Page 30 of Dragon Revealed (Dragon Kings 1)
Chapter Sixteen
Despite Varek’s attempts to keep Jeyra there all night, she returned home. She wanted her bed, and hopefully, some much-needed rest. When she left the dungeons, only one guard was on duty. He barely gave her a nod of acknowledgment. And to her surprise, no one followed her back to her flat.
She wearily made her way up the stairs to the top floor and unlocked the door. The first thing she noticed was the lit candles. She stilled, trying to figure out who was in her place and where they might be.
“Easy. It’s just me,” Rankin said as he came from the kitchen.
She sighed and walked inside to shut the door behind her.
He grinned. “You’re jumpy.”
“It’s been a day,” she told him. While she had been looking for Rankin, she wasn’t in the mood to talk now.
He took her arm and brought her to a chair before giving her a slight push to sit. He then returned with a bowl of her favorite soup. “Here. Eat. Then you’ll tell me what’s going on.”
Jeyra immediately began consuming the delicious meal and used that to cover any responses. She wasn’t sure why Rankin was there after all but cutting her out of his life. Was she so paranoid now that she was leery about the only person in her life she trusted? Be that as it may, she had no choice but to trust Rankin. She needed him.
He brought one of the kitchen chairs and set it diagonally across from her before lowering himself onto it. His gray gaze had never unnerved her before, but it did now. Was it because she had been followed and threatened? Was it because she knew something was being covered up and she couldn’t find out why or what? Was it because she was hurt that he had left her alone to deal with Varek and the fallout of that?
“You look exhausted. When was the last time you slept?” he asked.
Jeyra swallowed, shrugging. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a full night’s rest. Where have you been?”
“On a mission. The council doesn’t wait when they want something done,” Rankin replied with a chuckle.
Jeyra wasn’t quite sold on that response. “What kind of mission?”
Rankin’s gaze narrowed slightly. “You know I can’t tell you.”
“You have in the past.”
“A few times, but I kept the majority of them secret as ordered.”
“And this one must stay secret?”
He nodded. “That’s right.”
“I’ve spent over a week looking for you.” She set aside the half-eaten bowl of soup. “The last time I saw you in the council building, you wouldn’t even meet my gaze.”
Rankin pressed his lips together. “I was upset. I knew why you did what you did, but I also knew what would happen if anyone ever discovered it.”
“So, instead of helping me, you ignored me? Did you do that to perhaps make sure no one thought you were involved?”
“Jeyra,” he said in a sharp tone, his brows furrowed. “That isn’t it at all.” He sighed, his face smoothing out. “I was scared for you. I was trying to find a way to protect you.”
She shook her head, wishing she could believe him, but his words were falling flat. “If you wanted to protect me, you would’ve made sure that I wasn’t sent to interrogate the prisoner. You wouldn’t have just left without a word. You wouldn’t have ignored me. You would’ve given me your counsel as you always have.”
“Which you have always ignored,” he added.
Jeyra crossed her arms over her chest, becoming angrier as the minutes passed.
Rankin rubbed his hands up and down his thighs. “I’m sorry. I didn’t handle any of that right. And then I was sent off on the mission, making things worse. But I’m here now. I’ll be happy to give you my counsel if you wish. Just tell me what’s gotten you so anxious. You look like you’re about ready to snap.”
Because she was. Jeyra was trying to find answers about the past, sorting through complex emotions regarding Varek, and wondering if she should go with him when he made his escape.
“Jeyra,” Rankin said as he leaned forward and put a hand on her knee to get her attention. “Talk to me. I can help.”
She loosened her arms and let them drop to her lap. “You recall the day we met?”
“Of course,” he said solemnly as he sat straighter in the chair. “You’ve not spoken about it much over the years, and I didn’t bring it up because of that. I know how difficult it is to lose someone you love.”
Jeyra had never heard him speak such words. “You talk as if you’ve lost someone to the dragons.”
His gray gaze dropped to the floor and he released a long breath. Only then did he look at her again. “When I was a much younger man, I had someone. We were to be married, but she was killed by dragons before that could happen.”
“What?” Jeyra asked in disbelief. “Why have you never told me before?”
“Because it was a long, long time ago. You asked if I’d been married. I never lied to you.”
“You left out a crucial detail. The fact you had been directly involved with someone who was taken from you by a dragon.”
“That could be said for nearly every person in this city,” he replied calmly. “But you were talking about your loss, not mine. Tell me what you were going to say.”
She licked her lips and swallowed. “I was a child when my family was killed, but I remember every detail. Vividly.”
He nodded. “You were thorough in your retelling to the council.”
“It was written down. Just as your testimony was,” she said carefully.
Rankin halfheartedly shrugged. “Every meeting the council has is recorded and kept in the archives.”
“It might be written down, but not all of it is kept.”
