Dante had left Prim with Kallia to explain what they’d be doing as he and Bristol checked on Blukke. The bowerbird shifter seemed to be in good spirits and was more than happy to accompany Dante on the search for the man who’d stabbed him after learning everything that had transpired the night before. Bristol said she needed to look him over once more to give him the okay to be released. When Dante stepped out of the room Blukke had been recovering in, he clearly heard the sounds of rustling fabric and murmured sweet nothings. Dante left them to it, knowing it would be a while before Blukke was released.
Eventually, however, the shifter and the healing handmaiden returned to Kallia’s suite. Dante and Prim, both in their flight leathers, led Blukke to the great hall where the shifter and the handmaiden stood aside as the scenter approached the seat Egan had sat in last night, sniffing.
Dante could smell the brine-and-algae scent of the prince and followed it through the castle. The scent intensified at a spot on the complex wall before continuing out the open bailey gates. He didn’t have the heart to tell Prim that Egan had been squatting there all night, invisible. He regretted not going after the prince as soon as she suggested it--he would have easily caught him. At the time, it seemed important to have Blukke there to incapacitate Egan’s powers.
Either way, the prince was only a few hours ahead of them, and they pushed on. Dante vaguely heard Blukke and Prim talking, Prim laughing at something his friend said, as they walked several paces behind. He was too focused on the scent trail to pay much attention, winding through the city streets until they reached the Cavs. They passed the fighting pit, people on the street clearing a path as they recognized him and Blukke.
The cobblestones on the street became crumbled and haphazard as they journeyed deeper into the Cavs and through an alley when another familiar scent tickled Dante’s nose. “Sarasha was here.”
The trail ended. Dante shot into the air, knowing the fae must have carried the prince into the sky. He sniffed investigatively, but he knew there wouldn’t be a trail left in the open air, the wind scattering their scent in all directions. He crashed to the ground and stalked back to the fighting pit, running a hand along Prim’s waist as he passed her, but not voicing the bad news.
Inside, the several regulars that were there this early--it wasn’t even noon--quieted. The fighters themselves stopped once they noticed the lack of cheers and jeers. In the silence, Dante used his most dangerous, commanding voice. “I need Vissick.”
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Hector extracted himself from a table, his rotund belly and bushy mustache leading the way. “I’ll take you to him,” the man said. Dante nodded, happy he hadn’t killed the man when Roan had commanded it.
It took half an hour for Hector to track down the tracker before promptly leaving, his job done. It took another ten minutes to convince Vissick to listen to them. Prim was the one who had finally persuaded him to come out of his triple locked-door, cracked just enough to peek an eye through, but held shut by several chains. She’d put on her sweetest smile and softest voice, using the tricks she’d tried on Dante. Seeing her use them on another had him feeling quite proud of himself for being able to deny her for so long.
Dante offered the grey-haired hawk shifter complete forgiveness for tracking him and Prim down, in addition to a nice sum of gold if he’d help them. Vissick had glanced between Dante--who had a stare that promised death if he refused--and the other two, both offering their most charming, disarming smiles. He haggled a bit on the price, earning him a whopping ten extra golds, then agreed.
Dante knew Sarasha wouldn’t have been able to carry Egan long. They likely touched down just outside of the city. But that still left too many directions for them to continue without help, so the trio took Vissick to where the trail had ended. He shifted into his hawk form and circled around the alley until he flew high into the sky, an invitation to follow. A satin bowerbird and a fae-looking form with a woman in his arms flew after him.
The four flew through the sky heading straight east; to the coast. The sea rippled against the horizon, the sunlight casting dancing white flickers on the water as Vissick lowered into woods that extended nearly to the edge of a cliff and a deep drop to the rocks and water below.
Immediately upon his feet connecting with the hard earth, Dante picked up Egan and Sarasha’s scents. Blukke shifted and stood next to him. Dante released Prim, who stepped aside, pushing the bowerbird shifter back with her in an attempt to clear the area for Dante’s investigation. Then he walked around, taking in the trail.
Trails.
Vissick remained in his hawk form, flying low over the area and through the trees, then shifted himself to stand in front of Dante. He pointed east toward the cliff and the sea. “The man.” Then he pointed south. “The woman.”
Dante had already ascertained that. Not for the first time, he wondered what skills--or gifts--Vissick used to always find his mark.
The three friends decided together to follow Egan. Dante led the way, though he asked Vissick to stay close in case he lost the trail again.