“I know you must’ve looked in on her. How much did you see?”
Ryder glanced away, annoyed at the questions. He scrubbed both hands down his face before he threw them out to his sides. “No’ as much as I wanted, but most might think it was bordering on stalking.”
“Did you ever see her inside Kyvor?”
Ryder paused, frowning. “No. I was able to hack into their feed, but there was always something wrong with one camera or another. I’d see Kinsey on one floor, but not another.”
“Do you think they might have known you were looking?”
He gave Con a flat stare. “Absolutely no’.”
“Even if magic was used?”
That drew Ryder up short. He’d never thought about magic. “The Druid would need to be exceptionally powerful to cast a spell like that.”
“And trap someone within their own minds after taking control of them.”
Ryder looked at Kinsey and wanted to gather her in his arms. “Everything pointed to her.”
“Which, I think, was precisely the point,” Con stated. “They wanted us to kill her.”
He found Kinsey’s hand beneath the blanket and held it. “What now?”
“We find out Esther’s part in all of this.” Con’s gaze was narrowed through the door. “I’m wondering why they would send a second spy, and then have them fight each other.”
“Kinsey came to kill Esther. It wasn’t until the middle of the fight that Esther was triggered.”
Con rubbed his hand over his jaw. “Interesting. See what you can do about leading Kinsey back. I’m going to go to Esther.”
Ryder watched him leave then looked down at Kinsey. “I can no’ believe I doubted you. I promised to protect you, and yet I didna. You could’ve died. I could’ve been the one to kill you. Kinsey, please come back to me. Find your way back. I need you.”
*
Ulrik listened to the exchange in Kinsey’s cavern with interest. So Mikkel was using a Druid. What had he said to convince the Druid to help him?
He needed to discover who the Druid was and in what way they were helping Mikkel. Because if the Druid was as powerful as Ulrik suspected, it could put a serious cramp in his plans.
Ulrik remained where he was, watching Ryder with Kinsey after Con left. Con didn’t seem that upset that another King had found his mate. Some might think Con was becoming accustomed to such things.
But Ulrik knew it was just Con being Con.
Everything would be completely different had a tracker not been implanted and magic used on Kinsey. Ryder wouldn’t be whispering affections to Kinsey.
He’d be burning her dead body.
Ulrik drew in a deep breath. It was time for him to leave. He’d learned all he needed. Just as he was about to step from the cavern, Con walked into the tunnel and simply stood there.
He watched his nemesis and onetime friend. Con’s gaze searched the shadows as if he were looking for something. Ulrik smiled. Did Con sense him? Why not have the Kings scour the mountain for him?
Ulrik expected that exact reaction, but Con remained silent. He looked first one way and then the other. His attention returned to the area Ulrik was in. Not everything was in place for him to challenge Con, but if his old friend wanted to battle now, then Ulrik would do it.
Except Con didn’t come his way. Ulrik was confused by Con’s actions. First he didn’t outright kill Kinsey, and now he wasn’t coming for Ulrik.
Was he getting weak?
Or was Con up to something?
If there was one thing Ulrik knew above all else about Con, it was that Con was one of the most intelligent people he knew. Con never let emotion rule him, and he looked at every situation with multiple possibilities.
It was one reason he’d become King of Kings.
Ulrik stood silently for several minutes as Con stared his way. Then Con turned on his heel and walked into the cavern where Esther slept.
After ten minutes, Ulrik left the cavern and took the long way around to his Silvers. When he reached them, he hurried to the cage and placed his hands on two of the four.
“I’m here,” he whispered.
He felt them pushing at the magic keeping them asleep. Ulrik wanted to wake them and see them soar, but he couldn’t. Not yet.
“Know that I’m here and will free you verra soon,” he promised.
He moved to the next two and repeated his words. Then he spent the next few moments running his hands along their warm silver scales.
Ulrik then thought of his mountain and was instantly teleported there. He removed his suit jacket and shirt and folded them atop a boulder. Next he took off his shoes and socks before he removed his pants.
He stood naked deep in the middle of his mountain, the place he’d passed centuries asleep. It was so long ago. His time as a dragon felt like a distant memory.
But no longer. It was time for him to remember who he truly was. It was time he recalled what ruled his heart.
He drew in a deep breath and slowly released it. Despite having all of his magic returned, he’d not shifted into dragon form. The way Mikkel watched him made it impossible, and there simply wasn’t room at his store.