Page 43 of Betrayed By Dragons

Li fidgets and tugs at the collar of his shirt. Catching my gaze, he tips his head toward the rear exit of the club. "May I borrow you for a moment?"

The seriousness of his tone gives me pause. But then I glance past him and catch sight of Rafe, standing just at the edge of the hallway. He curls two fingers to beckon me, and it's hard to tell in the dim light and with all the noise, but I'm pretty sure he says, "They're here."

"Sorry, I can't right now," I tell Li.

"Ma'am," he tries, stopping just short of grabbing my arm.

I hate to be rude, but this is important. "Give me just a few minutes."

I brush past him without waiting for him to protest any further.

Rafe extends a hand as I approach, and I slip my fingers into his palm. He glances back over my shoulder at Li. "What's Grumpy doing here?"

"I have no idea."

The man follows Jianyu pretty much everywhere, but Jianyu decided it was safer for everyone to leave him out of things tonight. Why he showed up anyway is anyone's guess. I suppose I'll have to ask him about it later.

For now, I brush all thoughts of my mate's personal assistant out of my mind.

Because there, sitting at our table, across from Jianyu, is our informant.

And she just happens to be one of the most stunning women I've ever seen.

* * *

JIANYU

For a full minute after I slip into the booth, I sit there, stunned. I blink and blink again, but nothing changes.

The woman sitting in front of me--our informant from Bedrock, the militant, isolationist group we suspect of sabotaging the peace summit between the Fire and Stone Kingdoms...

Is none other than Lady Tsing.

She's dressed for a night out at a club, hiding in plain sight the same way we are. Her ivory dress is low cut, her dark eyes ringed in black eyeliner and gold glitter. She regards me with an unreadable expression before taking a long sip of her drink.

Finally, she bores of my tongue-tied staring. Tone dry, she arches a brow. "I take it I'm not exactly the person you were expecting."

A harsh bark of a laugh is forced out of me. "Hardly."

Tsing and her mother run one of the biggest media companies in the Stone Kingdom. Cutting our nation off from the other dragon kingdoms makes no sense for her if she wants to grow her empire.

I shake my head, confused. "How on earth did you end up working with Bedrock?"

"How did you not?" There's something new to her tone--an irreverence I've never heard before. She was always savvy and sharp, but she was sweet when we were briefly flirting with becoming involved. She spoke with a deference that I took to be part of her personality.

Or was that just an act? A demureness she put on when she was trying to reel in the future king?

"Your business--"

"Is not my only interest." She shakes her head. "I like my profits as much as anyone, but media is a path to power, Jianyu."

"And you want to use that power to declare war on the Fire Kingdom."

Something cold and sharp flashes in her eyes. "Bedrock has no interest in war."

"But--"

"But nothing. We want the Stone Kingdom to put the Stone Kingdom first. No more outsiders coming here and taking advantage of us. Manipulating our economy, using our people as cheap labor, stealing our resources."

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