Page 13

LOVE OVER HATE

V alerius watched as Caden froze the bad guys to the ground on the television his staff had rolled in. Raziel let out a bark of laughter, belching black smoke and fire, thoroughly pleased at Caden and Iolaire’s performance. Valerius felt his heart leave his throat and settle back in his chest again. He had not been afraid for Caden. No bomb could have hurt him or Iolaire, but the loss of human lives would have been terrible and would have scarred his mate forever. Illarion grunted beside him. Valerius eyed him.

“He is a mighty little thing, I suppose,” Illarion stated with a sniff.

The Green Dragon Shifter was not the only Dragon to have sought him out in the throne room when Anwar’s entourage had arrived. All of them had.

Esme gave Illarion a narrow-eyed look. “In any estimation, Caden and Iolaire were brilliant. Little thing indeed!”

Mei’s lips twitched before she said, “The press appears to agree with you, Esme. Half a dozen helicopters are circling his location and look! The reporters are running, even in their high heels, towards him and Anwar. What a way to introduce yourself!”

“Anwar will be pleased with the added attention,” Esme remarked with a shake of her head.

“Humans First were counting on that, which is why they likely chose his parade to rain upon,” Mei answered.

Indeed, the helicopter feeds showed reporters rushing from their marked places on the route to where Caden appeared to be interrogating the suspects. The Claw were also converging on the spot. The reporters and the guard were practically bumping into one another in their haste to get to Caden. Simi and Ngoye were not among them, as Valerius had ordered the two Claw captains to go to the Humans First safehouse where Rose and Wally had overheard the bombing plot.

Humans First had likely abandoned the spot already when they saw that their plan had failed, but there was still a chance that they could be captured. If not now, they would be later. Valerius would make sure that there was nowhere in this world that was safe for them. He even had Marban directing his people to go into every hidey hole that Reach had to find them. But even with his best people looking for Jasper Hawes and company, very capable Claw captains were running things down on the ground.

Not that Caden appears to need them, Valerius thought with a touch of pride.

Caden crouched down by one of the bombers and lifted his chin. Icicles appeared in the bomber’s hair when he did not respond to Caden’s question. To get Caden and Iolaire this angry was difficult. But innocent lives had been at stake.

“Iolaire’s initial landing though…” Tez waved his right hand through the air while his left was curled around his chest. “It needed more finesse. They must be taught to land gracefully. No thumping! The ground shook and Iolaire’s tail took out some cars.”

“They were not worried about how they looked, Tez,” Jahara retorted dryly. Three of her Wise Women were with her and they nodded sagely. “They merely cared to stop the evil doers, which they have done.”

“Well, they should still look good doing it. Their actions will be played and replayed for the populace. These things are what people remember,” Tez stated. He put a hand to the center of his chest. “I will take it upon myself to teach them to always show grace and power no matter how dire things are.”

“Look how pink Caden’s cheeks are becoming!” Esme chuckled. “I think someone is not used to being filmed nude. I do hope someone in the Claw had the forethought to grab some pants. Or Anwar should give him his wrap, if nothing else!”

“Caden cuts quite the figure! He should show off skin all the time, even though he is not as handsome as me nor is Iolaire as beautiful as Eldoron,” Tez disagreed. “But he does have that young, fresh look. The blond hair and blue eyes plus the athletic physique will have him adorning the walls of many a young woman and man.”

“And not just the young ones,” Esme agreed. She elbowed Valerius. “And what do you think, Valerius? Pants or no pants for Caden?”

“Look in the mirror, Esme, and you can see that Raziel has the answer for you. Is that fire wreathing its jaws?” Jahara tilted her head back towards the magic mirror.

Esme turned and smiled at Raziel whose eyes were glowing a hot red and were narrowed. Raziel was no fan of pants, and did want people to admire their mate, but it did not like Caden being ogled when he did not wish to be!

“Oh, you big black meanie! You know I adore Caden, but many hearts are still going to break when they find out about you and Iolaire and Caden and Valerius being mated,” Esme said unrepentantly. “It can’t be helped.”

Raziel let out a snort of fire. Esme just laughed delightedly.

“Raziel, behave,” Valerius replied softly, though the Black Dragon had nothing but good feelings for Esme and Scylla.

The Black Dragon breathed out black smoke which obscured its sulfurous image.

“Caden and Iolaire are doing quite well. They’re showing mastery of various gifts in both forms. I do not recall being so far advanced that early,” Esme said as she turned back to Valerius. “You should be proud.”

“I am,” Valerius answered. “And you are right. Righteous anger does seem to focus them both.”

The urge to go down there and join Caden was strong. Especially with Anwar acting as if he’d had an equal part in stopping the bombing. Anwar was swaggering right and left, putting an arm around Caden’s shoulders, and saying something loudly to the press. But Valerius kept himself in check. He wanted to give Caden this well-deserved moment in the sun.

He had not been lying or exaggerating when he had told Caden’s parents that their son was an equal to him and the other Dragon Shifters. Not a mascot or second string player.

“This bomb was good, you know?” Illarion scratched his chin.

“The potential deaths of hundreds of people is good ?” Chione’s tone was chilly.

It was the first time she had looked up from her tablet. She gave the Green Dragon Shifter one of her best death stares.

“I think --or rather, I hope--Illarion means that this incident will allow us to discredit Humans First,” Esme stated, casting a cold eye on the Green Dragon Shifter herself. “I’m sure that’s what he means.”

“Yes, yes! That is what I meant!” Illarion snorted. “Now you can show them as the cowardly thugs they are! You can grind them into dust, Valerius. Roast them on fires throughout the city. That’s what I would do!”

“I’m sure you would,” Chione said with a shake of her head. “But we have rules and laws here.”

“What good are they? No, set an example with them!” Illarion grinned. “Fear is the greatest motivator!”

Grant, who had been watching his son’s heroics on the screen, turned stiffly and said, “Treating the members of Humans First just like any other criminals will stop them from becoming martyrs. Also, it will weaken the rule of law to do otherwise. Everyone should be given a just trial. Even terrorists.”

“That’s very true,” Esme admitted with a nod. “Though, I admit, this incident does make me wish a little for the old days where we put heads on pikes. You could line the roads with them”

Valerius thought of Jasper Hawes’ smug face rotting as his head was stuck on a pike. The thought warmed him. But he shook himself. That was not the way any longer. And it would give Jasper a “win” even in death. Because it would make him more important than he really was.

“Despite what Humans First has attempted today they are not our main enemy or the most dangerous foe we have,” Valerius reminded them.

“No, it is our friends in the Faith that we must worry about,” Esme sighed with a shake of her head. “With friends like them one doesn’t need enemies! Oh, look, Caden is going to speak to the press!”

The Claw had been moving the press back from the two story building where the bomb was and where the bombers were all imprisoned in ice, but the media was in a frenzy and wouldn’t be denied. Valerius saw this knowledge in Caden’s eyes as the White Dragon Shifter drew in a deep breath and stepped forward towards the line of reporters. Caden’s gaze slid to High Reach.

He needs us, Valerius said to Raziel.

Yes! Let us go down there! Iolaire is upset! Raziel agreed and the smoke in the mirror cleared.

“Are we going to let Caden and Anwar have all the fun?” Kaila’s hands were fisted at her sides and she was staring at each of them in turn with open-mouthed disbelief.

“Fun?” Caden’s mother, Ellen, choked out.

She and Grant were clutching one another. Grant, too, looked ready to grind his teeth to dust at the comment when the throne room doors flew open and Tilly ran in followed by Rose and Wally, who were still pulling on clothing.

“Mom! Dad! Did you see Caden? I was watching on my phone and--oomph!”

Whatever Tilly had been about to say was cut off as both of her parents wrapped her in their arms.

“Tilly! Oh, my baby!” Ellen murmured into her daughter’s hair.

“Tilly, I’m so glad you’re okay!” Grant kissed his daughter’s temple.

“Of course, I am!” Tilly got out as she pulled back. Her hair covered her face and she had to blow it out of the way. “I was with Caden, Rose and Wally! Nothing was going to happen to me!”

Rose looked a little uncomfortable at the praise and her eyes almost bugged out of her head when she was drawn into the Bryce family embrace. Her alarmed expression fled though and a look of contentment replaced it as she was hugged and petted as much as Tilly was.

“Rose and the kid are natural heroes!” Wally said as the tufts of hair over his ears waved wildly as he smiled at the quartet of huggers.

He was soon pulled into the group hug too.

Rose gave Valerius a quirked smile over Ellen’s shoulder. “Caden was amazing.”

“We wouldn’t have known of the bomb at all but for you and Wally,” Valerius said.

Rose pinked.

“Any word from Landry?” Wally asked as he disengaged from the hug.

Valerius glanced over at Chione. She was staring down at her tablet with her lower lip between her teeth.

“Chione, any word from Landry?” Valerius repeated Wally's question.

He hoped that the young woman was not a traitor. Caden would be devastated by that.

Chione nodded and showed him a map of Reach where several pins were placed. “Yes, but I’m not sure what it means, though I fear it is nothing good.”

“Could they be other bomb sites?” Esme asked as she studied the tablet.

“Gods, if they are…” Chione whispered.

“They are not on Anwar’s route,” Jahara stated as she too poked her head around to see the tablet. “In fact, they are mostly in manufacturing areas. My guess? One of those places is where this bomb was put together. Maybe these others are gathering places or some such.”

“We need to discover what they are,” Valerius said to the other Dragon Shifters. He took in a breath as he realized what he was going to ask of them. “It has been 30 years since we all flew together for a common purpose. I am asking you now to fly once more and investigate those sites.”

“I am with you, Valerius!” Esme said with a nod.

Kaila clapped her hands. “Fun! Fun! Yes, let’s all fly together! I want to stomp some enemies!”

Mei’s dark eyes glittered. “That these puny humans thought to mar our coming together is enough for me to want to crush them.”

Jahara bowed her head. “I am honored to assist in stamping out this evil, Valerius.”

Tez blinked as if he hadn’t quite expected to be asked to do this. He probably hadn’t. Neither he nor Eldoron were fighters. But he lifted his chin and said, “Well, of course! Eldoron and I shall assist! These attempts to harm the common people cannot go unpunished.”

“And what are you going to do, Valerius? Go down and preen for the press?” Illarion crossed his arms over his chest.

“Where else should Valerius be but by the side of his mate in this time of crisis?” Esme looked askance at Illarion.

“We have no need of the Green Dragon,” Mei said silkily. “It would simply cause chaos and get in the way.”

Illarion’s face started to purple.

Jahara added coolly, “If the Green Dragon does not think it should be part of eliminating evil then so be it. The public will judge it for its absence .”

Tez’s lips were curled into a cat-like smile. “Or perhaps he is simply afraid of Humans First. You know, go after them here then the ones in his country may rebel more and--”

“I am not afraid!” Illarion seethed.

Kaila shook her head. “If you stay hunkered inside the castle, people will think you are. So you’d best come and help us smoke out our enemies.”

With that, Kaila raced through the doors out onto the courtyard, shifted in mid-step and took off into the skies. Tez grasped Esme’s hand and the two of them raced after her, laughing as they did so. They shifted and took flight. Jahara was the next to go. Her Wise Women bowed low before she strode outside and with a wave of her hand shifted. Mei tipped her head to Valerius before she too went outside, shifting elegantly, before lifting herself into the air with powerful flaps of her wings.

Illarion was glowering. Through clenched teeth, he hissed, “You will owe me for this, Valerius!”

Then with large strides, he ran outdoors and the titanic Green Dragon appeared. It gave one evil-eyed glance back at Valerius before lifting off. Valerius turned back to the people still in the throne room.

“Chione, keep me apprised if Landry sends you anything else,” Valerius said. “Though I am guessing they will have made her dump her phone so they cannot be traced.”

“Yes, I fear you are right, but I will monitor just in case,” Chione answered with a bow of her head.

He turned towards the Bryces, Rose and Wally. “Caden is now out as the White Dragon Shifter. Everything is going to change. You’ll have to do some media today.”

“Today?!” Ellen put a hand over the center of her chest.

Grant took it and laced their fingers together. “We wish to try and keep a modicum of privacy. If that’s possible...”

“Cool! We’re going to be on TV!” Tilly jumped up and down.

Rose patted her shoulder. “You’re going to be a star, Tilly.”

Wally looked a little crestfallen. “I bet my shop would be jam packed full of people wanting to buy merch from Caden right about now.”

“I don’t think you or Caden are going to be able to work at the shop anymore, Wally,” Rose said. “You’re Caden’s Councillor now.”

“And so are you!” Wally pointed out.

Rat and Swarm Shifters as Councillors. Caden is truly going to shake things up, Valerius realized not for the first time.

“Chione, please set up those interviews and prepare everyone,” Valerius told his Councillor. She would figure out a way to give the Bryces some privacy while still feeding the starving beast that was the press. “Now, I will be back.”

Valerius saw Raziel already had its wings spread in the mirror. Valerius spun on his heel, took massive leaping steps out onto the courtyard before human gave way to Dragon and they were in the air. With two powerful thrusts of his wings, they were away from High Reach and on their way towards Caden.

He glanced right and left to see the other Dragon Shifters fanning out to various parts of Reach. In a way, he wanted to be the one to take out whatever was in those locations. He did want to grind Jasper Hawes beneath his claws. But it was better to show that the Dragon Shifters were as one against this threat. They were united with no daylight between them. It would make good press. But, more importantly, by trusting them--even Illarion--to seek out this foe, he had united them once more. And they had proven to him that they were willing to work under his leadership. He was sure that Chione was proud.

He looked back at where Caden and Anwar were in the center of a massive circle of press and public. It was clear that the Claw was being stretched thin just keeping the crime scene from being trampled. Caden’s heroic actions and appearance were causing a feeding frenzy that had never been seen before. He could feel Caden’s anxiety though ease at the sight of him.

I am coming, Caden! Valerius sent to him as he began to circle down.

Thank God! I don’t think the Claw can hold them back! Caden confessed as he mentally embraced Valerius.

The helicopters that had been hovering over the scene quickly moved out of his way. Raziel sent a spout of fire into the center of the space that had them darting away, even if it meant losing the shot.

We cannot land, Raziel. We’ll need to shift or we’ll crush the buildings , Valerius told his Spirit.

The Black Dragon Spirit was so very anxious to reach Caden and Iolaire that Raziel had been increasing their speed instead of decreasing it.

If we must! Raziel muttered.

Just above the tops of the buildings, they shifted and Valerius fell to earth. He landed--gracefully in Tez’s opinion--and rose up. He forced himself to not look like cold death at the media. Not that he could have for very long in any case because Caden came running up to him and stopped just short of hugging him. The desire to hug him was so huge in Caden’s eyes that it was all that Valerius saw.

“Valerius! Thank you for coming! They want uhm… quotes and stuff and--”

“Do you want them to know about us?” Valerius asked softly.

Caden blinked. “Ah, yes , but I thought you wouldn’t want--oh!”

Caden’s words were swallowed up as Valerius cupped his face and kissed him. There was an audible cry from the crowd of shock and joy. With the taste of Caden on his lips, Valerius pulled back and rested their heads together. Even through the blinding flashes of cameras, he saw people point up at the spiral in the sky. They now knew what it meant.

Take that, experts , Valerius thought. The Black and White Dragons are mates!

Caden was smiling rather deliriously at him. “You know, kissing me like this when I have no clothes on is… uhm, well, it’s uhm…”

“Anwar! Your sash, please!” Valerius held a hand out towards the Silver Dragon Shifter without looking at him.

“But of course,” Anwar murmured in his cultured voice.

The silk fuschia sash was placed in Valerius’ outstretched hand. He neatly tied it around Caden’s hips very tightly. Caden leaned against him, wrapping his arms around Valerius’ chest.

“Thank you,” Caden murmured.

Valerius kissed his forehead. “Anytime. Are you ready to do this?”

Caden took a deep breath. “As I’ll ever be. Stopping the bomb was harder than this, more important than this by far so this’ll be a cake walk.”

“We’ll only make a brief statement here. We’ll arrange interviews with some trusted journalists later in a more formal setting,” Valerius told him, finding he needed to kiss Caden’s nearest temple.

More flashes.

Caden leaned into the kiss. “I’m going to leave this in your hands. I’m out of my depth.”

“You’re perfect,” Valerius assured him.

The two of them turned to the press as one unit. Even the camera-loving Anwar stepped back, knowing that they should be the center of attention. Valerius slid a powerful arm around Caden’s shoulders. There were more flashes. He was certain that the image of the two of them would be everywhere, on every newspaper, on every website, and the topic of discussion. Better them than giving any air to Humans First and their attempts to terrorize and kill. So while Valerius had no desire for his and Caden’s relationship to be tabloid fodder, he would be glad if news of love was covered more extensively than that of hate.

“King Valerius! King Valerius!” Countless reporters called his name, because they did not know Caden’s.

Questions about who Caden was, about what had happened, about the Dragons in the sky, about the bombers, about the helix, about the kiss, about… well, anything and everything under the sun were shouted at them. Caden tucked himself securely by Valerius’ side, certain that the Black Dragon King would take care of everything. And Valerius intended to do just that.

He held up one hand and the crowd quieted.

“We know you have many questions,” Valerius raised his voice so that the sea of microphones could capture what he said. “But, as you can also see.” He tipped his head to the Claw breaking the icy cuffs off the bombers and replacing them with metal ones. “This is not the best place to answer them.”

“But, King Valerius, what happened here?”

“Was it another bomb attempt?”

“Who is behind it?”

“How did the White Dragon Shifter know about the bomb, if it was a bomb?”

“What is the White Dragon Shifter’s name?”

“Was someone trying to murder King Anwar? Does that mean that this isn’t a local matter?”

“Where are all the Dragon Shifters going?”

Valerius lifted a hand again. “This is an active crime scene. We will issue a statement about this in due course. As to the White Dragon Shifter’s name… would you like to tell them?” He asked the last to Caden.

Caden nodded even as he was practically trying to merge his body into Valerius’. “I’m ah… I’m Caden Bryce. Nice to meet you.”

More questions were sent their way with a rapidity that was almost dizzying. But Valerius kept his head up and a firm arm around Caden. He smiled but held up a hand again.

“We will answer one more question before we must ask you to disperse,” Valerius told them. Then with an almost teasing warning look added, “So make it count.”

The reporters all went silent and then one asked, “Are you and Caden mates?”

Valerius looked down at Caden. Caden looked up at Valerius. Smiles tugged both of their lips.

Confirm it? Caden asked.

I wish to, Valerius told him.

He could see Raziel and Iolaire’s necks curled around each other.

Jointly, he and Caden answered the reporter’s question at the same time with the single word of, “Yes.”