Page 51 of The White Dragon Revealed

For one moment--though Caden didn’t think the reporter or even most of the viewers caught it--Marban’s expression became sly as he answered her, “I have--and always will--speak truth to power.”

Like you have no power, Marban?!

“But, in this case, the truth is what has come from High Reach,” Marban continued with an almost helpless shrug. “And I will state it far and wide.”

It was now the reporter’s turn to look sly. “I heard that you have been named to a new Shifter Council that King Valerius is setting up. And that this appointment was maderight afterIolaire’s appearance.”

Oh, boy. So yeah, uhm, that looks bad,

“Do you really think that King Valerius would create a Shifter Council on a whim and put me on it, Marta?” Marban was tutting and shaking his head. “The Shifter Council has been planned for some time. That you are only now finding out about it is… well, getting insider information out of High Reach is always difficult.”

Marta’s expression hardened slightly. “So you’re saying that your appointment to this Council, Iolaire’s appearance and the deaths of over a dozen people in the Below arenotconnected?”

Marban’s smile seemed to grow. “What I am saying is simply this: that a Shifter Council, where a citizen from the Below is prominently featured, canneverbe a detriment to the Below, Marta.”

Marta opened her mouth to ask more questions, but two Snake Shifters were suddenly at her side, leading her away from Marban even as she protested.

“Wait! I have more questions--”

“Others have to get their time in too with Marban,” one of the Snake Shifters hissed into the shell of her ear.

She looked affronted and then paled when she caught sight of the man’s serpentine smile.

“Thank you, Marta! Always good to see you!” Marban waved at her and Caden had a feeling she would not be welcomed for any further interviews.

She’s smart though. She connected some dots. But Marban is also right. The Shifter Council and his closeness with Valerius will only help the people here,Caden thought.I wonder where Valerius is.

He glanced back towards the stalls where he had left Valerius and Kaila, but he saw no signs of their hooded heads. He hoped that Kailahadn’t decided to use her hoverboard or do something else that would attract attention. Kaila was not discrete. He supposed most Dragons weren’t.

Caden felt a light touch on their shoulder. He looked down and saw Marban standing there, one hand on Iolaire’s shimmering white scales. The wily old Swarm Shifter was looking all around him. Marban had a soft smile on his lips that was not one that Caden had ever seen there before. Certainly not one he’d used on camera. He thought it might be an actualgenuinesmile. Marban glanced up at him. Their gazes met. The Swarm Shifter smiled more broadly and nodded his head as if to say, “This is good. Better than good. And I did not expect it.”

Of course, that was when things went sideways.

Marban lifted his right hand to his right ear where there was a bluetooth device. The words were too low for Caden to hear over the roar of the crowd, but he saw Marban’s expression change from one of happiness to alarm to anger then a blank mask replaced them all.

What’s happened? What’s wrong?

But Marban couldn’t hear him. Only Iolaire realized his alarm. Again, Caden searched for Valerius, but he didn’t sense Raziel or Valerius’ minds at that moment, so he couldn’t even reach out to them to talk to Marban on his behalf. This was the biggest downside of being in their Dragon form. They couldn’t talk to anybody really.

Damnit! What’s happening?

Marban moved quickly to Rose’s side. He was all smiles again, but those smiles were plastic and strained. They were not genuine. But the cameras would show nothing wrong. The crowd would just see the same fond grandfatherly figure that had always been there and always would be.

But Caden knew better and anxiety had him almost flickering their long tail too fast. Iolaire took over and stopped the children from being thrown end over end. Instead, they just let out delighted laughs as the tail moveda littlefaster than it had before, more like an adult ride than a kiddie one. His focus though was on Marban and Rose.

What is wrong?

Marban was pulling Rose away from the children so they could talk privately, or as privately as they could in the middle of a crowd with cameras rolling. Rose frowned and tried to gently shake him off, but Marban was not letting go. There was a plaintive cry from the children on his tail. Evidently, both he and Iolaire were now distracted and had stopped moving their tail altogether. Iolaire quickly restarted the steady swaying while they both looked back at Marban and Rose.

The two of them were scanning the crowd. Not those near to them, but farther back, towards the Stairs. Rose suddenly jerked her hand towards the landing. It was then that Caden caught sight of the white robed figures. His heart was in Iolaire’s long throat.

The Faith!

Before when he had seen the Faith, the most Caden would have felt about them was annoyance and a bit of embarrassment. They had always just seemed like a group of too earnest people who Caden secretly believed wanted to be Shifters with all the benefits that brought. It was like the poor worshiping the rich for all the benefits that money brought, but claiming they didn’t want any wealth for themselves. Though his mother was quick to assure him--and anyone who asked--that wasn’t the case with her and, sometimes, he believed her. But now seeing the Faith had a cold chill running down his spine.

Is there another bomb set someplace? This would be the perfect event to “make” some more Shifters,Caden realized with a sickening lurch.

Iolaire twittered uneasily.

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