Page 44 of Dragon Eternal (Dragon Kings 4)
CHAPTEREIGHTEEN
Shaw didn’t wait for Nia at the pub. Instead, he waited for her at the gate to the fifth level. He didn’t reveal himself to her as he had the day before. He wanted to see if anyone followed her, or if she might be working with anyone on the lower levels.
It wasn’t easy for him to hide. He stood out because of his height, but he managed to stay hidden well enough. Sure enough, it was just as Merrill had said. Everyone watched her. Some stared at her in awe, others with unadulterated lust. Even a group of children pickpockets halted their thievery to ogle her.
Nia rarely made eye contact with anyone. She kept her head up and her back straight. Most got out of the way before she neared them. Shaw didn’t know if it was because of her beauty, her status, or her perceived wealth—or a combination thereof—but they gave her deference.
He had watched enough of the uppers coming down to the lower levels to know that they expected to be treated differently. The people of the lower levels did as requested, mostly out of fear but also because it was just the way things were.
Shaw caught sight of a couple of soldiers standing beside Nia’s carriage that’d let her off at the gate. The men lingered behind the gate. Once she was through, Shaw followed her. She was easy to track. She didn’t look behind her or alternate her walking speed. Her steps took her from the gate straight to his pub.
He remained outside the building, his gaze roaming from face to face. He knew soldiers watched her. There had to be. Whether in uniform or undercover, they were there. Rulers like the Divine didn’t allow their property loose without some sort of leash. Shaw needed to find these people so he could determine what to look for in the future and alert Merrill.
He should’ve done it yesterday, but he’d let his cock rule him—something that wouldn’t happen again.
“One headed your way from the fourth,” Merrill said, his voice filling Shaw’s head.
Shaw clenched his teeth.
“Make that two,” Merrill corrected.
“We’re likely being followed, too.”
“Probably.”
“Watch your arse.”
Merrill chuckled. “I’m the one who should be telling you to do that. Do you see them?”
Shaw turned his head to look back the way he’d come. The crush of people filling the street didn’t make it easy. Most milled about, moving between the shops and outside vendors or just talking. Few moved with purposeful steps, but that’s how he spotted the two.
“The soldiers out of uniform,”Shaw stated.
Merrill snorted. “And no’ doing a verra good job of disguising it.”
“Those watching us will be more careful.”
“I would in their shoes.”
“Be careful.”
“Aww. Are you worried about me?”
Shaw rolled his eyes and severed the link. He then walked into The Full Fiddler. Nia stood at the bar, talking to Jane. The pub owner nodded his way. Nia’s head swiveled to him, and their gazes locked. For a heartbeat, she didn’t move. Then she glanced at Jane and said something before making her way over.
“Hi,” she said with a welcoming smile.
“Hi.”
She studied his face, a small frown creasing the spot above her nose. “Is everything okay?”
“It’s noisy. I need to get out of the city. Are you up for another walk in the forest?”
She only hesitated a moment before saying, “All right.”
They turned in unison and walked from the pub. Shaw spotted the two men who had been following Nia not so subtly fall into step behind them. No doubt if Shaw turned around, he would see more men that had likely been tasked with watching him.
No words were exchanged until he and Nia were out of the city. When the large wooden gates closed behind them, they trapped most of the noise—and the people following them. It would be too obvious if the soldiers left the city, but they were no doubt on the battlements, trying to keep him and Nia within sight. Shaw didn’t care about that. He just didn’t want anyone listening.
“It would be easy to just keep walking, would it no’?” he asked.
Her eyes moved about, searching for dangerous animals. “I suppose.”
“How often do you come out here?”
