How curious. A smile spread over his lips as he leaned back in his chair and picked up the gss once more. The water ran down his throat like a welcome balm to the sting of alcohol still running through his blood.

  When Will had called to tell him he’d seen Kiran walking towards this pce, Raiden hadn’t expected to walk into such an interesting conversation. Truthfully, all he’d really been wanting to do was to talk to him once more.

  Perhaps bring up the possibility of him joining their cause. Or even just cashing in that rain check for the meal. And despite this not being one of his usual haunts, he’d ran the way over.

  He’d stopped a few steps away of course, making sure to look less harried as he walked in the doors. The words of greeting were already half-formed on his tongue before they dissipated as soon as Raiden caught sight of Kiran with a suspiciously clothed man.

  Curiosity had him taking a seat on the next seat over midst the rush of new patrons walking into the unusually quiet pce. And perhaps it might have been a little too early to get a drink, but it had seemed the easiest and most conspicuous way of blending in as well.

  Raiden had long lost count of his refills whilst eavesdropping on Kiran’s conversation. He had only managed to catch snippets despite his words to Kiran, but the information he’d gleamed had been enough to catch his attention even without Kiran’s suspicions.

  And oh my was it interesting. Raiden felt impatience buzzing under his skin, intermixed with the excitement of a new obsession. A conspiracy was the st thing he’d been expecting, but it was now the one thing foremost in his mind.

  There were very few things in this city that had caused as much a stir as the Devencrux fire. Even fewer that could even come close to the havoc he remembered in his childhood. The mencholy that had spread through their kingdom and the surrounding nds like a shroud.

  At twelve, Raiden hadn’t been able to fully understand why it was such a tragedy past the obvious. Hadn’t been able to make sense of the emotions he’d felt finding out the family’s fate. Or known why his parents had seemed so shaken by it when it didn’t directly effect them.

  Now, at twenty-six, he understood it with a renewed crity. The family of their most renown general, their military might, dying in a house fire was a tragedy. But to have it happen when there was every chance they’d prepared for it? That was suspicious.

  He’d never seen the newspaper article. Hadn’t been allowed to read even a word or go down to the house to get a better look. His parents had redirected the conversation every time it had been brought up until it was nothing but old news as a new scandal arose.

  Perhaps, they’d sensed something amiss as well. Maybe it was why he and his brothers had been subjected to countless warnings to not be careless. To be careful of who they associated with. They didn’t think it was purely accidental.

  And he was starting to think it wasn’t as well. Kiran’s words had added fuel to a fire he hadn’t even known existed within him. And along with it came both realisation and regret.

  Realisation that what he’d been feeling back then was fear. If the family of a man who was so strong, so well known for being prepared, could disappear in a heart beat…Then what exactly stood before it happening to them. A cold chill went down his spine at the image it presented.

  No. Resolve intermixed with the regret. Irrational regret of no one attempting to right the wrong and bringing them justice.

  Emmett Devencrux had saved their lives from the brink of war, risked his life on multiple accounts even when it was no longer needed. And their people had repaid him by turning a blind eye.

  “What are you saying?” Kiran’s brow rises, long fingers tapping over the wood. Raiden recognised the look as confusion.

  He grinned, “Exactly as I said. I want to help you investigate it.”

  “I know. I heard you the first time,” Kiran tells him with a wry smile. “What I don’t understand is why you would want to.”

  Raiden shook his head, the gss clinking as he deposited it back on the table. His eyes gleamed as the grin on his face turned slightly manic. The look of a man who’d been given something he didn’t know he’d needed.

  “Why would I not?” His foot tapped incessantly on the floor. “This is the most interesting thing I’ve heard in a long while. Besides,” the grin turned into a mischievous one. “I can’t say I have anything else to do.”

  Not to mention how this would mean he’d be able to see more of Kiran this way. Yes. This avenue would do quite nicely. To top it all off, solving a decade old mystery, giving it the justice it deserved, would be a fitting achievement.

  “It’s very dangerous,” Kiran tells him in a slightly sardonic tone. “There’s no telling who or what I’d be dealing with.”

  “We,” Raiden tuts, “who we’d be dealing with.” Another grin. “And the hint of danger makes it even better.”

  He watches as Kiran’s eyes narrow on him. “I don’t think you’re taking this seriously enough.”

  Raiden blinks innocently. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m taking this very seriously. All I want is to help.”

  There was no ignoring the danger of this investigation. Raiden had no delusions that the sort of people who would and did manage to kill off a military family had any qualms about hurting him. After all, they’d already targeted one dukedom, what was another?

  No. He knew that this path was one wrought with danger. He simply did not think it was one Kiran should have to walk on alone.

  “Aren’t you busy with that little club of yours?” Kiran says, a hint of frustration entering his tone now. “I would think with all the talk you’ve been giving me about it, it would be a rge responsibility. How would you even have the time to go along with-”

  “I’ll make time,” Raiden interrupts. “You’re right that it takes a lot of my time, but not so much that I can’t make time for a worthy cause.” A beat passes. A thought forms. He perks up. “Speaking of my group, you should come to a meeting.”

  “Why would you risk your life for this?” The question is said as a quiet murmur, green eyes searching his face.

  “Are you just going to ignore-”

  “Raiden.”

  The tone of voice gives him pause. The edge of warning in it halting the reply on his tongue. He sighs. Shoulders heaving with the weight of it and smile fading a little. There’s many reasons he could give him, but only one seems pertinent.

  “Because it’s important to you,” he tells Kiran softly. “I know you said they were distant family, but you…” Sigh. “I can tell it’s important and I want to help in anyway I can.” Hopefully, those discerning green eyes can read the sincerity in his tone.

  Ever since Kiran had brought him home and stayed the night, he hadn’t been able to think of a way to repay him. What could be equal to the feeling of relief and warmth he’d felt to see him standing in his kitchen. Of having someone who made it their priority to get him home safe?

  Someone who had no obligation to care, but did so anyway. An unselfish, unconditional sort of care he’d forgotten to need until it had spped him across the face.

  Nothing. There was likely nothing that would come close to the gift of that concern. But perhaps, this could come close.

  Kiran blinks. “You want to help because it’s important to me?”

  “Of course.”

  “You want to put yourself in danger just because it’s important to me and what? You think it’s interesting? Raiden, that’s crazy. Why would you do that?”

  “Isn’t that what friends do?”

  The words slip out in a moment of impulse, the liquor’s effects muted, but tongue loosened nonetheless. Kiran blinks, eyes widening as they catch his. They search his face for a moment before he sighs, a hand coming up to cover his face as he mutters something underneath his breath.

  For a moment, he fears Kiran will say no again. Then.

  Raiden watches as the tension fades from Kiran’s shoulders. Eyes tracing his movements as the hand on his face moves upwards to brush through his hair briefly before coming back to rest on the table. Gncing upwards, he sees the wry smile on his face now, a sort of resignation on his expression.

  “Alright,” he sighs. “I suppose that’s fair enough.” Green eyes narrow on him then, hand lifting of the table to point towards him. “However, that doesn’t mean I like this.”

  “Noted,” Raiden grins. Excitement bubbling again now that he’s managed to convince him. “I think you should come to a meeting.”

  Kiran’s brow quirks up, a small smile pying on his lips. “I told you, I don’t want to-”

  “To join. Yes, yes, I know.” He feels a touch of annoyance at that, but it’s drowned out by the buzz of excitement flowing through him. “And I still think you should join, but that isn’t entirely why I want you to attend.”

  “Go on,” Kiran motions, leaning back in his seat.

  “As I was saying, you should come to a meeting. To see how you feel about it, but also because I think it would be useful.”

  “Useful?”

  “Yes,” Raiden nods. It’s an inspired thought, even if he does say so himself. “We meet in this old mansion where characters from all ranges of life gather.”

  Kiran tilts his head. “I thought you had a group of the rich and influential, or something like it.”

  He dutifully ignores that light jab. “It also doubles as common meeting ground. The owner has been working on turning it into a casino.” He waves a hand. “We’ve recently switched over as it has gotten more popur, but I digress.”

  Raiden meets Kiran’s eyes with a mischievous half smile. “It is quite fortunate we’ve changed our meeting pce. I suspect finding leads would be difficult with no direction, so I thought…”

  “That a newly built casino would be just the pce unsavoury individuals would go to if they wanted to gloat,” Kiran finishes with a sigh.

  “Yes,” Raiden grins. “And it’s a rge pce, so I believe we’d be able to gather more information that way.”

  Of course, Raiden doesn’t really have any familiarity with this sort of investigation. He doesn’t know how useful it would be. But to his untrained mind, it seems like a good a pce as any to begin gleaming information.

  “Raiden, that’s brilliant.”

  “It is? Ahem. I mean, of course it is.” He hadn’t expected that sort of response to be honest. A good idea? Yes. Brilliant? No.

  “Yes,” Kiran nods, shooting him a smile. “If anyone would know about old gossip, it’s socialites.”

  Well, he hadn’t really considered that, but he supposes it’s not just thieves who would be able to provide information. Raiden might try putting feelers our for any information he can obtain through his connections. Somehow he doubts, it will be as much as Kiran could, but it wouldn’t hurt to try.

  Of course, he’d have to do so subtly. The warnings of possible danger had not fallen on deaf ears. However, another aspect stood out to him.

  “Does this mean you agree to a meeting?”

  He watches as Kiran stills, lips thinning. “One meeting,” he says after a moment. “No more, no less. And I reserve the right to walk away should the need arise.”

  “I’ll take it,” Raiden grins, a soaring triumph filling his heart.

  One meeting was more than he’d gotten thus far. They’d just have to show Kiran how much good they could do. The world needed change, it was too set in its ways and fickle in others. They’d tried all they could, but the gains had been small thus far.

  A man who’d take on the task of investigating a decade old affair and hope to bring justice to it, was exactly what they needed. They’d grown compcent and stagnant in their efforts. New blood was needed.

  “I don’t think I need to say this, but you can’t bring this up in this meeting of yours,” Kiran tells him, lifting his drink to his lips.

  Raiden rolls his eyes. “I know that much. I won’t tell them anything about it.”

  “Good.” Kiran nods. “You never know who could be listening.” He follows the words by throwing a pointed gre in Raiden’s direction, which he ignores.

  It’s not something he regrets and he will not pretend otherwise.

  Instead, he lifts his cup of water up and holds it for Kiran to clink against. “To finding answers.”

  A flicker of a smile spreads over Kiran’s face before he sighs. Not that it’s very convincing when Raiden can practically see the amusement in his eyes as he lifts the cup in his hand to clink Raiden’s.

  “Answers.” Another sort of smile. “I’ll drink to that.”

  The satisfied smile on his face spreads into a pleased grin. Well, this outing was more fruitful than he expected. Although, he was quite sure the waitress hadn’t given him more than two shots of the whisky. He hadn’t really been paying much attention to it.

  He supposes he’ll find out when it came time to pay the bill. He internally winces at the thought. Maybe he should have paid a little more attention.

  It sts only a second before its wiped away by Kiran leaning forward and pouring more water into his cup. The sound of it breaking through his thoughts. The man himself shoots him a lightly teasing smile.

  “This definitely counts as our rescheduled lunch by the way.”

  Raiden feels his nose scrunch up as the words register. “It does not.” Absolutely not.

  Kiran shrugs, not even a little repentant. “It may as well.” A small smile and gesture towards their cups. “We’re already here. There’s more than a few drinks on this table.”

  Well, if he put it that way…“It’s still morning, so I don’t think it counts as lunch,” he points out. Still. When would he get this opportunity with how busy Kiran’s schedule apparently is?

  “I suppose,” Kiran tilts his head, peering out the door. “But I haven’t got anywhere to be. Do you?”

  Oh. A smile spreads over his lips as the words sink in. “No,” he says, “I don’t have anywhere I need to be.”

  “So, I suppose this counts as our rain check after all.”

  “Not quite,” Raiden tells him, “It’s missing the food.”

  A small ugh is the only response he gets before Kiran pulls a menu from a nearby table and shoots him a pointed look. “That’s an easy detail to fix.”

  And so they do.