Chapter 27

Aidan

He stood with his arms crossed, surveying the gathering. A large crowd of humans, slayers, sorcerers, shifters, and dragons stood on a field just outside of Norman. It was a little over two miles west of the Taugud border and Interstate 35, but they’d wanted a buffer zone to protect the storage facilities they’d stocked near the front line. Only two days remained before the war would begin. They’d powered the stones as much as possible, especially with the most recent arrivals contributing.

Now, it was time to raise the shield.

Morgan stood ahead of everyone at the central-most point where it would go up. He wore snug black camrium pants and a short-sleeved tunic, contrasting with his golden frame glasses. The sorcerer had come a long way, withconfidence in his gaze and bearing.

Verena was up to the north in Kansas, where the shield ended shortly past the city of Wichita. Javier had taken the far southern point in Waco, Texas. It wasn’t a perfectly straight north-south line since they’d placed the stones, so they’d veer around major population centers for added protection of the most vulnerable.

Bailey stood a few paces behind Morgan with a sat phone in her hand. All three sorcerers who would erect the shield had an assistant standing by to communicate, allowing them to work in sync. It had to be precise for thegreatest effect. Aidan couldn’t miss the nervous energy humming around the crowd of onlookers. Something on this scale had never been done before, and even with careful planning, it could go wrong. They desperately needed the shield to work.

“It’s time, Bailey,” Morgan said, shoulders tense as he hovered over a two-inch moonstone set atop a mound of dirt. His hands were outstretched above it. “Start the countdown.”

She spoke loudly and clearly into the phone. “Get ready…ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two…one!”

White light shot from Morgan’s hands and into the stone. It grew brighter and brighter until it was too blinding to look at. The sorcerer chanted a line of strange, unintelligible words repeatedly as he fed the magic. As long minutes passed, his body began to tremble, and sweat beaded his brow. The streaks of light began spreading to the north and south simultaneously as they followed the path of stones laid months ago, connecting the shield segments.

Bailey put a hand on Morgan’s back as he began to sway with exhaustion, still pushing power into the stone. Slowly, the wall started to rise foot by foot. Danae and Skylar stepped forward, putting their hands on each of the sorcerer’s shoulders. Light shone from them as they fed him their power to help him keep going. Verena and Javier would also have assistance at their endssince they’d suspected it would take a lot of energy to raise the shield to its intended height.

Aidan turned his gaze up, noting it was climbing faster now toward the sky. Five more minutes passed, and then ten as it climbed high enough to reach white, fluffy clouds. He wasn’t certain where it ended after that.

Sparks suddenly shimmered across the shield, and a faint buzzing sound emitted from it. Morgan collapsed onto his back, gasping for breath. Danae and Skylar dropped beside him, pale and shaking. It was good that they had two days to regain their strength since they’d drained themselves. Of course, that was why they’d done this now to give them that time.

“It’s done,” Morgan said with a gasp.

Aidan pointed at Titan, who remained in his red dragon form. “Take him back to the fortress and ensure he is comfortably settled in his room at the tower.” He looked at Eliam next. “You take care of Skylar.”

The shifters obeyed immediately.

Miles came forward to grab his wife. Though shaky, she was able to rise on her feet. He had a vehicle nearby to transport her home, so Danae wouldn’t have to walk far.

Nearly everyone else had come from the training dome, where they conducted a final few rounds of practice. It had been worth the effort since all the elements had finally fallen into a solid working rhythm. They were as ready as they could get.

While Bailey worked to confirm all was well at the other end of the shields, Aidan moved toward his brother, Zoran. He’d been allowed to practice at the dome today, and like everyone else, was covered in dust, blood, and healing wounds. Before, he had been pulling long guard shifts, but he deserved a break like the rest of them. They needed to cherish this time because no one could guarantee they would survive the war.

“Zoran,” Aidan said, clasping his shoulder. “Come back to the fortress with us. You can clean up there and join us for a private family dinner in my chambers.”

Surprise showed in his eyes. “Are you certain?”

“Yes, brother, you’ve earned it, and we’d be glad to have you there.”

Zoran blinked and took a deep breath. “Then I’ll be happy to come. Thank you.”

***

They’d had to bring in an extra table and chairs. Aidan was grateful his chambers were spacious, or they wouldn’t have been able to manage it. He’d wanted this dinner for family and their closest friends as this was the last chance they’d all be together in one room until after the war. He, Bailey, and Orion would have a private meal tomorrow evening, but tonight, they’d enjoy their time with everyone else. He wanted to create as many special memories as possible.

His son sat on his grandmother’s lap in the sitting area. Bailey was next to them, discussing Orion’s new favorite book from the library. It was an old tale about sea dragons and a kingdom under the ocean.

“You know they can breathe underwater?” Orion asked Imee.

She shook her head. “No. I thought they might be like whales and come up for air.”

He giggled. “Sea dragons couldn’t live very deep if they couldn’t breathe, Grandma.”

“No, I suppose not.”

“They’re very ferocious,” Bailey said, pretending to shiver.

Orion’s eyes rounded. “You’ve seen them, Mommy?”

She smiled. “Only once. My team was assigned to fight land dragons, but there was one time when they brought us as reinforcements. The few slayers and a contingent of Marines stationed at the coast got overwhelmed.”

“Why did they attack?” Orion asked.

“The Spraedan don’t like anyone fishing near their territory, so every now and then they go after the boats and trawlers.” She squeezed his hand. “But we always taught them a lesson, and they’d retreat back into the ocean.”

There was so much Aidan still hadn’t learned about his mate’s time away from him. This was a story he hadn’t heard before. With all that they had to worry about, he hadn’t asked much about her battles with dragons on the East Coast, but of course, she would have run into sea dragons. He’d never seen any for himself, only heard stories about them.

Conrad and Rosalie joined them, with the newly turned slayer pulling his girlfriend into his lap. He gave Orion a grave face. “Sea dragons are the most dangerous to fight. They’ll try everything they can to pull you under the water, and if they do, you ain’t comin’ back up.”

Bailey frowned at him.

Aidan understood since they did their best to hide the darker elements of the world from him. He leaned against the wall by the door, waiting for the last of their guests to arrive. It was nice to watch everyone interact and take this evening to enjoy themselves.

“What do they do if they pull you under?” Orion asked, leaning forward in his grandma’s lap.

Everyone stiffened, unsure how the unpredictable man might respond.

Conrad made a tsking sound. “They take you to their secret city deep in the ocean and make you eat vegetables for the rest of your life.”

Aidan fought a smile.

Orion let out a loud giggle and kicked his feet. “Ha ha. You’re silly.”

“He’s right,” Bailey said, lips twitching. “That’s where all the children who don’t eat their vegetables go.”

Paul and Candace were sitting at the table with their chairs turned to face the sitting area. Danae’s sister had been quiet, but she snickered at Conrad’s outrageous lie.

“I saw lots of sea dragons when I rode a ship from Scotland after the dragons arrived.” Candace shuddered. “It was all the sorcerers on board could do to shield us from them. Sometimes, on a clear day, you could see children at the bottom of the sea eating broccoli, green beans, and brussels sprouts. They had whole platters in front of them.”

Orion gave them all suspicious looks. “I don’t believe you guys.”

“Believe it or not.” Conrad shrugged. “But you’re taking your chances if you don’t eat some vegetables every day. At least you get some meat, fruit, and bread here, too. The water dragons won’t even give you a cookie if they take you down there.”

A knock sounded at the door. Aidan turned to open it and found Zoran in the corridor, escorted by Ruari and Freya. He gestured them inside. “Please, come in.”

“Did we miss anything?” Ruari asked, running his gaze around the room.

They were the final guests, other than Kayla, who would arrive from the kitchen with the food.

“Orion was just learning that if he doesn’t eat his vegetables, he could be taken by sea dragons and forced to eat them forever in the underwater cities,” Aidan replied seriously, managing to keep a straight face.

Zoran lifted a brow to this. “Are we going to need to protect him from this dire fate?”

“No,” Orion shouted, fisting his hands. “I eat most of my vegetables, so they can’t get me.”

Conrad let out a chuckle. “I’d watch it with that ‘most’ part, little man.”

Orion slipped from his grandma’s lap and raced to Zoran, leaping into his waiting arms. Aidan tried not to feel jealous of his son’s exuberance to see his uncle. Ruari’s nose scrunched as if he found the scene displeasing as well.

“I missed you,” the little boy said, hugging the large shifter who held him tightly.

“I’ve missed you as well.”

“Me, me!” Leilany said, scooting from Ozara’s lap where they sat at the extra table.

Zoran carefully set Orion down before scooping up the two-year-old girl.

“And who might this be?” he asked, giving the child a kind smile.

It was an expression Aidan had never seen on his brother before, and he continued to be amazed at Zoran’s transformation. They’d talked for a few minutes before training this morning, and he’d mentioned spending time with human families while exiled. He’d seen their love for each other, envying it. Zoran had done his best to protect them from other dragons, and they’d been kind to him in turn. He’d learned to see the benefits of a caring family rather than a divided one. Aidan suspected there was even more to the story, but he appreciated his brother opening up to him.

“That one is mine,” Ozara said.

Her expression was tight, but she didn’t move to take her daughter away. She understood this was a day to put animosity aside. Though she’d had little interaction with Aidan’s eldest brother before, she disliked him for his treatment of his siblings over the years on principle, which was understandable.

Lorcan stepped inside from where he’d been standing on the balcony, enjoying his first view of the fortress from that vantage point. “And she’s mine as well.”

Zoran lifted a brow. “It appears there is much I have missed if you’re involved.”

Aidan hadn’t told him much during the few times they’d spoken since his return. Phoebe and Ruari had seen him as well, but they were still guarded, especially their sister. He’d heard she punched their eldest brother in the face and promised him a swift death if he made one wrong move. That had been the extent of their conversation. He likely knew she was pregnant since her scent had grown stronger recently, but he wisely didn’t mention that sensitive topic.

“That’s an understatement,” Ruari muttered.

Zoran carefully set down Leilany and tweaked her nose. “You look like you’ll grow to be as beautiful as your mother.”

“Thankfully, she inherited very little from her father,” Aidan said, grinning. He wanted to smooth over the tension that had filled the room at his eldest brother’s arrival.

“Hey,” Lorcan said. “I’ve never heard a female say I’m anything less than stunningly handsome.”

Phoebe snorted. “Let’s hope our children don’t inherit his arrogance.”

“Yes.” Ozara reached out for her daughter to settle in her lap again. “He lacks a humble bone in his body.”

Zoran let out a deep chuckle and patted Lorcan’s shoulder. “I see some things haven’t changed even over the centuries since I last saw you.”

“I have no idea why I subject myself to this family,” Lorcan said with a martyred sigh.

Another knock sounded at the door. Aidan opened it to find Kayla and several servants with heavy platters of steaming food. He waved them inside.

“Make room,” he ordered.

Stomachs rumbled at the teasing aromas, and everyone quickly moved out of the way as the two tables were topped for the feast. Everyone would be eating well tonight. Falcon and Sabryn were presiding over the dinner in the great hall, ensuring everyone had a good time there so that Aidan could remain here. The kitchen staff would do minimal cooking tomorrow for only the castle residents, allowing them more time with their families before the war began.

Once the servants finished and left, everyone took their seats. Only Kayla remained, taking a seat by Paul and Candace. She seemed the most comfortable with them since they were fully human like her.

Aidan sat at the head of the table. Bailey took the seat to his left, and their son took a place to his right. Imee was in the chair next to her grandson so she could help him fill his plate and cut his food. She enjoyed doing it, allowing Aidan and his mate to relax while enjoying their meal and the company.

He took a large chunk of roasted lamb for himself and another for Bailey. After that, everyone else began getting their food. There was little talk in the beginning. The cooks had done an impressive job providing the best meal he could recall ever eating, and they couldn’t slow down their consumption to speak.

Lorcan sat at the next table over with his daughter. “I have decided all the verbal abuse I’ve received is well worth it for this meal. Perhaps we should request your people to teach ours how to prepare food such as this.”

“You wish,” Kayla said from the end of Aidan’s table. “I’m not going down there, even if you bribe me with some of your gold and jewels.”

Aidan smiled at her show of bravery.

“You wound me, little human,” Lorcan said, clutching at his chest.

Conrad snorted. “If only.”

“Maybe you can send a couple of your cooks up here…when time allows,” Bailey said, pausing. Aidan assumed she was working around mentioning the war. “They can apprentice in our kitchens when things are settled.”

“I’d have to run it by my mother, but she might consider it.”

Aidan had seen Lorcan’s mother, Hildegard, two days before during dome training. That was their last time together until the war finished since they needed to concentrate on their respective borders. Even Lorcan would have to leave tomorrow to spend time with the rest of his family and toriq before the fighting began. The shifter likely felt torn about where he should be with a young daughter and another female pregnant with his child at the Taugud fortress, but he was the second in command for the Faegud. That was the place he had to be.

Bailey took a sip of water and put down her glass. “Did my family get settled alright?”

“Yes.” Lorcan gave her a reassuring smile. “Though it was quite the project since they wouldn’t leave any of their cows or horses behind. We have them set up just east of the jakhal, and they have tunnels where they can hide if needed.”

“I really appreciate that,” she said, gratitude in her gaze.

After they saw the Kandoran attacks getting closer to the Faegud border, they’d requested Lorcan’s help with moving Bailey’s stepbrothers and the others at the ranch. Hildegard had gone out of her way to ensure they’d stay somewhere safer until the war ended.

Aidan dipped his chin at the shifter. “You have my thanks as well.”

“I can’t say it was entirely altruistic.” Lorcan grinned. “They gave us a quarter of their cattle to help feed the influx of dragons we’ve received. It has made it a lot easier to keep everyone fed, so it certainly worked to our advantage.”

“I can hardly mind that,” Bailey reassured him.

Everyone returned to eating and making small talk. While they tried to keep the mood light, an undercurrent of tension ran through the room. Only the children appeared ignorant of it. Aidan was grateful for that, but occasionally, Orion cast a concerned glance at him and Bailey. He was just old enough to understand something bad was about to happen.

Servants returned to clear the tables after they finished their meal. Aidan took his son and mate by the hand and moved them to the sitting area. He had Bailey sit in his lap with his arms wrapped around her petite form. Orion sat on the floor with Leilany, playing with dragon figures made of specially treated wood. The little girl was a full shifter, so she couldn’t touch human-made toys without melting them.

“Tomorrow, you’ll need to bring yours and Leilany’s things to the castle,” Aidan said, glancing at Phoebe.

Orion looked up. “They’re moving in here?”

“For a little while,” he answered his son. “They’ll stay on the second floor so you can see them more often.”

Phoebe smiled, mostly hiding the strain in her features. “And you can come to sleep with us if you’d like while your parents are away.”

They’d already explained to Orion that Aidan and Bailey would be gone for a while, along with many others from the fortress, to stop some bad dragons from invading their land. He wished he didn’t have to say anything at all, but there was no way to hide it completely from an observant four-year-old.

It didn’t help that Orion had suffered nightmares recently related to the Kandoran. His dark dreams had shocked them, but they’d done their best to assuage his fears. He and Bailey had brought up the issue with Kane. His uncle said there was little he could do at this point, but hopefully, once the war concluded, Orion would have a respite from the dark visions. Grave threats almost always broke through a seers’ defenses, especially young ones with little control.

Aidan had decided to have his sister reside in the castle for the duration of the war since she would oversee the defenses and could keep a better eye on Orion. Also, it was the safest location above ground. If the shield wall fell and the Kandoran targeted the jakhal, everyone not participating in the battle would move to the tunnels beneath. Layers of old and new magic made that area the most impenetrable. If that time came, Bailey’s mother, Imee, along with Paul and Candace, would oversee moving all humans and children.

Phoebe would remain above to coordinate the fortress’s defense, but he’d ordered her not to fight unless she was directly attacked. While it was extremely rare for a shifter to lose a baby during pregnancy, it could happen if they were critically injured. He wanted her as safe as possible.

“We can do sleepovers?” Orion asked, excited.

“Yes.” Phoebe nodded. “And sometimes, you two will stay with your grandma or uncle. They’re planning many activities to keep you busy.”

Paul, Candace, and Imee had taken the fireproof potion, along with several others, so they could assist in watching over shifter children as well as the human ones. For this war, they needed every fighter they could get, including both parents in many cases.

Fifty healthy, younger Taugud warriors would remain at the fortress to defend it, but the rest would come from their aged members and those with disabilities who would usually stay out of the fighting. They’d volunteered, though, and trained so that they could learn to work around physical handicaps such as missing limbs or the inability to fly. Aidan had no doubt they would fight as fiercely as anyone if the enemy reached the jakhal.

Orion looked between him and Bailey. “How long are you going to be gone?”

“We don’t know for sure, son.” Aidan gave him a reassuring look. “But I promise we’ll be back as soon as possible.”

He wouldn’t promise they’d visit, though they’d try if an opportunity presented itself. The only other reason they’d return during the fighting was if their injuries were grave enough to need the healing stones. That was part of Ruari and Freya’s job. They would move between the bunkers, supply points, and fortress to transfer injured and restock food and supplies as needed. Unless the front line got overwhelmed, his brother wouldn’t fight. Aidan preferred to use him where he excelled, rather than force him onto the battlefield full-time. Freya was welcome to battle if her mate didn’t need her assistance since she could certainly take down many Kandoran.

“I’m going to miss you,” Orion said, lips trembling.

Bailey leaned forward and grabbed him, pulling him onto hers and Aidan’s laps. “It will be okay, sweetheart. We’ll miss you like crazy, too, and won’t be gone a second longer than we have to, okay?”

Their son nodded, though the tears in his eyes told them he wasn’t fully convinced. “Okay.”

Orion’s anxiety tore at Aidan’s heart. He had begun showing signs of seer abilities, and it terrified him that the young child might know even more than he was revealing, or perhaps he’d learn more as the war progressed. As a father and pendragon, he wished he could shield Orion from everything. All he could hope for was that their meticulous planning and strategizing helped them win without too many losses. All their children deserved a bright future without fear.