Matt’s mouth twisted. “Strewth. Who knows? Bludger must be out beyond the black stump, though, for them to be gone a few days.”
Mari stared at him. “Where’s the black stump?”
When the big Dire simply grinned at her, she rolled her orange eyes. “Well, unless you tell me, I will not inform you as to who Galeran is.” She folded her arms over her expansive chest.
We were instantly riveted. “It just means way off the beaten path,” Matt explained.
The ogress stared at him.
“A long ways away,” he added somewhat desperately. “Now tell us about this Galeran bloke?”
Mari’s lips twitched into a smug smile. “He’s the rogue Bellati who escaped with a bunch of others. They’ve been destroying things all over the realms.”
Matt’s eyes widened. “The rogue Bellati? No wonder they need Tyrez and Cody if they are going after that dodgy bloke.”
The ogress frowned at him. “Darius might be unpleasant,” she said, “But at least I can understand him when he speaks.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I’d understood Matt perfectly.
45
Talakai
The sun rose, and the moons vanished below the horizon.
My chest muscles ached from the hours I’d spent flying up here—solving precisely nothing. If I was going to continue this charade, I’d better get a move on.
Or I’d be late for class.
The thought twisted inside me. Such a minor concern when my life hinged on major decisions. Yet my stomach growled, reminding me that food might be in order.
Fueling my body was important, I reminded myself. I might have time for something quick before class. I banked toward the academy. Maybe breakfast would help with the decision.
Which was when I sensed the gate open.
I cursed. I was too far away, and within cloud cover. I managed no more than a glimpse of a large group leaving through it. Where were they going? I thought that Tyrez was with them, but he was the only one I got eyes on. By the time I swung closer, there was nothing to be seen.
My lips peeled back from my teeth. Some Dragon I was. I headed back to the building, landed on the roof, folded my tired wings into my shoulders, and embraced my human.
It was late. Past time for special abilities class to start. A few students milled about in front of the building, standing in clusters and talking.
I wondered whether the class had been canceled? Just another mystery in a morning full of them. But if there was something astir at the academy, I needed to find out what it was.
I sighed, straightened, and headed for the stairway.
* * *
Matt, Anna, and Mari sat at the team table. Resolving to avoid them, I grabbed a small tray of food while I listened to the suppositions flying through the students.
As I carried my breakfast to the academy’s back stairs, I contemplated what I’d learned. I already knew about the rogue Bellati, Galeran. Gathering information was part of who and what I was. It was like gold, and you never knew when you’d need to cash in on it.
What I’d seen at the gate must have been part of the strike squad going after him. I’d worked in one of the cities Galeran devastated—it was difficult to believe it had been wiped out of existence.
But I’d also heard they’d managed to deprive him of the means to do so, at least on the cataclysmic scale. I supposed the Liberi Elder council wished to make amends by bringing him to justice. Not that it would help those now buried beneath a few hundred feet of debris.
Justice was about the survivors. I ought to know—I’d been paid to dispense it often enough.
Despite my information-gathering efforts, I arrived for the morning run with unanswered questions. The students’ gossip was more conjecture than fact. My hopes for answers became possible when Sebastian showed up to escort us.
