Page 60 of The White Dragon Revealed

What war? What is he talking about?Caden demanded to know.

“The only war coming is the one you are starting,” Valerius said.

But Cary vigorously shook his head. “Jasper Hawes and Humans First aren’t an aberration. They aren’t somefringemovement. As things get worse and worse for humanity, humanity will do what it does best: destroy that which stands in its way.”

“As strong as you all are,” Jennifer picked up, “there are simply more humans than there are Shifters. And while the Dragons are immune to bombs and bullets, the other Shifters are not. Humans will call your bluff about what you’re willing to do to them in response. Will the Dragons lay waste to the entirety of the world? No. It would make you rulers of nothing.”

Cary vigorously nodded his head. “Don’t you see? While there will always be those that fear you, desperation will make others ignore that fear and do terrible things. That desperation has been growing and growing. It’s coming to a head.”

Caden was stunned by their words, but what bothered him--what scared him--was that he could see the logic in them. It was terriblelogic. It was utterly desperate. But were they wrong that humanity would rise up against the Shifters? They had 30-years of relative peace, but things were changing as the division between haves and have-nots, or rather the Shifters and humans, became more and more stark.

He thought of his own father’s frustration with the way things were. If Caden hadn’t become the White Dragon Shifter, his father’s role at the firm would have continued to go downhill. His assignments would become less and less. His role circumscribed. He’d told Caden that it was all but decided how many humans would have to be hired. A quota. But no clients wanted humans representing them. Or, at the very least, no human would be the main attorney.

“It takes away hope, Caden,” his father had told him. “Before you could aspire to be anything.”

“But, Dad, even before there were people who would never be a lawyer, because of the circumstances of their birth and--”

“Yes, that’s true, but the amount of people who are now in that position is so much greater,” his father answered. “The potential for rising up from where you began was there before. Maybe it was an illusion for some. But now? You can’t become a Shifter through hard work. No matter what you do, unless you luck out with becoming a Shifter, you are stuck.”

“Well, what do you want Shifters to do about it? I mean, there are more humans than Shifters, but just as many humans want to have the Raven Shifter lawyer instead of the human one or the military packed with Werewolves instead of human soldiers,” Caden pointed out with a touch of exasperation. “Humans have a choice about all of that!”

“Yes, they do.” His father’s shoulders slumped and he ran a hand through his hair. “It’s hard to put yourself at a perceived disadvantage. You want the best. We all want the best. But what if the best will never be human? What then?”

What then would be people like Landry going to jail because her brothers’ desperation had turned to hatred.

“Do you think that setting bombs and killing people will winpeople to your cause?” Valerius asked Cary and Jennifer with a shake of his long dark hair.

“We are not trying to win people over,” Jennifer said sadly. “We are just doing what must be done. What is the best for everyone. We don’t expect to be revered for it, or even understood.”

“But you expect to be Shifters because of it, don’t you?” Valerius pointed out. His hands went to his hips as he stared hard at both of them. “Tell me you did not!”

“Of course, there is that hope,” Cary admitted with a wry smile. “I would so love to be worthy of--”

“Being a Shifter does not make youworthy!” Valerius snapped. “Believe me, if good people were the only people who were changed, I would not be here. Many would not be here.”

“You have the soul of a warrior, King Valerius. No one expects you to be a saint. That is not your nature,” Jennifer told him.

“Why do you think Shifters are better than humans?” Valerius scoffed.

“Shifters may not be better but it is through them that the Spirits get to experience this world.” Jennifer looked dreamy. “Tell me that it is not a blessed thing to allow Raziel physical form in this world. Tell me that Raziel does not add something… inexpressibly wonderful to our existence.”

Valerius frowned, but said nothing.

She’s right about that,Caden said to Valerius.

“There may be Shifters that are not good stewards for all Spirits, but the destruction of one leads to the destruction of both,” Cary explained. “They must be protected and the only way to do that is to bring more into our existence. Humanity must be made to see that a war with the Shifters will only lead to its likely decimation. The more Shifters there are, the better the odds.”

“Bombs arenotthe answer,” Valerius told him with a look of disgust.

“It’s not just bombs. You should talk to King Illarion about the suicides in the camps,” Jennifer told him. “Speak to King Anwar about the empty villages where people have gone off into the desert to die orcome back as Shifters. Ask Queen Kaila here about the drownings. There are more and more. Ask her.”

Valerius looked over at Kaila. Lana’s eyes had widened as if it was surprised at the Faith member’s words, but then a worried expression crossed Lana’s face.

Valerius… are they right? Is this happening?Caden heard the panic in his voice and the dread.

I sense I am not the only Dragon who has failed to see everything in his territory,Valerius answered grimly.

“In every territory, the Faithful are doing what they must,” Cary said.

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