Dragon War: The Draconic Prophecies - Book Three by James Wyatt Read Free Book Online

Ashara for a moment. Aunn thought he saw the hint of a smile.
    “Harkin—” Ashara began, but Aunn cut her off.
    “Ashara is helping me on the queen’s business, and it can’t wait. You may tell Jorlanna that I’ll speak with her about this in the morning. But we are leaving now. Good evening.”
    Aunn turned his back on the man and swept toward the door. His heart was still pounding, but it was not an altogether unpleasant sensation. Exhilarating, almost. A taste of the power that Kelas wielded. Nobody moved to intercept him before he reached the door, and a glance over his shoulder showed him that Cart and Ashara were right on his heels, leading Gaven along between them. Gaven’s face registered no thought or feeling.
    Sorry, friend, Aunn thought. You’re missing quite an adventure.
    Harkin watched them leave with his arms crossed and his brow furrowed, his eyes fixed on Gaven. So Jorlanna would know that both Gaven and Ashara were in his custody, as well as a warforged who was most likely the one who killed Haldren.
    How am I going to talk myself out of that? he wondered.
    We’ll cross that threshold when we get there, he thought as he turned his back to the Cannith enclave and stepped back onto the Fairhaven streets.
    *  *  *  *  *
    “You did it!” Ashara said, once several blocks lay between them and the Cannith enclave. “You got us out!”
    “Lower your voice,” Aunn said. “I haven’t spotted anyone yet, but it’s a safe bet we’re being followed. Keep up appearances.”
    Ashara glanced over her shoulder, and Aunn rolled his eyes. It didn’t matter—if the Cannith following them knew what he was doing, he would assume that his quarry knew he was there. And following their strange procession would hardly be a challenge. Gaven walked with Cart, but slowly, and they drew entirely too much attention. The streets were crowded with workers heading home and the well-to-do beginning their nightly revels—far too many people who might remember the strange sight of a warforged leading a catatonic half-elf through the streets.
    “I might have gotten us out of there,” Aunn said, “but I’m afraid I talked us into more trouble. Now Jorlanna knows you’re with me—and we have Gaven. That rules out a lot of good lies.”
    “Well, at any rate we’re walking through the city, not in a cell somewhere.” Ashara looked around. “Where are we going?”
    “House Jorasco. I want to get Gaven back as soon as possible.”
    “Do you think that’s wise?” Cart said, speaking for the first time since they left the Cannith enclave.
    “Bringing Gaven back to his senses?” Aunn said, stopping and turning to face the warforged.
    “No, taking him to House Jorasco. We just had one adventure in a dragonmarked enclave. Are you in such a hurry to rush into another?”
    “But House Jorasco—”
    “Loves to be underestimated,” Cart said. “They took Senya in when she was injured, nursed her back to health, and then summoned the Sentinel Marshals as soon as she was well enough to travel. And that wasin Vathirond. I think it’s wise to assume that House Jorasco in Fairhaven will be at least as well-informed.”
    “Damn, you’re right,” Aunn said. “What do we do, then? If not House Jorasco, who can heal him?”
    “I have an idea,” Cart said. “A sergeant I knew once had some unusual interests, and a friend of hers here in the city took her once to meet someone she said … hrm. It’s a bit hard to explain.” Cart shrugged. “What if I just find him and bring him to the cathedral?”
    “Can I come with you?” Ashara asked.
    “If you like.”
    “The cathedral?” Aunn said.
    “Kelas was using the old cathedral as a meeting place,” Ashara explained.
    The old cathedral of the Silver Flame. It struck Aunn as an odd choice of a meeting place for Kelas’s conspiracy. Kelas had never shown anything but contempt for the Church of the Silver Flame, and of all Aundair’s neighbors he hated