where the thorns grow

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN,

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN | WHERE THE THORNS GROW

IT WAS NINE in the morning the very next day they were summoned to Zhang daren's office. The Captain of the Wolves said, very simply, "Clear your schedules. There's a meeting with Contreras and some of his people in two hours, and both of you need to be present."

  Rhys frowned. "Are you certain you want us there instead of anyone else? You know we don't do well in conferences like this, we're both far too... xing zhi kou kuai."

  "When necessary," Zhang daren said, "you two do actually think before you speak. You're my agents, I have that much faith in you. I didn't train you two for so many years for you both to remain absolute idiots in most factors of life."

  Dom said, sarcastically, "Thank you so much for the praise, sir."

  "It wasn't praise. It was fact." Zhang daren pinched his nose. "Do pipe down on the jokes for the next few days, please? It might be the most important ones in our entire career."

  Dom sobered with a sigh. "Of course, sir."

  The daren nodded appreciatively. "But I want you two and Ka Zhinan. I've already summoned him. It's a meeting between the wu guan of our two countries—" wu guan, officials who worked regarding things of warfare "—your friend General Lan will be present, as will Colonel Man, if that makes this meeting a bit more bearable to the two of you." Dom's face brightened. Rhys attempted to make herself feel the same way, but she couldn't. Bloody hell, sitting across the table from Diego for hours... It was enough to make her start sweating. But she clamped down on her worries. That would do her no good right now.

  Rhys asked, carefully, "Will we be expected to... chime in on the discussion? Or are we just meant to be quietly representing the Wolves?"

  "Join in if you wish, remain quiet if that's what suits you." Zhang daren spread his hands. "It does not matter to me as long as you do not somehow miraculously manage to restart the war, which I doubt is within either of your capabilities."

  "You have far too little faith in us, sir," Dom said.

  That made the man frown. "Notus. What did I just say about being more serious?"

  "My deepest apologies, sir. I forgot. It's a bit difficult to stop myself once in a while."

  Zhang daren snorted at that. "At least you're self-aware. That's quite rare these days." Then his eyes travelled to Rhys. "You don't seem very pleased with this plan."

  "I'm not, sir. You know I don't do well in these situations."

  "You just need to stay quiet."

  "I'm not good at remaining silent, sir. I don't like having my voice be taken away from me."

  He chided, "No one's stopping you from speaking. Speak, if that will please you. Just watch what comes out of your mouth, that's all I ask."

  "Sir, you should not trust me. Or him, for the matter."

  "I trust the people I handpicked and trained," came his calm answer. "Don't protest, Briar, I know you're more than prepared for this. You too, Notus. And arguing will do you no good, I've made up my mind. You're both going."

  "Sir," Rhys said, "you're a tyrant."

  Zhang daren raised one brow. Dom jabbed her in the ribs and Rhys hissed in response. The daren said, slowly, "Tyrant or no... I'm doing this for all of our good. Play along, Briar, it won't be that bad. Trust me in that. When have I ever lied to you?"