Page 30 of Fractured Sky
“How would he do that?”Dallin asked, looking at his brother.“He’s locked in a room.He has access to a TV, but he can’t use it to call Carlyle.How do you expect him to contact him?Graham isn’t a mage.He can’t use magic, and we made sure he couldn’t use technology, either.What’s left?”
“Carlyle could have found a way.You know how sneaky he always was.”
“I do, which is why Graham is locked up.I’m not saying we have to trust him with our secrets and our lives, but we should give him a chance.Without him, Sol wouldn’t be here.”
“That’s why you trust him.He saved your dragon, or he acted like he did.You’re never going to see him like the enemy because of that.”
“Maybe, maybe not.I think Graham deserves someone in his corner, though.”
“And that someone is going to be you?”
Dallin raised his chin.“It is.”
Sol desperately wanted to grab him and kiss him.It wasn’t only that Dallin was doing the right thing.He was so fucking sexy as he stood up to his brother, even though Tyne was bigger and clearly stronger.Dallin was doing this because he felt he was doing the right thing, and Sol couldn’t look away.
Thankfully, he was distracted when the dining room door opened again.Parker was the first one through, quickly followed by Graham and Bennett.Graham had been fairly relaxed as he entered, but his eyes widened, and he took a step back when he saw everyone gathered there.Bennett didn’t allow him to go anywhere.He gently pushed Graham forward, and Graham moved even though it was clear that he wished he could leave.
“Is this it?”he asked.
Sol frowned and glanced at Dallin, who appeared confused as he was.They weren’t the only ones from the expressions of the people sitting around the table.
“Is this what?”Jarvis asked.
“Are you about to judge me guilty of betraying you?Is this my trial?”
Keylon snickered.“We’re not in a court drama show on TV, and you’re not on trial.We just want to talk to you.”
Graham didn’t look convinced.“Are you sure?”
“Yes, we’re sure.”
“Why don’t you sit down?”Jarvis offered as he gestured at one of the empty chairs.“We’d like to talk to you about how you ended up with Carlyle and what you know about him.”
Graham glanced at Dallin, who smiled at him and nodded.That seemed to help Graham relax, and he obeyed Jarvis, sitting on the edge of the chair as if ready to bolt.Considering the way Tyne was glaring at him, Sol couldn’t blame him.
“There’s nothing much to say,” Graham explained.“My brother found the gemstone and a journal.The short version of this is that our ancestor found the gemstone when he stumbled upon a bunch of unconscious men.He kept the stone and researched what happened.When he died, the gemstone went to his son, and it stayed in the family since then.From what my brother found out, every family member who had it dug into it.Someone found out about Carlyle, but they couldn’t free him.”
“Someone did,” Ansley pointed out.
Graham nodded.“My brother.I think that whatever spell you used to trap Carlyle in that stone, it was getting weaker.I’m pretty sure that Carlyle used that weakness to communicate with Simon and told my brother how to free him, but Simon didn’t involve me.I thought for sure he was going nuts initially.I didn’t believe him when he told me about all of this.”
“And once you knew that he wasn’t lying?Why did you stay?”
“Because I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”Graham’s tone was matter of fact.
It hurt to hear.Sol understood what it was like to not have a home or a place to belong.He’d been in the same position until he got here.He still didn’t feel like he fully fit with the mages and the other dragons, but he knew that if he was given enough time, he would.
The same couldn’t be said for Graham.There was a good chance that even after this mess was over, he’d be alone.He’d lose both his brother and Carlyle, and what would he do then?Who would he belong with?
“Do you know what Carlyle was trying to do?”Jarvis asked.“Sol told us he was attempting to cast a spell on him.”
“He didn’t tell me, but I heard him talking to my brother.”
“Can you tell us?”
Sol leaned forward, curious.He wanted to know what Carlyle had been trying to do to him.He hoped he hadn’t been attempting to turn him into a toad or something, but that didn’t sound like Carlyle.He was more the blood and pain kind of guy.
Graham looked around the table.His gaze stopped on Dallin, and he swallowed.Whatever he was about to say, it wouldn’t be good.
