It wasn’t the most ideal eting.
In fact, it didn’t even look like a eting at all, considering they were literally huddled in an empty tub, shielded by a magical barrier.
Riley’s face soured. Because sure, Kael could erect barriers wherever and whenever he pleased, but apparently, the great lizard had decided that the tub was the best possible venue. Couldn’t he have chosen to use this earlier? Sure, they’d have seed like people who never spoke to each other, but at least they wouldn’t have looked like an insane couple!
"Stop giving the stink eye," Kael muttered, golden gaze narrowing. "This isn’t even the first ti. We’ve done much worse than sit in a tub for a eting."
Riley gaped. His mouth opened, then snapped shut, sputtering like a broken kettle. Did he just—bah! He did. He actually brought that up.
His ears flad crimson. "We’re not talking about that!" he hissed, crossing his arms and sinking lower into the porcelain as if it could swallow him whole.
Kael arched one brow. Unimpressed. Unbothered. Entirely too amused.
Riley grumbled into his sleeve. The lizard wasn’t wrong, but still. He didn’t have to say it like that.
"Fine," Riley muttered at last. "But, Sir, why are we even doing this? Did you also discover sothing?"
Kael’s gaze sharpened, catching on the one word. "Also. You said ’also.’ What did you discover?"
Riley froze. "Uh. Maybe nothing. It’s probably not even credible. I’m not even sure."
Kael leaned back, studying him with mild interest that was sohow worse than full-blown rage. "Say it."
Riley fidgeted, then sighed, shoulders slumping. "Earlier, when I was being lectured into an early grave, I... overheard things. Sounded like whispers. They said sothing about changing the rooms they’d assigned because they were worried you wouldn’t stay longer if I was kept away. Which I found odd, considering most races want you out of their hair and territories as fast as possible."
He did not say ticking bomb. Nope. That part stayed in his head.
"But then," Riley continued grimly, "I overheard them talking about sending over good-looking people."
Kael’s eyes narrowed, molten gold flashing like a blade.
Riley shifted under the weight of that stare, suddenly wishing he could vanish down the drain.
Then Kael clicked his tongue, and for the briefest instant, Riley swore those pupils slit into dangerous lines. He blinked, but by then, Kael’s face was back to its infuriating calm.
"No wonder you needed a possessive boyfriend," Kael drawled. "Apparently, you only managed to behave because you overheard whispers about an attack."
Riley choked on air. Say what now?
Kael’s lips curved into a razor-thin smile, sharp and deliberate. "Seems I need to be more careful. Lest I be known as the mate of the great wandering eye."
Riley’s jaw unhinged. "For the record, I would’ve preferred a paper bag over my head. And, my good Sir, I would’ve also preferred not being known as anyone’s mate, really."
And what was the ’great wandering eye’ when he was out there, likely being referred to as the ’demon’s pet?’
His glare promised murder, but his forced, polite smile for the imaginary audience looked nauseatingly sweet.
"That incident earlier," he added stiffly, "was sothing I definitely didn’t want to be part of. Much like... this entire thing, in fact."
"I didn’t run out right away," Riley snapped, "because I felt I needed to verify what I heard. I an, how could I have even heard them in a well-protected chamber with the Elven King? Unless they were trying to plant seeds of doubt, it makes no sense. Why would anyone talk about that so openly when it could tarnish their lords’ image?"
Also, could he have known they’d be that pushy about it? He was thinking subtle advances, not-surround-the-human-kind of thing.
He rubbed his temples, exhausted. "I even tried listening again. But this ti? Nothing. Not a single whisper. So maybe it was just so kind of fluke."
Kael said nothing, but even that didn’t an he didn’t think sothing absurd was happening to the twig.
"Anyway," Riley muttered. "So, Sir, that’s what I got. I take it you discovered sothing that warranted dragging into this tub?"
It was warranted, alright.
Important and frustrating enough that Riley felt he really wasted all that ti today.
Apparently, the inkling ca from Rowan’s problematic answer to how artifacts could be taken out.
Not that it was wrong. But because it was painfully lacking. Unless he wasn’t aware that seated dragon lords had been passing down such information since the Codex was first stolen thousands of years ago.
According to Kael’s more specific explanation, the sequence of runes changed daily; therefore, any party wanting to borrow artifacts needed to rush from the bottom of the spire to the top within the sa day if they wanted to take them out safely.
And that was true for all the artifacts.
But the Moonveil Codex was different.
"Wait, My Lord," Riley blurted before he could stop himself. "So technically, they’re not supposed to be that clueless about this mystery theft? Because just from that, it’s obvious there are several ways the theft could have been done?"
Kael’s golden eyes flicked his way, steady, calm, mildly judgntal. "Yes. Depending on what they intended to do with the Codex."
His tone was so flat it might as well have been carved into stone. But then Kael elaborated.
"Yes, it is possible to take it out of the sanctum. But it must touch the pedestal within the week. If not, the Codex would start permanently deleting an entry."
Riley’s mouth fell open.
That was... that was literally the book version of: if I can’t have it, no one can.
His mind scrambled, and the question shot out before he could think better of it. "So, Sir, are you saying there’s really no way to take the book out safely?"
"There is." Kael’s answer was imdiate, unbothered. "During a total eclipse. The Codex can be taken out without risk of deletion."
Riley blinked. Then his stomach dropped. "...But, Sir, the last eclipse was months ago, right?"
Kael turned his head slightly, gaze narrowing. "Therefore?"
Like a teacher waiting for the slow student to catch up.
Riley wanted to slam his head against the tub. Well, I’ll be damned, he thought, because every conclusion he was drawing looked worse than the last.
Sure, the Codex could have been stolen. But not easily. And if it had been, that should have kicked the elves into a frenzy, not this—whatever this was.
Riley rubbed at his temple. "If soone who knew about the safety asures stole it, they would’ve done it during an eclipse if they wanted to actually use it. But if it was stolen without proper information, or just to destroy it and weaken the elves, then anyti would’ve been fine..."
He paused, then groaned. "...But the problem isn’t who stole it or when. It’s the royal family’s reaction. It’s impossible they aren’t aware of the limitations when even you are. And yet they’re still fumbling around."
Kael didn’t move, but the faint gleam in his eyes said keep going.
Riley’s voice pitched higher. "If it was stolen during the eclipse, then no wonder they’re not rushing! They probably thought they’d find it without alerting anyone. Only after failing did they drag the MBE into this."
But even as he said it, his gut twisted. It didn’t feel right. It was possible, sure. Totally possible. But sothing about the way everyone had danced around urgency left him uneasy.
"They should’ve gone after the readers if it was taken during the eclipse. They should’ve started pointing fingers at whoever could use the Codex. Unless..." Riley trailed off, dread coiling in his stomach.
Kael’s voice cut in, low. "Unless?"
"Unless they don’t actually want it found." Riley swallowed. "And the only way that makes sense is if they already know it’s safe. Because elves—elves are too proud to accept even a single entry being permanently deleted. Unless they have a copy. Or unless they know deletion isn’t happening."
His mind flashed back. He rembered the last ti the elves lost an artifact, how they’d wanted the MBE to mobilize like Eryndra itself was ending. They hadn’t enforced a lockdown back then, but at least they’d shown urgency. This? This couldn’t even be called urgency in any language. This was... stalling.
"But if they weren’t lying about it being stolen three days ago..." Riley’s voice thinned, panic edging in, "then surely an entry will disappear any day from now? So how co everyone’s just sitting around?"
Do they have another pedestal?
Was it stolen during the eclipse?
Or were they being absolute shitheads and actually returning to the tower within the week for a touch base?
Worse, did they seriously an it literally when they ntioned keeping Kael there for longer? Then what about him?
Who knows? But they were about to find out.
Well, provided Riley survived the night.
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