Chapter Twenty-Five

Levi

" N ow ," I snarled when she didn't immediately move. "There's no time to argue. Do it, and yell at me later."

"You don't want them to know you have a child?" she asked, retreating.

"Obviously not," I said tightly, wishing she would just go already.

"Why?"

"Will you go ?" I said, stepping toward the stairs.

"Are you ashamed of him?"

"Not in the slightest," I snapped, my back to the oncoming visitors, hoping I could block most of the view of the stairs if I stayed put. "I'm proud to call Jake my son. But you're a human among dragons. He's the son of a human, Sarah, and I am not about to put our child in danger while I figure out if they're okay with that or not. Now, go! "

Truthfully, I was almost positive they would lose their composure if they found out. Malakai and Lydia were not the most open-minded of dragons when it came to humans. It was one of their biggest issues with the sovereign: Her open desire to see us grow closer to them.

Yet another reason why we needed to get rid of her.

"Fine," Sarah said, casting one last glance at the sky before going inside to stop Jakub from revealing his presence.

I exhaled slowly, trying to calm myself as I faced the sky and waited for Malakai and Lydia to make their landing.

"Why are you so nervous?"

Spinning, I found myself accosted by Sarah, her arms crossed and eyes hard.

"I told you," I said. "I don't want them to discover Jakub. Not yet."

"You're lying," she said. Then shook her head, hair bouncing. "No, not lying, but you're holding back from me, Levi."

I wanted to tell her to take her suspicious secret-service self inside and just drop it, but the whoosh of dragon wings prevented me from speaking.

"Levi."

Putting on a smile, I turned as Lydia called my name, hoping Sarah didn't see the stiffening of my spine.

"Lydia," I replied with a big grin, which froze in place as I took in the other woman.

She prowled forward across my roof, arms out wide, inviting me into her embrace. There was no saying no, no turning it down, and I groaned inwardly as my arms touched nothing but bare skin.

Lydia wore a nearly floor-length shimmering glani , the traditional wear of dragon females. It was dyed a deep purple to match the scales of the dragon next to her and cut to emphasize her figure, which included revealing ample amounts of skin, from collarbone to navel in front, and it was backless and armless with slits down her sides.

It was obvious to anyone she wore nothing underneath.

Stiffly, I hugged her, wondering if the holes Sarah's eyes drilled in my back would penetrate through and hit Lydia.

"Good to see you," Lydia said, pulling away and acting as if she wasn't causing all sorts of commotion in my personal life.

She had to know … didn't she?

"You as well," I said, looking off to the side. Studying anything but her. "What brings you here?"

Malakai spoke. He was still in his dragon form, sitting on the roof across from us with casual aplomb.

"We need to speak in private."

I chewed on the near-command for a moment, trying to decide how to respond to his tone of voice. It wasn't one I appreciated. Malakai wasn't my superior. He was my best friend. We didn't order one another around in such tones.

"It's fine," Sarah said with a hair of frostiness as I glanced at her, wondering how she would take it. "I'll let you boys catch up."

I hoped the coldness was directed at Malakai, but I wasn't such an idiot as to think it was solely for him. The entire situation was irritating her, and I would hear about it later for sure.

"That was unnecessary," I said once Sarah was inside.

"She's a human," Malakai said, one of his wings flicking dismissively. "This is dragon business."

I bristled on the inside.

"Levi," Lydia purred. "This is important."

I still didn't look at her. Why did she have to be dressed that way?

"What's going on?" I asked Malakai instead.

"You're going to write another speech."

It wasn't a question or a request. Malakai expected to be obeyed.

"What kind of speech?" I asked, resolving to have words with him when Lydia wasn't around, about the way he was talking to me. I wouldn't embarrass my friend by calling him out in front of his mate. "What for?"

Something flickered deep within the dragon eyes that stared back at me across the purple snout. Something ugly.

"We're going to do it, Levi. The last rally proved it's time. Our support has never been stronger. The sovereign's never been weaker."

I hesitated. Was he serious? Could it be? "What are we going to do?"

"The sovereign's time is over, Levi. We're going to storm the palace. That's what your speech will be for. To rouse the spirit of the men. Put them in the proper mood by regaling them with tales of uprising and revolt, of the better world we'll create once I'm in command. Once someone who cares about the people and their wants leads them."

"We're so close, Levi," Lydia said, leaning in to whisper in my ear. "One last push."

"Indeed," Malakai added. "One last push. One more speech delivered right before we make our move. To bring them to a frenzied pitch."

I shook my head, seeing a dozen flaws. "Are you sure we're ready? After the plaza, I think we need to reevaluate. Those loyalists were ready for us, Levi. They knew who we were, what we were doing, and they were organized. How did that happen so fast without us hearing about it?"

Malakai waved that off. "You didn't see what I saw in the aftermath."

I ignored the subtle dig at the fact I hadn't been in the plaza until the end. "We need to gather more support, bring more people to our side first," I said.

"More have come forward, Levi. That's what you're missing. Many more. Enough that we could take the palace. We could be through the guards and have the sovereign before they could respond. This is it , Levi!" the dragon hissed. "All we've been working toward. It's finally here."

I hesitated.

Lydia strolled back toward her mate. Sauntered was more like it, her hips swaying from side to side. I looked up at the sky as she took something from within his claws and returned, handing it to me.

"What is this for?" I asked, taking the large manila envelope and feeling the stack of papers inside.

"It's the plans," Malakai said. "For the attack. Your half of them, specifically."

" My half?"

"I'll lead half the men. The others will be under your command, Levi. I'm counting on you for this. Are you still with us?"

I knew I should protest. Tell him it was too fast, too soon. The men who'd just returned, weren't ready to commit to something like that. They needed time to be truly riled up. One speech wouldn't be enough.

But the look in Malakai's eyes wasn't one that would brook such an argument. He wanted to hear me say the words. And truthfully, I wanted to say them. He was right, after all. We'd been working toward it for a long, long time. To see it finally realized would be good.

"Okay," I said softly, nodding in agreement. "I'll do it."

"Seven days, Levi." The dragon grinned toothily. "Seven days, and we will be free to make our own destiny. Free of her. Get ready."

"I will," I said, hefting the envelope. "I'll be ready. Is there anything else?"

Malakai cocked his head. "Do you have somewhere to be? Is there anything more important than this?"

I smiled. "In a way. There's something I must attend to."

The dragon glanced at the stairwell. "Your human," he said disdainfully.

"In a way." I shook my head. "We have to go soon."

Assuming Sarah hadn't decided we were no longer going.

"Go where?"

I smiled awkwardly. "I'm taking her to meet them."

"Meet who?" Lydia asked.

"My parents."