The (Not) Satisfied Dragon - Colette Rhodes Page 0,74
shut again and looking thoughtful. He’d totally assumed that I was going to say something dumb.
“Once the word is out, it’s out,” Levi mused. “The Council will have added pressure on them, plus the attention could serve as an added layer of protection for you,” he added, looking nervously at Shira. I understood his hesitation. I doubted she’d relish more attention.
“There will be many who side with Councilors like Nerio,” Ezra warned. “They’ll think we’re… disruptive.”
“Good.” Shira shrugged. “I enjoy annoying Nerio and his ilk. The more they disapprove, the more motivated I am to prove them wrong. The party is probably a good idea, even though being in a big crowd is uncomfortable.”
“One of us will be with you the whole time,” Levi promised her. “And we’ll only invite people we trust. Friends and family.”
Shira smiled faintly. “It might be nice to meet more of them.”
“Tomorrow night,” Ezra said decisively. “Let’s split up and issue invites.”
“You’ve already sucked all the joy out of it,” I groaned, flopping down on the couch and throwing my arm over my head. “My family lives too far away. I’ll just nap until you get back.”
“Nope, you are going to help,” Shira ordered, sounding impressively Alpha.
“Come with me?” I asked hopefully, peeking out from under my arm.
“I’m going to stay here, I have some sewing to do. This gold needs trousers.”
Chapter 16
Nerio’s visit yesterday had shaken me to my core.
He didn’t suspect me — yet — but he suspected my mates. It was worse. I’d always accepted that I might pay the price for my revenge, but I’d been adamant that no one else ever would.
Why was I surprised by this? The risk had always been there. My mates’ confidence must have been rubbing off on me.
I’d wanted to spend some time with Oren last night, I had this raging urge to, but after the guys had got back from letting everyone know about our last-minute party, we’d all collapsed in bed and fallen asleep. Now, we were approaching the outcrop for our second task.
As we landed with a thud on the ledge in our dragon forms, I did my best to banish the heavy ball of dread in my stomach that was weighing me down. I had to keep my head clear. If we got this seat on the Council, I had a feeling we’d be invincible — Flight Milain had been. All we had to do was win.
We shifted back — me hidden behind my mates — and I quickly pulled on my trousers and the shirt I'd sliced up to allow my wings out without stripping entirely.
My mates shifted around me, clearing the way for me to see the Councilors and Enforcers assembled below. Nerio was looking back at me, the calculating glint in his eye visible from here. Nerves made my throat feel thick and my hands shake, but I worked to hide it. I wouldn't let him see that he’d affected me. I’d dealt with much bigger, badder dragons in my life than Nerio.
If Nerio had shared his theory that my mates had killed Flight Milain, no one was reacting to it except the other members of his flight who regarded us with more disdain than usual. The other Councilors merely observed our arrival with mild interest.
Even if he hadn’t said anything yet, there was no way Nerio and his flight were going to let this go. Maybe they'd sit on their theory for now. So long as Flight Mentrus won the seat, it worked to their advantage, but we needed to get ahead of it. To be prepared for the worst. Hiram’s party was a good idea. As much as I was dreading the social interaction, drawing attention to our run for the Council was a smart way of ensuring Nerio couldn’t discreetly do away with us.
If that didn’t work, I always had my backup option.
My least favorite option, though it would clear my mates’ names, which was the bigger priority. Tell the truth — the whole truth. The ugly, sad story I hadn’t even given my mates yet. I wouldn’t just admit to my crimes. I’d give them the unvarnished story of what I'd lived through. What Flight Milain had done and gotten away with. The things I'd suffered because the system had failed families like mine.
It wouldn’t absolve me of guilt, but maybe it would make a difference after I was gone. If that's what it came to.