A Sinister Betrayal

CHAPTER 4

DRAKE

The sound of steel meeting steel brought me out of my troubled thoughts. My sweat blurred part of my vision but I easily moved away from the sharp blade of the sword swung at me.

I whirred fast keeping my hands weighted at my side perfectly to provide just the right amount of balance I needed to keep my head attached to my neck.

"Focus, Drake!" Elis yelled. "Get out of your head or you might lose it for good."

He was right. Even though I was the son of the General, Tyln, my opponent wouldn't hesitate to split me into equal halves if he got the chance.

I tried to focus on the bout but my mind kept pondering on the woman in the dark cloak and what her message meant. I couldn't shake off the feeling that our brief encounter had a larger, more sinister significance and every minute I spent pondering was fatal.

Tyln's sword missed my neck by an inch and I felt the full burst of the blade as it swung past. Bloody hell that was close.

I countered his attack with two quick movements which he avoided easily just as I hoped he would. It left him open for a low attack, which I swiftly utilized with a clean leg sweep.

He went down hard and fast, raising a cloud of dust and before he could recover, I had my blade pointed at his jugular vein.

"I yield." He grumbled with a sincere smile.

I withdrew my sword and pulled him up from the dirt. "Everytime. Every f*****g time."

"I let you win."

"And unicorns fall out of my ass." I released his hand, basking in the sound he made as he went down again.

I turned away leaving the arena. Elis followed me giving his usual 'you should try to be better' speech I'd heard so many times. He was a skilled swordsman and a bloody good trainer, but then he was also a bore.

"Are you listening to me?" He asked.

I told him I was, even though I never heard a damn word. He kept on throughout the walk.

The woman in the dark cloak interested me. The guards hadn't seen her come in and they didn't see her go out. I'd underestimated her thinking such a frail thing couldn't do much to harm the members of the council on her own.

"You can go back now, Elis. Or would you like to accompany me and maybe we could shower together."

"f**k you." He beamed angrily.

I smiled. "Bye now, old man."

The door closed in his face. I took off my vest and pants. My muscles burned from pushing them past my limits. I'd been sparring for a better part of the morning.

I flexed my heavy shoulders as I slipped into the waiting hot tub. The soapy water was like medicine to my aching joints.

Fuck yeah!

After my bath, I left to meet up with an old friend. We had served in the army together even though I'd left early. He had gone on to join the specialized unit and currently he was one of the best goddamn trackers we had.

His office was located in the Rejenté, the area where the wealthy and influential people resided. He was doing well for himself with his talents especially since he had grown in the slums running around the dangerous streets.

His secretary saw me and immediately she lost her composure, skittered forward and ushered me in.

Inside the office, I looked around. There was a big rich oak desk, a Peruvian rug, and elegant ancient designs giving the room a heavy sense of wealth.

"Impressive." I commented, taking a look around.

Dimitri stood up from his table with a smile. "Not as impressive as seeing you."

We shook hands and I felt the full impact of his strength. His wealth hadn't dulled his power after all.

"Seat." He said as he lowered himself. "What brings you here?"

There was no time to beat around the bush. Every second counts and time is precious. I wasn't going to waste it. Not again.

"There was an intruder in a dark cloak at the capital during the time of the council meeting. I believe you must have heard about it by now."

He sighed. "I heard about it."

"I want to know their identity."

"And what makes you think I know that?"

I edged forward. "There isn't much you don't know."

He crossed his fingers in front of him as his brain worked. It was obvious he knew what I wanted to know. He was weighing his options."

"Let's say I know."

"What is it worth?"

He laughed. "Nothing you can offer, dear friend."

Hot rage flowed into my body, consuming me completely. I struggled to hold myself back from knocking his teeth out.

My wolf growled a warning at him and my eyes glowed a bright blue. He knew I wasn't f*****g around and his expression melted to stone.

"Listen, Drake. For your own good, forget about this. She is nothing but a ghost and only people willing to die chase ghosts."

I grinned. "You just said 'she'. I never mentioned it was a woman, not even to my guards."

"You clearly aren't hearing me. It would be best — "

I got up angrily and pounded my fists on his rich oak desk, damaging the wood on impact. "You have no f*****g idea what is best for me. And if you know what's best for you, you should start talking."

Dimitri flinched visibly. His face fell and he sighed as he said, "You'll get the answers you seek at Giba, the northern village."

A cold chill ran the length of my spine at what he just said. It could be!

"Did you just say Giba?" I asked, my heart thudding heavily against my side.

"Yes, Giba."

I left his office immediately. Whatever was going on had to be related to her. Giba. It had to be.

Giba was the same village where I'd met the love of my life, Dido.