Chapter 142: Dread and Desperation
From somewhere further away, through the palace’s remaining magical orbs, Queen Rhiannon watched in horror as the dragon lord enveloped that human in a fierce embrace.
She had worried that the mortal would rat them out, uncertain if he could truly be of any use, no matter what Rowan kept insisting.
But then she saw it with her own eyes, and the question clawed at her: why was that human treated like that, even after returning broken?
The jewel of the elves. She had always been that, but when she failed to compose herself after the disappearance of her child, her family, who once doted on her, no longer bothered to make the effort.
Was it because she was no longer refined? Because she wept and demanded every night?
But to the family who had doomed themselves trying to rescue the youngest, how could they have known that such thoughts consumed her?
Moreover, how could they have known she had been selected for it?
__
Meanwhile, elsewhere...
A cloaked figure hurled a vial against the wall. It shattered with a sharp crack, spilling dark liquid down the stone.
"Not enough!" the figure snarled, voice ringing with fury.
Before him, countless mutilated beings knelt, trembling, their broken bodies bowing low as they stammered apologies.
The cloaked being’s eyes burned through the shadowed hood. "Has the missing child been found?"
The kneeling figures turned toward one another, silent in terror, until at last one spoke, voice shaking. "M-my Lord, not yet. But we have finished extracting from the recently delivered dragon..."
For a heartbeat, they thought it might calm him.
Another crash answered them, shards of glass flying. "Even if thirty are drained, it does not amount to even a fraction of what is needed!"
The cloaked being bit at his nail, expression twisting with impatience. It was happening soon, and yet the key ingredients were still missing. A setback he could ill afford.
Then one of the subordinates dared to lift his head. "My Lord... we might actually be able to get it from the dragon lord himself."
Silence.
The cloaked figure stilled, then let out a low hum. If only that bastard had not lost their intended source. But no matter. If it were like this, then the results would be even greater.
The kneeling subordinates felt the suffocating tension lift slightly, only for their relief to die in their throats when he continued coldly,
"Make other preparations. And once everything has been secured... prepare to dispose of everyone."
The chamber fell into silence once more, thick with dread.
__
But if it were just dread, one human aide was feeling enough of it that he wouldn’t even need others to set the stage.
And it was all because the great golden lizard was practically snarling at him.
"No."
"Sir—"
"No."
Riley groaned, dragging both hands down his face. He had just woken up inside a cave, hands sore, head pounding, and this was the thanks he got for trying to be helpful?
He had been proud of it earlier, immediately fumbling around to retrieve his ultimate weapon.
His trusty pen recorder.
He held it up like a relic, trying to ignore how Kael’s eyes immediately narrowed. "I recorded them earlier. Although I didn’t think I’d get anything important at first. But I felt like I discovered so much from there that I likely won’t be able to look at everyone the same way."
So he started playing it.
Not only did it make his report credible, but it was also much easier to inform Kael about the kidnapping that led to the Codex being used as an excuse to force him to come to Silvara.
Now, Kael was even aware that their original plan had only been to stall him, but now it seemed they were seriously after his blood. And to think they had been considering using Riley for it.
Well, it was true that he had succeeded in doing it before. But why would he do something unthinkable again?!
If they wanted his blood, they should go make out with the lizard themselves.
If they only knew how effective that was compared to asking Kael to perform a blood ritual.
Riley watched the dragon lord’s expressions as he sat stoically while listening to the recording, but then his eyes flashed when the Queen spoke about cursing Riley, and for a moment, the aide thought he would receive scathing comments.
But nothing.
Maybe Kael just wanted to listen to the recording that kept on giving?
After all, thanks to this recording, it would not be difficult to prove Riley’s otherwise absurd claims. Because who would believe him if he said that the Queen was deranged enough to do that?
And with the reputation of House Elowen, he would just sound like the one with severe psychological issues.
For a good moment, Riley almost basked in his own genius.
Then he remembered what he had said toward the end.
His blood froze. His face burned.
Oh no.
Because, of course, right after the incriminating evidence, his self-preserving mouth had launched into the part where he got... creative. The part where he might have painted Kael in a rather dramatic, borderline romantic light just to rattle the Queen.
Absolutely not something he needed the dragon lord to hear.
"Actually," Riley said quickly, fumbling to switch it off, "maybe not the whole thing. Some of it. A very selective portion. In fact—"
Kael moved.
Riley yelped.
What followed could only be described as a battle for custody of one pen.
"Give it."
"No, wait, let’s discuss this like civilized people—"
"Now."
"It’s mine! My pen! You don’t even know how to use it!"
Kael didn’t want to. One swipe of his hand, and he managed to pluck the pen out of Riley’s grip neatly.
"My Lord, that’s unfair!" Riley sputtered, stumbling forward as Kael inspected the little object with all the suspicion of a judge examining forged evidence.
He turned it over in his palm. Poked the button. Shook it once as if it might bite him.
Nothing happened.
"See?" Riley said smugly, snatching at it again only to have Kael hold it just out of reach. "You don’t even know how it works. Just give it back and I’ll let you listen."
"No."
"Sir—"
"No."
And that was it. The end of the negotiation. The dragon lord sat there like some smug golden statue, holding Riley’s precious pen recorder in his hand.
He had been every bit pissed the entire time he was looking for a temporary hideaway. And just as his mood had improved, it was soured once again because the twig dared to hide secrets from him.
"What, were you not planning on telling me you almost got yourself cursed? Or did you think I wouldn’t find out?"