Page 102 of Dragon Unleashed

Padding to the corner, I place my palms on the wall. I don’t have time to be subtle. Dropping back into the ley dimension, I blast the energy lines with my aether, forcing them to straighten out, unveiling what’s hidden. In front of me, high up on the wall, a thin rectangle appears, an ornate keyhole in the middle.

Dammit. I’ve been through the desk. There was no key. Instead, I send a concentrated blast of magic into the lock, sighing in relief when something gives. A drawer slides silently out of the wall.

I don’t have the skill to hide that someone was in here. But hopefully I’m long gone before anyone realizes.

Standing on tiptoes, I reach into the drawer, my fingertips brushing a few sheets of paper. Snatching them down, they take only moments to leaf through. Two bank statements that I can’t really interpret, and a report labeledEnvironmental Impact. This has to be it. Surely. My heart rate picks up.

I nearly miss it. The report is short, and it’s dated yesterday. Spidery writing crawls across the page.Needs amendment.Fee included.Interesting. I focus on the typed content. It’s damning. It condemns the site, the policies, and the runoff. Another amethyst mine. Like the one Chano’smamifrequented. A list of environmental hazards is typed in bold and a final line noting risk to life and magic is underlined.

The asshole! Not only does he know his business is causing all this, but surelyneeds amendmentsuggests he’s been bribing someone to sign off on it. This and however many other operations he has like it. If I came back tomorrow, I bet this report would be as squeaky clean as the ones in his desk. I whip my phone out and take a snap. I’ve got the bastard. I did it.

A floorboard creaks in the hall.

Hellfire. I back up toward the window, pulling gently at the sash. Shut. I could break it? I glance down. I’m three stories up. Now what?

The door creaks open ominously slowly, and there silhouetted by the light of the hallway is the Virrey himself. His eyes flit to the file open on his desk, to the opening in the wall, then back to me. I’m screwed. I’m well and truly screwed. I scrabble for my phone, pull up the photo, and share with the first name that pops up. Naeve.

In two quick strides the Virrey is beside me. His eyes flash and he grabs my phone, flinging it across the room. It hits the wall and shatters on impact.

He steps back with a smirk. “Well, it appears I shall have to talk to the dean. You shouldn’t be off academy premises.”

“You said I could come here. Here I am,” I fire back.

The Virrey seems vaguely amused. “So you are. You should stay, if you want to be here so badly.”

Something about the way his gaze travels over me sets my teeth on edge.

“Uh, no. No need. I’ll behave.” I offer him my most placating smile. “Promise.”

The Virrey lowers himself to his chair and crosses his arms over his chest. His fingers tap the report. Why the hell didn’t I stuff it back? I could have persuaded him I hadn’t found anything, that he caught me before I had a chance to read it. I shuffle on the spot, glancing desperately out the window again.

“I’ll keep it a secret. Just…leave me alone.”

He sneers. “And why would I believe you?”

I chew my lip and rack my brains. “I—I’ll tie myself to you.”

He leans forward “A bond?”

“No, hell no! No, but I’ll do what you want—I’ll marry Farrell. He knows about this, right? So, if I report it, he’s screwed too.” I pause as the Virrey’s expression flickers.

Farrell doesn’t know. I’d bet my money on it.

“I’ll marry Farrell and not say anything about this, if you just let me go back to school.”

He stands abruptly, reaching for my arm. “I’ll need to consider. And I’d need to discuss you leaving school with the dean. While I do that, you’ll wait calmly in the cells under the mansion. You hear me, Lorelei? I need you secure and not running around my house while I think about it.”

I nod meekly. I just have to survive this, get back to school. Hell, I really will marry Farrell if I have to. Just…let him send me back.

The Virrey marches me back the way I came. We cross a yard and enter a squat building. He forces me in front of him and into an elevator, holding me far too close as we descend.I concentrate on the numbers. Minus four. We’re deep in the subbasement. Hot breath on my neck makes me flinch as the elevator dings.

I’m shoved roughly along a corridor, through a room with a bunch of soldiers I’ve never set eyes on, and into a cell at the end of a long, twisting hallway.

The Virrey comes into the cell with me. He traces my face with his finger and smirks.

“Poor, stupid little girl.”

My blood freezes.

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