Page 7

WAITING

T he others streamed out of Valerius’ rooms except for Jahara and Chione, who lingered in the doorway, intent on drawing Jahara after her. But Jahara ignored the hint. She stood there, smiling slightly, and looking meaningfully at Valerius. Caden pinched the top of his nose as Valerius simply crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her.

“Do you think you are somehow exempt from the description ‘everyone except Caden leave’?” Valerius asked meaningfully.

“I wanted to make sure that you understood my proposal fully before meeting with the others,” Jahara explained simply.

She continued to be calm and composed despite Valerius looking like a volcano about to blow.

“I can explain it to him, Jahara,” Caden offered as he maneuvered himself between Valerius and Jahara.

“Though you are open to my plans, you do not believe in them fully, Caden, as I do. So I must make my own case,” she answered with a soft smile.

“Make it exceedingly brief then.” Valerius put his hands on Caden’s shoulders as he moved up behind him. Those hands massaged him and Caden nearly purred.

Chione took out her tablet and stylus to take notes, but Caden knew there was no need.

Jahara tented her fingers beneath her chin, her gaze going distant as she marshaled her thoughts, before she spoke, “I believe a war is coming on many fronts. These wayward Faithful. Groups like Humans First and others of its ilk. Even wars between us if we keep separate territories. We cannot defend the entirety of the world, Valerius, but we can protect a part of it. My suggestion is that we form a single Shifter territory, free of humans, while the rest of the world is free of Shifters. Each area is governed by their own. Each area need not worry about the other except at the highest levels of power. With our combined strength and know-how, humanity--even the zealous--will not be able to reach us. Many who feel the desire now to oppose us will no longer feel a need to, because they will no longer be competing with us for scarce resources. While those who want to help us in destructive ways will similarly not feel that urge as they will see a thriving community that needs no assistance. That is my proposal.”

Caden had never fully understood the phrase “the silence in the room was deafening” until that moment. Chione was frozen over her tablet, her stylus having gone still. Her expression was shielded from him by her long dark tresses. He turned to look over his shoulder at Valerius to glimpse the Black Dragon King’s expression. But while he saw Valerius’ face well enough, there was no expression there to read. No scoffing, but no interest either.

“That is an idea, Jahara,” Valerius finally said with no inflection in his voice.

“You disagree?” She lifted a delicate eyebrow.

“I would never dismiss any of your ideas out of hand. I admit, this one does not seem feasible or attractive to me, but I need to think about it and give you more than a simple gut reaction,” Valerius answered.

Chione’s head lifted and her expression was visible. She was proud of him! Caden was similarly proud, but baffled, by Valerius’ mild response. Did it mean that he thought Jahara’s idea had merit? Was he contemplating a mass exodus of Shifters to Africa or maybe a larger parcel of the world? Or was it simply so unworkable that he didn’t want to offend Jahara by simply laughing?

Jahara gave him a slight bow. “That is all I ask. I will see you both at dinner. And Caden?”

“Yeah?”

“I have to say that whatever I expected of you… well, it is nice to be proven wrong. Perhaps the world has jaded me a little. But you are a breath of fresh air,” she told him.

Caden stood up taller, knowing this was a rare compliment. “I have to admit that you are as wonderful as all the media made you seem.”

She laughed delightedly. “And you’re charming, too. What a combination!”

She then turned and joined Chione by the doorway. Chione had tucked her tablet underneath her right arm and smiled broadly at Jahara. She placed one hand on Jahara’s lower back before escorting the Dragon Queen out of the room. When the doors were closed behind them, Caden slipped from Valerius’ arms and went over and locked them before sagging against the solid wood.

“Can we just hide in here? Like not go out again? Except for food and stuff? Because I really don’t think it's safe out there,” Caden told Valerius with a weak laugh.

Valerius stuffed his hands into his pockets and sauntered over to Caden with an understanding look on his face. “Ah, the burdens of leadership.”

“You mean of yelling really loudly at Mei and Illarion? Or arguing with my parents? Or maybe hearing from a person like Jahara--who is clearly smart and sensible--that she thinks we are all better off leaving the world and humanity to its own devices?” Caden’s arms lifted heavensward with each question. He slumped back against the doors once more and ran his hands through his hair until he was sure it was sticking up on end. Iolaire was sitting in a cat-like “loaf” inside of him, wide awake and fully engaged, but with no wisdom to offer. “Iolaire’s all interested, at least.”

“I know things seem dire,” Valerius began.

“ Seem ?!” Caden cried.

“ Seem ,” Valerius confirmed. “But I hate to tell you this, things often seem dire when one is in charge, because what comes next sometimes hinges on the leader’s decisions.”

“You know if you had asked me a year ago--hell, maybe even only a month ago--I would have thought if I was in charge that I would have all these ideas and that I would just implement them no problem.” Caden made a sweeping gesture with his right arm. “I would have no doubts! None! Now, I have the chance to make real change and I am like hell no , don’t trust me! I have no idea what I’m doing!”

“Believe it or not, Chione would say that the latter shows wisdom , and that because you do not think yourself worthy of ruling that you are more likely to actually do so than someone who does,” Valerius told him.

Caden scrubbed his face. “You know I really hoped that when all the Dragon Shifters got here that things would be better. Easier. Clearer. That all these great minds coming together would have answers. But the answers are--”

“Worse than the problems? Yes. I feel the same way. Which is why we need some time away from both problems and answers.”

Valerius curled an arm around his shoulders and led him over towards the staircase that ran along the curve of the wall. Caden had expected Valerius to take him to the couches by the fireplace, but they climbed the stairs until they reached the platform with the shower and tub.

“Are we getting ready for dinner already? I thought maybe we could hang by the fire and--”

“I’m going to make love to you. In the shower.”

Caden blinked. “Oh.”

“And then we will determine whether to go and meet the others downstairs, because after Jahara releases her bomb, I am not certain the meal will not turn into a food fight, since it can’t turn into a Dragon fight with you around.”

“But shouldn’t we be there to--to--”

“What? Stop the other Dragons from reacting just as we have done? They need to listen to her ideas and process them.”

Valerius slipped Caden’s shirt over his head and tossed it off of the platform. It spread its wings and soared downstairs out of sight. He then went to the fastening of Caden’s pants. The backs of a few fingers slid underneath his waistband. Caden sucked his stomach in as the touch tickled, but then he released that breath so he could feel Valerius’ skin against his own.

“What do you think about her idea? One territory for Shifters and another for humans?” Caden asked even as some parts of his brain short circuited as Valerius unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. Cool air circulated around his cock even though he was wearing underwear. The change in temperature had his cock hardening faster than before. He quickly toed out of his boots. “Do you think it's a good one?”

Valerius did not meet his eyes, but instead stared resolutely at Caden’s pants as if they were the only problem in the world. Finally, as he slid Caden’s underwear and pants off of his hips, he said, “Jahara is very smart.”

“So you think she’s right? That we ought to abandon the world and--”

“No, I did not say that,” Valerius calmly interjected as Caden’s pants fell to his ankles.

Valerius gestured for Caden to step out of them. Then Valerius kicked them and Caden’s shoes off of the platform. Caden hoped that none of them landed in the fire. He was quite fond of those clothes.

“Then what--”

Valerius ended his question with a kiss. It was a firm yet gentle yet somehow desperate kiss. When they broke apart, Valerius’ eyes were hooded but his expression was a little grim.

“Like you, I hoped the others would come to us with solutions. Jahara is the only one who has so far,” Valerius said quietly. “She has been thinking long and hard about this problem. I am certain that she did not come to this decision lightly. She must have considered all other options before deciding on the one she did and offering her territory as the birthplace for this new nation of Shifters.”

“Yeah, I think she has, too. That’s what scares me,” Caden admitted.

“It scares me as well.”

Caden blinked. “But you aren’t scared of anything!”

Valerius smiled gently. “I only wish that were true.”

Caden felt a wave of almost panic flood him as he thought of the world that Jahara offered. It would be one where his parents and sister would be separated from him. There could be no exceptions to the rule of human and Shifter separateness, he guessed, especially not with a Dragon Shifter. How could any of the “lower” Shifters be obliged to follow the rules if the “greater” ones would not?

He imagined that the Dragons would naturally divide up whatever territory they were given into smaller ones. And he couldn’t believe that Mei and Illarion wouldn’t plot and fight one another whether they had 100 cubic miles or 1 million. It was in their natures. And would the humans--whether Humans First or Faithful--really stop their war? No. They would still fight too as proxies even.

Yet there was a kind of sense, too, to what Jahara said, and even a kind of appeal. If there were no humans to take jobs from then the natural inequities of living forever would hardly matter in some ways. Not to mention that combining the knowledge of people who were immortal would be invaluable in terms of understanding the past and building a powerful and visionary future.

Perhaps the territory on Earth was just the beginning anyways. A launch pad to the stars and other worlds could be constructed and rockets launched where Shifters could establish new colonies so that a single territory on Earth would not be too “cramped”.

But Caden couldn’t imagine an existence without humans. He loved them. He had been one of them not so long ago. He was still one of them in many ways and he wanted to hold onto that. Besides, humans were great! They understood that there really wasn’t all the time in the world. Shifters needed to be reminded of that and so much more.

“You do not want to live in a world where Shifters and humans are separated?” Valerius tilted his head to the side.

Caden realized that he had been silent for a long time and he wasn’t sure he hadn’t missed part of their conversation. “No! I don’t. But if you--”

“No, I did not enter the world again only to retreat from it,” Valerius assured him with a shake of his head.

“But you said that Jahara was smart and had thought this through and--”

“All of those things are true, but life isn’t logical,” Valerius sounded amused. “We have to believe--against all logic and good sense--in the world we want to live in.”

“Oh,” Caden repeated and a slow smile crossed his face. “I thought that…”

“That I would say something different?” Valerius’ mouth twitched suspiciously.

“I actually thought you would blow your top at the idea that your territory wasn’t chosen as the one for us all to populate,” Caden pointed out with an impish grin.

With a rather superior look, Valerius said, “If I were to get behind Jahara’s idea, I assure you that my territory would be the one chosen.”

Caden tipped back his head and laughed. “I bet!”

Valerius was still smiling but he was slightly more serious as he said, “I should have said our territory. It is not just mine and Raziel’s anymore. You and Iolaire are its masters too.”

Caden’s smile turned from amusement to something far different. It was slow and warm and sweet as honey. “I suppose with the burdens of leadership come some of the perks.”

Valerius cupped Caden’s face. “Let me show you more of those perks.”

Caden was drawn to the heat of Valerius’ body. Even with clothes on, Valerius radiated heat, a volcanic warmth that somehow didn’t burn in a painful way. Caden leaned his naked front against Valerius’ clothed one and he half expected steam to rise up as ice met fire. He bit his lip to stifle a moan from exiting his mouth.

There was something so illicit about being naked with someone who wasn’t. It was a form of weakness, he supposed. No one felt more exposed than when they were naked. How many people dreamed of being nude in high school? But with Valerius, there was this extra edge of sensualness. The leather of his outfit felt slick against Caden’s skin. The button fly of those leather pants brushed a little roughly against his cock. Caden shivered and his cock rose more. Precum drizzled against the leather.

Valerius leaned past him and there was a squeaking sound as he adjusted the faucets on that ridiculously huge shower with jets and a huge rain shower fixture. It was like entering a monsoon. Despite Valerius being dressed they both moved into the water.

Caden moaned and water sluiced over his lips and down his chin. Valerius caught it in his mouth as they kissed. The leather became downright slippery as water flowed over it like a rock face. Caden curled his left leg around Valerius’ powerful thighs. The other Black Dragon King was like a mountain. He was strong enough to withstand anything Caden wanted to do, which was to use him as a jungle gym at that moment.

Both of Caden’s legs wound around Valerius’ waist as the other Black Dragon King effortlessly lifted him with one hand on his bare ass. Caden moaned at the touch. He wanted more than just a firm hand on his buttocks though. He pushed against Valerius’ leather clad front to indicate his need. Valerius was hard and the front of his pants was tented with his own need. Valerius skinned his lips from his teeth in a wild smile even as the water slicked his mane of hair back from his face.

“Don’t you want to tell me what happened with your family?” Valerius teased even as there was the sound of his pants being undone.

“They’re staying. They didn’t like the idea at first, but I think it will grow on them. Just think.” Caden nipped Valerius’ lower lip. “We’ll have to hide our love from my father’s watchful eyes.”

“I think I can take your father.”

“Oh, I doubt it.”

“Maybe you’re right. So, I suppose, I must win him over.”

A wash of warmth that had nothing to do with the water or Valerius’ natural heat flowed over him. Sudden tears pricked his eyes.

“You mean that, don’t you?” Caden stated more than asked as his voice thickened with emotion.

Valerius answered simply, “Yes. For you I would face all my fears and I would win against each and every one.”

“You would?” Caden’s voice sounded thicker still.

Valerius moved wet curls from his forehead with his left hand. “Caden, there is another reason that I wouldn’t accept Jahara’s suggestion, even if I felt it was inevitable.”

Caden had to swallow deeply to clear his throat enough to speak. “What reason is that?”

“You. You would be so sad if we retreated. If we didn’t have hope ,” Valerius murmured as he drew his hand down the side of Caden’s cheek.

Caden’s eyes closed and his tears of joy were washed down his cheeks as well as the shower water. They were hidden in the rush of other waters. Finally, he opened his eyes and he curled one hand behind Valerius’ head, and gazed upon the Black Dragon King’s face.

“I trust you to make the best decisions. You shouldn’t worry about me ,” Caden told him.

“But that is how I know I am making the right decision, Caden. If it pleases you then I am doing what is hopeful, what is good and what is brave. You are my North Star in this.” Valerius put a finger to Caden’s lips to silence his protestations to the contrary. “I value what you have to say, but in this, I must insist on my right to determination.”

“But, Valerius, Rose says how innocent I am and she’s right! I--”

“You don’t see yourself clearly. And I know that Rose believes in you as well as I do. She just fears you will be hurt by the world,” Valerius interrupted. “Caden, you were chosen . It was not luck or chance or a mistake that Iolaire joined with you.”

Caden blinked. Tears were stinging his eyes again even as emotions of a different sort clogged his throat. “I-I’m trying to believe that. Even as Iolaire tells me that we were meant to be together, I can’t help but wonder if there wouldn’t have been someone better--”

“No, you are exactly the right person for these difficult times. You have no idea how you’ve changed things for everyone-- for me and Raziel --in such a short time.” Valerius swallowed and the emotions he felt were written on his face. Love and pain and a desire so keen to convince Caden of what he felt that it could have cut through anything. He refocused on Caden’s face. “Whatever else you believe, I need you to believe this.”

“What?” Caden’s voice was barely above a whisper.

Valerius leaned in. Their lips were but a few millimeters from one another’s. He was breathing Valerius’ breath. They were sharing the very air. Fire and ice. Ice and fire.

“You are--and have always been--the ninth Dragon Shifter,” Valerius told him. “We were just waiting for you to introduce yourself.