Chapter 6

Aidan

The air in his office was hot and stifling. Aidan had summoned more than a dozen people after the midday meal, and they filled the room now. He opened the window behind his desk. Relief filled him and the others as a surprisingly cool breeze blew into the crowded space.

While the entire castle had an anti-magic ward in place, making it difficult to spy on by seers, his office had multiple layers of security to prevent even the most powerful individuals from penetrating their defenses. The most sensitive discussions occurred here or in the sorcerers’ tower, where their library had been fortified with strong blocking spells. Thankfully, an open window would not negate their power.

The gathering before Aidan included many important supporters of his cause, including his mate standing with him behind his desk. Across from them, Phoebe, Xanath, Morgan, Kade, Falcon, Ruari, Donar, Freya, Sabryn—his cousin who he’d brought into his circle—and Skylar waited for him to speak. The elders' council sat in a comfortable sitting area to the side. They’d been alive for nearly a thousand years, seen many wars, and had vast experience with pure dragons. Aidan had made a point of asking for their input on any important discussions.

As a precaution, the guards outside had inspected everyone first to ensure the Kandoran had not found a way to infect them with dark magic. They did not need a repeat of what happened with Nanoq and some of his loyalists. Their due diligence had averted a few disasters over recent weeks as spies tried to infiltrate the fortress and nearby town in an attempt to discover what the Taugud and their allies planned for the war.

“Time is running out,” Aidan said, gazing across the many faces before him. “These meetings will take place every few days from this point forward, and I expect to hear progress on your respective tasks each time. We cannot afford any delays. Kade, you should go first with your report.”

His uncle stood at the side of the gathering. He had light olive skin and long, wavy black hair streaked with gray that ran to his shoulders. His black camrium pants and tunic fit snuggly against his stout frame, but signs of aging had begun to appear now that he was in his ninth century of life. Lines creased his forehead and around his yellow eyes.

At first glance, one might not think Kade was different from other shifters, but once he began speaking about prophecies, that quickly changed. They were often ill-timed and complicated. Never mind that he often delivered them with a crazed fanaticism.

He clasped his hands before him. “I’m afraid there isn’t more to say now. I feel I am close to finding the rest of my missing tome—all of it—but the location still eludes me. Sometimes, I think it must creep about the library to escape my clutches.”

Visions of his uncle chasing a book with little legs filled Aidan’s head. At this point, he wouldn’t even be surprised if he caught Kade pouncing on a runaway tome. The older shifter had spent years looking for it and only found select pages. It was all rather mysterious and more than a little annoying.

“Do you know when the attack might come other than sometime inthe next few weeks?” Aidan asked.

Kade cleared his throat. “I get the sense it will be sooner rather than later, especially with the recent assault on the Shadowan. There is only one sign left of the three before war is imminent. Having said that, I suspect we don’t have to worry until you’ve received further instructions on how to use the orb.”

That was a point Aidan had forgotten with everything else occupying his mind. The orb was a dark weapon created thousands of years ago. In the hands of a powerful sorcerer with malicious intent, it could control dragons, shifters, and slayers in mass.

After it had been used in the worst possible way by its creator, a group of heroes from all the races stole the magical device. They fractured it into three pieces and transported them far from Europe to the central part of North America. The wisest among them knew it would be needed for a greater purpose someday, so they couldn’t simply destroy it.

Six years ago, a recovered page from Kade’s missing tome surfaced and directed them to gather those fragments, reforge the artifact, and secure it until such a time as it would be needed. They had a clue as to where to begin the search, and there was a spirit guide at each location to help direct them further, along with an explanation of its history.

There were no further details on when they would need it or why, but they realized it must be for the Kandoran threat when everyone received the “call” a few months ago by one of the spirit guides to reconvene in the Norman area. It was part of an oath they swore for them to receive the final piece. Aidan, his mate, Conrad, Phoebe, and Bailey were the designated protectors and the ones who would use it as a weapon against their enemy when the time came.

“Wait.” Bailey held up a hand. “Have you learned anything else about the orb?”

“Unfortunately, no. While I was not privy to what the guides told you during our quest to acquire it—rather absurd they left me out, I might add—I can surmise they intended for you to receive some instruction before implementing its use. That has not happened. Therefore, you need not worry about an attack until it does because the powers that be will want you prepared.”

Aidan couldn’t argue the logic, though he hoped his uncle was right. “But who are the powers that be ?”

Kade shrugged. “The ones that gift seers with visions of the future. That is just what I call them, for lack of a better name, but you are free to call them something else. I’m not particularly fond of the term.”

Aidan supposed it didn’t matter what they called them, if they even existed.

Keeping in theme with sorcerers taking a turn first, Aidan addressed Xanath and Morgan next. They’d worked closely together over the last two months on their projects.

“What do you two have for me?” Aidan inquired with a lift of his brow.

Xanath smoothed his dark robe. “As of this morning, we have shielded the entire fortress so that no one infected with dark magic may enter. We shouldn’t need to check anyone at the gate now.”

In recent weeks, they’d caught a few humans and shifters who got infected while away. They’d been able to cure them, but Aidan feared what would happen if they missed even one person. It was exhausting their resources to have everyone checked every time they left the area, as well as for his meetings.

Bailey cocked her head. “What happens if they try to pass through the gates?”

Morgan—the younger sorcerer who came from the New American Coalition territory with Aidan’s mate—pushed his glasses up his nose. “The spell will stun them until they pass out. It doesn’t have to be the gates. The same thing will happen if they try to climb over the wall or come through the underground tunnels.”

Guards watched all the entryways and weakest points so they would know if anyone suddenly fell unconscious while trying to enter the fortress. The sorcerers had spent weeks setting up the spell on top of their numerous other tasks.

“How is progress going on the shield wall?” Aidan asked.

A rare smile crossed Morgan’s face. He was generally a serious young man and rarely showed signs of emotion. Aidan had been doubtful about him when he first arrived, especially since shifters were naturally suspicious of sorcerers, but he’d more than proven his value since his arrival. Even Xanath had been impressed with his level of dedication and extensive powers.

“As you know, anyone with magic has been taking turns fueling the stones for the wall. We could erect it now, and it would be effective, but we prefer to wait and keep pouring power into it until the Kandoran forces are close.”

The lead elder, Edythe, stood and shuffled closer to them. Wrinkles lined her features, and skepticism was evident in her eyes. “Why is that?”

“We are using white magic for something quite massive. Once it goes up, the stones will begin draining, and they can’t be recharged. We will be lucky if it lasts two weeks before it becomes vulnerable to penetration. The longer we wait to raise it, the longer it will last. I can only imagine what the Kandoran have used to fuel theirs for so long, but we suspect considerable sacrifices were involved.”

The older shifter knitted her brows. “What if you use animal sacrifices? Would that make it last longer?”

Aidan understood she was only worried. The sooner the shield went up, the better, but they couldn’t risk it failing when they needed it most for the actual war.

“No.” Xanath shook his head. “We designed the barrier to repel all types of dark magic. Animal sacrifices would negate the spell and render our work obsolete. It will be the most effective if fueled by freely given power and good intentions.”

Morgan cleared his throat. “There is one other thing we have been considering if we want to make it more difficult for the Kandoran to break the shield, but I don’t know how well the request would be received.”

Even the elders who were half falling asleep perked up at his words.

Aidan hadn’t heard of this. “What is it?”

“If we could find enough people who are willing—humans and shifters—to donate a small amount of their blood, it could add up to a lot more power. Now that magic has returned to the world, everyone absorbs it regardless of whether they can use it. We could channel their offerings to fuel the stones, but it would require a lot of volunteers to make a significant difference.”

It wasn’t the worst idea Aidan had heard, and as long as it was freely given, it wouldn’t be dark magic. That was key to the shield warding off the Kandoran.

He turned to Falcon. “Is it possible for you to speak with the humans about this matter?”

“Of course,” the shifter agreed, then his brows furrowed. “But I am already organizing many projects between the city and the fortress and struggling to keep up with them.”

Aidan gestured at his older cousin, a female shifter with great skill and confidence, who he’d invited because he knew she could be an essential asset. “That is why Sabryn will be working with you from now on. She asked for more responsibility, and I believe she’d be invaluable assisting you with your tasks.”

While he had never been close to her the way he had with his cousin Donar, he had always admired her courage, impressive fighting abilities, and ethics. Phoebe made a sour face at the news, still bitter after suffering a defeat against Sabryn during the Bitkal when the previous pendragon contest occurred. Apparently, she had yet to get over it.

“It would be my honor,” his cousin said, giving Falcon a nod.

The shifter appeared startled but quickly masked the emotion. “Very well. We will speak after the meeting about how you can help, but I warn you, there is a lot to do even with the two of us.”

“Hard work has never been a problem for me.”

Aidan was glad his gut feeling had proven correct, and they’d likely do well with each other.

“Now that we’ve worked that out.” Aidan gestured at the two of them. “You can coordinate with humans and shifters to help with the barrier. Talk to Morgan about the best way to gather volunteers and send them in shifts over the coming weeks to the various stones.”

The young sorcerer’s shoulders sagged, and relief filled his eyes. “Thank you. This will make a huge difference and buy us more time to defeat the Kandoran before the shield weakens too much.”

Considering they’d be outnumbered even with their current allies, he had little doubt they’d fight for weeks if not months. All their preparations considered that timeline so they wouldn’t run out of resources too soon.

Xanath grunted. “Nothing we do is guaranteed, but this will certainly improve our odds of holding them back from our lands.”

“If I may, milord,” Skylar said, clasping her hands behind her back and dipping her chin in respect. “Aside from helping with the shield wall, I’ve also worked on my own special project for war preparations.”

While Aidan knew she and her parents, who lived in the sorcerers’ tower, had been working on their own contributions to the cause, he hadn’t had time to inquire about the details. Curiosity filled him as to what the young woman would reveal.

“Tell me.”

She gave him a shy smile. “You know I can freeze dragons, but I thought maybe I could make a potion others could use to do the same during the battle.”

He liked the concept of her idea, but it had obvious limitations. “It would require range to be effective. Our fighters on the ground need ways to knock the Kandoran from the sky or from approaching closer if they’re outnumbered on the field.”

“Of course. I’m told that’s why no sorcerer has bothered to use them in battle before, but they lacked modern weapons that humans and slayers can shoot at greater distances. After seeing what the poison arrows could do that Bailey’s friend, uh…” She frowned in thought before her expression brightened. “Oh, yes—Miles. The ones he’s been crafting. Anyway, we could develop something along those lines for stunning our targets.”

For a seventeen-year-old girl, she was already proving resourceful. No doubt she’d inherited some of her grandfather’s wisdom and strength. While her parents were somewhat talented sorcerers, neither could compare to Xanath’s level of skills. It wasn’t unusual for strong powers to skip generations.

“Just be certain all discussion and testing occur in secure areas,” he warned.

“Of course,” she said, dipping her chin.

“Speaking of which.” Morgan glanced over at her. “Now that we’re done with spelling the castle perimeter, our next priority is to set up a concealed dome area for range testing of weapons and joint training. That shouldn’t take as long since it will be in the open—maybe a few days. Ingo and Gia are helping me.”

Ingo and Gia were boy-girl twins born at the tower thirty-four years ago, when they still lived in Kederrawien. A shifter patrol had found their very pregnant mother out in a wasteland. Pure dragons had attacked her and her husband. He died fighting them, so she’d had time to run away. Two months later, she delivered the babies. She died of an illness ten years ago, but her son and daughter proved to be excellent enchanters. Ingo and Gia did much of the spell work for shifter weapons and clothes.

Aidan nodded at Morgan. “Good. At our next meeting, I expect you to reportthat the dome is ready to go. Soon, we will have teams from other dragon toriqan coming to plan and train with us. It will be necessary to have a secure site for them since they cannot enter the fortress, and we need a lot of space.”

“Of course,” Morgan said, adjusting his glasses. “Do you still want me to attend your meetings with the pure dragons?”

They’d had a few in recent weeks, and the young sorcerer accompanied Aidan for all of them. He didn’t like flying. That much he’d made apparent, but he had an incredible aptitude for erecting temporary shields that prevented outsiders from observing their discussions. Even Xanath could not compare to him.

Morgan continued to prove integral to their mission and had slowly begun showing more courage with his duties, which he’d need in the coming weeks. The young man only requested that no one ever throw him onto a green dragon’s back again. Fair enough. Aidan promised to do no such thing, though he could not speak for what the slayers, including his mate, might do. They seemed to enjoy making the sorcerer uncomfortable. He had never gotten the full story because Bailey would start laughing so hard when he brought it up that she never could catch her breath to explain. He supposed one must have needed to be there for it.

“Yes, we have another meeting tomorrow with the Shadowan.” He went on to detail what he’d learned the day before when the messengers arrived at the fortress. “We’ll depart from here an hour before sunset.”

He dipped his chin. “Of course, milord.”

Not only had Morgan proven powerful and clever, but he also knew how to show deference. He even managed to put most shifters at ease in his presence. If he could get past his fear of taking risks, he would become the perfect sorcerer ally. His offensive abilities would certainly make him an asset during the war.

“You have more potion to protect yourself from heat and fire?” Aidan asked.

Morgan gestured at Skylar. “Her mother got the recipe and has begun making it herself since that is her specialty. Everyone in the tower should be covered for a long time.”

Now that he mentioned it, Aidan recalled hearing about Xanath’s daughter concocting many useful potions for the war. He simply had too many things to worry about these days. It was all he could do to remember half of it, but thankfully, his advisors helped him keep track of those things.

“I would like to come along for the meeting as well,” Edythe said, lifting her chin. “For too long, we were left out of important meetings and decisions. I appreciate that you have made more of an effort, but it would be good to have an elder present to assist you in negotiating with the Shadowan pendragon.”

Aidan was surprised she asked, but he didn’t mind it. “It would be my pleasure to have you accompany me and provide guidance.”

“Good.” A look of approval filled her features. “I am certain we will work out an amicable agreement with them.”

Bailey touched his arm, sending a shiver through his body. Thoughts of the night before entered his mind, and it was all he could do to keep his features neutral. She had a way of distracting him with a mere look.

“May I go next?” she asked.

“Of course.” His voice came out slightly gruffer than he intended, but the twinkle in her eyes told him she knew exactly why.

The slayer turned to face the assembled group, dropping her hand from his arm. He immediately missed her touch. Unable to show it, he forced himself to concentrate on her words.

“You all may have heard about the trouble in Norman with a rebel group that doesn’t want humans working with shifters. I’m working to track them, but everyone should be careful when you’re outside the fortress. They attempted to kill the head of the town council yesterday by burning her home while keeping her trapped in it. Freya and I barely managed to save her.”

Murmurs of surprise filled the room.

Edythe frowned. “I haven’t heard of this. When did the trouble begin?”

“Apparently, it’s been building for weeks, but they only made minor threats before. Nadine Richards didn’t think it would become ugly. Yesterday was the first time the group turned violent. I’m going to visit Javier after this meeting and see if he can help track them.”

Morgan shook his head. “Good luck. That guy is as busy as us and probably doesn’t have much time or power to spare.”

Aidan had been thinking the same thing but couldn’t fault his mate for exploring every avenue possible to conclude the issue quickly. A rebel group acting violently would hinder their efforts—no doubt part of their goal. If they escalated, it would force Aidan and his allies to split their resources to handle it.

“Javier still tends to know more about the inner workings of Norman than anyone,” Bailey said, meeting his gaze. “He could at least point me in the right direction. If this doesn’t get resolved quickly, we’ll have to fight an internal battle while facing a massive enemy army.”

Aidan was relieved his mate had come to the same conclusion as him, but his mind continued to churn with alarming thoughts. “As soon as you capture a member from their group, inspect their torsos. Perhaps the Kandoran have infected them, and that is why they’ve elevated their efforts so suddenly.”

Bailey nodded. “Good point.”

“I will be assisting the slayer throughout the investigation,” Freya said, stepping forward and giving a nod to Aidan’s mate.

She might be from the Faegud, but she’d become integral to his toriq. Any doubts he’d had about her had been assuaged by her willingness to work for everyone’s betterment. More and more, Aidan found that Nanoq had utterly failed to take advantage of the best assets within the Taugud. More the fool.

“Excellent. You should both be careful, but try to resolve this quickly.”

Bailey and Freya nodded.

“Phoebe,” Aidan said, gesturing at her and giving her a meaningful look. “Would you like to reveal your news?”

His sister had gotten word to Lorcan, so he knew about the pregnancy now. They didn’t delay such tidings since a shifter’s scent would give her away soon after fertilization.

A slow smile spread across her face. “I’m pregnant…finally!”

Freya, usually a serious shifter, squealed in delight. “I’m going to be an aunt again!”

Aidan was just as pleased for his sister, especially after her trying for several years. Any children born between parents of the Taugud and Faegud would be given the choice of choosing their toriq after reaching the age of maturity. Before that, they stayed full-time with their mothers for the first ten years—the father visiting or staying as much as he liked—as was tradition, then they alternated their time between territories until reaching twenty-five years.

If the mating couple developed a genuine bond, they often chose to live in the neutral zone to raise their child together. Freya was one of the few who chose to stay fully in her mate’s home rather than her own. Despite being a fierce fighter, she’d never been well received by her toriq. She could be a rather strong, eccentric female, but his people didn’t mind that as much and had grown to see her as a valued member.

“Thank you,” Phoebe said, giving her a genuine smile.

Others gave their congratulations, and Bailey ran over to hug Phoebe. He hadn’t told his mate the news, wanting his sister to do the telling. After a few minutes, he cleared his throat to settle the conversations that had erupted. Aidan had to break the joy that a coming hatchling always brought out in his people, but war was imminent. They didn’t have the luxury of enjoying the moment for long.

“Phoebe will continue to lead the training of the female warriors, but she will also oversee the fortress defenses for the war. She will determine which of the newer recruits are best suited to be on the front lines and which should protect the walls.”

His sister gave him a curt nod. “You can count on me, brother.”

He didn’t doubt it.

“Donar,” Aidan said, turning to his male cousin. “How are your projects coming along?”

In the first half of the day, Donar helped with weapons crafting. It wasn’t his specialty, but they had a limited number of shifters who could blow the second flame on materials that would render them fireproof. Everyone who had the rare gift contributed. Even Aidan—also able to do it—volunteered an hour or two each day to help the weapons smiths.

During the second half of Donar’s day, he used his special flames to reinforce large blocks. Those would be used to construct bunkers for their troops where they could station the healers, store supplies, and distribute food.

Donar rubbed the back of his neck, exhaustion lining his features. “We’ve made progress on the weapons. By the end of the week, we will have three times as many of those machine guns as what we used during the battle with the Ghastanan. There should be more than enough arrowheads and blades as well.”

For the most part, completing the necessary weapons for the battle had been assured if they worked hard. All warrior shifters already had a personal set of weapons, and even those who did not usually fight maintained one or two for protection. It was the specialized equipment that required extra time and resources. They weren’t only equipping themselves since they also had a human contingent who would be among their forces.

Miles and Justin, both former human soldiers, had been training volunteers for the last five weeks since setting up a program. Initially, they only had a few dozen, but as word spread across the state, they’d gained hundreds.

Additional volunteers showed up at their training site—the Lloyd Noble Center—every day. They’d had to hire assistants and break everyone into squads to manage them. Many of their new troops were motivated to join the cause once they learned they’d get extra food rations and other special treatment.

Javier—the head sorcerer in Norman—promised that his protégé was manufacturing a potion for human fighters to become fireproof. Only one ingredient eluded him from making it work, but he assured everyone it would be ready before the start of the war. His confidence knew no bounds, but they needed a positive attitude right now.

“Excellent progress,” Aidan praised Donar, understanding his cousin needed to hear such words with the long hours he’d been working. “And the blocks for the bunkers?”

Donar shifted on his feet. “We’ve almost completed all the ones we need for the front lines of our western border, and the Faegud are making their own. The trouble is constructing enough extras for the pure dragon areas where humans will also fight and need them.”

Aidan had already designated locations for the bunkers farther apart than he liked, approximately every five miles from the Oklahoma-Texas border to Interstate 40. None were built yet since they’d be stationed on the other side of the shield wall, but the supplies would be placed as close to the border as they could get them without risking the Kandoran discovering and destroying the setup before they were ready.

Once they knew the battle loomed close, pre-designated teams would race across to construct the buildings. The plans were simple for the bunkers, so they’d have them finished in less than two days. Each would have a large front room to treat the wounded and two back rooms—one for provisions and another to store medical supplies.

The Faegud would also send their swiftest diggers to each shelter to assist in digging and excavating tunnels that would act as escape and resupply routes. Those would be too narrow for the larger pure dragons to fit, but the shield magic would extend deep enough into the earth to prevent smaller Kandoran operatives—humans and sorcerers—from using those routes to infiltrate their territories.

“Do the best you can,” Aidan said, tapping his fingers on his desk as he considered the issue. “Everyone will work full schedules until we have an estimated attack date. After that, I will call for workers and fighters to take two days to prepare themselves and spend time with their families. You can look forward to a brief rest then.”

Donar let out a breath. “That’s an excellent idea, milord.”

Aidan couldn’t miss the exhaustion on everyone’s features. The dark circles under their eyes and anxiety they couldn’t hide in their stiff postures. Even the idlest shifters—old and young—had been given tasks over the last two months to keep progress moving forward. They understood this was a matter of life and death, and everyone worked to their fullest ability. He needed to give them a gift to keep them motivated, and a break before the war began would make a difference for everyone.

“Ruari,” Aidan turned toward his second-oldest brother. What do you have for me?”

“All of the high-priority repairs on the castle and keep have been completed. There are a few remaining issues with shifter housing, but those should be finished within the next week.”

That was exactly what Aidan had hoped to hear. “You’ve done good work, brother. Your organizational skills have proven far beyond my greatest expectations, and if we survive this war, I will invite you and your mate to move into the castle.”

Ruari and Freya grinned broadly. Living there would elevate their status and provide comforts they did not have residing beyond the fortress. Their cousin Donar already had a room but often spent the night at his parents’ house since he enjoyed his mother’s cooking.Aidan wanted everyone within his inner circle to know that he appreciated their hard work and dedication.

“Thank you, milord.” Ruari gave him a short bow. “You honor us and will not regret it.”

“Of course, but I’m afraid you’ll have to divide your time from this point. Now that Donar and his team have finished most of the blocks for our front line, I need someone to begin staging them. Kade and I have already chosen the locations where the bunkers will work best and can provide you with a map. You’ll put the supplies at our designated points and be prepared to move them across when the time comes.”

Ruari swallowed. “Is it safe that close to the border?”

He referred to the random Kandoran attacks they and their allies had suffered over recent months. Their enemy enjoyed taunting them and keeping them on their toes even before they launched a full-scale war. Most humans and shifters avoided getting too close to enemy territory these days.

“There are no guarantees.” Aidan shook his head. “But you’ll be within sight of our border guards throughout the process and working with a team, so you won’t be alone. While it will be difficult, I have every faith that no one else could do it better in the time we have remaining.”

Ruari’s gaze stayed conflicted. He could behave with an annoying amount of bravado when he wasn’t facing true danger, but his inner cowardice surfaced anytime he had to put himself in harm’s way.

During most battles, he avoided fighting as much as possible while appearing to be in the thick of it. He’d made it into an art. Aidan was surprised when his brother actively participated in their clash with the Ghastanan in Texas years ago. Perhaps Freya had something to do with that and would help him find courage again.

She was patting his arm now and speaking encouraging words in his ear that Aidan barely caught. “As soon as Bailey and I have handled the rebels in Norman, I will join you and help. You can handle this.”

“Very well.” Ruari lifted his chin, bolstered by his female’s reassurances. She truly was the best thing that ever happened to him. “I will do this, and they will be the finest bunkers you’ve ever seen.”

Aidan suspected that if anyone could build protective shelters, it would be someone who excelled at avoiding danger. That was why he wanted his brother to do it, and it needed to be done soon. Ruari had proven he could complete his projects swiftly—even more so knowing the Kandoran could be lurking nearby.

“And finally, my own update,” he said, glancing down at a list he’d written in the dragon language. Bailey stared at it, frowning since she hadn’t learned to read their writing yet.

Edythe stepped closer to him, and the rest of the elders crowded behind her. “Yes. Where are we with our allies?”

“As you know, we have the Faegud. The Bogaran and their southern neighbors, the Takaran, have also agreed to join us. Hildegard has assured me the Ghastanan will fight with us after suffering considerable losses recently. They’ve begun flocking near her border.”

A male elder on her left pointed at the list. “I see the Pradowan, Vataran, and Nazaran on that list with a question next to them. Do you truly believe you could get them to our side? In my experience, they’re the least tolerant of us.”

“We’ll see when I meet the Shadowan pendragon tomorrow,” Aidan replied, pointing at the toriq names. “Our northern neighbors have also been attacked by the Kandoran—except the Pradowan since they’re farther away. Having said that, I believe the Shadowan will have sway with them, so if we get them, we should get the rest.”

He left out his hope to obtain help from the West Coast in a place the humans called California. Most people in the room didn’t know about that, and it would remain a secret until after the spy’s mission concluded. It was his riskiest move, but they needed every advantage to win this war, and that plan could be the defining difference.

Bailey cleared her throat. “Ahem, I want to add that I spoke with the coalition recently. The leadership has approved a large contingent of their soldiers, slayers, and weaponry coming.”

“Do you think it will be enough to make a difference?” Aidan asked.

“We couldn’t get into specifics over the phone for obvious reasons, but Colonel Melvin alluded to them bringing some of their high-impact firepower, which will definitely help. Help on the ground will also be huge because we don’t have nearly enough to cover our front line, and their troops are well-trained with a lot of experience.”

He was relieved to hear that because she was right. The number of Kandoran humans they faced was almost double that ofdragons. They’d be less difficult to kill, but they could overwhelm them with sheer numbers.

Aidan lifted a brow. “What about the Straegud?”

“They’ve confirmed they’ll come.” Bailey’s lips twitched. “Right now, they’re in discussions with the coalition about possibly traveling together. The best route would be the same one I took getting here. That means going through the neutral territory where there’s no dragon leadership to negotiate, but if there are hundreds of NAC military vehicles with hundreds of shifters flying above them, I doubt anyone or anything will be tempted to attack.”

He nodded, certain she was right. “I’ll speak with the Bogaran about giving them safe passage. Can you get an estimate of when they’ll travel through their territory?”

“That’s no problem. I’m due to talk to them again in a couple of days and can find out then,” she said.

Aidan glanced toward the window, noting they’d been in the meeting for nearly two hours. It was time none of them had, even if it was necessary. “Each of you has my gratitude for your hard work. I will look forward to hearing more progress from you in three days. You are dismissed.”

Everyone filed out of the room, with only Bailey remaining. Once the door closed, she wrapped her arms around him. “You’re doing great.”

“Thank you,” he said, pulling his mate even closer.

With each day that passed, his confidence in his new position grew, but the weight of his duties continued to wear him down. No pendragon had ever organized such a large army—including using their traditional enemies—to face an even greater one. Aidan recognized that even his best efforts might not be enough. Weeks from now, it could all fall apart, and they’d be dead or turned to the other side. It was his greatest fear.

She pulled back to rest a hand on his face. “We are going to survive this, and it will be because of you. Do not doubt yourself.”

“How am I fortunate enough to have you as a mate?” he asked with a smile. It only took one look at the slayer to make all his fears and doubts melt away. She had such power over him.

Her brown eyes twinkled. “I believe it started with saving me from a dragon that first day when I had no idea what I was or what to do with my abilities. We were meant to be.”

Aidan didn’t dare argue with that.

“How much time do we have before you must leave for Norman?”

She glanced at the door. “I told Freya to give me thirty minutes after the meeting.”

He narrowed his eyes. “What were you planning to do with so much time?”

Bailey ran her hands down his chest. “Last night was amazing, but I was thinking we’ve yet to test the sturdiness of your desk. Think it could hold us?”

“If not.” He pulled her close and growled. “I’ll have another built later.”

“You’re such a good strategist.”