Page 34 of The White Dragon Revealed

“He is a Swarm Shifter. Locusts, I believe. Is it locusts, Rose?” Esme asked.

She nodded, biting her lower lip until it nearly bled.

“Well, then, it cannot be much of a beatdown. One breath of fire and the insects would be instantly destroyed,” Esme said coolly as she swiped and read.

Rose’s chin rose up. “Swarm Shifters aren’t without the ability to fight!”

“She didn’t mean it like that, flower girl,” Kaila said, still teetering. “Even I have heard of this Marban out on the water. He is sly and clever and there are more ways to fight than physically, which is a good thing because few creatures can stand before a Dragon and survive.”

Rose swallowed and went pale even though Kaila was complimenting Marban. She balled one hand and brought it down on the railing. “I shouldn’t have saidanythingto Marban! If I had just stayed quiet none of this would have happened!”

“You are not responsible for any of this, Rose. Stop beating yourself up,” Caden told her. He reached over and covered her balled hand with his on the balcony railing.

“But Iamresponsible, Caden! Marban wouldn’t have known anything about our plan but for me! But I…” She looked so miserable that his heart hurt and Iolaire twittered softly. “I told him because I thought he would be--oh God--proudof me. That since he was being civic-minded himself that he would see that I was trying to improve things for the Below. But I forgot.” Her mouth twisted like she was tasting something sour. “He’s only in this forhimself. Unless he can take advantage of it, it doesn’t matter.”

Caden tended to agree with her. “Yeah, that’s what I think about Marban, too, but just because he wants in on it, doesn’t mean it's a bad idea. In fact, him wanting to be a part of this means it’s agreatidea.”

Her wrenched expression softened a little. “I suppose it does. Marban doesn’t try to take ownership of bad plans.”

“No, I bet he doesn’t.” Caden grinned at her.

She bit her lower lip though. “Yeah, okay, so maybe the plan is good and Marban wanting to get in on it isn’t absolutely terrible, but Valerius finding out this way…”

Caden scrubbed the back of his neck with his right hand. “He will get over it. Eventually. Maybe in a millennia.”

“Oh, Caden, I’m so sorry!” Rose cried.

“Don’t worry! It will be all right.” Caden hoped that as much as believed it. Maybe hoped a little more than he believed.

Tez, who was fishing out the grapes from a cup of fruit cocktail--and Caden wondered where he’d gotten that--answered, “He should not be angry at you at all, Caden. You are both trying to help the least powerful of us. That is a noble endeavor. More of our kind should do so.”

“You saidshouldnot, Tez, which means you think he will be,” Caden pointed out.

Tez, after chewing a grape contemplatively, answered, “Yes, because Valerius is not a man of the people. It’s not that he doesn’t like poor people and prefers rich people.”

“No, he is not fond of people in general,” Caden agreed with him. “So he’s an equal opportunity disliker.”

“Exactly!” Tez fished out another grape. He gazed at it almost lovingly then popped it in his mouth. “That is why you will have to bear some of his wrath, Caden. You like people and want to be out among them. He thinks they are nothing but trouble.”

“People are trouble.” Kaila turned from surveying the city. “But that’s what makes them fun. I think your idea to appear in the Below is a good one and you should do it.”

“I think Valerius may have something to say about that.” Esme looked over the top of her tablet at Kaila with a small smile.

Kaila put her hands on her hips and scowled at the Blue Dragon Shifter. “Is Caden not a Dragon Shifter?”

“Of course, dear,” Esme answered.

“So he is our equal, yes?” Kaila pressed.

“Ourequal? Yes, he is, of course.” Esme smiled faintly. It was a smile that said Kaila was walking straight into her trap.

“Then Caden can go and meet the people if he wants to!” Kaila smacked her right hand down on Caden’s left shoulder.

“Ah, but you have forgottenonething.” Caden could almost hear Esme’s trap snapping shut as the Blue Dragon Shifter said, “While Caden isourequal, none of us areValerius’equal.”

Both his and Kaila’s shoulders slumped as they both realized the import of what she was saying. Rose sighed and shook her head.

“She is right,” Tez sighed. “Valerius is the first among equals though he is usually loath to assert his authority.”

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