CHAPTER 66: THE ELDER’S TRAP

Originally, the Dravaryn couple thought Kael and Riley had only gotten themselves into this kind of scandal to draw every curious nose in the clan closer, all in the name of investigating Orien’s case.

Because really, when Lady Cirila first heard the news, she was not at all certain how on Eryndra that had even happened.

They checked.

Then they checked again.

And even when they called over a treant in service—one who could not possibly be bribed, charmed, or threatened—the result was the same. The Dragon Lord himself had uttered the word "Honey."

So, naturally, she had assumed the two were pulling out all the stops for Orien. How admirable.

Lord Karion, however, had a different interpretation. One that came bundled with the usual headache that seemed to form any time their son was involved. After all, when he reminded her about the sigil that their reckless and frankly insane son had left on Riley, they could not help but consider other, less flattering possibilities.

Had Kael simply forgotten the incident from before?

Was this finally his clumsy way of moving on?

Or was it, perhaps, the start of something far more dangerous? Something edging toward obsession?

Neither of them had an answer.

Not until today.

Not until Lady Cirila had seen it with her own eyes.

Because of all the ways Kael could have tackled the flaming path, this was the last thing she expected.

There were barriers. There were artifacts. There were even simple, practical solutions such as temporarily extinguishing the fire or, heavens forbid, carrying Riley the way one would carry fragile cargo. All of these would have worked while keeping hidden the fact that the sigil allowed a mere human to walk the entire way, feeling only the heat and not the burn.

But instead?

What kind of presentation was this?

Turning the entire path into the elusive blue flame of the rare dragon lines?

And then, as if that were not enough, weaving that same flame into a deliberate parting curtain with every step Riley took?

One could argue that the blue flames were meant as a show of power, a reminder to all present of just who was walking before them.

But no.

Not like that.

To meticulously part each one for Riley alone?

That was not power. That was care. Extreme, calculated, and undeniable care.

And from someone who usually could not be bothered to even check if his relatives were still alive?

Surely this was something else.

It had to be.

Or at the very least... didn’t it mean it could be?

If only Lady Cirila knew just how difficult their predicament truly was.

Because if anyone asked, both Kael and Riley would much rather strangle each other than do anything remotely close to this.

And that included the Dragon Lord himself, who was stubborn enough to insist that there was no special reason for any of this. Just a natural chain of events. Just coincidence. Just consequence.

Right. As if carefully weaving every flame out of Riley’s path was the most natural thing in the world.

But now was not the time for introspection. They were here to size up the audience. And what an audience it was.

Kael had already given Riley the rundown on most of the adult dragons, while Orien—who apparently considered himself a walking registry—provided all the background dirt on the dragonlings. Which was why it was surprising to see one registered dragonling toddling about outside the nest.

That should not have been possible. Orien should have been the only one allowed out today, considering it was his birthday. The one day besides the solstice when dragonlings were permitted beyond the nest. Yet here was another one, looking determined to slip past the rules.

Kael’s musings stopped the moment his mother spoke.

"Ah, my son. Well, it is Orien’s day today, after all. But how fortunate, because today we even have Riley over!" Lady Cirila beamed as she reached out to pat Riley on the head.

Riley, who had just risen from his deep bow, nearly twitched. But he stayed still.

"Mn. What a coincidence," Kael muttered, flat and uncaring.

The entire room flinched at the sound.

Of course, there would always be dragons too arrogant to take the hint, those who thought their immortality gave them permission to play with fire. Literally.

Enter: one elder female dragon.

She strutted forward, the picture of smug self-importance, her silk robes sweeping like she was on a stage. Riley instantly pegged her for what she was—a predator on the prowl, here to shred his dignity before he even got comfortable.

Her smile was sweet, her voice honeyed, but her words dripped venom.

"Oh, how delightful," she crooned. "I had been so curious to see what a human might bring for such an occasion. After all, I have heard much about human ingenuity."

It was a backhanded slap wrapped in pretty paper.

Riley felt every one of his ancestors collectively nodding at him for listening to his father. Always bring a gift, Lawrence Hale had warned.

The problem was that no gift he could possibly offer would be acceptable. Short of handing over an actual dragon treasure, whatever he produced would be criticized to pieces.

The elder’s eyes gleamed as she looked him over, waiting for him to falter. Riley let his face show surprise, caught unprepared. Which was true. The only difference was that he had scrambled last night to salvage something, anything, to keep breathing today.

He dipped his head politely. "Ah, my lady, while I do have a gift, perhaps it would be best served later?" His voice came out smooth, almost coquettish, as though he was shocked by her demand.

Because he knew exactly what she was doing. He had seen enough plays to recognize the setup, and he had survived enough encounters with other races to know the game. Crushing an aide like him was supposed to be easy. But he had been doing this for five years. And anyone capable of lasting that long with Kael couldn’t be squashed with a boot, even if he had asked for it.

The elder’s smile sharpened. Her voice rose a touch louder, drawing attention from the crowd. "It might be that you are unfamiliar with our customs, but it is tradition to present a gift upon entry. Unless, of course, you did not really have one?" Her eyes glinted like a knife in the sun.

Riley let himself fidget, fingers twitching at his side. Then he looked up with wide, innocent eyes. "Then I suppose, as an elder, you are asking me to ignore what Kael said about presenting it at the appropriate time?"

The words hit the floor like a gong.

As if rehearsed, both Riley and Kael turned toward her at once.

The elder froze, her face paling. "What? Oh. Was it the Dragon Lord who told you to present it later?"

"Yes," Riley answered promptly, bowing slightly. "I asked directly, and he specifically instructed me to wait for his command. But if it should be done now..." He trailed off and looked at Kael.

Kael’s golden eyes narrowed. His voice dropped like frost. "Since she is insistent."

The elder stiffened.

And for the first time in years, Riley found himself thinking the Dragon Lord looked impressive with that permanent scowl.