Dragon Traders Read Online Free PDF Page A

Ashe and take the eggs--"
    "Then we might already be too late, and there's no harm in fetching the others," Eddie cut in.
    Katsu shook his head. Tiny movements one way and then the other, barely a head shake at all. "Or he's sprawled out poisoned or bleeding somewhere, and running out of time."
    Eddie shuffled her cards again, picking up the deck and tapping them all together. She leaned across the rickety table, steadied it when it rocked toward her, and stared hard at Katsu. "Two of us alone can't do much. Even if Ashe is bleeding out somewhere, we aren't going to be able to find him without help. Even if we knew where he was, we wouldn't be able to get to him without a lot of manpower and some serious plans."
    Katsu closed his eyes for a moment. His brows knit together as if he were in pain, and finally he leaned toward her as well, opening his eyes to fix her with an intense stare. "I can't just ride out of here without him. Not even knowing I'll be coming back. Too many things could happen in between."
    Eddie studied him, trying to gauge where his interests lay, how she could convince him. For a moment, his mask slipped. Cracks appeared, letting emotions bleed through where she could see them. Worry -- no, fear. Helplessness. A defeated certainty. Determination.
    Eddie sat back, mulling through options and new information. She didn't think she could drag Katsu away. He sat back as well, his cards stacked in front of him. Eddie collected them up, shuffled them into the deck, and pulled the top card.
    Jack of spades, with a sickle blade. She slid it back into the middle. "All right. You stay here. I'll ride. I'll try and be back with the others in the early morning, before Byron is ready to leave. Don't do anything stupid. Just watch him, and if he does try to leave... I don't know. Delay him somehow. Break an axle on one of his wagons." Her chair screeched across the wood floor as she pushed back and stood, looking around. "We'll get you a room."
    "What am I going to do in a room?" Katsu muttered darkly.
    "You're going to keep from doing anything stupid." Eddie glared at Katsu as if she could force him to maintain his composure by will alone. "We may need a medic, and we're going to have a hell of a time saving both you and Ashe. I'm serious, Katsu. Don't be dumb."
    He stood as well, movements stiff. "You can't expect me to do nothing all night. I can at least ask around. I can't just sit here while he could be dying somewhere--" Katsu cut off, visibly restraining himself. His hands curled into knots at his sides. Then, as he took a deep breath, they relaxed. When he looked at Eddie again, his mask was back in place, impassive and impervious. "I'll be smart. You get back here with the others quickly."
    Eddie studied him for a long moment, but if there was anything to be read in his expression, it was far too subtle for her. "I will," she said at last.
    It took only a few minutes to hail the tavern keeper and negotiate for a night's stay. Another few minutes to collect Katsu's belongings from his horse and pay for the horse and packhorse's overnight lodging in the stable. Eddie tightened her girth and bridled her mare, eying the sun. It was past midday, but not by too much. The sun hadn't fallen far. She mounted, wheeling her horse around to face Katsu once more. "We should be back no later than lunch tomorrow. Try and delay him leaving until then. Hopefully he'll have lots to load up and won't even try to leave earlier."
    Katsu nodded wordlessly, tight-lipped.
    Eddie hesitated, then made a decision. "Ashe thinks you're using him for sex. I think he's wrong."
    Confusion crossed Katsu's features, followed by swift comprehension and vague annoyance. "I wouldn't let him stick around if I -- this isn't the time. Get out of here and get back."
    Eddie nodded, spun her horse, and took off as fast as she could through the crowded city.
    ***
    Ashe didn't know how long he'd been there. Long enough for the drug to wear off. Long