The Draykon Series (1-3)

Lokant: Chapter Twenty-Six

Five days passed and Devary heard nothing from Greyson. He spent that period of time combing Indren's library and the more public collections at the faculty building. The most interesting find was a tumbled stack of research notes without a title or any indication of the author, but what caught Devary's attention was the repeated use of the word "istore".

When he showed them to Indren, she merely nodded. 'Those are the records from my brief research project on that stone you brought me. I wanted to pursue it further, even after you took back the pendant, but Krays cancelled it.'

'Did he? Why?' Sifting through the papers, he found three pages of scrawled notes on the so-called stone's magical properties. It enhanced summoning ability, amplified sorcerous talents and imparted a sense of well-being even to those humans without a shred of magical talent.

'He said it was a waste of time. Like I told you, I don't think it was ever a mystery to him.'

An unpleasant thought occurred to Devary's habitually suspicious mind. 'Indren. Greyson told me that Krays's two favourite agents were sent to take the draykon bone. That would've been well before I arrived here with the pendant - and Llandry. Did you know about that?' He remembered her manner when he'd turned up with that stone. She had been enthused about the project - and, apparently, shocked when Llandry was attacked over it. Had she been acting a part? He now recalled that visiting that restaurant had been her idea; it sickened him to think that she might have colluded with Krays to get Llandry away from her guards.

If she had, then she was still acting a part now.

'No!' Indren blurted. 'I swear, I knew nothing about it at the time save what I heard in the papers. And I had precious little time even to read the news during those weeks. Whatever Krays and his friends were doing at that time, I wasn't involved in it. Not until later.'

Her face was white with alarm and she stared at him with such horror that he was inclined to believe her. Indren was one of those women who was rarely discomposed, and it took a lot to shake her.

'When were you involved?'

'Only recently, truly. This genealogy project is the first assignment I've been given that has any direct relationship to the draykon bone.'

Devary sighed. It was becoming harder than ever to choose allies that he could trust.

'You wouldn't lie, Ren, would you?' They had been closer friends, once, before Indren had been promoted so far above him and he had been sent across the Seven. Ren was the name he used to have for her. He hoped it would encourage her to be sincere.

'I lie, Dev. All the time, these days - I have to. But I wouldn't lie to you. Please believe me.' She caught his hand in a pleading gesture.

He frowned, letting out a long sigh. Life had truly become impossibly complicated of late - dating precisely from his return to the Sanfaer home in Glinnery.

Though if he could turn back and undo that action, he still wouldn't.

He summoned a smile for Indren, watched her face relax in relief. 'What of Greyson? Where did you find him?'

She gave a crooked smile. 'The white-hairs aren't popular within the faculty. Last year some of the agents formed a co-operative to share information. The ultimate goal, I suppose, is to be rid of them, though I don't see how that is to be achieved. Greyson is their leader.'

'Oh?' He looked narrowly at her. 'Are you a member?'

'I joined.' She paused. 'Recently.'

He looked a question; she fixed her gaze on the floor.