Page 143 of The Bond That Burns

I slammed the door, glaring at Tanaka. “I didn’t come here to play nice with an Avari. This is a private lesson.”

One which I paid handsomely for. Though over the last few years, my relationship with Rodriguez had developed into something more than that of teacher-student. He was a man I respected. A good man. A mentor. Hell, some days I secretly thought of him as the father I no longer had.

“I invited Kage here,” Rodriguez said, calmly but firmly. “Both of you need to hear what I have to say.”

Kage raised one thick, perfectly arched eyebrow. The bastard was handsome—I’d give him that much. Too buttoned-up for my taste, though. Probably the kind of guy who kissed with his eyes open and apologized afterward. But maybe Pendragon was into that whole “stoic restraint” thing. The thought made my blood boil all over again.

“Try not to pass out, Drakharrow,” Tanaka drawled. “I know this may come as a shock to you, but not everything is about your fragile ego.”

I growled. “Say that again, Tanaka. I dare you. Sounds like you want to go a second round.”

Tanaka just smiled.

“Enough,” Rodriguez snapped. “If you two can’t handle being in the same room as one another, then I suppose you can’t handle what I’m about to tell you.” He looked back and forth between us. “So, what’s it going to be? Make up your mind. Are you just little boys fighting over a girl in the school yard? Or are you men I can count on to lead the way?”

I kept my mouth shut. So did Kage.

“Good,” Rodriguez said with satisfaction. He walked behind his desk and sat down. “Before I begin, let me make one thing clear. What I’m about to tell you here today is tantamount to treason.” He pointed to the door. “There’s your out if you need it.”

I glanced at Tanaka and saw he was looking at me, too.

I didn’t particularly have a hankering to be executed. But hell, the axe was already hanging over my head thanks to Aenia. Fuck it.

I shrugged. “I trust you, Rodriguez,” I said loyally. I looked over at Tanaka and waggled my fingers. “See you around, Avari.”

Kage stayed put. He walked slowly over to one of the two chairs that faced Rodriguez’s desk and planted his hands on the back. “I’ll need to know a little more than that.”

Rodriguez hesitated. “You don’t know me as well as Blake does, so I can understand that. But once I begin talking, what I say doesn’t leave this room. Regardless of what you decide.”

“Fine,” Kage said. “But what’s this about?”

“It’s about protecting blightborn lives,” Rodriguez said simply. “If I’ve read you correctly, that’s something you care more about than most highbloods do.”

I glanced at the other House Leader. Was Rodriguez right? I’d never given Tanaka’s personal moral code much thought.

Tanaka gave a brief nod. “So what? What about that is treasonous?”

Rodriguez laughed. “Everything, Tanaka. Protecting blightbornisan act of treason and always has been. Most highbloods just don’t like to admit that.”

Memories of last year flitted through my mind. Walking through the slums of Veilmar with Rodriguez, delivering food and medicine to the blightborn families of those who’d been slaughtered by a nameless highblood killer who still roamed free. I recalled the desperate poverty, the grief, the hollow-eyed children. And that was only when we could find the survivors. Some children had already vanished by the time we went searching, both their parents murdered.

It had been a vision of hell. The killings had stopped for now, but Rodriguez and I had always suspected Marcus was behind it all.

“I could get killed for what I’m about to tell you,” Rodriguez said, the easy smile on his lips belying the seriousness of his tone. “And if I hear you speaking of it to anyone else, I may have to kill you myself.”

My eyes widened slightly. Rodriguez had never threatened me before. I couldn’t help it, my eyes went to Tanaka again. His expression was neutral.

“Unless you’re asking us to incite a civil war,” Tanaka said coolly. “I don’t see how anything you have to say today could be construed as treason. So please, proceed. I’m all ears.”

“Civil war?” Rodriguez shook his salt-and-peppered head. He must have been at least thirty-five, by my estimate. For an older professor, he was still fairly handsome. I wondered if the rumors about him and Sankara bunking up sometimes were actually true. “No. Not yet. Though I have no doubt one could arise. But what about dragons?”

“Dragons?” I echoed.

Rodriguez nodded. “That’s what this is about. Dragons. Last chance, boys.” He gestured to the door again. Neither of us moved.

“All right then.” He leaned forward over his desk. “I’m part of a secret order. One with an exceedingly long legacy. The Emberwatch.”

“I’ve never heard of it,” Kage said immediately.

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