Rhys walked out of the conservatory into the main house. The sound of female voices coming from the kitchen area let him know that at least a few of the mates to his friends were busy preparing a meal.
He took the stairs three at a time until he reached the third level. Rhys turned left and made his way to the back of the corridor and the large room set up with numerous computers.
A blond head peered over one monitor when he walked into the room. Rhys nodded to Ryder as he came around the half moon–shaped desk to see a box of donuts sitting on the desk.
“Still observing Ulrik?” Rhys asked.
Ryder stuffed the last bit of a chocolate donut with sprinkles in his mouth and pointed to four of the ten computers. Rhys stood behind Ryder’s chair and crossed his arms over his chest when he saw the angles of the cameras directed on Ulrik’s place of business from the front, sides, and back.
“He willna be able to make a move without it being seen,” Ryder said, a note of exasperation in his voice.
“You doona agree with Con?”
Ryder turned his chair around to look up at Rhys with hazel eyes. “Ulrik is a Dragon King. I wouldna agree no matter which one of us Con wanted to spy on.”
“And if Ulrik is the one aligning with the Dark Fae, MI5, and who knows who else?”
Ryder scooted his chair away from Rhys and stood. “I doona want to believe it’s Ulrik.”
“The facts say otherwise.”
Ryder shrugged and lifted the lid on the box of donuts to search through them. He pulled out another pastry, this one jelly filled. He let out a whoop and lifted the donut. “My favorite!”
Rhys shook his head, though he couldn’t hide his smile. “You and those damn donuts.”
“They’re amazing,” Ryder said right before he took a big bite, leaving strawberry jelly on the sides of his mouth.
Rhys moved his gaze back to the monitors focused on Ulrik’s business. He glanced at the other computer screens to see buildings and homes of people thought to be in alliance with Ulrik.
“He doesna leave that building for long,” Ryder said, speaking of Ulrik. “Though he does leave.”
“Where does he go?”
“Around Perth to get groceries or to eat.”
“Is he alone?”
Ryder polished off the donut and nodded. “Always.”
“That’s odd. If he was aligning with others, they would come to him or he would go to them.”
“Aye. Con wants one of us to get inside and put a bug in his phones.”
Rhys frowned as he studied the monitors. “Ulrik willna be so stupid as to allow that to happen.”
“Con believes that is how he’s communicating with others.”
“I’m sure it is, but Con can forget about it. It willna happen, not with Ulrik.”
Ryder sat in his chair again and leaned it back. “Ulrik was always a crafty one. If he is doing this, it’ll be hard to pin it on him.”
“He told Banan he wanted revenge.”
“Wouldna you?” Ryder asked. “I sure as hell would. In some ways Con was right. He should’ve killed Ulrik back then. I wouldna want to live as Ulrik has all these centuries alone and unable to be the one thing he is—a dragon.”
Rhys blew out a deep breath just as Hal walked into the room.
The Dragon King looked at him with moonlight blue eyes before lowering his gaze to Ryder. “Any movement from Ulrik?” Hal asked.
Ryder shook his head. “None.”
Hal stood beside Rhys and crossed his arms over his chest. “I think I’ll go pay Ulrik a visit.”
“He told Tristan to keep all of us away,” Rhys reminded him.
Hal merely smiled. “When has that stopped us?”
He had a point. Rhys chuckled and faced Hal. “I think I’ll go with you.”
“Are you both trying to start a shit storm with Con?” Ryder asked.
“That is usually Rhys’s job, but I thought I’d give it a try,” Hal said with a wide smile.
“Both of you can bite me,” Rhys said, though he was smiling as well.
Ryder swiveled his chair to face both of them. “I’m coming with you.”
Rhys raised his brows. “Well, this will certainly piss Con off. Too bad I willna be here to see it.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Kiril reclined in a chair outside by the pool and looked over the garden. Part of him hoped Shara suddenly showed up.
And another part prayed she didn’t.
If she was truly seducing him in order to trap him, then when he didn’t show up in Cork, she would come looking for him. The last time Kiril had wanted something so badly was after the last of the dragons was sent away and he prayed he and the other Kings would be able to bring them back.
That was thousands of millennia ago. The dragons were never going to return to this realm. He would never see his beloved Burnt Oranges again. He would never fly high with them around him, hearing their roars.