Page 11

LOVE CHOSEN

Earlier…

C aden’s parents entered the throne room not three minutes after Caden, Tilly and Rose had escaped from it. Valerius only wished that he could run off and avoid this.

He knew he should rise from his throne and greet the Bryces like the family they were--or, at least, would be , once they accepted things--but he felt he needed the protection the throne offered from Grant Bryce’s rather stormy expression. Chione stood at his side at attention with her tablet under one arm. Even she looked a little uneasy in the face of two protective parents.

Can I blame them? Would I want my son mated to someone eons older than him? And would I want anything less for Caden than two extremely loving and protective parents?

“King Valerius,” Grant said as he stormed up to the steps of the throne. He did not mount them, which told Valerius he had been right in keeping the high ground. “Where are my son and daughter?”

Of all the questions he could have asked, Valerius could actually answer this one rather easily and forthrightly, “They went to go pick up Landry from prison. She has been released, as it is clear now that the Faith set the bomb in Dragon Strike Square and not her brothers. So her actions in helping Humans First place smoke bombs in the square are... much less serious.”

But still punishable as they intended to cause damage and mayhem. But such punishment can wait.

Ellen Bryce had followed her husband up to the throne more slowly. She gave a curtsey which Valerius acknowledged with a nod of his head. He would have to figure out what formal protocols were necessary or not. They lived here. Their son was a Dragon Shifter, too. He and Caden were sharing a territory. And he and Caden were… mates . But though he needed no protocol to feel kingly, sometimes keeping these things were necessary for others and order.

Valerius glanced at the mirror and saw Raziel rather moodily lying down, massive head on its forelimbs, eyes half shut, looking lonely and put out since Iolaire was not there to admire and hoot. He felt the same way about Caden not being there. But they would both have to buck up and not be teenagers about it.

“In any event, Caden and Tilly will be back shortly,” Valerius added.

“I’m so glad that Landry was released. I take it that it was your doing, King Valerius,” Ellen inquired. She was rubbing her hands together anxiously and he hoped it wasn’t because she was nervous about being in the throne room with him.

“Chione’s, actually,” he answered her with what he hoped was a genuine smile.

He remembered her initial reaction to Caden’s bonding with a Spirit, about how Chione had told him that she had lost Caden in a more profound way due to her worship of the Spirits. She seemed to have come around to seeing that was not so, but moving into High Reach might be bringing those feelings to the forefront again.

“Did you send Claw with them?” Grant’s hands were on his hips.

He did not wish the Claw anywhere near Caden and Tilly, but now…

“There was no need,” Valerius stated.

Ellen's eyes widened hugely. “But the Faith--”

“Would not hurt Caden,” Chione interrupted. “He’s the symbol of everything they hope to accomplish.”

“And Humans First?” Grant stared daggers at him.

“They are humans ,” Valerius said softly. “And Caden is a Dragon.”

“Caden is a boy ,” Grant argued.

“No, Caden is a man and the ninth Dragon Shifter,” Valerius corrected him.

Chione stirred beside him and he gestured for her to speak, “I know for you, as a father, he will always be a boy. But he was not a boy even before joining with his Spirit. Caden is worth a million Claw.”

Ellen's hands met in front of her, her fingers lacing together tightly, as she said, “But he’s so new to this!”

“Yes.” Valerius got up and stepped down to her. He took her hands in his. Her eyes widened. “Ellen, I know that as his mother you want to shield him from danger, from pain, from all bad things.”

“You think we’re not recognizing Caden’s strengths?” Grant looked fierce.

“I want to protect him too,” Valerius said with a smile. “But he is a Dragon Shifter and that means…”

“That no one can protect him?” Grant’s shoulders slumped.

Valerius reached over and put a hand on Grant’s shoulder. “Not completely, no. He must be allowed to grow and learn, even if… even as it is painful for those who love him to watch.”

There was silence as both parents nodded.

That went well! Now perhaps--

“What is that symbol in the sky?” Grant asked.

Damn.

Valerius’ gaze met Chione’s. She lifted her shoulders as if to say, You’re in it now! Do your best!

“Oh… that …” Valerius smiled tightly.

“And why does Raziel look so… mopey?” Ellen asked as she looked at his Spirit in the mirror.

“Oh… that …” Valerius repeated with a tight laugh. “It’s sort of connected.”

Chione stared studiously at her tablet. He knew that she believed he shouldn’t lie to the Bryces. And really, he shouldn’t. He couldn’t . But how to begin this?

“The news is saying that it is a sign that Caden has… ah, mated with one of the other Dragons,” Ellen stated.

“Mmmm, well, that’s not totally accurate.” Valerius smiled way too brightly.

Grant’s gaze narrowed. “Not totally accurate?”

Valerius let out another of those tight little laughs. “Ah, well, you see, it is--”

“Raziel is pining ,” Ellen stated as she considered his Spirit.

“Yes, for Iolaire. Our Dragons are… living together,” Valerius said. “They are--”

“Fated Mates,” Ellen whispered.

“ Chosen Mates,” Valerius growled. When she looked up at him, he smiled weakly and stated, “Iolaire and Raziel chose one another. If they were fated there would be no choice, you see.”

“Choice matters to you?” Ellen studied his face.

“More than anything.” Valerius sighed. “Being a Dragon Shifter means both many choices and none . But in love… we are not bound by fate. We are bound by our hearts.”

Tears appeared in Ellen's eyes. “Then… then that is good .”

“Ellen!” Grant hissed. “You know that Caden and Valerius are--”

“In love?” Her lips twitched. “Bound by their choices instead of locked in by fate? Is there anything wrong with that?”

Grant crossed his arms over his chest and there was a mulish set to his mouth. “They’ve just met.”

“So did we when we got married!” she laughed. “Or don’t you remember?”

A smile curled Grant’s lips as he clearly did remember and it was a very fond memory. “We’re different from Caden. It was a different time, too.”

“Hardly! Love at first sight is eternal!” Ellen laughed again. “Caden is a perfect mixture of the two of us. So, of course, when he finds someone, he finds them fully.”

Grant grimaced as if he couldn’t quite argue with that.

“So you two married soon after meeting?” Valerius asked, surprised because of how conservative the Bryces seemed.

“Two months, but we knew in two minutes that we were meant for one another,” Ellen said with a fond smile at Grant.

“That’s so romantic!” Chione brought her hands together under her chin. Her eyes seemed to have doubled in size and shimmered with awe. “So you just knew ?”

Ellen nodded. “It was just like in the movies. We saw each other across the quad at school. He was going to get his JD and I was there for my Masters. I remember how the sunlight hit his hair and there was this small smile on his lips that just bloomed when he realized I was looking at him.”

Valerius turned towards Grant who was smiling like that at his wife now.

“I had been staring at her for what seemed like forever before she noticed me,” Grant stated. “And then time stopped when our gazes met.”

“We were not apart a moment after that. Well, except for class. We would have flunked out if not for getting married,” she said. “That way we knew we were each other’s forever.”

“And did your parents object?” Valerius tried to hide any lip twitch.

“My goodness, of course!” Ellen laughed once more. “They thought it was too fast. They thought we were foolish. And that we should wait. After all, if it was real between us, then surely it would last a few years of dating and engagement.”

“But you disagreed?” Valerius was watching Grant carefully out of the corner of his eye.

“We saw no reason to wait for the same reasons they saw the opposite,” Grant admitted with a shrug as a look of affection crossed his face.

“And you’re still so happy together.” Chione clapped her hands.

Grant put an arm around his wife’s shoulders and they pressed their foreheads together. “Yes, yes, we are.”

Valerius felt a wave of relief go through him. People like the Bryces--who believed in love at first sight--clearly would not have a problem with chosen mates. No, not at all.

“But we know how rare it is that a situation like ours works out.” Grant and Ellen were still holding onto one another, but Grant was looking at Valerius with narrowed eyes.

Valerius held up his hands. “I am not asking for Caden’s hand in marriage--”

“Why not?” Ellen asked. “You love our son. Your Dragons are living together. What’s holding you back?”

Chione put her hands by her lips, hiding a smile.

“Caden is…” There were so many things he could say. That Caden was so very young. That Caden was just getting used to being a Dragon Shifter. That Caden’s feelings could change. That just because their Dragons were in love… “Wonderful. And the only thing holding me back is that we have not had a chance to truly speak of it.”

“But with that up there and the press going crazy…” Grant frowned. “Once they know who the White Dragon Shifter is, they are going to want to know who he is mated with.”

“And people will expect things. Certain things. Like marriage and all of that. Not that you should act on what people think,” Ellen quickly amended. “But your Spirits… well, they have spoken, have they not?”

Valerius could not imagine his life without Caden in it. He had just not planned for this. He had not planned on any of it.

Who could plan for Caden? He thought with a huff of amusement.

But the truth was that he was ready for whatever came next. He was ready for Caden now no matter how short a time it was.

“One of the many things that humans have over Shifters is the simple fact that humans realize the nature of time while Shifters lose it,” Valerius answered her. “But some things just are . And that is how I have felt with Caden under all the weight of questions and precautions. Caden just is .”

“So you are going to ask our son to marry you?” Grant tensed again.

“Until I speak to Caden, I cannot speak to you about it,” Valerius answered simply. “Because whatever anyone else thinks: the press, the public, you . It does not matter. I need to speak with Caden first and foremost. We are just trying to get through this week at the moment.”

“You believe if this thing between you is real then waiting a little bit won’t hurt?” Ellen asked wryly.

Valerius nodded. “Because things already are .” He glanced through the open doors to the balcony where the helix still spun almost lazily in the sky. “No one will rush us. Nothing will stop us.”

“When does Caden plan on revealing himself to the world? He hasn’t quite told us yet,” Grant asked.

Valerius was surprised yet again by the Bryces. They were willing to let this go ? Looking at Grant’s face, no, he wasn’t exactly letting this go. But maybe, he, too, was waiting to speak with Caden. Or maybe a giant sign in the sky that they were together was convincing Grant that this was meant to be.

“He hasn’t… ” Valerius looked over at Raziel then as his Spirit had let out an alert sound. Raziel was up on its feet, red eyes narrowed, gazing out of the doors to the courtyard. “Raziel, what is it?”

At the same time his phone buzzed like an angry hornet in his pocket. He slid it out. The call came through FaceTime. He answered it.

“Caden?” Valerius asked.

The image before him bounced around as Caden was having trouble keeping the phone still. He had an almost sickening sense of car sickness as the screen yawed wide then came back and jumped up to Caden’s forehead then to his chin and back to his forehead before showing a jittery shot of Caden’s eyes.

“V-Valerius!” Caden’s voice was shaking too, but not with fear, but because of his body moving. “Wally! Jesus! Slow down!”

“I can’t, kid! We weren’t seen but we had to get away from there just in case!” Wally answered.

“Why is Wally naked?” Valerius asked, even though he knew of one very good reason that a Shifter would be naked.

“Wally’s naked?” Ellen's eyes widened.

“Long story. We followed Landry and her new Humans First friends.” Caden’s mouth twisted as if he were sucking on a lemon as he said that.

Valerius frowned and saw out of the corner of his eye that Chione had pulled out her phone and was tapping on it rather frantically. He was going to ask her what was going on. Something was clearly going on.

When Caden spoke again, “Wally and Rose shifted and went spying--”

“They what?!” Valerius and Grant both said this in almost unison.

“Is my dad there?” Caden blanched.

“Yes, your dad is here, Caden!” Grant stepped up to Valerius’ side and Valerius held the phone so that both of their faces were visible.

“Oh, hey, Dad.” Caden smiled weakly, but then sobered.

“Caden, what did Wally and Rose find out?” Valerius demanded.

“There’s another bomb!” Tilly’s voice rose up from the back seat.

“Tilly? Oh, my God, you took Tilly with you on some spying mission on Humans First?” Ellen was now on Valerius’ other side. He adjusted the phone again to capture all three of them.

“Tilly stayed in the car, Mom! With me!” Caden protested.

Tilly added. “I didn’t want to, but Caden made me.”

“Thank the Spirits for small favors,” Ellen muttered.

“Where is this bomb? And tell me you are returning to High Reach,” Valerius stated flatly.

That guilty look that he knew so well flashed across Caden’s face. “Uhm, I could tell you that, but--”

“People are already lining up on the streets for King Anwar’s arrival. The bomb is somewhere along the route!” Rose called out also from the back seat. “We have to find it!”

Valerius barked, “Simi! Ngoye!”

But there was really no need for him to call for his two Claw Captains as both of them had been at the throne room doors and were already speaking into their earpieces and striding towards him, having anticipated what he needed.

“We have relayed this information to all Claw,” Simi said smartly as he stood at attention in front of Valerius.

“We will start clearing the parade path,” Ngoye stated.

“No! No!” Caden cried shrilly. “If they see the Claw clearing people out they’ll realize that they’ve been discovered! They might then just detonate the bomb early! Way before we can find it!”

“Caden is right,” Valerius stated and tightened his hand dangerously around the phone.

His blood was up. Another bomb in his city. Yet more innocents were at risk. Humans First taking advantage of the chaos that the Faith had started to sew. Little did Humans First realize that they were playing directly into the Faith’s hands. Deaths would draw the Spirits. Times where heroism or cowardice or anything that defined a person’s core was exposed were prime moments when Spirits joined with their human counterparts.

The Faith really have figured it out, but in the worst possible way , Valerius realized.

“Rose, Wally, do you have any information where the bomb is?” Valerius demanded.

Again, Chione was checking her phone as if waiting on some message. He frowned, but focused on Caden and the others in the wildly bouncing car. He was truly getting car sick just watching this.

“No, just that it was on the parade route and would add some Shifter-lovers to the body count,” Wally answered with his disgust not hidden in his voice. “To think that Landry could be a part of this! I knew she was prejudiced, but I thought it was simply because she didn’t have exposure to Shifters.” Wally banged his hand on the steering wheel. “But after she knew about Caden and me and seemed so sincere…” Wally shook his head violently. The few tufts of hair remaining on his head stood up on end. “I’ve been disappointed before in people, but this really takes the cake.”

“Don’t give up on her yet,” Chione said. Her expression was twisted with pain. “Just… just don’t give up.”

“Why shouldn’t they, Chione?” Valerius asked her.

Chione gazed at him mutely then finally got out, “Because I asked her to stay in.”

“What?!” Caden gasped.

Valerius stared at his Councillor. “You did?”

Chione nodded. “When I went to have her released from prison, we talked. Just because the Faith were behind the other bombings that didn’t mean Humans First wasn’t a threat.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He asked her.

“Why didn’t you tell me ?” Caden echoed.

“Because she didn’t formally agree. She said she would think about it,” Chione answered. “I was looking to see if she left me any messages. I thought… I thought maybe she was on our side. Maybe she is .”

“But you’ve gotten no communications from her?” Valerius asked.

She shook her head. “No, not yet. And I can’t risk reaching out to her if she’s with Humans First right now.”

“That must explain it!” Caden beamed, looking utterly relieved.

“Caden, if there was a time for a double agent to report in, it would be now ,” Rose pointed out from the back seat. “Landry didn’t agree to help and we saw how eager she was to align herself publically with Humans First. So, I think you better give up that idea that she’s really working for us.”

“I just can’t believe… I don’t want to… I need to talk to her,” Caden admitted.

The car gave a sickening lurch as Wally must have taken them around one of the curving roads in Reach.

“So, I assume that you are going to the parade route?” Grant asked.

“Yeah,” Caden nodded. “We’ve got to try and find that bomb without alerting Humans First.”

“Caden, you can’t bring Tilly towards a bomb!” Ellen cried.

One of her hands was squeezing the top of her shirt so tightly that Valerius feared she might cut off her own air supply.

Caden blinked and nodded. “You’re right. I’m an idiot. Wally, pull over.”

“Kid, we don’t have time to--”

“Wally, pull over,” Caden commanded and the Rat Shifter did just that.

There was the sound of the squealing of brakes and the phone swam very close to Caden’s face before zooming away as his hand flew forward with the car’s momentum coming to a stop. Caden was then opening his door.

“Caden, where are you going?” Valerius asked as Caden got out of the car.

“I’m shifting and I’m going to fly over that parade route,” Caden stated. He leaned back into the car. “Wally, take Tilly and Rose back to High Reach. I’ve got this.”

“But you need our help!” Rose cried.

“Yeah! I want to help!” Tilly cried.

“Kid, are you sure?” Wally asked.

“Positive. Guys, you’re all helping by getting out of harm’s way. Iolaire and I can do this,” Caden stated. “Iolaire is certain that it can sense where the bomb is.”

“How?” Chione asked with a shake of her head. “The scent of all those people will block out--”

“No, not by scent,” Caden answered grimly. “By how many Spirits are clustered there. Waiting.”

Valerius closed his eyes tightly for a moment. Waiting for destruction and death.

“Raziel will help,” the Black Dragon Spirit suddenly spoke and Valerius’ eyelids opened.

It was the first time that anyone, other than himself and Caden, had heard the Spirit. It was not in their heads, but out loud. The Black Dragon filled the mirror. Smoke and fire flickered between its teeth.

Caden smiled broadly. “Thanks, Raziel. But, Valerius, both you and Raziel shouldn’t come out.”

“What? Why?” Valerius asked.

Caden got this determined look on his face that showed just the type of man he was. “Because seeing Raziel will spook the Hell out of Humans First. But they think Iolaire is just their friendly, neighborhood Dragon even after the park incident.”

“But you’re going to show them otherwise?” A smile curled on Valerius’ lips.

Caden mirrored it. “Exactly that.”