up through the ranks and demand better. I am in awe of you.”
“I don't know if I deserve that,” I muttered uncomfortably, spinning my teacup between my hands.
“You do,” Aura assured me. “It takes a lot of courage to say you're not satisfied and demand better. I hope the other Councilors see that.”
“So do I.”
After the guys rejoined us, we spent an hour with Seff’s mother over tea, discussing what we’d been doing recently, before flying the long way back to our den.
There was a tension in the air, an understanding that things were about to change. We'd uncovered a secret we weren't meant to know. Seen something we weren't supposed to have seen. In saving the Scribe's life, we may have put ours in serious danger. As if we weren’t already in jeopardy.
I wasn't worried. My mates and I could handle anything that came at us together, I was certain of that. But Nerio had already been suspicious. Now he'd be out for blood.
At least with a few days off before the next Council meeting, we could relax at the den and have a moment to ourselves. Maybe I could finally get some alone time with Oren. That was going to be my first priority. Now that he was the only one left to consummate the bond with, it became clear how strong the urge to claim them was. Being around him ached in the best way. He was a walking, not-talking temptation, and I wanted him all to myself.
Then maybe I could check in on Xander, meet his new flight. And make some progress on all the half murals I'd started around the den. And sew more clothes. A few days off was exactly what I needed.
//There's an Enforcer at our door,// Ezra projected, sounding as disappointed as I felt.
Do you hate me? I asked, looking skyward to where I assumed the gods were sitting on a cloud, laughing at me.
Ezra landed first, shifting and dressing before crossing his arms and waiting for each of us to do the same, not acknowledging the Enforcer until we were all present as a flight to talk to him. It was a subtle but meaningful gesture.
I landed last, dressing behind my usual wall of muscle before slipping into the line between Ezra and Oren. The Enforcer did a double take, probably expecting me to hang back behind my mates, but cleared his throat quickly when Ezra growled ominously.
Why was that so attractive?
“There's an emergency session at the Council, now. Nerio's orders.”
“Is that so?” Ezra asked, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “Pertaining to?”
“Honestly, I'm not sure,” the Enforcer said, looking sheepish. “They just told me to come and get you and sent my brother for Flight Mentrus.”
“For fuck's sake,” Seff sighed, closing his eyes and tipping his head back so the sun warmed his face. “I was looking forward to a bath and a hot meal.”
“Let's get this over with then,” Ezra replied heavily. “Maybe we’ll get in a hot meal before midnight.”
We took off after the Enforcer, making the one hour flight to the outcrop together. As we approached the Council outcrop, I noticed something was different before we were even over the ocean. Ezra must have agreed, flying up and directing us to land on the ledge. This time we pulled on our clothes and climbed down the regular way, not wanting to detract from whatever was happening on the floor.
Don’t fall, Shira. Don’t fall, Shira.
A flight of five male dragons kneeled on the ground, shackled together in familiar-looking shift-proof chains. Their wrists were bound behind their backs and their ankle cuffs were connected by one chain that kept them together.
Aside from that, they seemed to be in relatively good shape. No blood. No sign of injury. They didn’t look like they’d been rotting in a prison for any length of time.
“Flight Galon,” Nerio called. “Flight Mentrus. Join us on the floor.”
We made our way down past the slowly filling stands to the floor. The other Councilors seemed as surprised as we were by this meeting, since they didn’t look nearly as relaxed or put together as usual. We lined up next to Flight Mentrus on the right side of the floor, giving the kneeling prisoners to the left a wide berth.
Flight Mentrus looked far more prepared for this meeting than the other Councilors did. Why was Ilia so diligent about following the rules when Nerio was brazenly breaking them? It was infuriating.
“I know you were not expecting