The Draykon Series (1-3)

Orlind: Chapter Eleven

Arriving in Draetre once more, Eva was glad for the glasses that still covered her eyes. It had been dark during her last visit, and she'd forgotten that Nimdre alone out of all the realms still maintained a day/night cycle. The sun was up in Draetre, though thankfully much of its radiance was dimmed by a low cloud cover. She and Tren may be able to take the glasses off for a time if Indren had decent blinds in her office.

She had conveyed them to the entrance of the university, rather than straight into Indren's office. Politeness dictated that the two of them should at least make a show of arriving via normal means, and barging straight into someone's private rooms was never acceptable. They set off through the university's corridors at a brisk walk, and in silence. Tren, uncharacteristically, was worried.

Eva touched his arm, lightly. 'What's bothering you?'

He looked up with a smile. 'Nothing in particular.'

'Oh? That was quite a frown.'

He shrugged. 'Something about all of this is irritating me. Or, just...' he ran a hand through his dark hair. 'Something isn't right. Krays, and the draykoni. There's a piece we're missing, at least one. Our theories aren't adding up.'

She nodded. 'I agree. I don't think we're going to find it - or them - by racking our brains, though. We need more information, and that's exactly what we're going to get. Very soon.' She spoke with confidence, more than she felt. Ana and Griel were tricky, unpredictable and dangerous; they would be difficult to manipulate, let alone to control. But what she had aplenty was determination. Between them, she and Tren would find a way to get what they needed out of Krays's former agents. One way or another.

Tren let out a sigh. 'You're right, of course. Only, if Krays is involved with the enemy draykoni, we need that information fast. It won't take them long to finish off Waeverleyne. As soon as they come back - if they do - we're out of time.'

A little frisson of panic shivered up her spine at his words. He was right. Llandry's home hung in the balance. 'Don't forget that Glinnery now has four draykoni on her side,' she reminded him. 'And Aysun Sanfaer has a team of bright engineers working for him, with more on the way from Irbel. They're developing new weapons all the time.'

'That'll help,' Tren agreed. 'If it's just the draykoni they're facing, it might be enough. But if Krays is helping...'

He left the sentence trailing.

'I know,' she sighed. 'But we're doing everything we can. We'll keep on until we get what we need. Okay?'

They had reached Indren's door. Tren mustered a smile for her and nodded. She squeezed his hand once, then knocked at the door.

It flew open, so fast that Eva took an involuntary step backwards. Instead of Indren, or even Devary, Ana stood in the doorway.

'Get in here,' she hissed, her Ullarni accent so thick Eva could barely understand her. She exchanged a quick glance with Tren, then stepped inside. Ana slammed the door.

The office was crowded. Indren maintained her station behind her desk, but her face revealed that she'd long since lost control of the situation. Devary sat near to her, his expression also strained.

A tall, broad-shouldered man with white hair was pacing around the room: Griel. Ana joined him, and the two of them paced circles, round and round Indren's office. Their movements were full of barely controlled fury; they had the air of predatory creatures ready to leap. Eva was uncomfortably reminded of the whurthag beasts that Griel used to keep.

Or maybe he still did.

'So,' Eva said, keeping her voice calm. 'You found your husband.'

Ana darted a look at her, full of insane fury. She actually snarled, then let loose with a rapid stream of Ullarni. Eva spoke the language of Ullarn fairly well, but hers was learned for diplomatic purposes; her vocabulary wasn't up to this. She didn't need a translation, though, to guess that most of the words were expletives.