Page 37 of Her Dragon Daddy Disaster
The speaker had the crowd up in arms, and he finished his speech with a call to action. People pushed forward. Shouts went up from around the crowd. Very angry shouts. My mind noted how they were nice and spread out.
Plants. Whatever was going on, it was organized, and that wasbad.
Someone slammed into me, rocking me sideways. I held onto Jakub fiercely, my arm stretched out as he was dragged the other way. Motherly instincts kicked in, locking my grip down with the force of steel. I wasnotletting go.
Then someone rushing forward split right through our arms, breaking the grip as I was whirled around and tossed to the ground.
“Mommy!” Jakub shouted as he was borne away by the press of the massed bodies.
Scrambling to my feet, I looked around wildly, trying to find him.
“JAKUB!”I screamed.
My only answer was a cry from the mob as they surged.
Chapter Fifteen
Levi
It was working even better than I had hoped.
The crowd filling the plaza swelled with the parade. Malakai and I launched into our most vehement rhetoric, using our carefully placed plants in the crowd to urge others along.
And it worked. Jaded dragons returned from the front lines, those tired of the war, tired of killing humans all because one woman got upset her son was taken.
“We are not hers to call whenever she is upset!”I shouted to those listening. “We deserve to have a say. A voice in what we do as a people!”
Another round of agreement came back at me. I stifled a smile, turning it into a sneer instead.
“We went to war all over one person. Her son. Because this ‘sovereign’ of ours couldn’t solve her own problems without having a hissy fit. And she used YOU to get it done. You were used. We were ALL used. What kind of leader resorts to war as the first option? She did it because she COULD and becausenone of us were allowed to say NO! And to that I say NO MORE!”
Roars of approval went up from around us. I shot Lydia a grin, receiving a matching one in return.
When I glanced across the plaza at Malakai, who was giving his own speech to another part of the crowd, the look I got in return wasn’t as positive. His head jerked slightly to the side, drawing my attention toward the edge of the plaza.
What I saw there made me tense.
A distinct separation was forming among the crowd. Masses of dragons interested in our message crowded around the podiums that had hastily been erected for us to speak on. Little more than planks of wood nailed together, they gave us the elevation to be able to project.
It also showed there were knots of dragons watching but not participating. Not only that, but they were blocking all the exits to the plaza. Tough, hardened people waiting. Watching.
Loyalists, then, those who wanted to stay true to the sovereign and her outdated ways.
I decided to use that, then.
“There are those that would disagree!” I shouted, deviating from the planned speech.
Lydia’s head whipped around, not recognizing where I was going with it.
“Trust me,” I whispered to her under my breath. “This will work.”
“There are those who say we are in the wrong, simply for wanting a say in our future, in what is to be done with us. A say in those who lead us. They think we are the bad people!”
The angry rumblings intensified.
“These people think we should be little more than cattle! Following along, asking no questions, and simply doing as we’re told. They think us too stupid to see the truth behind it all!”
I patted myself on the back for that line. Nobody liked to be thought of as dumb.
