Chapter 6
Confessions
Valerius groaned. His head was splitting. Had he drunk Ambrosia again? It felt like that plus someone was jackhammering into his skull. He groaned again. Someone lightly slapped his cheeks. He groaned a third time.
“Get up, Sleeping Beauty!” Illarion hissed.
Valerius scowled. He would never drink Ambrosia with Illarion. Or, if he did, he would pass out away from the Green Dragon King. Yet the cheek slapping continued. With more force than was strictly necessary.
“Sleeping Beauty!” Illarion continued, seemingly enjoying calling him that and slapping him at the same time with impunity.
“I’m awake!” Valerius growled as he batted away the slapping hands and covered his face with his arms.
“Then open your pretty eyes, Sleeping--”
“Stop calling me that or I will--will do something terrible to you! And I will open them… in a moment,” Valerius snarled as he curled over his side.
His head was killing him. Raziel, too, was drowsy and irritable.
Its stomach hurt. Its head throbbed. It didn’t want to open its eyes either.
It wanted to sleep. But Valerius knew that neither of them should be sleeping.
Both of them were forgetting something. Something important.
There was also something else. Iolaire was not there.
And Caden wasn’t either. Valerius’ eyelids flew open and he had Illarion by the throat.
“Where is Caden?” Valerius snarled.
Illarion’s eyes flared green for a moment as Valerius squeezed. Their teeth were bared.
“Let me go, you big, black oaf!” Illarion growled back.
Valerius tried to push his senses outwards, to find the other Dragon Shifter, but he was simply unable to. Raziel was up on its legs, but unsteadily, unable to unfurl its wings.
“Not until you tell me where Caden is! You were to protect him!”
“I did! I mean… he protected us!” Illarion got out between gritted teeth. “You fell unconscious and I… I was incapacitated. So he took charge. And now he’s out there interrogating Landry. Or the Behemoth.”
Illarion tipped his head towards a smashed window. The wind was whipping the blackout shade back and forth.
“Why didn’t you go with him?” Valerius cried and tried to get up only to fall back down again.
“Same reason you couldn’t open those pretty eyes. The Behemoth did something to both of us,” Illarion said with a shake of his head. “I cannot shift. And Caden… Caden does not need help. After what happened in the hallway, he is perhaps safer without either of us there.”
It was then that Valerius felt Caden’s mind.
The White Dragon Shifter was relieved he was all right.
Valerius, however, was not relieved to find Caden alone with Landry.
He could see through Caden’s eyes. Landry was on the ground before him.
She was encased in an icy prison, except for her head.
She was snarling and promising vengeance upon Caden if he did not release her this minute!
I am coming to you, Valerius said as he struggled to sit up.
No, Caden commanded and Valerius felt the command actually keep him lying on his back. Recover. I’ve got this. If I need help, you will know. Rest.
Caden, I will not let you face the Behemoth alone! Valerius insisted.
I cannot be worried about you and focused on this, Caden told him.
Valerius’ mouth opened. I am not weak! I am--
You are the strongest person I know, Caden told him with warmth. But the Behemoth did something to you and I won’t have a repeat of it.
The sickness that both he and Raziel were experiencing was debilitating. More than debilitating. He couldn’t remember feeling this bad in a very long time.
Whatever happened to me could happen to you! Valerius insisted.
Caden was quiet for a moment. No, no, I don’t think so. I can’t explain it. But I think Iolaire is resistant to the Behemoth. It may somehow stem from its abilities to turn people from the Spirit to human forms.
I don’t want to trust hunches, Caden! I want you here and safe! Valerius sounded like a child as he said this.
He felt warmth and love from Caden. I know. Me, too. But I am all right. You need to trust me. I need you and Illarion to stay where you are.
Valerius grimaced. But he was so weak that he couldn’t even continue the expression for long. Please tell me that you will be careful?
Of course. Rest, Valerius, Caden directed. We’ll be together soon.
Valerius hit the back of his head against the floor and groaned.
Raziel let out a pitiful stream of fire and sank back down onto its belly, too.
They were no good to Caden until they recovered from whatever this was!
And Caden sounded confident, sure in a way that Valerius could not gainsay.
This was Caden’s strength. This was his gift.
“Caden has things well in hand,” Valerius explained when Illarion cocked his head to the side as had remained silent for too long. “He doesn’t need assistance.”
“Yes, as I said. I am not surprised! He is a firecracker, our little White Dragon! You still want to strangle me? Just for fun?” Illarion asked, gesturing to his throat where Valerius’ hands hung limply.
Valerius released his grip on Illarion’s throat. The virulent light completely left Illarion’s eyes. Both of them looked away from one another.
Valerius grimaced. He had attacked Illarion out of habit. Fear. Old feelings that weren’t really there any longer. It was wrong. Caden would be displeased.
“That was… uncalled for. I… I… apologize, Illarion,” Valerius forced himself to say.
One of those irritating grins flashed across Illarion’s face. “Ooooh, that clearly hurts to say! The great Valerius apologizing!”
Valerius snarled, “Why can you not be gracious for once and--”
“I am sorry, too, though I did nothing wrong,” Illarion said with a wry smile.
“This time,” Valerius frowned.
“This time. Well, I did forget that we are not enemies anymore and you are insanely protective and aggressive about Caden. Understandably,” Illarion added the last with seeming admiration.
“We… aren’t enemies,” Valerius said.
“You didn’t make that sound too much like a question,” Illarion snorted. “That’s something.”
“You said it first, which is… I don’t know what that is,” Valerius admitted.
“Caden would say it is progress.” Illarion shrugged.
“Yes, he would,” Valerius agreed.
Silence fell until it was broken by a faint groan. Illarion got up and went to check the bed. From Valerius’ limited vantage point, he could see a bare leg only partially covered by a nightgown. There was at least one person in the bed.
“Landry’s parents,” Illarion answered his unasked question. “They are still unconscious from whatever the Behemoth did to them. Plus being thrown about by Caden’s Dragon Breath. Their boys are trussed over there in the corner by the closet.”
Valerius thought of how Caden had to keep strengthening the ice prison that held Landry. He reminded Illarion not to forget their strength.
“Oh, I know. I am keeping an eye on them,” Illarion said, and there was that green glint in his irises again that boded ill if Landry’s brothers so much as batted an eyelash at them.
“We need to get their parents’ medical attention and lock Ross and Harvey up. I wonder if any prison is strong enough to keep. There would not be one strong enough to keep us,” Valerius said, trying to sit up again and failing miserably. His strength had clearly deserted him now.
“I called Chione. People are coming,” Illarion said.
Valerius let out a relieved breath. “Good.”
“She is handy, that one. You should be lucky I don’t try to steal her from you,” Illarion said.
“You are insane if you think she would go with you,” Valerius retorted.
“I can be quite charming. Caden likes me,” Illarion said, and there was some satisfaction in his tone.
“Yes, well, Caden is forgiving,” Valerius muttered.
“Which is why he loves you!” Illarion laughed.
“True.” Valerius’ eyes closed. Raziel was already deeply asleep even though one of its forelimbs moved restlessly, looking for Iolaire to pull against it.
How needy we have become, old friend, Valerius thought. No longer the single Dragon.
A pillow was suddenly on top of Valerius’ face. He pulled it off and saw that Illarion had thrown it at him. “I’m not planning on staying down here.”
“Caden would be very angry with me if that hard head of yours is not properly supported,” Illarion said.
Valerius struggled but finally got it under his head. It did feel better.
“Why did you come back so soon, Illarion? I truly thought you were going to stalk off for good,” Valerius said.
“I told you, my plane--”
“Caden didn’t believe that and he is trusting. I am not trusting so don’t even go there,” Valerius told him.
There was a long silence. Illarion was still sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down at Landry’s parents, but Valerius didn’t really believe Illarion was seeing them. There was a grim, almost desperate set to Illarion’s jaw.
“If I tell you this I am insane,” Illarion said quietly.
“If you tell me whatever this is… then it is important and true,” Valerius responded after a long moment.
Slowly, Illarion turned his head towards Valerius. There was raw confusion and fury there. Not at Valerius. But at something else.
“I cannot… cannot do it!” Illarion shouted.
Valerius’ brow furrowed. “Cannot do--”
“Keep control of my territory!” The words sounded ripped out of Illarion’s throat.
Valerius said nothing. He knew that whatever Illarion would say next would be crucial to everything going forward. Even Raziel cracked an eyelid.
Illarion got up and began to pace the end of the bed like a caged tiger. Mephous’ green glow was in his eyes, but the anger was directed at a world gone mad in his mind, not at Valerius or at any particular person.