Page 50 of The White Dragon Revealed

Things are really going badly.

“Isn’t this the boy who was going to have his hands chopped off or something?” Kaila pointed to Stevie.

“My--my hands cut off?” Stevie squeaked.

“What does ‘the chop’ mean?” Valerius demanded of George.

“It means that his freedom is limited until he makes amends! Jesus, man, what do you think? That I would hurt a kid?” George looked outraged.

Valerius’ shoulders slumped. Marban was better than most Dragon Shifters would have been. He had misjudged the man. Well, maybe he wouldn’t go that far. He turned to Kaila with a kind of dread. “Please tell me that you didn’t kill those Rat Shifters.”

“What? No! They were sort of cute actually. I said I’d meet them for drinks later after they woke up,” Kaila said brightly.

“Oh, good.” Valerius smiled and turned back to George. That was when he happened to see the image on the monitors over George’s shoulder and he tensed.

Streaming down the steps, having somehow gotten through the Claw up above and Marban’s Shifters down below, were members of the Faith in their white flowing robes.

His mind went to the fact that the crowd here was huge.

An explosion here would definitely cause many deaths.

And perhaps an opportunity for people to join with Spirits.

THE SCENT OF DANGER

The Below extravaganza was going better than expected. Caden grinned down at Rose who was helping another little girl up onto his and Iolaire’s back. The people already perched there leaned down to grasp the girl’s hands and pulled her up to join them.

Iolaire flapped their wings--carefully and just once--and the snow that had settled on the ground of the Below flew up into the air again and came sparkling down. Caden saw a father lift up his son so that he could get some of it on his tongue. The boy giggled and clasped his father’s neck with two chubby arms in delight.

Everywhere there were faces full of joy and delight. Even the Shifters assigned to monitor the event were grinning or, at least, not looking as grim as usual. There was a lightness to the air like champagne where happiness bubbled up in steady streams.

This was what he, Rose and Iolaire had planned for this event, even before Marban got “involved”. The fact that it was still going so well even with Marban’sadditionswas gratifying. He almost felt like he could breathe. The event was going to go off without a hitch!

“Marban,” a female reporter with closely cropped black hair said as she sidled up to the crime boss. Marban, of course, looked anythinglikea crime boss with his paunch and grandfather’s wrinkled face. “How did this event come about?”

Caden fought not to roll his eyes. She was asking thewrongperson.

“Well, I had the honor of meeting Iolaire that terrible first day they joined with their human partner,” Marban said, showing just the right amount of sadness at the remembered events. Caden tensed. Was Marban going to trash Valerius?

“Indeed.” The reporter scented a scoop. Clearly, she hadn’t thought that Marban would bring up the tragedy. “What explanation did Iolaire give for its battle with Raziel?”

It wasn’t a battle! It was a scuffle. Where I ran away and got very lucky!

Iolaire twittered softly at the thought of fighting with Raziel and those who had died.

Marban put his hands together in front of him as if in prayer. “It was truly a tragedy, Marta.”

He knows the reporter’s name? Oh, man, Marban is always working it!

The reporter, Marta, lit up and immediately jumped in with the obvious, which had Caden wincing, “Do you blame King Valerius? After all, it washisactions in chasing Iolaire here that--”

Marban continued on as if she hadn’t spoken, “... based upon a terrible misunderstanding and King Valerius’ desire to protect the people. You see, King Valerius and Raziel, in the heat of the moment, made the understandable connection that Iolaire was somehow involved with the bombing.”

“Not to mention finding another Dragon in their territory, unannounced and uninvited.” Marta’s tone was dry.

Marban nodded, consenting to this as well. “It was a shock. A shock all around. And it led to a terrible accident.”

The reporter blinked as if she couldn’t possibly have heard Marban right. “I believe that’s the talking points from High Reach. I didn’t expect them from you, Marban.”

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