The White Dragon Revealed (Dragon's Reign #5)

11. Circus Ring

CIRCUS RING

“ A m I really going to do this?” Caden asked Valerius.

“This is your plan, Caden.” Valerius sounded amused.

“You could have talked me out of it!”

“After I saw how you and Rose handled your father, I knew I didn’t have a chance.” Valerius still sounded way too amused.

Caden twitched the huge black cloak with hood around his naked body. It was one of Valerius’ normal cloaks that he wore when he traveled incognito in Reach. Caden was dwarfed by it. It pooled around his feet and he could have wrapped himself three times over and had material to spare. The hood hung all the way down to his chin unless he balanced it just so. It kept blocking his view of the Below’s marketplace from their secret location behind a mostly broken down stall.

Well, it normally was the marketplace. In fact, it was where he had shifted and landed that first day he had joined with Iolaire. Now the area was completely transformed. The tin roofed stalls and piles of second-hand clothes and goods were all cleared away. The hard-packed earth was covered with a red carpet. That had Caden sighing. He knew that Marban had been behind it. It made Iolaire look more like a rockstar than a…

What? Normal Dragon? Okay, that’s a little stupid. But it makes Iolaire look above the people and I don’t want it.

But there had been no time to change it. After the confrontation with his father that had turned into a lot of hugging and a lot more honest talking and then hearing Kaila boast about how she had trounced Illarion--her wild hair and ripped clothes were worn with pride--he’d barely had time to travel with Valerius through the secret underground tunnels and pathways to the Below. He’d been awed by what he’d seen from spiraling staircases to sloping hallways carved with scenes of dragon battles.

“If you do not want to shift, Caden, Lana and I are well prepared to go in your stead!” Kaila looked at him brightly. She was balancing on her hoverboard with one hand firmly on Valerius’ shoulder.

“I’m sure people would love to see you and Lana, but we promised them, uhm, Iolaire,” Caden told her as he sheepishly tugged on the oversized hood. “Some people might be-- wrongly --disappointed just because they were expecting something and got something else. Even if it is better!”

Kaila, who was still wearing the clothes that had gotten ripped in her historic battle with Illarion in Esme’s foyer, which apparently was also the worse for wear, stuck her lower lip out in what suspiciously looked like a pout. But then she brightened again as her goldfish quick mind turned to something else.

“It’s too bad that your father couldn’t come with us!” she said.

Caden actually agreed. He still felt this utter sense of relief and comfort now that he and his dad were on the same page. In fact, he’d found himself wanting his father’s opinion now that it wasn’t being forced on him.

“While Caden intends to reveal himself, today is not the day. People are watching anything Iolaire is doing including those that attend its events in the hopes to track down anyone they consider suspicious,” Valerius answered for him.

“Yes! Esme and Tez were looking at that online! They always spend so much time staring at screens that I--”

“Kaila, what were they seeing online about Iolaire?” Caden’s forehead was furrowed. He had avoided looking for news about himself, but this must be important if Esme and Tez were interested in it. The two of them were still up in High Reach now, working with Mei on finding out more about who their real enemies were.

Kaila blinked as if she couldn’t quite remember what she had been saying. Caden was about to remind her when she said, “Oh! Right! Well, there are whole YouTube channels dedicated to scanning the crowds where you’ve appeared. Also, they have video of the day of the bombing. That incident at your house is also being connected with everything going on.”

Caden swallowed. He looked up at Valerius. “I am glad that I want to come out now. It doesn’t seem like the secret could be kept much longer anyways.”

Valerius nodded soberly. “I had a vain hope that we could keep your secret safe for a little time, but I doubt it will last the week. The thing is that none of us were joined with our Spirits during the Internet age.”

“The Internet is wonderful! But it does have its drawbacks,” Kaila agreed, but Caden had a hard time imagining her taking the time to sit still long enough to be on a computer or tablet or even a phone.

“But back to your father, Caden. His time is being well spent meeting with Justice St. John,” Valerius said with a small smile.

“Dad acted like he was meeting a rockstar when the Justice appeared,” Caden said with a faint huff of laughter.

His father had, in fact, totally geeked out in his lawyerly way when the head of the United States Supreme Court was announced. He then had gone almost silent when Valerius had introduced the two of them and the Chief Justice had actually known who he was.

“You clerked for Justice Whyler, didn’t you?” St. John had asked his father.

“I--I did. I’m surprised that you would know about such a thing. It was a long time ago and I was one of many,” his father answered.

“Justice Whyler is a friend of mine. He spoke of you often. He said you had a very strong forward thinking gift. You could see the results of a decision beyond the facts in front of you, which is very unusual,” St. John had explained in that bone dry way of his.

“Unusual?” His father said the word as if it was bitter. Then with a keen-eyed stare, his father said, “You mean for a human ?”

“No, Grant, for anyone .” St. John beamed at him.

His father blinked. Obviously, he was completely blown away by this. Caden hid his smile behind his hand.

“I hear that you are representing the White Dragon,” St. John remarked.

His father’s eyes did not even cut Caden’s way as he answered, “No, I am not.”

St. John’s shrewd eyes narrowed. “And yet you are in the throne room of the king of kings.”

“I am here on other business,” his father half lied.

“Well, it is best not to involve home and work. The strains are simply too great. And our vision sometimes gets blurred by our emotions,” St. John replied obliquely

Caden realized at that moment that the Chief Justice likely knew that Caden was the White Dragon Shifter, but was giving his father and Caden cover. Caden realized he never wanted to be on the opposite end of this man’s questioning. He saw and understood way too much. His father’s erect posture and stiff bearing indicated that he, too, knew that he was engaging with a master of verbal warfare.

“I noticed that some of your partners were storming out of the castle while I was coming in. No trouble there, I hope.” St. John’s head tilted birdlike to the side.

His father opened his lips to likely say “no” or “everything’s fine” or, at the most, “there’s only been a slight misunderstanding.” But instead, his father said truthfully, “I believe I’m leaving the firm. We didn’t see eye to eye on a lot of things.”

St. John nodded sagely. “They are a good firm, but–if you will forgive me for saying this–slightly pedestrian in their pursuits. Now most firms are mostly conservative in order to serve their clients well, but they truly have lost the spark of creativity with the law. And I say this as a Supreme Court Justice whose life is to uphold what has come before, but, at the same time, we must look ahead. Something that, as I said, Justice Whyler said you could do.”

His father narrowed his eyes for a moment then a smile curled his lips. “Justice St. John, are you trying to obliquely offer me a job?”

St. John put an arm around his father’s shoulders. “I might be at that. As King Valerius is otherwise disposed, how about you and I discuss things?”

King Valerius had been warning staff to keep an eye out for Illarion since the Green Dragon Shifter’s pride had been hurt and he was likely to do something stupid and dangerous.

“Caden, will you be all right if I go off with the Justice here for a moment?” his father asked with such a hopeful look that even if Caden had needed his father in that moment, he wouldn’t have kept him.

“Go on, Dad. I’ve got a–a uh thing going on so I’m good.” Caden waved him off.

Justice St. John’s lips twitched faintly at his use of the word “thing”. Yeah, the Chief Justice knew he was the White Dragon Shifter and clearly also knew about Marban’s announcement. The two of them had wandered off together while Caden got ready for his big petting moment.

“I think Tilly, more than my dad, will have a cow when she hears about this,” Caden remarked, drawing out of his thoughts.

“She already got her ride,” Valerius growled.

“You aren’t really worried that me giving some kids a ride will damage the fierce reputations of Dragons, are you?” Caden grinned up at him.

“If anyone ever asks me for a ride we shall know just how much damage you and Iolaire have done.” Valerius’ eyes blazed at him, but there was a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“They would have to have a death wish to do that! But I suppose it could happen!” Kaila blew a curl away from her face as she leaned around the stall to peer at what was happening in the main circus ring as Caden was starting to call it in his head.

Marban had roped off a walkway that was near them, but did not lead right to their location, but close enough that they could slip into it without being noticed. The roping continued to form a huge circle right in the very center of the marketplace. The circle was large enough for Iolaire to sit, wings extended, to the delight of the crowd. And there was a huge crowd.

The entirety of the marketplace was filled. The crowd was pressed all the way up to the rope’s edges from the back walls. Those in the front were seated so that those in the back could see. Children were given pride of place at the very front of the crowd, all frisking eagerly for Iolaire. Iolaire was frisking for them too. It expected huge amounts of petting.

Caden was honestly impressed by how controlled the crowd was. That might have been aided by the fact that there were Shifters positioned all around the outside edge of the roped off area every five feet, not to mention that there were more Shifters circulating in the crowd and clamping down on any potential criminal activity. Caden had a feeling the ones around the roped off circle were Swarm Shifters, though he couldn’t say exactly why. Maybe it was the way they moved in this jittery motion followed by periods of extreme stillness. The ones in the crowd appeared to be Rat and Snake Shifters slithering about. There were no police or Claw.

Valerius had originally objected to this, banging one hand on the arm of his throne. “Marban, I will not have a meet and greet with Iolaire turned into a festival for criminal behavior! Pickpocketing! Mugging! And who knows what else! There needs to be order! Captains Simi and Ngoye can--”

“As you have so graciously pointed out before, King Valerius, I control the Below,” Marban had interrupted smoothly. He stroked the front of his monk’s robes. “I can assure you that there will not be one act of criminality during Caden’s visit.”

“You can really make that happen?” Caden had asked. He had gone up onto the dais to be a part of this argument.

“Of course, dear boy.” Marban smiled so easily it looked as if his mouth was oiled. “Everything will be perfect for you and Rose’s special event. ”

Rose joined them on the dais. Her hands worked nervously together. “When it was going to be a spontaneous event, Grandfather, I didn’t worry about things getting rowdy, but now with… ah, with everything you’ve planned and the excitement that Iolaire causes--not to mention the press--things could go pear-shaped.”

“You don’t think I can control my own people, Granddaughter?” Marban’s voice was dangerously reasonable, but Caden could see the mobster’s temper underneath. No one in his organization, not even Rose, could question him like this.

“I’m just worried about people in other parts of the city hearing and trying to come down,” Rose quickly amended. “They don’t respect the Below or the people in it!”

Marban appeared mollified. Caden felt a flare of anger that there had been any threat in Marban’s voice to Rose at all. The king of the underworld hadn’t truly left that darkness behind no matter that he was on the highest peak in sunshine.

“That is something the Claw can handle. I understand that the lifts and the great staircase have been shut down already,” Marban said almost sweetly at Simi.

The Claw Captain, who had been silently watching this exchange, clearly did not like that Marban knew the Claw’s activities. “Indeed they have. But people may try to enter the Below through the Gash.”

“My people have that handled. Believe me, dozens of Swarm Shifters have been placed near that entrance. They will be shifted, of course. That should keep the others away.” Marban spread his hands as if he were offering a generous gift.

“The whole idea of Rose and I doing this was so it would be fun and show that the people in the Below are good and just like everyone else,” Caden pointed out. “Do you really think Swarm Shifters guarding the entrances will do that?”

Rose looked unhappy as well at this. “He’s right, Grandfather. Just the mention of Swarm Shifters scare people. Do we really want to try to tell people not to be afraid on the one hand while using their supposed scariness with the other?”

Marban tapped his chin, clearly listening to them, which is more than Caden would have thought. “Perhaps Claw there would be more appropriate.”

“I can have it arranged right away, King Valerius,” Simi said smartly.

“Make it so,” Valerius told him.

Simi turned to go, but Marban called out, “No Claw, however, will be inside the Below! That is the one condition that I will not let go!”

Simi looked at Valerius to see if that was all right. After a long moment, Valerius nodded.

The Black Dragon King turned to Marban and pointed a finger directly at the Swarm Shifter’s chest. “If anything goes wrong, Marban, this will be on you . No one else.”

Marban bowed.

But Rose was front and center in this. She was in the center of the roped circle by Marban’s side. She seemingly was the only Bee Shifter there, at least if the clothing was any indication of the type of Shifters there. She was dressed in her extreme yellow and black best. Her makeup was more exaggerated than normal. From the way that people were reacting to her--calling her name almost shyly and others asking for her autograph--she was well known and Marban had made it quite clear in his announcement that Iolaire and Rose were good friends.

“Rose looks nervous and unhappy despite the smile she has plastered on her face,” Kaila remarked.

“She does not believe that Marban can keep things contained.” Valerius grimaced. “I think she is correct. The size of this crowd and its boisterousness are like dry tinder. All it will take is a spark. I hope I do not regret keeping the Claw on the outside.”

“I don’t know if the Claw makes people here feel safer,” Caden said gently.

Valerius’ lips thinned. “No, you are likely right. Though Captain Simi has tried to urge the people here to see the Claw as their partners, it has not gone to plan.”

“Rose looks like she wants to escape her skin,” Kaila continued.

“She doesn’t like the spotlight either. Remember, being a Swarm Shifter has made her isolated as it is. Now she’s back in it as my friend, which will get her some more bad attention,” Caden explained with a sigh. Marban had really put her in a spot.

Kaila’s forehead furrowed. “Bad attention?”

“People will now want to befriend her in the hopes of getting to Caden,” Valerius stated flatly.

“She and I were going to do this together before so she knew she’d get some exposure. But this feels different. It’s more of an… attraction or something.” Caden shivered a little. The Below was cold and he was naked underneath the cloak. His clothes were tucked under Valerius’ arm. Shifting would have destroyed them and he loved those jeans.

“People are often quite terrible.” Kaila shrugged. “That is why my dolphins are my best friends. They do not like you for any other reasons than they do.”

“You are very lucky, Kaila.” Valerius put his arm around Caden’s shoulders and rubbed them. “Are you all right, Caden?”

“You mean besides the fact that there are thousands of people here waiting to see me? Or that Marban is running the show? Or that I have my usual performance anxiety?” The panic bubbled in his belly again. Always, he feared not being able to shift on command no matter how many times he’d done it, which, in all honesty, wasn’t that many.

Iolaire chirruped at him. It was saying everything would be fine

So long as you are in charge, Iolaire, then it will. Just don’t let me get carried away, Caden said.

Iolaire lifted its chin proudly while at the same time assuring Caden that he was wonderful too.

Valerius squeezed him and leaned down to whisper in his ear, “Remember the moonlight and the piercing .”

Caden let out a bark of laughter that was loud enough that people in the noisy crowd just beyond the stall’s hanging carpets that separated them heard him. Caden slammed a hand on his own mouth to silence himself. He then glared at Valerius for making him laugh that loud and hard. Valerius smirked, completely unrepentant .

“Oh! Oh! I think something is happening! Yes, yes, I think it’s time!” Kaila jumped up and down on her hoverboard.

There was a crackle and a thumping noise as Marban checked his microphone. “Hello, everyone!”

The crowd roared a hello back.

“Thank you so much for joining us today.” Marban gave that monk’s smile of benevolence. “We have something very exciting planned for you. The White Dragon Shifter has requested to make an appearance in the Below today!”

There were cries of joy. Caden, though, was not joyful. All of this “we” business without mentioning Rose at all! She was just standing there quietly, head down, while Marban took all of the credit. It had nothing to do with him at all. Not to mention, Marban was acting as if Caden had to get his permission to appear anywhere in Valerius’ city! One glance at Valerius’ deepening scowl told Caden that the Black Dragon King was not pleased.

“I’m going out there,” Caden said as he prepared to slip through the crowd and into the roped off walkway.

“But he hasn’t announced you yet,” Kaila pointed out, though she looked as dubious about Marban’s speech as the rest of them.

“No, he hasn’t. But this isn’t about him. And it’s about time he got that message,” Caden said with a tight smile.

Valerius cupped his face. There was a look of pride as he gazed down at Caden. “Your father fears you don’t have the necessary strength to stand up for yourself and others against the most powerful Shifters.”

Caden lifted his chin much like Iolaire had earlier. “He’s wrong about that.”

“I know.” Valerius then kissed him. “I cannot wait to see what you do next.”

Dazed and yet strengthened by the kiss. Caden staggered out from behind the stall and onto the walkway. He could do this. He would do this. Valerius and Kaila were going to watch from behind the stall. This was his and Rose’s show. There would be no one and nothing else to take away from that .

And Caden felt confident.

Even as the too long cloak almost had him tripping and falling on his face. Even as he began to sweat in it. But he couldn’t take it off or hoist it up or even adjust the hood so he could see better. He was going to shift while wearing the robe so as to keep his identity a secret for a little while longer. Not to mention that he wasn’t going to give Marban that scoop, too. But also, they needed to plan things out for his family. So the cloak and hood stayed on.

But the moment that people started to notice him, the cloak and hood felt completely insufficient. They were going to see him! They were going to know! And what if he couldn’t shift?

He heard Marban droning on, but no one was paying attention. Rose’s head shot up and she was looking at Caden’s ungainly walk towards her. A smile twitched on her lips. The crowd’s growing verbal excitement had even Marban stopping speaking as he realized no one cared what he had to say.

Awed chants of “Iolaire! Iolaire!” filled the Below. His Spirit’s name echoed all around them. Caden suddenly smiled. All doubt fell away. He strode forward confidently and instead of waiting until he was fully in the circle, Caden shifted.

There were screams of delight and amazement as the White Dragon appeared and the cloak and hood were shredded. Iolaire gracefully kept their wings and tail away from the crowd as they moved into the circle and went directly for Rose. They lowered their head and let out a puff of frost. This was all Iolaire’s idea. The frost caused what looked to be a crown to appear over Rose’s head. There were gasps. Rose reached up and grasped their head with no fear and kissed their nose.

Caden grinned. We’ve got this!