Page 25 of The Dragon Shifters’ Enemy (Dragon’s Reign #7)

“Caden!” It was Tilly.

“Hey, Till, you okay?” Caden’s voice softened.

“I’m fine. I’m here with all these Dragons, even the big green meanie would likely defend me now ,” Tilly said and Valerius imagined her giving Illarion the side-eye.

“I was not going to hurt you, little girl. You should have just given me the phone,” Illarion said.

“Chione gave it to me . It’s a sacred trust,” Tilly sniffed at him.

“Anyways, Till?” Caden prompted as he clearly wanted to take off and find Landry.

“Oh, just… What should I tell Mom and Dad?” she asked.

Caden drew in a deep breath. “ Nothing .”

“Oh,” Tilly’s voice was small.

“Tilly, normally I wouldn’t ask you to keep things from them, but if you’re going to be my Councillor--”

“I’m a Counsillor-in-Training!” she cried gleefully.

Caden smiled affectionately. “Yeah, well, in that case, you have to understand that what you learn about Dragon business--”

“Stays Dragon business?” she finished for him.

Caden nodded even as he said out loud, “Yeah. Can you do that?”

“I can totally do that! Who do you think has kept your secrets all these years?” she scoffed.

Another affectionate smile crossed Caden’s face. “Yeah, I know, but some of these secrets are going to be ones that are scary.”

“I know. But I get it. You’re going to do this anyways, and getting Mom and Dad involved would just cause an argument,” she said. “It wouldn’t change anything about what you’re going to do.”

“That’s right.” Caden nodded again.

“Okay, well, good luck to both of you. Come back safe,” Tilly said.

Valerius pressed the end key. He slipped the cell phone back into his pocket before shedding the garment entirely. He carefully folded it and laid it on the ground. They would return here when they had discovered what there was to discover.

“Let us take flight. Stay by me,” Valerius commanded.

Caden nodded. He dropped his robe too on top of Valerius’.

They both started running forward and shifted in mid leap.

Somehow the two Dragons, despite being much bigger than them, did not crash into one another, but, instead, flapped upwards--wingtip to wingtip--with amazing grace as if they had been flying together their whole lives.

Raziel and Iolaire banked as they headed towards the last location of Landry’s phone. Valerius had Raziel scan the ground below them as well as keep its ears perked to catch the sound of any large predator. But all they heard was the whistle of the wind and the shush of snow on the peaks.

Raziel and Iolaire were as one in the air.

Both of them were each other’s senses. There was seemingly no distance between them.

Their hearts even seemed to beat as one.

They were stronger, but… one would not survive without the other.

That was what Raziel had explained to him before, but now he understood it on a level he had not earlier.

Losing Caden would do the same to him, he realized, and that was rather stunning.

Everything okay? Caden asked.

Just understanding something, Valerius said vaguely.

He did not want Caden to be held back by his feelings. They both had to be willing to take chances. Caden was so attuned to him that he might not do what he must because he feared how it would affect Valerius.

Okay, Caden didn’t sound like he believed Valerius, but was willing to let it pass. What are we going to do if we find the Behemoth making snow angels?

Valerius snorted at the image. We retreat.

Caden snorted this time. You and Raziel have never retreated in your lives!

That was true.

What course would you have us take? Valerius asked, feeling frustration rising within him. Raziel and I could rip its head off again, but then…

Everybody would be dead. Maybe even us, Caden finished. Yeah, I get that. I mean, the Spirits didn’t die after the explosion, but we likely would. And definitely everyone in Reach would and… okay, so not an option!

No, it is not. Which is why the blasted thing is here, Valerius growled. It knows that of everyone I would be unwilling to sacrifice, the people in my own territory would be at the top of my list.

You wouldn’t kill anyone’s people! Caden said loyally.

That’s not necessarily true, Caden, Valerius answered after a moment. Destroying the Behemoth would be worth many sacrifices. If even half of what we think about this creature is true, losing some to protect the many may be the only way.

He felt Caden’s mental aversion to this idea. The kind-hearted White Dragon Shifter wanted above all to find a solution that would spare everyone . But solutions like that were rarer than Unicorn Shifters.

What if Iolaire and I used our gift to try and shift the Behemoth? Caden suggested, deciding that arguing this point with Valerius likely wouldn’t get anywhere. Caden felt his conviction was as great as Valerius' own.

That might be a thing to try, Valerius answered slowly.

On the one hand he wanted to have a thorough plan before they tried to use Caden and Iolaire’s special gift.

He wanted to have that in his back pocket.

And yet, if it worked and the Behemoth was shifted into a human form or a bunch of humans they would be easy to deal with. Game over. Done and done.

The Behemoth is incredibly strong, Valerius reminded Caden unnecessarily, You were not able to shift me.

That’s because we weren’t trying! Caden informed him.

What?

You heard me, my king, Caden chuckled. We could have had you shifting and flapping your tiny human arms as you tried to stay aloft.

I think not! Valerius was both amused and wary of this suggestion.

Hmmmm, we’ll have to try it sometime, Caden teased. Oh, oh, is that the valley?

It was. Ahead of them, just over a final spine of rock, was the valley where Landry’s cell phone had pinged. Valerius found himself holding his breath as he strained to see or hear anything of the Behemoth ahead of them.

I don’t see anything or anybody! Caden cried, his distress rolling over their bond.

Evidently, he still had held out hope that whatever had harmed Celestine and likely killed the other Falcon Shifters had miraculously left Landry alive and unharmed. But, however unlikely that hope had been, Valerius was disturbed that he saw nothing but stone and snow.

Go lower, Raziel, he instructed his Dragon Spirit. We need to look for tracks.

The Black Dragon Spirit complied and Iolaire followed along after as they circled lower and lower. The snow was displaced. He saw footprints and the tracks of what could have been snowmobiles all leading along the center of the valley’s narrow floor.

There! Caden cried. Do you see it?

At first Valerius did not see it. Then he realized that Caden had already followed the tracks to their conclusion. There was a cave at the end of the valley where two slices of rock had grown together at the top, but let a mouth of darkness between them at the bottom. All the tracks led in there.

That is too small for the Behemoth, Valerius remarked.

The opening was large, but there was no way Iolaire could fit inside, let alone Raziel or the Behemoth.

Yeah, we’ll have to shift and go inside in human form, Caden said, sounding both eager and a little trepidatious.

I do not know if this is at all wise, Valerius said.

You’re the one that reminds me all of the time that our human skin is as tough as Dragonhide, remember? Caden pointed out. Besides, we can’t turn back now without finding out what’s inside there.

Caden had a point. The other Falcon Shifters could be alive in there, if injured. Landry, too, could be a prisoner inside. Perhaps they would find a frostbitten Jasper Hawes as well. They did have to go inside.

Without further discussion, the two of them both shifted about thirty feet up in the air and dropped effortlessly into a superhero pose before rising up.

The cave entrance now looked far larger than it had before.

It yawned menacingly before them. A strange scent--rather like ozone--filled the air.

The hair on the back of Valerius’ neck and arms was standing up.

I do not like this place, Raziel grumbled and put a shielding wing around Iolaire.

Neither do I, Valerius agreed with the Black Dragon Spirit.

Caden surprised him--as Caden often did--by crouching low and moving without hesitation towards the cave’s entrance.

Caden was brave, but he knew the young man was afraid of this place.

He dreaded what he would find inside. There were two large boulders that were just outside the cavern.

Caden crouched down behind them and Valerius did the same at his side.

I don’t hear anything or anyone, do you? Caden asked.

No, the cave feels empty, Valerius agreed. We should be able to hear heartbeats if anyone was nearby. I hear nothing but the wind and the snow and the fall of dank water.

That sounds almost poetic, Valerius. Caden smiled at him. It was a brief smile, but he treasured it.

I have hidden depths. Valerius flashed him a grin. Let’s go inside.

The two of them crept around the boulders and entered the cave’s mouth.

Within a few steps the light from the outside failed to illuminate any deeper.

The change from light to dark was blinding.

The two of them could see nothing as their eyes adjusted.

But Valerius’ hearing and scent became extra keen. But still he heard nothing.

We are alone , Valerius said.

That doesn’t make sense! Caden blinked rapidly. Whatever hurt Celestine must be here.

Or it has moved on, knowing we would come, Valerius pointed out.

We would have seen it, wouldn’t we? I mean if it were the Behemoth, Caden said.

Yes, one would think, Valerius answered cautiously. Let’s keep going.

The ground of the cave was remarkably smooth. Valerius saw that it had been leveled and cleared of large rocks. The reason why became obvious as they turned a corner and found snowmobiles with trailers behind them.

Someone was camping up here or planned to for a long time, Caden said as he studied all of the sleeping bags, freeze-dried food, cans of beef stew, and other materials one would need to stay out in the wilderness for some time. They were freaking arrogant to do this! Valinor isn’t that far away!

Yes, but I had not noticed them before, Valerius stated. And I would not have come out here for some time other than this spur of the moment decision with the other Dragon Shifters in town.

I guess you’re right, Caden admitted.

They picked their way through the snowmobiles and stopped.

Up ahead, the cave opened up into a cavern.

They could see the glow from several electric lanterns sitting besides several dozen tents.

There were tables pushed together where laptops and tablets were spread out, giving a soft blue glow. There were campfires flickering.

There are no people here, Caden said as he stared at the campsite. Where did they go?

Valerius’ gaze though had swept to the wall. A strangely flat wall for a cave. It looked more like the wall of an ancient building instead of something one would see in nature. Though it wasn’t completely smooth. It was…

“Valerius?!” Caden called out as Valerius had started striding towards the wall without any attempt at hiding.

But he was sure that they didn’t have to. He knew where all the people had gone. And he now knew why he had never seen the Behemoth flying in his territory or any territory. It didn’t need to fly to go from place to place.

“Oh, no! No!” Caden gasped out as he saw what was causing the wall to not be smooth.

Sticking out of it were hands and wings and people’s screaming faces.

They were all reaching back into the cave as if they were being sucked inside the wall.

They were all stone. All stone. All caught in a frozen moment that Valerius assumed was their deaths.

Caden was about to reach for one of those hands in particular.

Valerius caught his wrist and drew him back.

“But, Valerius, that’s--that’s Landry!” Caden gasped.

Valerius held Caden close. “I know. I’m so sorry, Caden. I’m so sorry.”