5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Taran

“ S tuart?” I shouted as I burst into the kitchen the next morning, my robe trailing behind me as I hurried to put the plan into motion.

What if someone else has the same idea and gets there ahead of me?

“Master Taran?”

“Didn’t I tell you not to call me ‘master’?” I grumbled, grabbing two mugs and pouring us each a coffee.

“Old habits die hard.” My butler winked, accepting the steaming hot drink from me. “You called?”

“Yes, I have a favour to ask,” I told him over my shoulder as I added some milk to mine. Maeve insisted coffee tasted better this way and I’d let her convert me.

“Anything. I’m here to serve you.”

Leaning against the marble counter, I pondered him while sipping my coffee. “To serve my mother,” I corrected.

Stuart had entered into a heart bond with Kalon. It kept him tethered to life while she lived, and made him age way slower than normal. While he might look in his mid-fifties, he was hundreds of years old and at least half a Dragon at this point.

He threw me a wink. “Technicalities.” After my mother had left, he hadn’t wanted to be released from his duties and had stayed with me. I could never repay him.

“I need you to book an appointment with Carson for me, preferably today.”

“Carson? Are we expanding our real estate portfolio?”

“I certainly hope so.” I started explaining what Maeve had told me, and the plan I had come up with in the bath yesterday.

Just an hour later, I had a lunch meeting with Samuel Carson, the CEO of Frostfire Real Estate, on my calendar. I was a little ashamed of how proud I felt that he had dropped everything to see me, even though we hadn’t spoken in ages.

Frostfire Real Estate was one of the companies my parents had founded. ‘Frost’ for my mother, ‘fire’ for my dad .

Samuel Carson, a Frost Demon, had taken control of the management many years ago and had made it one of the most successful real estate agencies in the country.

The last I had heard from him had been a thank-you card in response to a gift I had sent for his wedding. It was high time to catch up with him.

My wardrobe, at least, was ready for this occasion. A vast array of suits and dress shirts in different colours, patterns, and materials awaited me.

I decided on a perfectly fitted black cotton shirt and boxers, socks, and trousers in the same colour. Then came the corset. I owned as many as I owned suits.

I slipped the dark purple piece over my head and laced it, feeling a sense of security and calm with the tight fit against my ribs.

Lastly, I put on a sleek black jacket to complete my outfit. I nodded at myself in the mirror.

You look capable and in control. You’ve got this.

Excitement welled up in me as I walked up the driveway.

Stuart waited by the car, which gleamed in the sunlight. As per usual, his white shirt was perfectly starched, his vest and trousers pressed, and his shoes polished to a high shine, reminding me of the old days when Kalon Atax still ruled this castle.

He held the door open for me. “Ready, Master Taran?”

This time, I didn’t challenge his form of address. “I’m ready.”

***

The Cherry Blossom had been Samuel Carson’s favourite restaurant for at least the past decade. It lay nestled in a cul-de-sac in Pear Mill, and while the place looked elegant from the outside, the real magic began once you stepped through the doors. Run by Akuma Taki, a Hone-Onna, it opened into a beautiful Japanese garden where eternal spring reigned and cherry trees bloomed all year. The Bone Woman greeted me politely, and I bowed the way I’d been taught by my iaido instructor, who had schooled me in the ancient art of Japanese sword fighting.

A Dragon needs to know to defend himself with more than just his claws and teeth, Taran, my mother’s voice echoed in my head.

“Taran!” From a table under the softly-swaying cherry trees a blue-skinned Demon rose from his chair, one hand extended in greeting.

“Samuel, it’s lovely to see you again. It’s been too long.”

He bowed his horned head over our clasped hands, squeezing them firmly. “The pleasure is mine. Goodness. I thought my personal assistant had misheard the name when she put Stuart through to me.”

We took seats opposite each other and ordered food and drinks with one of the shadowy servers.

“You’ve instructed her well, I see.” I smirked over at him. I’d known Samuel for years. It was easy to be myself in his presence.

He gave me a half shrug. “She’s a gem. I wouldn’t know what I’d do without her. So, Taran. What brings us here today?”

“No beating around the bush, I see.”

“If Taran Atax ventures out of his castle, it has to be something important.” There was no tease in Samuel’s voice. He meant it .

“It is,” I agreed, but was momentarily interrupted by the smoke figure placing glasses and plates before us. You never waited long at The Cherry Blossom.

“Enjoy.”

The Demon took up his chopsticks. “I’m sorry, but I am starving. I skipped breakfast this morning.” Seeing a Frost Demon blush was a curious and rare sight; his cheeks turned translucent like ice. I pretended not to notice and didn’t inquire any further.

No need to know what he and his husband got up to.

“You too. So, what brings us here,” I said, taking a sip of my sake before picking up my own chopsticks, “is a property I want to add to my portfolio.”

He raised a thick navy eyebrow. “A property has caught your eye? Now you have me curious, Taran. To pique your interest, it has to be something grand. Another castle?”

I smiled at him over a see-through slice of meat suspended between my chopsticks in midair. “It’s a cafe.”