Page 15

“ What did the other Dragon Shifters find at the locations Landry sent us?” Caden asked him.

Valerius curled his arm around Caden’s waist a little tighter. He had already been briefed by all of the returning Dragon Shifters, even Illarion, on what they had found. Chione had taken it all down.

There was much to tell Caden, but the last thing the young man needed was to be distracted by that at this time. Yes, it was important. Yes, he wanted Caden’s input. But Humans First and the Faith were not the only things to worry about in this world. Introducing people to the White Dragon Shifter was an even bigger thing. This would be the public’s first chance to hear from Caden.

“Perplexing things,” Valerius told him. “Nothing clear cut.”

Valerius, Caden and Tilly were walking downstairs--well, Tilly was skipping ahead of them, twirling her dress--to one of the meeting rooms where a select number of press would be in attendance to ask questions while all others could record. The throne room, Chione had told him, would be too formal.

“And where would Caden sit? In your lap?” Her lips had twitched as she clearly imagined the press’ response to that . He had rather liked the idea himself, but had relented for proprieties’ sake.

Caden’s lighter expression darkened slightly. “I suppose it's too much to ask for there to be notes such as all our bombs are here? These are our plans? Here are the names and addresses of our leaders? And here is a way to stop us in 10 quick, easy steps?”

Valerius snorted. “If only. No, what we found is quite strange. Chione is putting together a packet for you, Wally and Rose to review.”

“A packet?!” Caden’s eyes widened. “That sounds so…”

“Official?” Valerius smiled. “Yes, Caden, though you have seen little of the sweet of your elite status, you will now taste some of the sour .”

“But I want to know what they found… though I’m not sure how much I can add even when I do,” Caden amended.

Valerius squeezed him. “We each bring something different to the table so we see things in other lights. The sour I was referring to wasn’t knowing what the reports contained or your thoughts upon them--which I most desperately want--but the reports themselves.”

Caden’s forehead furrowed. “R-reports? That sounds--”

“Sour? Relentless? Day-stealing? Night-stealing? Fun-quashing? Oh, you do not know the power of Chione’s reports. They are greater than even Dragon fire.”

Caden let out a snort of laughter. When Valerius gave him a cool look, he laughed harder and curled over. They had to stop a minute in the hall for Caden to recover from his bout of hysterical laughter.

“Laugh it up, Caden, but you will see the truth of it in time. Soon, Wally and Rose will be handing you their reports as well and you’ll be snowed under with them,” Valerius intoned.

Caden wiped away tears of laughter. “You almost look like you’re smiling. Why would you be smiling at the thought of me snowed under by reports?”

“Because you would see that I am right about them and rue this day that you laughed so cruelly at my good advice.” He leaned in as Caden pouted and whispered in his ear, “And then I would save you.”

Caden pinked and grinned. “I think I want some of those reports. Just so you can save me. So long as the saving involved--”

“Are you two flirting? You are!” Tilly cast a suspicious look back at them both. “You need to save that for the cameras!”

Valerius chuckled. She flounced ahead of them happily. Valerius laced one of his hands with Caden’s as they strolled after her.

“I will save you from this report at least for the evening. You have enough to worry about,” Valerius told Caden as they neared the meeting room.

“From the media? Oh, it’ll be fine, right? Yeah, I mean I’m boring! Tilly will steal the show. Dad will sit there and answer in clipped yeses or noes and Mom will laugh uncomfortably every so often. You'll have to do most of the talking,” Caden rattled off as he leaned into Valerius’ larger form as if to take shelter there. “The press will realize that me and my family are so uninteresting that people will turn off their shows as soon as my name comes up. So it’ll truly be fine!”

Valerius felt for him. He wanted to wrap Caden up in his arms and simply take him away from all of this.

A mountain peak, Raziel suggested. That is where we should go.

Iolaire’s wings fluttered at the suggestion and the “cavern” behind the two Dragons turned into such a peak. They were on the top of an incredibly high mountain with a thick, icy snow covering. The sky was so clear it had an almost crystalline appearance, like it might shatter. The stars sparkled and the moon glowed. It was a stunning sight.

No one but us, Raziel continued the suggestion.

Valerius heard only the shifting of snow beneath Dragon feet and the whistle of the wind then. Raziel and Iolaire gazed up at the moon, their wings almost touching. It was a scene that had Valerius nearly forgetting all of his and Caden’s responsibilities. But that could not be.

Sounds amazing, but we must do this. Their hunger for information about Caden and Iolaire is already insatiable, Valerius warned. We must take control as much as possible of the narrative.

Bah! Raziel stretched one clawed forelimb. We are Dragons! We need no narrative!

Valerius smiled. You do have a narrative though, Raziel. You are the strong, powerful and moody protector of the world. First among equals.

Raziel’s red eyes shut to slits. Yes, yes, I am.

And Iolaire is the Dragon with the heart of gold. Fierce, protective yet gentle. A friend to all unless they try to harm the innocent, Valerius said.

With every word, Iolaire’s chin had lifted until its snout was perpendicular with the ceiling of the “cavern” it and Raziel inhabited. Iolaire let out a breath of frost.

Indeed, Iolaire is all of those things, Raziel agreed.

That is all the press can know of you because they would be too terrified or respectful to ask more, Valerius told them both. But Caden and I…

We protect you most of all! Raziel stated proudly. They should not ask you questions either!

Iolaire, though, gave him an understanding look. Violence was not the answer.

They need to connect with us, Raziel. On the one hand, they must see us as their leaders, but on the other, they must see us as the same as them, Valerius explained. And in that balancing act, the press looks for good and bad things to report upon.

There is nothing bad about Caden! Raziel said with loyalty that it had never expressed before.

No, there is not, Valerius agreed.

Iolaire cooed at the bigger Dragon. Raziel leaned down and they pressed their foreheads together. Valerius left them as they purred. Caden, of course, had heard all of this and he gave Valerius a quirked smile.

“The press can twist stuff though, can’t they?” Caden asked. “Make something that’s innocent into something not? And take what’s complicated and make it seem black and white?”

Valerius nodded. “I admire your loyalty to Rose and Wally. I think you understand that their pasts will be something that the press will not ignore.”

“They won’t,” Caden agreed with a nod. “But I think a lot more people will relate to them than won’t. Yeah, sure there will be those that judge them. But a whole lot more will see the incredible things they’ve done to get out from under. And it will give people hope, which is, I think, Iolaire’s greatest strength.”

Valerius considered this. One of the biggest problems in society was the lack of social movement. Even in his territory where it was said that anyone could become anything that really wasn’t true. And some would say it was becoming less true everyday. That was what Humans First was feeding on. The sense of discontent. The sense that no matter how hard you worked, it didn’t matter. If you weren’t a Shifter you could never truly get ahead.

And one had to be the right kind of Shifter as well. The resistance he had faced when allowing Simi into the Claw and approving his well-earned promotions had been considerable and people strove not to say no to him. What if he had not backed Simi? There would be no Snake Shifters in the Claw and that would be a terrible shame for Simi was the best of his guards.

“I think that you are right, Caden,” Valerius finally said. “The very fact that Rose and Wally come from difficult circumstances but have made good with their lives will inspire people.”

“And we need to be listening to more types of people,” Caden said. He then frowned. “Not that I think Chione isn’t amazing! She is and really seems to get people, but--”

“But it’s been a long time since she was enslaved,” Valerius murmured. “Not that it has ever left her. And she carries it with her to this day.”

“Enslaved?” Caden’s eyes were huge.

Valerius grimaced. “It’s her story to tell. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“No, I… I mean thank you for telling me. It’s just… so hard to hear. To know that Chione experienced slavery… it’s awful,” Caden admitted.

Valerius nodded. “Yes. But she would say that it honed her. Every difficulty she’s had to face, she uses it as fuel.”

Caden looked thoughtful. He finally shook his head. “The things that all of you have gone through! All you’ve seen and experienced! Nothing has happened to me--”

“Except sacrificing your life to save the people of Reach from a bomb? Or spying on a Humans First meeting as it is blown up? Or--”

“That’s nothing though!” Yet Caden was blushing with pleasure.

“You’ve been asked for tea and coffee cake. I have never been given such an invitation,” Valerius said with a barely concealed grin.

“You saw that interview?” Caden blushed harder.

“Oh, yes, and I am very jealous that you will get to hear all about Billy.”

Caden snorted and lightly bumped his shoulder against Valerius. “Don’t you worry. You’re coming with me!”

“Oh, I haven’t been invited!”

“You’re just trying to get out of it. Besides, it's your territory. You can go anywhere.”

They had reached the doors to the meeting room. Tilly had already been nodded in by the half dozen Claw who were aligned on either side of the closed doors. They crossed their arms over their chests as Caden and Valerius stood outside.

“When the doors open, all eyes will turn upon us, Caden,” Valerius told him. “Don’t freeze.”

Caden let out a slightly hysterical laugh. “You’re saying don’t freeze to an ice Dragon!”

Valerius grinned. “You must imagine that there is a wall of bulletproof glass between you and the press. They cannot see it, but you know it is there. They cannot reach through it. They cannot hurt you. You are safe behind the glass.”

Caden drew in a deep breath and shook himself. “Okay, okay, bulletproof glass. I can do this. I can definitely do this. Let’s go.”

The Claw opened the doors. The room before them was not some nondescript meeting room with beige walls and no windows. No, it was the bottom of the south tower and there was a whole curving wall of windows beyond a spectacular room with dark mahogany floors, a central fireplace, stone walls hung with rich oil paintings and tapestries.

Caden’s family were all sitting down on one of the sofas on one side of the fireplace while the press was set up in a semi-circle on the other side. Caden’s parents were sitting very stiffly with Tilly squeezed between them. She was holding one of each of their hands in hers and looked a little wide-eyed. There was a second couch for him and Caden.

Chione, Wally and Rose were standing in the back corner of the room. Rose had on a yellow, silk sheath dress with black fringed wrap. Wally was in a suit and tie, but his hair would not be tamed. Valerius half expected him to pull out a black Dragon balloon hat and stick it on his head any moment now. Chione was in a dusky brown dress that seemed to be made of some shimmering material. She was talking to Rose and Wally quietly. He saw that the two now had identical tablets to hers.

“Mini-mes,” Caden whispered to him as he took in the tableau.

Luckily, that had delayed Caden from realizing that all of the reporters’ eyes were on him. On them. Valerius held Caden’s hand tighter. He knew that this would be breathlessly talked about, but he would rather they gossip about him than dig into Caden’s family and friends.

Caden must have realized that the room had quieted as his head jerked towards the phalanx of cameras. Caden swallowed and the phrase “deer in headlights” would not have been inappropriate at that moment to describe the young man.

Valerius already knew that while some in the press would find Caden’s freshness and earnestness endearing , others would describe it in less flattering terms. After all, the Dragon Shifters were the ultimate leaders of the world. Who was this boy to be respected? Though Caden’s actions that day should have those naysayers in the minority by a long shot.

Smile, Caden, Valerius said as he allowed an easy, small smile to grace his own lips.

Caden swallowed again, but then gave the press a tiny smile and a head duck to acknowledge everyone. Valerius led Caden to the empty couch, allowing Caden to sit down first--nearest to his family--while Valerius sat on the opposite side of him.

They faced off against three reporters. All were among Chione’s favorites though not the one she had chosen to be interviewed by at Iolaire’s first appearance. She must have done something to annoy his very even-keeled Councillor. He was sure if he had scoured the reporting of that evening like she had he would understand why.

But the three that were there were Carlos Estanza. He was in his mid-fifties with black hair cropped close to his head and the appropriate “wise” frost streaks at his temples. Chione had once referred to Carlos as having “dark chocolate eyes”. They just looked brown to Valerius. Carlos flashed both of them a smile, showing a snippet of dazzling white teeth. He was the anchor for a popular morning news program that mixed puff news pieces with “serious questions of the day” that supposedly affected “regular folks”.

The next was Lisa Yang. She was known for her serious, hard-hitting pieces. If one wanted a complex idea explained to the public by someone who could make people understand and empathize, Lisa was the best reporter. She understood nuance and didn’t do both sides or dumb anything down. She worked at the New York Times.

The final reporter couldn’t have been further from the other two in terms of age, background and the viewers she reached, and she reached millions of them every single day. She was a popular YouTube news aggregator of sorts. She would report on news topics that she thought needed more attention to her vastly younger audience than the other two. Her name was Claire Redkins. She was only twenty-two and, unlike her counterparts, she did not wear a suit, but instead dressed similarly to Caden in terms of expensive yet casual clothes. She beamed at them both.

Caden leaned over to his parents and asked, “You guys okay?”

“Fine,” Grant answered in that one word, clipped way of his that Caden had guessed he would use. Valerius wouldn’t have been surprised if he had added, “your honor” at the end of it despite Caden not being a judge and this not being court.

Ellen let out a burbling laugh that was too loud and sharp. She immediately pressed a hand over her lips and mumbled behind it, “Oh, yes, we’re fine, dear.”

“Till?” Caden had an almost desperate plea in his voice for his sister to behave normally.

But Tilly just smiled weakly and nodded. All of her self-confidence had melted away under the press’ lights. Valerius could very well understand all of their reactions. Caden leaned back against the couch. Valerius squeezed his hand again. He would have to release it at some point otherwise people might think he was controlling Caden in some way. But at the same time, they were mates, damnit! And Caden needed emotional support.

Carlos, who was likely used to making guests feel comfortable as he introduced them to his early morning audience of families, said, “Well, it looks like we’re all here! I, for one, want to express how honored I am to be sitting here and talking to you, Caden. I can call you Caden, can’t I?”

“What else would you--ah, yes, of course you can. I’m just… a normal person,” Caden said after a moment, but then hearing himself added with a self-deprecating laugh that played well with all three reporters, “I mean I know I am the ninth Dragon Shifter. But I’m still… me.”

“And we hope to learn: who you are, Caden,” Lisa said in her cultured voice. “That’s what tonight is all about. At least, the beginning of knowing you.”

Claire broke in, “I bet this is so strange to you. Becoming a Shifter is one thing. Rare as that is, but you became a Dragon Shifter and that’s like the rarest of the rare.”

Caden regarded her steadily. “It wouldn’t matter what kind of Shifter Iolaire turned me into. Iolaire is the rarest of the rare.”

“But you are a Dragon Shifter,” Lisa stated, resting her elbows on her knees as she leaned towards them. “And today, you had to exercise some of the power and responsibility being one entails. It’s not the first time either. You became the White Dragon Shifter because you saved people from another bomb, did you not?”

Chione stepped forward. “Lisa, as you know what occurred today during King Anwar’s arrival is still under investigation as is the original bombing. King Caden cannot address these questions.”

Lisa’s expression did not change. She just stared intently at Caden. Valerius was not sure what he expected Caden to do, but what he did just proved that he was extraordinary.

“Anyone would have done that,” Caden said with all serious truthfulness. “I know that most people think they wouldn’t step up in a crisis, that they wouldn’t have the presence of mind or bravery to act. But it’s not true.”

Lisa’s intentness increased. “You think that most people would have sacrificed themselves to save others?”

Caden nodded. “I do. There’s depths in everyone that they don’t even know. When push comes to shove, when they have their moment, they will rise to greatness.”

Lisa turned to Valerius and asked, “I can see that King Caden believes that, but what about you, King Valerius? Do you believe that anyone would have done as he did?”

Valerius’ smile was small. “No, but the fact that Caden thinks they would is part of what makes him special. And his belief in others often can inspire them to reach those lofty heights he already gives them credit for reaching.”

“You’re both cynics!” Caden laughed as he playfully elbowed Valerius.

He looked at his mate affectionately. “I look forward to you proving me wrong.”

Caden grinned and the tenseness that had filled the young man drained away. This was good. Caden was acting himself. He was losing the tension. The world would see what he did in Caden. They would love him.

“So I have to ask the question that is on everyone’s mind!” Claire said brightly.

“About--about the bombings?” Caden frowned, his smile dimming.

“Oh, no, that’s really important, but…” Claire gave him a sheepish smile, “but everyone really wants to know how you and Valerius went from fighting in Reach’s skies to being mates. ”

Story Continues in Book 7!