Page 12 of The Dragon Shifters’ Enemy (Dragon’s Reign #7)

Her Dragon Spirit, Xipil, appeared in the mirror with its delicate branch-like horns.

Its golden mane moved as if there were a constant wind.

Elegant and deadly, Xipil did not join Lana in the snow bank.

In fact, it put one clawed toe into a nearby clump of snow.

There was a hiss as the snow melted, turning to water and then almost instantly to steam.

Iolaire hooted at Xipil who regarded the White Dragon Spirit out of narrowed red-gold eyes.

Iolaire attempted to go over to Xipil, but Raziel put a firm arm around Iolaire’s waist to keep it where it was.

But Iolaire somehow slithered out of the restraining arm and went over to Xipil anyways.

Caden glanced at Mei. Neither of them had moved.

But her eyebrows were lifted as were Xipil’s.

Both were not large Dragons, more like evenly matched in terms of size.

But Xipil, like its human, was not trustworthy.

Valerius stiffened as Iolaire delicately sniffed at Xipil’s throat.

The Red Dragon Spirit’s eyes widened and magma dripped from its jaws and plopped down on the ground, glowing redly.

Iolaire was not deterred. It breathed icy breath at the glowing magma that was lifted into the air and transformed.

“Whoa!” Caden breathed and leaned forward. “Did Iolaire just…”

“Create a sculpture out of Xipil’s magma with its breath? Yes, dear, Iolaire did,” Esme stated with a delighted laugh.

The sculpture looked to be an infinity symbol made of dark, glassy rock. Iolaire nosed it towards Xipil and hooted.

“A gift,” Mei whispered, blinking rapidly. “For me? For us ?”

“I think so,” Caden said, with a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth.

You guessed Mei’s love of gifts? Valerius asked.

I don’t think many people genuinely give or do much for Mei, Caden stated. I think they all want something from her and Xipil. That’s the kind of people she surrounds herself with.

That is not you and Iolaire though. Valerius put a hand on Caden’s right shoulder.

No, and I’m hoping that it makes Mei and Xipil realize that not everyone is like she believes… or fears, Caden admitted.

Xipil reached down and lifted the glittering rock and studied it.

The Red Dragon Spirit looked up at Iolaire then back down at the sculpture.

Confusion was writ large there for a moment.

Finally, Xipil inclined its head and flapped its wings in greeting to the newest Dragon Spirit.

Iolaire tipped its head back and emitted a flurry of snowflakes.

Xipil sent out sparks. Red and white danced in the air currents in the cavern.

“Are presents being given out? Eldoron is beside itself after revealing all of the details of the battle with the Behemoth!” Tez cried as he strode over to Caden and Valerius, one hand outstretched.

“That was all Iolaire, Tez. I don’t have anything you want.” Caden reached his hands into his pockets and pulled out a mint. “Unless you want a linty mint. You can have it.”

Tez plucked it from Caden’s hand. “Well… well… that’s… something, I suppose. We share what we can . And you do that, Caden.”

“You are not really going to keep that, are you?” Valerius frowned as Tez dusted it off and stuck it in his pocket.

“Why not? A gift is a gift!” Tez remarked.

Eldoron appeared in the mirror. It immediately struck a pose, or so it seemed in Valerius’ gaze.

Raziel rolled its eyes as the Golden Dragon Spirit slowly spread its glorious wings.

Glittering golden light filled the cavern.

The other Dragon Spirits all looked over at it.

Xipil immediately glanced away as it continued to study the gift Iolaire had made.

Scylla shook itself and sighed. Lana was still in the snow and called out for Eldoron to join it.

“Lana wants Eldoron to stop preening and play!” Kaila stomped a foot in front of Tez.

Tez’s lips twitched but he said with all seriousness, “Eldoron must allow everyone to see its beauty. When was the last time all of the Dragons were together?”

“Well, except for Anwar, just this afternoon,” Kaila pointed out with a shake of her head.

Lana formed a snowball and threw it at Eldoron.

It hit the Golden Dragon Spirit on the cheek.

Outraged eyes turned to Lana from Eldoron as the snowball slowly slid down Eldoron’s magnificent cheek.

Caden let out a bark of laughter, which after Tez’s glare, turned into a coughing fit. Valerius patted his back.

Eldoron tried to preen again, but another snowball made its way towards the Golden Dragon Spirit, hitting it on the chest. Iolaire let out a soft hoot as its blue eyes narrowed with laughter.

“Iolaire!” Caden cried.

Eldoron immediately leaped over to the snow pile and opened its jaws before blowing a mighty breath on the snow which covered Lana and Iolaire in piles of the fluffy stuff.

There was a scuffle among the three of them.

But it was playful though it shook the cavern as the titanic Eldoron was gotten on his back by Lana and Iolaire working together.

“Two against one!” Tez cried in a feigned affront.

Raziel and Scylla looked down at the scuffling Dragon Spirits with a distinct appearance of being well above such activities.

Of course, that was when snowballs were thrown at them as well.

Raziel let out a huff of heat that melted most of the snow.

Iolaire, Eldoron and Lana looked bereft.

That was when Scylla blew out a stream of water towards Iolaire, which the White Dragon Spirit immediately turned into ice statues of beautiful shapes.

“So I do get a present,” Tez murmured as Eldoron lifted one of the delicate, already melting sculptures.

It was clear from Xipil’s look that it believed its stone one--which was permanent--was far superior .

“How long has it been since we’ve all been seen together like this?” Jahara asked as she glided in like the queen she was with a faint smile on her face.

“Too long, I think,” Esme stated.

“You still believe my plan for us all to be in one territory is unworkable, Valerius?” Jahara asked as she stepped to his side.

“For a short while, we all get along, but yes, I still think that as a long term solution it is not a workable one,” he told her. “I rule nothing out, but that would feel like a retreat, not a victory.”

Zephyra appeared in the mirror. Its iridescent purple scales were luminous in the low light. A wind swept from it and stirred all of the other Dragon Spirit’s wings. They all lifted their heads as if eager to take flight. Zephyra smiled as enigmatically as its human did.

“If the Behemoth is here, dear, we cannot retreat, we must go forward!” Esme cried with a gesture of her arms.

Scylla flapped its wings.

“We defeated this Behemoth before.” It was Illarion who spoke. “We can do so again. But this time we will make sure it is dead and gone.”

“We? You mean our Spirits,” Tez pointed out. “We knew nothing about the Behemoth!”

“Our Spirits are more powerful with us. We add much to them as they add to us,” Illarion stated.

The Green Dragon King strode into the throne room and headed right towards Valerius’ throne.

Mephous appeared in the mirror. Huge and bulging.

Poison swirled around the Green Dragon Spirit’s head.

Raziel turned to face it. They were almost evenly matched except that Raziel was bigger, which it demonstrated by sticking its chest out as it glared at Mephous.

The Green Dragon Spirit who had been attempting to make its way to the center of all the Dragon Spirits--much like Illarion was doing in going towards the throne--stopped dead in its tracks.

Valerius stepped neatly in front of Illarion, which caused him to stop too.

Raziel’s red eyes glowed like the pits of Hell while its tail swept dangerously back and forth as if winding up a leap.

Mephous’ head lowered, not in obeisance, but also as if it were preparing to lunge towards Raziel.

Valerius and Illarion were practically chest to chest. Valerius smiled at him grimly.

“I do not know how I ever thought that you were the mastermind behind all of this,” Valerius murmured.

“As if I would have puny humans fight my battles? Or hide behind the Faith?” Illarion scoffed.

Mephous’ head was surrounded in a swirling cloud of poison almost as if the Green Dragon Spirit were smoking. Raziel allowed flames to surround its open jaws.

“Uh, guys?” Caden asked. “I don’t think fighting is a good idea right now. We need to talk .”

“Fighting is always a good idea,” Illarion practically purred.

“You need to be trounced every 30 years,” Valerius stated flatly.

Suddenly, both of them were dashed with cold water. Or more like, snow . Snow covered both of their human forms and there was an ice wall that was separating their Dragon ones. Both men shot angry looks at Caden.

“Illarion! Valerius! Stop!” Caden shouted.

Iolaire clawed its way on top of the ice wall and looked evenly at both the Green and Black Dragon Spirits. Its wings flared out and it hooted firmly. The other Dragon Spirits actually shuffled as if brought to order.

Valerius bared his teeth at Illarion but then gestured for the Green Dragon Shifter to go ahead and sit on the throne.

“It will never be yours, Illarion. But I suppose I could let you pretend to be me,” Valerius stated.

Illarion’s upper lip writhed back from his teeth. But he turned it into a tight smile.

“Why would I want to pretend to be lesser than I am?” Illarion asked.

He turned his back on the throne and crossed his arms while staring at the mirror as if without seeing any of the Dragon Spirits reflected there.

“Evren was not with the other Dragon Spirits when the Behemoth was taken down,” Anwar said as he entered the throne room last. “It had thought that this battle was a fairytale. But clearly no?”

No, Raziel stated.

Anwar’s head jerked towards Raziel in the mirror.

The other Dragon Spirits had yet to speak.

Evren’s sleek silver body entered the mirror and Iolaire hooted at it to come nearer.

Evren looked up at Iolaire on top of the ice wall with an almost wry amusement as it took in that one of the smallest Dragon Spirits--rather like itself--was ruling over all the bigger ones.

It sat and curled its long tail around its clawed feet.

“Raziel speaks!” Anwar said with a soft laugh at the end.

“Raziel has been quite chatty. If only it had been before,” Valerius stated with a huff. He scrubbed the back of his neck. “But there is more to tell even now.”

Valerius looked at Caden. Did his lover wish to do this or would he have Valerius do it? Caden looked stricken and Valerius knew that Caden was experiencing Iolaire’s emotions. Guilt. Responsibility. Sadness. Fear.

Valerius put an arm around Caden’s shoulders and kissed his temple. Raziel rubbed its head against Iolaire’s in the mirror.

“Scylla says…” Esme gasped as she looked at Iolaire. “Scylla says that Iolaire was part of Behemoth!”

“WHAT?”

“No!

“That can’t be true!”

“If it was, is it still?”

More questions were loosed from every throat. Valerius allowed them to get the questions out. Finally, silence fell.

Into that silence, Valerius said, “Let me explain what we know.”

And he did. All of them listened intently. There were nods of agreement, sharp intakes of breath, and brow furrowing. He finished all too soon with the facts that they had figured out so far.

“As you see, we have more questions than answers,” Valerius stated.

“We know that the Behemoth was defeated once, but in the Spirit Realm. We do not know if it has joined with a human or… if Iolaire having done so anchors it here. But now that it is here, part of the physical realm, it would seem to me that destroying it would be possible. Or, at least, we could send it back to the Spirit Realm.”

“Should we attempt to destroy it?” Jahara asked.

“You must be joking! What else would we do?” Illarion scowled at her.

“Indeed, Jahara,” Anwar stated, “we cannot allow this being to remain here. It has already poisoned so many minds, taken so many souls. Who knows what else it can do!”

“Yes, I know,” Jahara stated patiently. “But don’t you see that if Iolaire escaped the Behemoth that means the other Dragon Spirits that are part of it might be able to be freed as well?

Iolaire is the mate of Raziel. What if… what if our mates are the ones that the Behemoth still has in its clutches? Do you want to destroy them, too?”