Page 70 of Magic Forsaken
Hard to trap a dragon, still harder to burn it to death. If he’d been willing to sacrifice me, he could have shifted and been perfectly safe.
“Intended to deal with me, or intended to show your hand?” I mused aloud. “If I was truly just your subordinate, you could easily have sacrificed me and protected yourself. But now no one is going to believe I’m just an assistant.”
From the way his jaw clenched, I was pretty sure he’d thought of that.
“I also didn’t display any magic in that accident. If they were trying to provoke me into revealing my abilities, it didn’t work. They may try again, or settle for assuming that the mystery you’ve built up around my identity is no more than a ruse or a distraction.”
I had to admire his forethought. Whoever his enemy was, they’d reacted just as he’d predicted—focused on the shiny object he’d dangled in front of them and tried to determine whether I was truly a threat.
But just because they’d failed didn’t mean they would be satisfied. I was willing to bet they were going to try again, and next time they might not stop with a feint.
“So why are we meeting with Leith, if you don’t believe he’s behind the sabotage?”
“Partly to test that theory,” Callum admitted. “And partly to keep up appearances. I welcomed the other delegation leaders, and it’s important to demonstrate that all of them will be treated equally.”
“Politics sucks,” I muttered under my breath, and started to open the door.
“Raine.”
I turned back.
“Be wary of Leith. There are rumors that he gained his position by using his power in unsavory ways. I don’t believe he can slip past my defenses, but it’s possible he’s more powerful than anyone knows. Watch for uncharacteristic behavior. Willingly shared secrets. If you see me behaving strangely, come up with a reason for us to leave.”
I nodded, then hesitated, unsure how to ask what I needed to know. “Can sirens… read minds? Or figure out the best way to convince others to do what they want without the need for magic?”
The dragon regarded me curiously. “That’s a fairly specific question. Have you had dealings with sirens before?”
Not a question I was willing to answer. “Can they or not?”
“They aren’t able to read minds that I know of. But the other… yes. Weaker sirens can be dangerous without any need for force.”
I suppressed a shiver as my gut clenched and my hands threatened to curl into fists. Finally an answer, but not one I wanted. As if my life wasn’t complicated enough already.
“Thank you,” I murmured. “I’ll be careful. Let’s get this over with.”
Thankfully, Callum chose to let it go, and led the way up the walk to a tall white house with columns and a wide porch decorated with potted trees. It was elegant but not ostentatious, and the black front door was unadorned except for a plain brass knocker.
We never got a chance to use it. The door opened, and we were confronted by a scowling goblin in a black suit. His braided hair was tied back neatly and his elongated canines were hidden behind his severe expression as he gestured for us to step inside.
“You may enter,” he said, though the greeting was really more of a murderous snarl. “His Majesty has most unwisely consented to meet with you. But if either you or your guard present a threat, whether large or small, our delegation will dine on lizard tonight.”
Callum raised a dismissive eyebrow, but said nothing. For a moment or two, we stood motionless in that elegant, wood-paneled entryway while they stared each other down… until Leith’s flunky finally gave up and dropped his eyes.
Hah. For some reason, I felt bizarrely pleased that my boss had won that round.
The goblin turned on his heel and headed deeper into the house. “This way,” he growled.
We followed down a narrow hall, Callum seeming utterly unconcerned by the presence of a hostile goblin butler while I kept looking over my shoulder, wondering how many more might be lurking behind the woodwork.
Which was really quite beautiful. The house had been lovingly restored and tastefully decorated, with a collection of carefully selected artworks and a vast array of indoor plants. From somewhere I could hear a trickle of water along with the gentle strains of a piano sonata.
The atmosphere was peaceful. Restrained. Unthreatening. A warm, soothing blanket seemed to settle over my thoughts. Really, there was no reason to be on my guard, not here…
Oh no he didn’t… I barely managed not to smack myself across the face as a warning. Maybe if it hadn’t been for that warm trickle of magic, I would have been taken in, but the owner had given himself away. Now that I knew what his power felt like, it would be easier to remain alert.
The goblin led us through open double doors into a sitting room that could have come straight out of a magazine. A fireplace burned on the far side, framed by antique cherry wood furniture upholstered in shades of olive and bronze.
And standing before the fireplace…