Page 50 of The Arrival of the Dragons

Caden’s gaze went up to the camera. He was pretty sure that Wally was wily enough not to have let this conversation be recorded. Chione certainly was wily enough.

“We’ll come and see you again,” Caden began.

But Landry was shaking her head. “You shouldn’t come, Caden. You shouldn’t be anywhere near here. Humans First are always watching. And they are always watchingyou.”

Caden’s jaw gritted. “I can take care of them.”

“That’s just what they want,” she said. “For you to lose your temper and--”

“They tried that,” Caden said, remembering clearly the park incident. “I can handle myself.”

“They’ll push and push and push…” Landry sighed. “They’ll find your weak moment.”

“They will try, but they won’t succeed.” Caden’s brows drew together in determination.

She lifted her head. “But also you shouldn’t come because, whether I do this thing for Wally or not, I can’t be seen talking to you.”

Caden’s eyes widened for a moment. But then it was clear. Humans First would hardly trust Landry, let alone confide secrets to her, if they thought she was meeting with the White Dragon Shifter. Even if only the upper levels of Humans First knew who he was, they would report that he was coming to see her.

“I get it,” Caden said stiffly. “I put you in danger.”

She nodded. “You shouldn’t want to be around me, Caden, because I figured out something about myself.” Her skin flushed. “When it comes down to it, I’m a coward and will sell you out to save myself.”

Before he had time to react, she was calling for the guard. The clunk-thump of the lock disengaging happened faster than it had before. The female Werewolf was back, releasing Landry from the table. And then they were leaving the room.

Landry didn’t even look back.

REVEAL

Valerius waited on the plaza outside his throne room for Caden--or rather, Iolaire--to arrive. He wore his customary black, but this time his shirt was silk and his pants and boots were leather. He wore a single ruby on a gold chain on his neck. The ruby was huge and plainly cut. He normally did not have any interest in such baubles, but this one was simple, beautiful and expressed what it needed to. He was king of kings and queens.

His hair stirred in the breeze, but he resisted the urge to shut his eyes. Caden would be there soon. Raziel was intent on seeing Iolaire the moment it appeared on the horizon. But both were running late.

“Wally and I went to see Landry,” Caden had explained over the phone earlier.

Valerius had heard the roar of the motor of one of the SUVs that Caden had been driving to the pond in, to quickly stuff food into his mouth from the picnic basket that Valerius had left for him there, before shifting and flying fast back to High Reach.

“I do not know if that was…” Valerius stopped. What word should he use here? What word would get across his feelings on the matter without hurting Caden’s? He grimaced. There was no word. “Wise? Was that wise for you or for her?”

Caden let out a brittle laugh. “You’ll be happy to know that Landry agrees with you that it wasn’t.”

Valerius grimaced again. He had hurt Caden. “It is not that I do not understand your affection for her, but--”

“She betrayed me. She did some foolish, bad things. She could have gotten people killed, including myfamilyif Jasper had really gone ahead with his threat to bomb my house.” Caden went silent. “But I just can’t see her as anyone other than Landry, my friend, the person who was willing to go to jail for me to protect my secret from you.”

“Yes, but in her pantheon of needs, there are things in there above you. That is not a criticism of her.” Though Valerius truly thought it was. From what he could tell Landry’s brothers had earned their fates, whatever grim ones awaited them, and her parents had supported the speciest ideology that had permeated their home, poisoning everything. “But it is simply a fact. She has recognized her limits and is warning you off.”

There was a long silence on the line, and Valerius suddenly imagined Caden’s face trailed with tears and eyes bleak, and he tightened his hold on the phone.

“I can’t save everybody, right? I can’t fix everything? Just saying it makes me realize how arrogant it sounds and not… good at all,” Caden’s voice was hoarse.

Not arrogant. Naive. Innocent. Idealistic. Earnest.

“It is hard when one is given so much power, only to find it is not enough,” Valerius remarked softly.

It was a lesson he’d had to learn often enough. It was the feeling he had even now as the other Dragon Shifters moved about within his own castle. He had so much power, but would it be enough to keep Caden safe?

The boy is strong. Iolaire is wise. All will be well,Raziel remarked.

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