Page 110 of His Greatest Treasure

Kingsley spoke, his voice deep and calming. Maybe my voice had gone a bit higher-pitched and panicked than I’d intended.

“Glimmer said Rhod was a bureaucrat. He’ll keep records.”

“In his office?” I guessed.

“Probably. And, no, you’re not going tearing in there trying to find a slip of paper with a name and address on it. I’ll go and look.”

Glimmer put his hand to his heart. “It almost sounds as though you don’t trust me.”

“With paperwork? I don’t. Hey, you’re dragons, you’ll just as soon set it alight as read it. Let me look and I’ll tell you when I find something.”

He turned to walk off towards Rhod’s office but Glimmer grabbed him and hustled him backagainst the wall, pinning his mate in place and claiming his mouth in a rough kiss. I sniggered and glanced at my own mate, remembering kissing him just like that. It had felt so naughty at the time but Glimmer kissed Kingsley as though it was natural. Maybe it was.

Eventually, Kingsley pushed Glimmer away firmly and said, “Now I’m going to have trouble concentrating.”

Glimmer said, “I’ll come and help you.”

I shook my head. “Nuh uh. Rhod won’t like you messing around in his office.”

Glimmer blinked at me. “But he’s not even here. It’s not even his office any more.”

“Yes it is.”

I heard my own voice come out of my mouth. Itsoundedlike me, but there was a rumble to it. A bit of dragon slipping into the tone.

I stared at Glimmer, wide-eyed and probably more surprised by it than he was.

He nodded. “He’s our treasure. We’ll get him back.”

Kingsley walked off, muttering, “You and your damned treasure,” although he must have known we could hear him. Glimmer grinned in a slightlydisturbing way and I had to point at him and frown terribly.

“You’re not allowed to disturb him until he’s found Rhod and Glenwise.”

My dragon didn’t sound in my voice again, which was disappointing.

He gave a regal nod, though, agreeing with me.

Then my thoughts turned to Seren. The last of my clan to be missing.

“Does anyone know where Seren might have gone? He never left the territory before, did he, so he won’t have anywhere to go like Glenwise does?”

Around me, there was a hushed silence. My mother said, “That dragon was banished.”

“But- you didn’t mind me talking about Glenwise.”

“He was not banished. He left. Your father never ruled him officially banished.”

“So… I’m not allowed to say Seren’s name? Even now?”

Mother swallowed and glanced at Aunt Silvia. “The elder banished him. We are not allowed to speak of him, nor think of him. Unless…”

“Unless what?”

“Unless the elder un-banishes him.”

“But that’s me, right? I can do that.”

She nodded and there was a lot of tension in her body which made my dragon riled. It didn’t like our mother being worried.

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