Page 14 of The Dragon Shifters' Enemy
“Perhaps the Faith wouldn’t be interested in the Behemoth, but Humans Firstwould,” Esme said as she tapped her chin with the edge of her empty wine glass.“As you said, Ellen, the Behemoth is something that those who distrust and dislike Shifters use as a reason for others to join their cause.”
“Those fools would likely think that they could control something like the Behemoth,” Mei huffed with a wave of her hands.“Good thing for them it isn’t real.”
But everyone but Anwar’s certainty that the Behemoth was a myth didn’t seem to satisfy Caden.He still looked troubled.Jahara regarded Anwar with narrowed eyes, but then those eyes went to Caden.A flicker of worry crossed her face.She seemed to think Caden’s alarm potentially meant that Anwar’s suggestion had some merit.Valerius frowned.Caden was simply reacting to the menace of Behemoth’s description and nothing more. Wasn’t he?
He looked inward. Iolaire was awake and alert now and it wasn’t for the food.Raziel was looking down at its mate with narrowed eyes.Iolaire made a soft hoot and tucked its head under Raziel’s right wing.Raziel leaned down and gently nuzzled the back of Iolaire’s neck, undoubtedly, trying to assure the White Dragon that there was nothing to fear from such talk.
“Anwar, you appear quite unmoved by everyone’s comments,” Esme remarked dryly.
“Oh?I have no reason to be defensive or resort to insults,” Anwar said with a smile. “I know I am right.”
He poured himself a glass of cold white wine that immediately frosted the outside of the wine glass.He took a sip, tilted his head to the side as he swished it around in his mouth, nodded and swallowed before taking another sip with satisfaction.He was like a cat with a bowl of cream.He was holding something back.
“Anwar, why do you think there’s a many-headed Dragon coming to destroy the world?”Kaila asked as her brow remained furrowed.
She had seemingly forgotten that Anwar had a tendency to exaggerate as she was very literal herself.Kaila did not lie. Though what Anwar thought lying about Behemoth existing would do for him was beyond Valerius’ understanding at that moment.He had merely managed to annoy everyone.
Anwar took another sip of wine, allowing the tension to build, before he surveyed them all with a triumphant grin.“Because I have seen it.”
“What?!”
“No!”
“You’re joking!”
“Were you drunk?”
“Only in your dreams!”
The commotion he caused by these words only seemed to please Anwar more.He was the center of attention and, therefore, in his element.
“Do you have someproofof this?”Marban asked.
He had sidled in without Valerius knowing. Valerius turned to him and Marban gave him a nod.Valerius nodded back. Marban, Wally and Rose were all standing together. Wally had made himself a sandwich from the roast beef and was sipping a mug full of frothy beer. Marban was drinking wine--absent Ambrosia--and nibbling on tomatoes filled with goat cheese.Rose was beside him, holding her wine glass in both of her hands.
“I do have proof.”Anwar took his phone out of his back pocket and held it up as if it were an exhibit.Valerius had the urge to snatch it from his hands and crush it.There wasnouber-Dragon.He and Raziel reigned supreme! And yet, he was frozen as Anwar asked, “Chione, can I cast a video on a larger screen?”
Chione nodded.She placed her plate and glass on the table before going over to a touch pad by a set of doors on the right wall.A screen descended from the ceiling by the head of the table.She then went over to Anwar to help him connect to the system.
“You have avideoof the Behemoth?”Illarion asked as he chewed with his mouth open.Valerius shuddered.
“I do and I will show you now,” Anwar said as he tapped on his phone and the screen at the end of the table ignited.
Valerius found that he was holding his breath as a grainy video began to play.It showed the desert at night.Rolling sand dunes silvered by the fat, white moon that hung huge and heavy in the sky. The footage was shaky as it was obviously taken on a phone with someone running low to the ground.
A woman’s voice, low and whispery, started to speak, “I followed her out here.I’ve known for months something was wrong. She was secretive, which wasn’t like her at all.She could never keep a secret for the life of her.So it was obvious that she was holding back something big. But it was the other changes that worried me.Thatscaredme.”
The unseen videographer was crawling up a sand dune now.Valerius could hear theshushof sand and the rush of her breathing as she scrambled up the soft side.Finally, she reached the top of the dune and looked over.She immediately slammed down to the ground.The phone showed them only darkness before she lifted it and dusted sand grains from the lens. Finally, she slowly and carefully lifted the phone up so that they could see whatever had caused her to hit the deck.
“There they are,” she whispered as the video showed a ruin that had no roof and was missing most of the walls.“She’s--she’s in the center by the fire.”
As the unseen videographer stated, there was a huge bonfire in the center of the ruins.The golden-orange light showed dozens of people dressed in white robes surrounding the fire.They were all facing the back wall, which was the one that was most intact.And on that wall was a sculpture of a massive Dragon with many heads.
Valerius felt a strange thrill at the nape of his neck. Caden’s right hand curled around his and the White Dragon Shifter squeezed it as if givinghimcomfort. And it was comforting. He kissed Caden’s temple.
“I’ve not begun this the right way at all, Chadi.I should have started at the beginning.I’ll try now just in case I get caught,” the videographer said and he heard the sand shift as she dug herself deeper into it so that only the camera and her head were above the dune’s peak.
“I had told you how strange Sakhra was acting.About how we found the dead cats and then--and then little Layan.”There was a choked sound, but it was soft as she clearly feared discovery.“Sakhra killed her, Chadi.I know that it is hard to believe.My sister!The one who used to pick up spiders with her bare hands and take them outside the house instead of squishing them.But she did it.Iknow.”
