11. SUN IN THE EYES

SUN IN THE EYES

T he next day...

Valerius stood before the video conference screen in his private quarters. On it was the Blue Dragon Queen Esme. She looked to be a vibrant woman in her sixties with a poof of startling white hair that covered her shapely head like a cap. He noticed that she had dyed the tips of that hair blue.

Her eyes were a sparkling blue as well, and looked like amethysts against her creamy pale skin. She had a trim figure that she accentuated by dressing fashionably. He had never seen her not completely put together with makeup and hair done perfectly with clothes looking fresh and flattering. Right now, she had on a peach dress, matching heels and a wrap of the softest white around her shoulders. A length of pearls was around her throat. She plucked at them as they spoke.

“Esme, you should have called before making that journey across the ocean,” Valerius told her. His tone was agreeable even though he was rather annoyed that she would think to come here without reaching out first .

Esme chuckled. “You would have said not to come.”

His lips pressed together. “Because it is a wasted trip.”

“Is any trip truly wasted if one gets to see one’s friends? You are going to invite me to Reach, aren’t you, Valerius?” she wheedled.

He sighed. “If I invited you then the others will have a greater basis to press their claims for a visit.”

“But you and I are actually friends!” she protested, pressing a hand against her slender chest.

“And I would be happy to have you at any other time,” he began.

She held up her right hand. The fingers were slender, and there were two magnificent diamond rings on two of her fingers. They glittered in the light. She loved jewels. He might have to get her some more to overcome this slight.

“Wait a moment. I understand what you are saying, but I would suggest something as a friend and as someone who has done a bit of strategy in her day. Not that my experiences exceed yours, of course,” she quickly added.

“You are too kind to say that,” he agreed. “But you are, undoubtedly, the craftiest of us all. I am more… direct.”

She pointed a finger at him and trilled a laugh. “You are so amusing as always!”

“Yes, but also true. Now what are you suggesting?”

“That you let us all come,” she said.

He scowled. Chione, who was sitting just out of sight of the camera, indicated he should hear Esme out. He guessed that the two women had already conferred. He sighed.

“Continue,” he said.

“While I never thought--nor did I want it to be true--that the White Dragon Shifter was my mate--”

“Then why did you come?” His arms tightened around his chest.

“Because I wanted to meet them!” She laughed at him like he was a very silly boy.

“Oh, yes. And check them out. To see if they are friend or foe,” he guessed.

She nodded. “Quite right.”

“Believe me when I say that they are very young and very… earnest. They aren’t a threat to you, Esme,” he assured her.

“They? I assume you are using that terminology because you don’t want me to know if they are male or female, yes?” Her blue eyes glittered.

“Perhaps.” He kept his expression completely neutral

“Hmmm, I see, you are going to be a very hard nut to crack on this. But back to my argument.” She began to pace in a tight line in the elegant hotel suite she was staying in. “If you let the others visit now, you will defuse any tension that will occur by having all seven of us wait at your borders.”

His right eyebrow rose. “You think I have any concerns about all of you sitting on your asses at my borders?”

“Oh, Valerius! You’re going to fight everyone?” She shook her head.

“If I must.” He tipped his head back.

“I have no doubt you would, and would defeat us. In time. But the chaos would not be worth the victory,” she told him. Her eyes narrowed. “You care about this White Dragon Shifter, don’t you?”

“They are a citizen of my territory,” he answered simply, even as his chest felt tight.

“Are they your mate , Valerius?” Esme asked quietly.

“If they were, then I would have even less of a reason to let any of you in,” he pointed out evenly.

“On the contrary, you would have to defeat everyone else to keep their hand! Valerius, surely, you understand that--”

“The White Dragon Shifter chooses. There is no fight to the death.” Valerius shook his mane of long hair.

“When have you ever known Dragons to accept things peaceably?” Esme delicate right eyebrow arched. “They are not going to go away. They will stay on your borders. Tensions will boil over. If you truly want to keep this young Dragon Shifter safe then you will need to convince each Dragon that your will is the law again as to this.”

Chione made a faint nod. She agreed. He was scowling again.

“They think to stand against me?” his voice was a simmering growl.

“They won’t challenge you directly. They’ll just remain , or in the case of Illarion, beat their chests while making a nuisance of themselves,” she said with an amused smile. “So let them come, meet the White Dragon Shifter--”

“No,” Valerius said. “The White Dragon Shifter’s identity is secret--”

“Their human identity, but not their Dragon one,” she corrected. “Just like you did with the cameras, let us meet their Dragon side. If they are not interested in any of us then we all leave with our tails between our legs.”

“I thought you said that you didn’t want a mate, Esme?” He stared hard at her.

“Oh, I don’t, dear. Too set in my ways. But I wouldn’t mind being wanted .” She gave a coquettish laugh that let him see the young woman she had been millennia ago.

“I see.”

“Besides, I want to see what happens,” Esme said.

Valerius frowned. “What happens?”

“When you finally decide you’ve had enough of Illarion, and punch him into the center of the Earth,” she chuckled huskily and her gaze went distant as she clearly imagined it happened.

“I will consider your words, Esme,” Valerius said.

“That is all I could have hoped for.” She made a brief bow of her head, and the screen went blank.

Valerius rubbed his face with his hands. He was already exhausted and annoyed yet it was only nine in the morning, a morning that from the looks of the sky through his open balcony doors, was going to be magnificent. The sky was a peerless blue. There were only a few streaky white clouds that barely marred that magnificent blue color.

Right now, Caden would still be in bed. He didn’t have to be in for work at Wally’s until 11 am. All that excitement last night had exhausted him and Iolaire. After the “petting” by the children, he and Caden had flown rather lazily around Reach, letting the helicopters film them. Though his desire had been to quickly outstrip them, Caden reluctantly urged him to stay in sight.

This night isn’t about us, Caden had said. It’s about the people. So let them film us this time.

When did you get so wise and reasonable? Valerius had muttered.

Caden laughed. I haven’t. Really! Don’t worry I’ll do something impulsive and stupid real soon. Just you watch.

I will watch. I will always watch, Valerius found himself saying.

There was a silence that seemed to hold so many unasked questions and important answers, but now was not the time to ask or answer anything.

Tonight is the first time that I really saw how being the White Dragon Shifter is so much bigger than me and what I want , Caden admitted. Those little kids were… I don’t know. I could feel how happy they were. But it was more than that.

Yes, Valerius answered. You are one of the gods they can touch. One that they want to touch.

You don’t think Raziel is touchable? Caden teased.

I am to be admired from afar, Raziel answered and tilted his noble head up.

Yeah, I guess you are. Then I’ll have to be the cuddly one between the two of us, Caden said.

A cuddly Dragon? Raziel remarked. I do not know if this is a wise thing to be.

Well, we’ll have to see.

“I heard from Wally that the White Dragon plushies are being delivered today,” Chione said.

He turned towards her. She was seated at one of the large couches that faced the grill. She had her usual tablet in one hand, and she was spinning the stylus with the other.

“I can only dread what that means,” Valerius answered her.

“Probably that the store is going to be swamped, and Caden is going to be run off his feet, especially since they don’t have Landry to help them in the shop,” she said evenly.

He already knew where she was going with this. “That young woman betrayed Caden’s identity to Jasper Hawes. Her brothers are neck deep in the bombing that happened in the square on the anniversary. She’s flirted with Humans First membership herself. What do you expect me to do?”

“She did not betray his identity. Hawes already knew, because someone leaked the footage that the Claw found of the square during the bombing. She just didn’t have a good enough poker face when confronted with it.” Chione stabbed the air with her stylus. “Compare that to how she stood up for Caden when you came after him!”

“And what about her leaking information about security at the square?” He demanded to know. “She knew her brothers were up to something bad.”

“There are so many levels of bad. Her brothers had never done anything like the bombing before.” Chione stabbed the air again. “And as to her flirting with Humans First, do you really think incarcerating her will make her accept Shifters more? No, it will push her down a darker path.”

“That could be said about most people in prison. That they’ve made mistakes, and now they must pay for them.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

“Yes, you’re right. I do not agree with our prison system, which you well know.” A slice of the air with the stylus. “But this girl is so abjectly sorry for all of it. Her actions were foolish, not criminal. She could be completely rehabilitated.”

“The courts will decide her fate, not me, Chione. I am sorry, but I will not step in to save a young woman foolish enough to get involved in a terrorist bombing plot. I am surprised that you are even asking me this!” He stared as hard at her as he had at Esme.

Chione sighed. “I just can’t get this feeling out of my head that this whole situation is being orchestrated, and that Landry is one of the victims , not perpetrators.”

“You may be right, but I cannot be seen as being soft on anyone in regards to these bombings, Chione. That will only encourage others to turn to violence to make their points,” he stated. “No matter what sympathy I might feel for her, my hands are tied. She is in justice’s hands now.”

“As imperfect as those hands are,” Chione replied dryly.

“Marban met up with Caden before the press conference last night,” he said slowly. He was still contemplating whether he liked it or not that Marban had taken it upon himself to assist with Caden’s safety. But if he was honest with himself, Marban had been incredibly useful. And Caden had thought he deserved thanks for it.

“Oh? Did he do something…” The stylus made a loop de loop in the air.

“Caden asked him to look into the bombing,” Valerius explained, connecting the dots for her. “Caden doesn’t think things are as they seem either. He asked Marban to check with his contacts to find out if there was any word on the street.”

Her eyebrows rose. “That was very strategic for Caden. Did Marban agree?”

“Yes, he did.” Valerius gritted his teeth. “I’ve asked him to lunch today.”

“Really?” She sat up straighter.

He nodded. “As a reward, and he is… useful in his way.”

“He is quite wise at times, too,” she said, but added warily, “But his expertise normally comes with a cost.”

“Hence the lunch.”

“He will want more than lunch.”

“In time, yes, but right now he has a position, and a chance at respectability,” Valerius pointed out. “He needs to have more and more of a stake in things to keep him acting within the correct parameters.”

“You are trying to rehabilitate Marban?” She let out a lilting laugh and shook her head in amazement. “Esme claims to be set in her ways, but you are not.”

“Caden means change. Change for the world. Change for me. To keep him safe, I must be willing to change,” Valerius answered.

Chione blinked. “You really have changed already.” Her eyes locked with his. “So what are you going to do with the other Dragons?”

“Don’t you already know? I am certain that you and Esme already hashed this out,” he said.

“We may have spoken. I wanted to understand her determination in coming here,” Chione admitted with a slightly guilty blush. “She is definitely telling the truth about being here for the drama and not a match with Caden. And, yes , I think she’s right about the Dragons not leaving until they’ve had their chance to meet Caden.”

“They will want to discuss him. But his freedom is not up for discussion. Besides, he should be an equal at the table,” Valerius said, and tugged on his lower lip.

Was Caden awake yet? Was he stretching his arms above his head as the sun filtered through his blinds? Was his hair mussed? Of course, it was. He would be sleepy and warm and--

“Valerius?” Chione must have been speaking and he must have not been listening.

“Ah, I was just thinking…”

“About Caden?” A knowing smile crept across her face.

“Of course about Caden. I was thinking how he could be at the table, and still in his Dragon form. Our ability to communicate telepathically might not be singular. He might be able to speak to the others,” Valerius lied, but it was true, not that he wanted to share their way of communication with anyone.

“Yes, that is a good idea. We could start with Esme,” she suggested.

He nodded. “Send the proper clearance for her to come.”

“And the others?”

“Invite them to Reach. Put them in the appropriate suites here. Separate but equal. Now that we have the politicians out of the way from the Anniversary, we’ll have room,” he said with a huff of annoyance. Just as he had thought to get his beloved castle back all to himself--and Caden, he had to admit that he’d been planning many a cozy time with Caden here--he would have yet more guests he did not want.

“I will see to it,” she assured him. She suddenly smiled at something she saw on her tablet.

“What?” he asked, even as he looked out into the brilliant sunlight that spilled onto the balcony like liquid gold.

“The news--both mainstream and alternative--has been all over last night’s press conference. You were a hit!” she chuckled.

“You mean Iolaire was,” he corrected.

“Oh, no, I’m afraid that your speech, and our snowball fight--not to mention Iolaire nuzzling you--has people talking of nothing but Valerius, Valerius, Valerius.”

He put a hand to his temple. “Oh, no.”

Chione though was turning on the large television to show him some morning show. The hosts had last evening’s footage running on a constant loop behind them as they talked in excited voices about it.

“... Valerius should give more speeches,” a petite blonde woman said to a handsome dark-skinned man.

The man replied, “I had heard he’s a bear--or rather a D ragon --to deal with usually! But last night definitely showed a softer side to our Black Dragon King Valerius.”

Valerius groaned audibly.

A red-haired woman who was bobbing her head in such agreement that he thought it might fall off added, “And he was so good with the children. People were actually more scared to go near him than Iolaire!”

In the footage, it showed Valerius picking up one little boy so that he could touch Iolaire’s wing.

“He was patient! And smiling! It was quite extraordinary,” the original blond said.

“I smile all the time!” Valerius snarled, not smiling at all at that moment.

Chione tried to cover up her laughter, but it burst out of her in gales. He scowled at her.

“And I am very patient! Just dealing with those idiotic reporters requires the patience of a saint!” he yelled and shook a fist at the television.

Chione was curled over laughing. She wiped tears of laughter out of her eyes. “Yes, yes, for certain.”

“You are just humoring me, are you not?” he asked.

“I think that I will plead the Fifth on that one,” Chione answered, as she wiped the tears away. “You deserve a reward for how well you’re doing.”

“I do,” he agreed.

But there was only one reward he wanted. Which was to see Caden. But he couldn’t.

“What do you want to do? More than anything? Fly? I can cover for you until Marban arrives,” she offered.

“Perhaps I will, but first… I should tell Caden about the plan with the other Dragon Shifters,” he said as he fished his phone out of his leather pants.

Her expression was completely mild and unreadable as she answered, “Yes, of course. You talk to Caden. That would be best.”

He frowned slightly, but then turned and walked out onto the balcony as he pressed on Caden’s number. The sun blinded him at first, and he had to close his eyes. But he didn’t stop moving. He knew every inch of his lair even with his eyes shut. He felt the wind stir his hair, and caress his bare skin between the straps of leather of his shirt. The sun warmed him, and the scent of crisp clean air filled his nostrils.

The phone only rang once before he heard Caden’s voice in his ear, “Valerius.”

Valerius knew not to read into anything that. Caden knew it was him calling, even though the encrypted phone did not have his name by his number or anything like that. It was because Caden was to use this phone to only talk to him, Chione or Simi. Yet still that Caden had answered it so quickly…

“I did not wake you, did I?” Valerius asked.

“No, I’m up, but I like to hang about in bed for a while when I can,” Caden answered, and there was a faint yawn. “Sorry about that. Not sleepy because of your company just stretching.”

“If you want to go back to sleep--”

“No! No, not until you have to go. You don’t have to go, right? I mean you just called so--”

“I do not have to go,” Valerius assured him.

“Oh, good!” Caden made a pleased humming sound. “So… what’s up? Did you get back to the castle okay?”

They had landed in a secret location. No helicopters had followed or found them. They had then been driven in different cars back to Reach, going by very different routes. He had ached to leave Caden then. He actually felt a welling of loss for a moment now just remembering it.

This is ridiculous, he told himself, even as he knew it would do no good. One could not reason with feelings.

Ask him of Iolaire, Raziel requested, the first words the Black Dragon Spirit had asked. Raziel had been deeply asleep, and uninterested in his talks with Esme.

“Raziel wants to know how Iolaire is,” Valerius said. “And we got back fine. I heard from the Claw that you did too.”

“Yeah, totally, and then my sister kept me up for a few more hours telling me about everything she’d already seen on television,” Caden admitted with a laugh. “Iolaire is totally fine, but missing Raziel. It wants to see Raziel like now, you know?”

I do know.

Yes, seeing Iolaire would be pleasing, Raziel said and stretched one clawed hand.

“We will arrange a flight tonight,” Valerius told him.

“Cool. Iolaire’s stoked. But uhm… I’d like to see you ,” Caden admitted.

Valerius’ eyes were still closed. He was standing at the edge of the balcony. His stomach was pressed against the railing. The wind blew his hair back from his face like wings. The sun was orange and gold behind his eyelids. He was smiling.

“And I would like to see you,” Valerius said. And even though he should have been telling Caden about the other Dragon Shifters coming, and how it was important for them to be very careful not to be seen together especially after the media blitz, he found himself saying instead, “I’ll find a way. I promise.”