Page 47 of Whispers of the Dragon
“Did you know the prison system sends a letter to the victims when their attacker dies?”
Ryu sat silent, quietly rowing.
“I only brought this box so no one else could find it, since you said we couldn’t return. But …” Seeing they were far from the shore, she reached inside to take out the framed picture of her lost son, daughter-in-law, and young Eira before the grandmother tossed the box into the ocean while she watched all its horrid contents sink to its depths. “It’s time weallmove on.”
Proudly, Ryu nodded his head, now knowing why that worry had left her face, as it was clear to her that Ryu wouldn’t do anything to ever hurt Eira.
Suddenly, there was a silent, blissful understanding between the two. However, it lasted only a moment …
“So, how did you and Eira get across?” she quipped.
Rowing faster, he spoke with clenched teeth, “Just hope this boat is big enough that you don’t have to find out.”
With that, the couple stayed silently, praying the rest of the way.
26
A What?
“Where’d you go?” she asked with swollen eyes. It had been the second time Ryu had slipped away from her last night, and she hadn’t gotten much sleep because she’d sat up, worried about where he had gone in the middle of the night.
“I have something to show you.”
Eira was shocked by his excitement. “What?”
“It’s a surprise.”
After what happened yesterday and him being out all through the night, she wasn’t sure where this could go, so she decided to remind him about the last surprise that had ended with her being flown over the ocean. “I didn’t like the first one.”
“This one, I think you’ll like,” he assured her with a certain smirk.
“Ryu …”
“Yes,” he answered, grumbling, knowing something bothered her.
“Did you …? Did you …?” She couldn’t even bear to say it.
“No,” Ryu answered honestly, seeming to read her mind.
She let relief flood her for only a moment before he continued.
“But it wasn’t from lack of trying. He was already dead when I got there.” Leaving no pretenses that he would have done it, his savage voice held no hint of remorse. “I would have made him the third death for you.”
Eira swallowed with her eyes practically bulging out of her head. “Third?”
“Sorry—” Ryu quickly spoke to correct himself. “I meant second.”
“Oh.” Eira didn’t know if he was telling the truth or not, but he had to have been because no one besides Kenji had turned up dead.
Yet …
Getting a headache from her ruthless dragon and her traitorous thoughts, she supposed a speech about not killing was in order. But it was Ryu, which meant there was a one percent chance of himactuallylistening.
Sadness at the thought of the old man who had given her that flower filled her. She couldn’t believe he had tried to hurt her, but something gnawed at her. “Do you think he knew it was harmful?”
It was obvious by Ryu’s expression that he found the question odd. “The way I found him dead tells me he did.”
“Oh,” she whispered in defeat, understanding how he had perished. “You don’t think someoneelsemight try something, too?”
