Dragons of Asgard 3 by Logan Jacobs (thriller novels to read txt) 📕

“Father, can you figure out where exactly the man was traveling from?” Kas asked, and her voice was high-pitched with an urgency that starkly contrasted Ramir’s calm demeanor.

“There’s no need to yell, Kaspyr,” Ramir tsked. “I’d be happy to help.”

“You would?” Kas asked, and she turned to me with round violet eyes.

“You can figure out where he came from?” I pushed.

“Oh, of course.” Ramir shrugged. “I’ll just need something with his essence on it. The spell won’t take too long, but don’t think you’re going anywhere before this dinner is ready. It’s nearly dark anyway, and you all need some sleep.”

“Father, we’re fully grown adults,” Kas said, and she crossed her arms defiantly.

“Maybe so,” Ramir conceded. “But you’re my daughter, and it’s my fatherly duty to feed you, so you’re staying for dinner.”

That last bit was said with more sternness than I’d ever heard in Ramir’s voice, and Kas immediately uncrossed her arms, muttered ‘yes, father,’ and leaned back against the wall.

“We’ll stay for dinner,” I said. Ramir was right, it would be better to travel tomorrow when we all were rested and the day was new. “But can you do the spell tonight?”

“Of course,” he said with a smile. “Just give me whatever object it is, and I’ll get started as soon as the stew’s on.”

“Preyna.” I turned to the council member. “Did you bring anything with you, or do we need to go back to the castle?”

“I…” The blonde sorceress pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.

“What is it?” Eira asked. “What’s wrong?”

“The man,” Preyna sighed. “We burned him.”

“What?” the redhead gasped.

“It was to make sure no one else found out about him,” Preyna explained. “I didn’t realize we would need an object of his at the time, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” I told her, and I placed my hand on her shoulder. “You were only doing what you thought was right.”

“Can you do the spell without something of his?” Kas asked her father.

“I’m afraid not.” Ramir closed his eyes and shook his head. “I must have his essence. Anything of his would work, his essence simply must be on it, though.”

“Was nothing of his saved?” Eira asked. “Nothing he touched?”

“No.” Preyna shook her head. “He was dead before I ever arrived, and my guards disposed of the body.”

“Shite,” the redhead breathed, and she turned to me. “What do we do?”

“Wait!” Asta shouted. “What about the egg?”

“The egg?” Preyna asked, and her blonde eyebrows pulled together before a look of realization dawned on her face. “The egg!”

“Would that work?” I asked Ramir.

“Mmm, well, as long as his essence is on it, I see no reason why it wouldn’t,” the old man said.

“Can you get the egg?” Kas asked with a wide grin.

“I most certainly can,” Preyna answered with a grin of her own. “I simply need to run to the castle.”

“It’s getting dark out,” I said. “I don’t want you going alone.”

“I appreciate that,” Preyna said. “But as you said before, we don’t want to raise suspicion.”

“No, I suppose we don’t,” I said, and I pursed my lips.

“It will take you so long to get there and back, though.” Kas frowned.

Blar sighed, got off the couch, and walked over to Preyna.

“Are you volunteering to be my escort?” Preyna asked the little blue dragon.

Blar closed his eyes, and a portal appeared in front of us.

“I suppose that’s a yes,” Preyna chuckled and turned to me. “Rath, do you mind?”

“Not at all.” I smiled and stroked under Blar’s chin. “Thanks, buddy.”

Blar nodded and then flew up to land on Preyna’s shoulder.

“We’ll be back soon,” the councilwoman said, and she stepped through the portal and disappeared.

“That was quite nice of Blar,” Kas said after the two had gone.

“It was,” I agreed. The little dragon had an attitude a lot of the time, but he was still generally sweet, and I knew he liked Preyna, so I wasn’t surprised he’d offered to take her back to the castle.

The two of them would probably have to walk a small distance, but nothing compared to how far Preyna would have needed to walk from Ramir’s shop. There was no way I was going to allow her to make that trip on her own, even if I needed to wait outside the castle for her.

It was nearly night, and I doubted the sorceress had been out in the city at night very often. While Asgard was generally a safe place, there were some arseholes who perused the bars at night and made fools of themselves, and I wouldn’t want her to run into any ruffians without me by her side.

Granted, she was a master sorceress, and I had no doubt she could handle herself in battle. However, I would never want to take that risk. I refused to risk that with any of my women.

I was sure they could all take care of themselves, but I would never leave them alone long enough to put the theory to the test.

“I don’t do this magic stuff for free,” Ramir said suddenly, and we all looked over to where he stood at the table with a large cutting board and an assortment of vegetables. “Come cut some vegetables for me.”

“Of course,” I chuckled. “We’ll help however we can.”

“I appreciate it,” the old man said with a smile. “These bones aren’t what they used to be.”

“Oh, Father,” Kas said as she picked up a knife and some small onions to chop. “Preyna said you were offered a position at the castle long ago.”

“Mmm, yes, I’d nearly forgotten about that,” Ramir chuckled. “I’m surprised she remembers, she was very young at the time.”

“You must have felt quite honored,” Kas said.

“I suppose