Chapter 2

Bailey

The afternoon sun shone brightly outside. Thankfully, early September proved less scorching than the previous summer months. I estimated the temperature to be in the high eighties, perfect for an outing. Orion had jumped for joy when I told him we would go to the field beyond the fortress so he could play with other shifter children.

“Be careful,” I shouted, wincing when he tripped and almost face-planted while chasing a small female dragon.

He’d insisted on switching to his other form like the half dozen “hatchlings” already running around when we arrived. His golden scales stood out against the red bodies of all the others. I’d worried he’d be seen as an interloper, but everyone had made him feel welcome from the start, regardless of his coloring or parentage.

If only the whole world worked that way.

The other Taugud children on the field were at least a couple of years older than him, though, so he struggled to keep up when they ran. He hadn’t built the habit of keeping his wings closed, so when he started to sprint, they’d flare open, and he’d crash to the ground. Aidan assured me that was normal. He would get better in a few more months with a lot of practice—supposedly. At least all of Orion’s cuts and bruises healed within a few hours, or I might have gone crazy seeing my son banged up all the time.

“I thought I might find you out here,” Ozara said, walking up with her little girl.

Leilany was only two and unable to shift yet. She just enjoyed toddling around on the grass and watching the big kids. At first, she stood by her mother’s side, twisting her black hair around her fingers as she took in the scene before her. Then she caught sight of Orion, giggled, and ran toward him. They’d become close since Aidan and I often took our son to Ozara and Phoebe’s place when we needed someone to watch him.

I looked up and smiled at the clan’s best spy. Technically, I wasn’t supposed to know her job, but my mate had trusted me enough to reveal the big secret. She was stunning in her natural form—she could alter her appearance as a human or dragon to fit into her surroundings—and chose to wear a green knee-length camrium dress that day. It hugged her tall, slender frame. She’d left her shoulder-length black hair down and appeared content as she stood there. I’d grown to like her. Ozara had a quiet demeanor about her, but she could turn cunning and ferocious when the situation called for it.

“What made you think I’d be here?” I asked.

She shrugged. “You hunted yesterday, did you not?”

“Well, yeah…why?”

Ozara looked at me pointedly. “Every time you go on a hunt, you take Orion out to play the next day.I’ve noticed the pattern.”

I frowned since it hadn’t occurred to me that I’d been doing it quite that regularly. Had I become so predictable? Of course, I was dealing with a spy, so she’d be the first to notice.

“Guess I gotta work on breaking up the pattern.”

She shook her head. “No. I suspect you do it that way because you are most relaxed after a hunt. It is the best time to be among shifters without the fear of wanting to attack us, and you can enjoy yourself.”

I supposed the hundred and twenty years she’d been alive and her job made her rather clever. Everything she said made sense.

“True,” I agreed as I watched Orion pick a flower and tickle Leilany’s nose with it, making her laugh. He’d shifted to human form as soon as he saw her, having become faster at transitioning in recent weeks. “Also, I just feel bad for leaving him so often. Bringing him out here is my way of making it up to him.”

Back when we lived in NAC—New American Coalition—territory, I’d always tried to make extra time for my son after missions. I couldn’t quit my job if I wanted to, but I could give him extra attention whenever possible. Mostly, I wanted him to feel loved.

“We have that in common,” Ozara said, gaze watchful on her daughter. “Difficult jobs that we are destined to work until we can’t anymore.”

No one else in the clan could change appearances, and she could even pull off looking like a pure green dragon. That blew my mind. I knew she had done it while we were out on the mission to find my father, but she’d kept her distance from us so the others in our group wouldn’t discover the truth. They all assumed she’d been flying as a red dragon and serving as a relay for telepathic messages if we got into trouble. Most shifters in the clan outside her family had any idea she blended in with the enemy to avoid detection.

The thought of the mission to find my father brought me up short. The pain of his death remained too fresh, and I hated that we still couldn’t recover his body. According to Kade, Aidan’s seer uncle, the Kandoran watched that area carefully, suspecting I’d return for Wayne.

I rubbed my face and took a calming breath. Orion would know if I got sad again, being remarkably in tune with my moods for such a young child, so I had to set aside my pain. Today was about him.

“I can only imagine what it must feel like to leave your daughter for work,” I said, giving her a sympathetic look.

She drew in a deep breath as she gazed into the distance. “Your mate is sending me away tomorrow for a difficult mission, so today is my last chance to enjoy time with Leilany before I go. It is for her safety as well as the toriq that I do it.”

Toriq was the dragon word for clan.

“What?” I asked, surprised. “Where?”

Ozara’s expression revealed a flash of anxiety before turning carefully blank. “I’m not at liberty to say, but you are welcome to ask the pendragon privately.”

Aidan had proven open with me since I returned, but I knew nothing about him planning to send the clan spy on a mission. Would he tell me about it? I’d have to wait until late tonight to find out.

“Do you really want to go?” I asked, concerned for her.

She gave me a curt nod. “Yes. No one else could do this without the risk of failure being far greater, and I want to help. We need every advantage we can get if we are to win against the Kandoran.”

I glanced toward the west. It was nothing except sunny skies, but we all knew if we kept heading in that direction, we’d reach an impenetrable shield of dark magic. What lay beyond it was a massive army of more than a hundred thousand that comprised dragons, sorcerers, and tainted humans. We couldn’t hope to defeat them without gathering a sizable force ourselves.

Since returning to Oklahoma, everyone had focused on doing what we could to shore up our defenses. Our own shield wall was almost complete and would be ready to activate soon.It would protect our most vulnerable while we stood before it to repel the invaders.

“I understand doing what you must so we can win.” However, I felt terrible that she had to leave her daughter because it sounded especially dangerous. “I’m doing everything I can from my end as well.”

Just a few hours ago, I’d been on a satellite phone with the NAC, coordinating efforts for them to join us for the war. I was relieved that the leadership was giving us their full support, and they were currently coordinating which assets they’d bring. The Kandoran wouldn’t know what hit them when American firepower came into play. The military had become much better at fighting dragons than when they first faced them six years ago. Weaponry had been modified, and tactics improved.

Ozara smiled. “I’ve heard as much and believe the allies you are bringing to us will make a great difference. Not everyone here has learned to appreciate you yet, but I promise many have begun to see the advantages you bring.”

“Thank you,” I said, appreciating her kind words. Who knew a master spy could be so sweet?

My brother, Paul, headed toward us from the fortress. At twenty-two years old, he was six years younger than me. He had straight brown hair, a light tan, and a medium build. Since we shared the same short mother, he wasn’t very tall, but he still reached five-foot-nine, thanks to him having a tall father.

I frowned at him. Usually, if he came outside, our mother was with him. This time, he was alone, with a nervous expression on his face. He stopped before us and shifted from foot to foot, his hands in his pockets.

“What’s going on?”

Paul cleared his throat. “I have a request I wanted to run by you before I ask Aidan.”

“Should I go?” Ozara asked, lifting an arched brow.

“No.” He shook his head. “You should hear this too since it sort of affects you as well.”

We both gave him intrigued glances, wondering what he had on his mind.

“All right, go ahead,” I said.

“Would it be possible…” he began, forcing himself to meet my gaze. “If Candace and I could move into one of the houses in the village and live together there?”

My jaw dropped. I’d known he’d been going into Norman often, but he didn’t talk much about what he did there other than visiting friends or shopping. Had he been seeing my friend, Danae’s sister, this whole time? They had gotten close during the trip, but I didn’t realize it had developed into something deeper.

Of course, I stayed rather busy. Some weeks, I only saw my brother at our weekly dinner or briefly in the great hall. I suddenly felt guilty I didn’t talk to him more often to find out how he was doing with life in the fortress—or his personal affairs.

“You two are getting that serious?”

He nodded. “We wanted to keep it quiet until we knew for sure how we felt, but I really care about her. There’s so much more to Candace once she opens up. We started talking about living together to make things easier, but I don’t want to leave the fortress, and she isn’t comfortable with the castle. Then we realized the village would be the perfect compromise.”

“It’s empty right now,” I pointed out.

Humans had built it after the return of dragons as a safe place to live. Shifters had proven they would protect them, but the former pendragon, Nanoq, eventually scared them away. Over the handful of years of his reign, he evolved from a fair leader into a tyrant who looked for any reason to punish his people and the humans who had sought refuge in or near the fortress.

It had happened because he’d allowed the power of his position to corrupt him, and he’d made himself easy prey for the Kandoran to corrupt to their side. No one figured out that last part until after Aidan had challenged and killed him. Apparently, getting touched by an infected person was all it took if certain factors weakened one’s mind or body. We’d only narrowed down a few of those possibilities so far, such as being badly injured or easily corruptible, but greed was definitely in there as well.

He shrugged. “We don’t mind. Rumors are going around that some refugees may come to live there soon, so we probably won’t be alone for long. Then, at least, we could help and welcome them if we’re already there.”

“Refugees?” I gave him a confused look. “What do you mean?”

“Kade says they’ll arrive soon, but he didn’t say who.”

When Paul wasn’t visiting Norman, he spent a lot of time in the library, where he helped the few human children we had at the fortress learn basic school subjects. Before, no one had been willing to teach them except their parents, who did what they could when they were not working their jobs. Since Aidan’s uncle, Kade, still preferred to work in the library, my brother saw him often.

“Did he find another page in his missing tome?” I asked.

“No.” Paul smiled when Orion waved at him, and he waved back. “He had a normal vision this time.”

It happened once in a while, but it still surprised me when he saw something unrelated to his missing tome of predictions. That “book” had the most crucial predictions, primarily about the upcoming war. The crazy man had written it centuries ago while in a fugue state, divided the pages and hidden them before promptly forgetting everything he wrote and where he put it all. He’d spent years trying to find them and had only recovered about twenty sheets so far.

“Well, I don’t have a problem with you and Candace moving to the village, and I’m happy for you.” I squeezed my brother’s arm and looked at Ozara. “What do you think? Will there be any issue with it?”

“No.” She knitted her brows. “But I fail to see what their lodgings have to do with me.”

“I’d also like to start bringing Candace to our family dinners,” Paul explained.

“Oh.” She waved a dismissive hand. “She is more than welcome if she makes you happy.”

My brother was the kind of guy who got along with everyone. Ozara appeared to find him charming enough and always chatted with him for at least a few minutes at our family dinners. The rest of the Taugud had also warmed to him, so he even haggled good deals at the keep shops.

Paul had surprised us with a hidden knack for trading supplies between the fortress and town and turning a profit to buy goods for himself. We should have had him negotiate during our trip instead of Miles, but he never really tried until arriving in Oklahoma. Maybe having a girlfriend motivated him to learn new skills.

“Thanks—both of you,” he said, a relieved expression on his face. “Now I just have to find time to speak with Aidan.”

“Right after the midnight meal would be best,” I suggested. My mate would be in a good mood after eating, and it would be shortly before we settled Orion into bed.

“Okay, I’ll try that,” he said. Some of his usual confidence had returned.

We chatted for a few more minutes before he walked back to the fortress. I was thinking of asking Orion if he wanted one of the snacks I’d brought for him in my bag when a shifter guard and a human man coming from the nearby village walked toward us. They moved with a purpose that said they were on a mission, and I was their target.

It appeared my day off had officially ended, but at least I’d made it to mid-afternoon before being interrupted. Since returning to Oklahoma, I rarely managed that much free time.

I recognized the human guy right away. Nearly six years ago, I’d saved his son from a female dragon that had kidnapped the little boy and some other children. He’d been in a biker gang—who no longer identified that way since fuel supplies ran out—and now the posse rode horses. None of the rest of his people were with him, but that didn’t surprise me.

Larry recently became the appointed liaison between the town council and the shifter fortress. I suspected he was one of the few brave enough to visit. He usually came to see Aidan or Falcon, but it must have been my lucky day this time. Whatever he needed to speak about, I figured it was best we have a little privacy.

“Can you keep an eye on Orion for a few minutes?” I asked Ozara.

“Of course.”

“I’ll be right over there.” I pointed toward the two men who were still a few hundred feet away. “You can shout if you need me.”

I left her to meet Larry and the shifter guard, reaching them halfway to the village. There might not be residents now, but people still liked to leave their modes of transportation there since it had a well-maintained road leading between it and Highway 9 to the north. There were also two sets of stables where they could keep their animals and give them water. A handful of horses stayed there full-time for human residents in the fortress to use, but plenty of space remained for guests to house their mounts as well.

The shifter gave me a curt bow. “You have a visitor, milady.”

I hated it when they bowed, acting too deferentially. Most of them didn’t seem to mind doing it for me anymore, but it still irked me. For one, I wasn’t a shifter. For two, I was literally born to kill their kind, and just because I worked hard to avoid that didn’t mean I deserved them giving me a high level of respect. It felt wrong.

Aidan insisted I didn’t stop them from doing it anymore—I’d protested a lot initially. He’d said we needed to instill a level of normalcy for his people by having them treat me the same as any mate of a pendragon. They had to stop seeing me as a slayer of their kind and instead as a protector and warrior against their enemies. It had been irritating and painful for all of us in those first weeks, but my “subjects” and I were getting used to it.

“Thank you,” I said and gestured for him to go. “I’ve got it from here.”

He dipped his chin in another sign of respect before heading toward the fortress gates.

I smiled at my guest. “Hey, Larry. What brings you here?”

When we’d first met, he’d kept his blond hair short, but he’d grown it out a few inches since then. His golden locks had a slight curl that framed his angular face. I estimated him to be in his early forties, still in great shape, with muscle tone defining his medium build. Since I’d saved his son—who must have reached eleven or twelve years old by now—Larry had shown nothing except kindness and respect toward me. God help anyone he and his gang didn’t like, though. They could be brutal to their enemies and helped police Norman to keep crime down.

I’d only seen Larry’s wife in passing, but she worked as an assistant for the town council to help organize their courthouse headquarters. The last I’d heard was that their only child was doing well at a new school in Norman while I’d been away. I was pleased to see so many families who had struggled after the dragon apocalypse thriving now. I had to do everything I could to protect what they’d built in the town so it could continue.

Larry gave me a grim look. “Ms. Richards wants to see you.”

“Now?” I asked, glancing toward my son. He wasn’t paying attention to me and continued playing with his cousin, Leilany. They chased a monarch butterfly that flitted across the grassy field.

“Yes.” He nodded. “She’s in danger and needs you right away.”

“From what?” I asked, tensing.

“Looks like a renegade group, but we’re still investigating the situation.”

I frowned. “Is anyone guarding her?”

“A couple of guys from the posse are with her.” He worked his jaw. “But that’s all Jack could spare, and I’m not sure it’s enough.”

My worry for Nadine Richards grew. The last thing we needed was for the head of the town council to die. War was looming, and we had to maintain strong leadership and stability. Since I met her a little over six weeks ago, she had proven her worth with her shrewdness and ability to develop cohesive plans that kept things running smoothly.

“Let me just make arrangements for my son,” I said, glancing toward Orion. “Then we can head out.”

I’d say goodbye and ensure Ozara could take over for a few hours while I was gone.

“Try to make it quick. She found a note late this morning, and it wasn’t the least bit friendly. As soon as I got some guys to watch her, I headed straight here, but my gut tells me we’re running out of time.”

“Where is she at?”

“Her house.” His jaw tightened. “She refused to leave since that was part of the threat.”

They’d attack her home? What did they want, and why go to such extremes?

My mind raced as I formulated a plan. “Head back now. I’m gonna see about catching a faster ride, so I should beat you there.”

“Thanks,” he said, relief filling his hazel eyes. “See you soon.”