. He’s no stranger to research, I can tell.
Eventually, I slam my current book shut with frustration, releasing a sigh. A light dust cloud hangs in the air above it.
Daegan sits back, crossing his arms across his chest.
“I feel like… we’re looking in the wrong place.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I don’t know. Just a feeling…”
He studies me, rubbing his jaw with one hand. “Okay.” He stands to his full height, looking down at me. “Then let’s go explore.”
