Page 59 of The White Dragon's Dilemma

Caden’s forehead furrowed.When Valerius had told him about the locations Landry had sent, he had been terrified that they were other bombs.

“So what was there?”Tilly asked Esme with directness yet a little shyness.

Esme’s eyebrows lifted even as her mouth twitched into a smile at the boldness of a 13-year-old girl who thought to ask her what a terrorist organization was doing.It was--as they say--the beginnings of a beautiful friendship.

“It was a Faith center,” Esme answered.

“What?!”His mother’s right hand clutched the front of her shirt.

“One that is used to hand out food and other necessities to the poor,” Jahara added.

“Poor Shifters go to the Faith?”Rose’s nose wrinkled.“Normally, Shifters go to their own for help.Not the Faith.Sorry, Ellen, they just are a little suspicious of the Faith.”

“They have a right to be, unfortunately,” his mother said.

“The people in line to receive food were human, not Shifter,” Jahara stated.

Something cold curled in Caden’s stomach.“What was wrong with the food?”

Esme and Jahara exchanged looks.It was Esme who said, “Nothing in the batch they were serving at that moment, but we found a stockpile of sleeping tablets in a back room, hidden under some floor boards.”

“Spirits,” his mother whispered as her eyes filled with tears.“So not bombs, but tablets to send them asleep to never wake up.”

“It’s not violent or exciting enough for the Spirits,” Valerius countered.“Such a death wouldn’t likely work.”

“Maybe they’re experimenting,” Jahara suggested.“Pills are much easier to give out than using bombs.”

“Needless to say, the Claw have the matter well in hand.Every staffer has been brought in for questioning and the building as well as all electronic devices are to be searched,” Esme added.

“Are any of the Claw members of the Faith?”Rose asked.

Caden shook himself.“This doesn’t make any sense!The Faith and Humans First are at war with one another! Why would Humans First have data on a Faith plot?”

“They are enemies, perhaps more so in many ways than Shifters and Humans First,” Jahara said.“They would be surveilling each other.”

Caden sagged against Valerius.“Thank goodness that Landry told us about this!”

“Yes,” Valerius agreed with a grunt.“I wonder what the others will find.”

“With all this serious stuff happening, maybe we shouldn’t do the media stuff,” Tilly said, looking a little crestfallen.

“On the contrary, dear girl, now isexactlythe time to do the media stuff as you say,” Esme’s rich voice boomed as she put a hand on Tilly’s right shoulder.“The things that seem inconsequential or silly or indulgent are what makes life worth living.We cannot allow those who seek to bring darkness into the world stop us from bringing light.”

Tilly gazed up at Esme with utter joy.“Really? So--so we can do the interview?”

“Tilly, haven’t you heard all the serious stuff that’s going to be asked in the interview?”Their mother though looked at her daughter with a mixture of indulgence and exasperation.

“Yes, but I’m a kid!They’ll just ask me nice questions and, since I’ll be there this time, they might take it easy on you and Dad too,” Tilly pointed out.

“What a wise child!You are quite correct, Tilly!”Esme nodded sagely.“So we must make you the center of attention.”

“More than Caden and Valerius being mates?”Tilly’s eyebrows were hiding in her hairline.

“Well…” Esme considered this, “maybe not.But we can distract them thoroughly with a really good dress. You come with me and I’ll get you set up beautifully!”

“Oh that would be AWESOME!”Tilly looked deliriously happy.

Caden saw his mother about to object, but he shook his head.Let Tilly have this.She really needed something good right now.

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