Page 8 of The White Dragon Revealed

“She was a member of the Faith?” Caden asked. “Sorry, it’s just that every congregation I’ve heard of has no Shifters. Which, if I think about it, is weird.”

“It’s not encouraged,” Esme explained. “There is already too much inequality between humans and Shifters. Humans believe that the Spirits are divine beings and, therefore, Shifters are divine… Well, none of us thought it was a good idea if Shifters agreed with them. But Serai still attended services.”

Caden chewed on his chocolate croissant which was just the perfect mixture of salty, sweet and buttery. “I guess I see what you mean.”

“Serai did not believe she, herself, was divine or anything like that,but she did have a deep reverence for the Spirits themselves,” Esme continued.

“But surely the Faith has nothing to do with the bombings!” Caden couldn’t think of the people his mother brought to the house once in a while, or who sang and danced in white robes, as anything but harmless. They were sort of a joke in his mind.

Esme turned her incisive gaze upon him. “I am glad you think that, though not because it is true.”

Caden blinked at her. “So you think the Faith has something to do with all the unrest?”

“There have beenincidents.” She looked grim. “We have kept them out of the news because there are fears that the incidents would spread. Though there is already an unofficial whisper of them over the internet, of course. It is impossible to block something completely nowadays. But we’ve made those people seem fringe.”

Caden frowned. “What incidents?”

“As you, yourself, know Spirits often bond with their humans during a crisis. The bigger the crisis, the better the chance a Spirit will bond with someone. Like yourself when the bomb was set,” Esme explained. “There have been members of the Faith who have tried to cause these crises in order to cause more Spirits to enter this world. They’ve done so with extreme violence.”

A sinking feeling filled Caden. “Are you saying that Serai set that bomb because shewanteda Spirit to bond with someone to stop it?”

Esme gave him a dry smile. “Yes, Caden, that is one of the very things I fear.”

CHANCE

“How is the White Dragon Shifter?” President Goodfellow asked.

She was leaning forward with her elbows resting on top of the Resolute Desk. Her gaze was so intense that he felt it through the video screen. On the split screen opposite her, Prime Minister Stanton also seemed to feel that intensity and blinked a few times, shifting behind his own desk. She had seen Caden. She likely knew he was the White Dragon Shifter.

The United States would have been searching every image posted on social media, so even though they did not have the video he had, they would eventually figure out the boy behind the Dragon. Everyone would eventually know. He had tried to convince himself that anonymity was possible for Caden, at least, for a time. But that was because he had not been born into this technological age.

“How are they fitting in?” President Goodfellow pressed.

“Iolaire is fitting in just fine,” Valerius said.

Iolaire and Caden actuallyweredoing well considering everything. He heard more than saw Chione shifting on the couch behind him. She was indicating to him her discomfort at this line of questioning. Since he had taken up to the very last minute with Caden beforegetting on this call, he hadn’t had a chance to tell her that Caden wished to come out.

He glanced over her. She had on a bronze skirt and white billowy blouse. Her feet were tucked under her butt and she had her tablet out as always. Their gazes met. Hers was questioning. His was soothing. She frowned for a moment but then her expression cleared as she realized that, for some reason, he wasn’t worried about this line of questioning. He then turned back to the world leaders.

“We are, of course, aware that Iolaire wishes to keep their identity a secret,” Prime Minister Staton stated, clearing his throat. “But President Goodfellow and I believe that since they are in your territory--our countries--that as a matter of national security we should know who they are.”

“A matter of national security?” Valerius said this as if tasting it. It annoyed him and he began to pace, arms crossed at wrists behind his back.

Chione drew in a sharp breath. She opened her mouth to speak, to try and smooth things over--he knew what she was going to say--but he held up a hand. She would tell him that they did not mean to suggest that he could not protect them from another dragon. But that was what it sounded like to Raziel. The Black Dragon Spirit’s claws dug into the ground of its lair.

Think us incapable of defending them, do they?Raziel hissed.

Be calm, Raziel. They just wish to know who Iolaire’s human counterpart is, Valerius told his Spirit, even as his back was up too.

They think Iolaire would harm them or us? Bah! Iolaire is our…

And then his Spirit shut down so swiftly that Valerius thought their connection had been cut. Not that such a thing was possible, but Raziel was clamping its mental connection down so tightly that he couldn’t hear a peep from it.

Our what, Raziel?Valerius asked with narrowed eyes.

Raziel lifted its massive chin.Our… friend.

It is indeed, but I do not think that is what you were going to say,Valerius replied mildly.

---