Page 97 of Cast By Flames (Dragon's Breath)
“Maybe you can send a couple of your cooks up here…when time allows,” Bailey said, pausing. Aidan assumed she was working around mentioning the war. “They can apprentice in our kitchens when things are settled.”
“I’d have to run it by my mother, but she might consider it.”
Aidan had seen Lorcan’s mother, Hildegard, two days before during dome training. That was their last time together until the war finished since they needed to concentrate on their respective borders. Even Lorcan would have to leave tomorrow to spend time with the rest of his family and toriq before the fighting began. The shifter likely felt torn about where he should be with a young daughter and another female pregnant with his child at the Taugud fortress, but he was the second in command for the Faegud. That was the place he had to be.
Bailey took a sip of water and put down her glass. “Did my family get settled alright?”
“Yes.” Lorcan gave her a reassuring smile. “Though it was quite the project since they wouldn’t leave any of their cows or horses behind. We have them set up just east of the jakhal, and they have tunnels where they can hide if needed.”
“I really appreciate that,” she said, gratitude in her gaze.
After they saw the Kandoran attacks getting closer to the Faegud border, they’d requested Lorcan’s help with moving Bailey’s stepbrothers and the others at the ranch. Hildegard had gone out of her way to ensure they’d stay somewhere safer until the war ended.
Aidan dipped his chin at the shifter. “You have my thanks as well.”
“I can’t say it was entirely altruistic.” Lorcan grinned. “They gave us a quarter of their cattle to help feed the influx of dragons we’ve received. It has made it a lot easier to keep everyone fed, so it certainly worked to our advantage.”
“I can hardly mind that,” Bailey reassured him.
Everyone returned to eating and making small talk. While they tried to keep the mood light, an undercurrent of tension ran through the room. Only the children appeared ignorant of it. Aidan was grateful for that, but occasionally, Orion cast a concerned glance at him and Bailey. He was just old enough to understand something bad was about to happen.
Servants returned to clear the tables after they finished their meal. Aidan took his son and mate by the hand and moved them to the sitting area. He had Bailey sit in his lap with his arms wrapped around her petite form. Orion sat on the floor with Leilany, playing with dragon figures made of specially treated wood. The little girl was a full shifter, so she couldn’t touch human-made toys without melting them.
“Tomorrow, you’ll need to bring yours and Leilany’s things to the castle,” Aidan said, glancing at Phoebe.
Orion looked up. “They’re moving in here?”
“For a little while,” he answered his son. “They’ll stay on the second floor so you can see them more often.”
Phoebe smiled, mostly hiding the strain in her features. “And you can come to sleep with us if you’d like while your parents are away.”
They’d already explained to Orion that Aidan and Bailey would be gone for a while, along with many others from the fortress, to stop some bad dragons from invading their land. Hewished he didn’t have to say anything at all, but there was no way to hide it completely from an observant four-year-old.
It didn’t help that Orion had suffered nightmares recently related to the Kandoran. His dark dreams had shocked them, but they’d done their best to assuage his fears. He and Bailey had brought up the issue with Kane. His uncle said there was little he could do at this point, but hopefully, once the war concluded, Orion would have a respite from the dark visions. Grave threats almost always broke through a seers’ defenses, especially young ones with little control.
Aidan had decided to have his sister reside in the castle for the duration of the war since she would oversee the defenses and could keep a better eye on Orion. Also, it was the safest location above ground. If the shield wall fell and the Kandoran targeted the jakhal, everyone not participating in the battle would move to the tunnels beneath. Layers of old and new magic made that area the most impenetrable. If that time came, Bailey’s mother, Imee, along with Paul and Candace, would oversee moving all humans and children.
Phoebe would remain above to coordinate the fortress’s defense, but he’d ordered her not to fight unless she was directly attacked. While it was extremely rare for a shifter to lose a baby during pregnancy, it could happen if they were critically injured. He wanted her as safe as possible.
“We can do sleepovers?” Orion asked, excited.
“Yes.” Phoebe nodded. “And sometimes, you two will stay with your grandma or uncle. They’re planning many activities to keep you busy.”
Paul, Candace, and Imee had taken the fireproof potion, along with several others, so they could assist in watching overshifter children as well as the human ones. For this war, they needed every fighter they could get, including both parents in many cases.
Fifty healthy, younger Taugud warriors would remain at the fortress to defend it, but the rest would come from their aged members and those with disabilities who would usually stay out of the fighting. They’d volunteered, though, and trained so that they could learn to work around physical handicaps such as missing limbs or the inability to fly. Aidan had no doubt they would fight as fiercely as anyone if the enemy reached the jakhal.
Orion looked between him and Bailey. “How long are you going to be gone?”
“We don’t know for sure, son.” Aidan gave him a reassuring look. “But I promise we’ll be back as soon as possible.”
He wouldn’t promise they’d visit, though they’d try if an opportunity presented itself. The only other reason they’d return during the fighting was if their injuries were grave enough to need the healing stones. That was part of Ruari and Freya’s job. They would move between the bunkers, supply points, and fortress to transfer injured and restock food and supplies as needed. Unless the front line got overwhelmed, his brother wouldn’t fight. Aidan preferred to use him where he excelled, rather than force him onto the battlefield full-time. Freya was welcome to battle if her mate didn’t need her assistance since she could certainly take down many Kandoran.
“I’m going to miss you,” Orion said, lips trembling.
Bailey leaned forward and grabbed him, pulling him onto hers and Aidan’s laps. “It will be okay, sweetheart. We’ll missyou like crazy, too, and won’t be gone a second longer than we have to, okay?”
Their son nodded, though the tears in his eyes told them he wasn’t fully convinced. “Okay.”
