Page 35 of Dragon Revealed (Dragon Kings 1)
She gave him a flat look. “Of course.”
“Then I’ll meet you in the nobles’ district.”
“Don’t wait on me if you can get away,” she told him.
He touched her cheek softly. “I’m no’ leaving without you, lass.”
She grabbed his hand and kissed his palm before she motioned for him to walk ahead of her. Varek wished the guards wore some kind of hat so he could have disguised his hair, but two of them had at least been blond, which helped.
As he drew closer to the entrance, he had to blink against the brightness of the sun. The first glimpse of the courtyard he got was packed dirt devoid of any grass or trees. The wall Jeyra had spoken of was tall and wide enough for the guards to walk along and resembled the battlements of castles on Earth.
Varek saw one guard looking out across the city beyond, and two more moving about in the guardhouse. He glanced around, hoping to spot the fourth sentry before he got to the gate.
“Open up!” Jeyra called from behind him.
The two in the guardhouse looked through the open windows at them before they began quickly unlocking the gate from within using some tool.
“Don’t dally,” Jeyra said, loud enough for others to hear as she came up alongside him and they waited for the gate to finish opening. “The council will want that.”
He gave her a nod, and out of the corner of his eye, saw the fourth guard in the courtyard. “Behind you,” he whispered.
When the gate was open wide enough, he slipped out, the map she had drawn him popping into his mind as he began weaving through the crowded streets. He looked behind him to see Jeyra talking to the guard before she walked away. Not long after, three people peeled away from their positions and fell in step behind her.
Varek faced forward and took stock of the city and its occupants. For all intents and purposes, it was a Medieval village with some advancements that Earth hadn’t come to until the Renaissance period. Everyone was dressed similarly, and even though he could distinguish the wealthy from the poor, he didn’t see any homeless or starving.
What he did note was that many—men and women alike—carried weapons. It also appeared as if Orgate treated men and women as equals—something that was still an issue in his realm.
He passed humans of all races—Asians, Native Americans, Blacks, Latinos, Pacific Islanders, and Whites. All living in harmony and speaking one language with a hint of a dialect he still couldn’t put his finger on.
The main streets were wide and similar to the cobblestone streets of Europe. The smaller roads were still hard-packed earth, but he saw that they were working to convert all lanes to stone. There were carriages pulled by horses and oxen, vendors, and stone buildings three stories tall, all with glass windows, and many with flower boxes overflowing with flora and fauna. If he hadn’t known he was in another realm, he would’ve assumed that he’d traveled back in time.
Nobody stopped him. When he was able, he ducked into an alley and made sure he found somewhere private before stripping off the guard uniform and putting the clothes Jeyra had brought him back on. Then, he was back out on the street, making sure to keep his tattoo covered.
As curious as Varek was about the city, he couldn’t wait to leave. Jeyra’s mapping was perfect, allowing him to know exactly which roads to take and which to stay off. He spotted the nobles’ district easily enough since the homes within were much larger and nicer than those he had seen elsewhere.
He filed away everything he saw to pass on to Con and the other Dragon Kings. Varek spotted a park not far from him and headed there to await Jeyra. He lowered himself to the ground next to a large tree and watched children playing as adults walked or sat and talked. He hoped Jeyra arrived soon because there was no telling how long they had until the alarm was sounded for him, and they still had to find the hidden door.
As the moments passed, it was hard for him not to relax. This area was particularly beautiful, though it made him sad that the other residents of the city weren’t free to enjoy it. Something about humans made them want to place designations on and segregate things. Rich separate from poor. Men better than women.
A few in the park looked his way disapprovingly as if they weren’t happy that he was there. No one told him to leave, however, and anyone who looked as if they might, he simply gave a stern stare to ensure they didn’t.
Finally, he caught sight of Jeyra. She was sweating and out of breath. He jumped to his feet and waved to get her attention. Her smile eased some of his tension. Then she looked over her shoulder. Varek strode toward her, his gaze sweeping the area, looking for threats.
“I was getting worried,” he told her, adjusting the bag.
She swallowed, breathing heavily. “My trackers were trickier to get rid of than expected.”
“You can tell me all about it after we’re out of the city. Come,” he said and started walking along the street.
Jeyra didn’t argue as they made their way deeper into the district, each searching for anything that might look as if it led to a door. The farther they walked, the more elaborate the homes became—some as big as Dreagan Manor. Nearly all of them had some sort of fence around the property and a guarded entrance.
“We can’t take much longer here,” Jeyra whispered. “We should turn around and go to the gate.”
“It’s too late for that.” It was too late the moment they came to the nobles’ district instead of going to the gate. “It’s here, I kn—”
The word vanished as he felt something in his head. The same something from the previous night. He’d initially believed it was his imagination. Now, he wasn’t so sure. He halted, waited, listened for it again. Nothing happened.
“What is it?” Jeyra asked, her brows furrowed deeply as she watched him.
He shook his head and continued walking. “It’s nothing.”
“We’re almost to the edge of the district. That big house directly at the end of the street concludes it.”
Varek eyed the huge domicile. “Whose place is that?”
“Sateen’s. She’s the eldest member of the council. She looks innocent enough, but she’s as cutthroat as they come.”
“Then the hidden doorway will be near her residence.”
“We can’t go onto the property,” Jeyra replied in agitation.
Varek quirked a brow at her. “You wanted a battle with the guards. We need that door. And if they willna let us in, I doona see another way around it.”
She smiled then and paused to bend down and retrieve a long knife from her boot. “Good thing I picked this up, then.”
Varek winked. She didn’t return the weapon to her boot. Instead, she flipped the handle around so the blade rested against her forearm.
“Sateen’s personal guards are the most vicious of all the families. They show no mercy. If you’re on her property, they’ll kill you first and ask questions later.”
“Sounds verra much like some of the Dark Fae I know.”
They grew quiet as they approached the mansion. The iron gate allowed them a glimpse of the impressive grounds. There was no guardhouse. In fact, the property didn’t appear to be guarded at all, but Varek suspected that was all a ruse. Since the district wasn’t gated, and anyone could come to it, the few idiots who thought they could steal something from Sateen’s house would have another thing coming.
Varek drew them to a halt. He looked for a way around the side of the walled boundary, but since the houses on either side of Sateen’s also had fences, there was no going around. The only way to find what he wanted was to go through.
“I’m ready,” Jeyra said.
He glanced at her and grinned as he dropped his bag. “We need to move fast.”
