Page 41 of Orange Spell
“You’re not?You’re sending him to talk to Pearl, the dragon who’s been trying to kill you since she was old enough to want the throne.”
Curran cleared his throat.He hated to interrupt, but he could see this wouldn’t end well if he didn’t.“I want to do it.”
Marlin turned and looked at him as if he’d betrayed him.In a way, he supposed he had.Marlin was understandably worried, and Curran was scared, but that wouldn’t stop him.
“Look, I just want this mess to be over,” he explained.“I don’t think she’s going to stop trying to contact me if I ignore her.She thinks she found a weak spot, and she wants to exploit it.Why not see what she wants?I can talk to her, maybe act disgruntled or something, and see where things go.I’m not planning on confronting her or anything like that.I just want to know what’s going on and for Killian and you to be safe.”
Birch cleared his throat, but Curran didn’t turn to him.He already knew that his brother would accept his decision.Birch didn’t have a choice.Marlin, on the other hand, might put up a fight.He didn’t want anything to happen to his child, which Curran understood, but Killian was right.He would be meeting Pearl in a public place.There would be someone there to see if she tried anything.
“Pearl has never been one to get her own hands dirty,” Killian said soothingly.“If she wants to talk to him herself, it means she won’t hurt him.She’ll probably not even say anything important to him.She’s just poking around and trying to find a weak spot, like Curran said.”
Curran wouldn’t be that spot, but Pearl didn’t know that, and it gave them an advantage.
He looked at Killian.“I’m doing it.”
* * * *
MARLIN AND BIRCH FOLLOWEDCurran at a distance.It was still early for Curran’s meeting with Pearl, but they needed to set up.Marlin hadn’t been able to change Curran’s mind about this, but he was going to make sure that Curran was as safe as possible considering the circumstances.
He and Birch weren’t the only ones who would be watching Curran’s back.They’d both insisted on having more guards there, and Killian had agreed.They’d have to be careful not to be noticed by Pearl, but she wouldn’t think anything of seeing a few guards walking around the garden.It was used by most of the clan on a regular basis, especially close to lunchtime.
“He’ll be fine,” Birch said.His gaze was fixed on his brother, who was walking as if nothing was wrong.
Marlin hadn’t expected Curran to be good at this, but he’d have to be.He’d need to fool Pearl, and that wouldn’t be easy.
“He has to be,” Marlin answered.He wouldn’t allow this mess to end any differently.If Pearl as much as breathed too close to Curran, Marlin would step in.He didn’t care if it exposed them.His only priority was keeping Curran safe.
Unfortunately, they had to allow even more distance between them when they reached the garden.It was hard to resist the urge to rush to Curran’s side when he sat on one of the benches and even harder not to pull him away when Pearl appeared.Marlin could only stare and wait.
“So, you and my brother,” Birch murmured.
Marlin glanced at him, but he was staring at Curran, too.He was probably trying to distract Marlin from his death stare.“Not now,” Marlin told him.
“Nothing else to do but wait.”
Marlin eyed the bench Curran had chosen.It was in front of a group of healthy bushes and trees that could hide an adult dragon.He’d have to be careful, but he was sure he could do it.
“Marlin,” Birch whispered harshly when Marlin stepped away.
He didn’t try to stop Marlin.Neither of them wanted Pearl to notice them.
Marlin felt like he needed to move faster, but he couldn’t make noise.He had to take the long way around to ensure that neither Pearl nor Curran noticed him, and he got scratched to hell and back as he pushed his way into the bushes, but he pressed his lips together and got through it.By the time he was close enough to hear the conversation between Curran and Pearl, he didn’t think he’d missed anything important.
“I’m doing fine,” Curran was saying.
“As long as you’re sure.I realize I can be intimidating, but I’m not my brother.”
Pearl sounded sweet and nice.If Marlin hadn’t known her, he might have believed that she wanted nothing more than to help Curran.
“I, well, thank you.I’m not sure why you wanted to meet me.”
“To check in on you.You looked shaken the other day.”
Marlin knew that Curran hadn’t been.It would take a lot more to shake him than a fight with Birch.Those two had been bickering at least once a week since Curran was born, and Curran seldom lost their arguments.
“I’m fine,” Curran said in a soft voice.“Birch is intimidating, but not violent.”
“If you’re sure.I understand why you might be hesitant to be honest.”
