Page 66 of The Healing Dragon
I don’t hold his gaze, choosing instead to look toward the hall. We have already attracted the attention of the fellow guards at their table. I notice Isabel is not here, which meansshe’s probably already back at the nursery. I look for a clock on the wall and realize I’m late to return from lunch.
I know she will understand, but I don’t want her to be stuck finishing the work for the day.
“We should hurry,” I say.
We make our way to Brandon’s office and find him with a few advisors in a heated conversation. Roman enters the room first, making eye contact with the King. That’s all it takes for Brandon to ask everyone else to leave the room.
“I believe we should stay and hear whatever is so urgent,” an advisor suggests.
I’ve never learned any of their names. They all look alike to me apart from the one woman who is currently absent and the young guy.
The young guy is laying back on a chair and clears his throat as he rises to his feet. “Let them be,” he says.
“You would say that, Damien. We all know you just want to leave because you are hungover,” a short man with a beard says.
Damien waves to the room with no care in the world. He inclines his head to the Oscuro brothers as he walks out of the door. His eyes skip me as he passes, choosing to look down at the ground instead. I see he belongs to the ones who cannot meet my eye.
The other advisors follow after him grunting about the dismissal. Every single one of them shooting a scowl my way. They belong firmly to the group that hates me. I expected nothing less.
Brandon rounds his desk and approaches us. “They think being glued to my side would be best for Puerto Quinn,” he says with humor. “Made any progress?” His question is directed at me.
“It’s Matias,” I say.
Brandon looks at Matias, who is inspecting his own shoes, then looks back at me. “I figured it was about Matias. That’s why you all met up in the library. What is the update?”
I look over at Santiago, who is sporting a look of confusion. He’s not the one who told him about our gathering. Of course, King Oscuro knows what we have been up to.
“News travels fast,” I say.
“The walls talk,” Brandon says with a slight smirk on his face.
His eyes move to Jesse, who is watching the exchange with a frown. There’s something there, but I can’t begin to imagine what.
I clear my throat. “My father stole the Red Book to uncap his magic and become the most powerful wielder in Puerto Quinn, if not the world. To his despair, he doesn’t know the right spell. He has been using test subjects to experiment and they’ve all died during his attempts.”
I look at Matias, and despite him agreeing to tell Brandon, it feels wrong. I’m confessing to a room full of people the worst thing that ever happened to someone else. Clearing my throat, I glance back at Brandon.
“Matias survived my father’s attempts to uncap his magic. During one of his attempts, the book spoke to Matias.”
Brandon’s eyes move to the boy who visibly shrinks at the mention of his name. I decide then and there that Brandon or anyone else doesn’t need to know anything that isn't absolutely necessary. The details belong to Matias. Only he deserves to share it at his own pace. If the Red Book wants the King to know of its existence in Matias, it will have its wish, but nothing more. I don’t forget that the Lord of Wisdom is standing just a few feet from me. So I choose my words carefully.
“The book fears my father would soon tire of trying touncap magic individually and would resort to destroying it altogether,” I speak truthfully.
“The book can speak to you?” Brandon asks Matias.
A small nod in confirmation is all we get.
“This is great news.” Brandon moves to his bookshelf in a hurry. “Can the book tell us where it is?” He pulls out an old text and searches through its pages. “A location spell might do the trick.”
“Brandon,” Santiago says. His voice is full of sorrow. The only clue that having this discussion has any effect on him. “The book left in Duelo’s possession isn’t the one talking to Matias.”
Brandon looks at everyone in the room simultaneously. “Someone explain.”
“The book concealed part of itself inside Matias. In the case my father destroys the other part, it can be restored.” I cross my arms and prepare for the reaction I know my following words will have. “It spoke to us earlier today. It has a request for you, King Oscuro.”
“Is that so?” Roman asks with empty humor.
His posture is defensive and protective. An outside force is demanding something of his King.
