“If we go to war, then we really will lose,” Con stated.
Cain shook his head. “We’ve already lost.”
Noreen’s mouth dropped open when Cain walked to stand with the other Kings. As one, the group took to the air, calling their clans as they began attacking the human settlements.
The screams of the mortals could be heard over the roar of the dragons. The carnage was swift and complete.
But Con didn’t stand by and do nothing. He began talking to each King repeatedly through their mental link. Because Con was King of Kings, they couldn’t block him. Instead, they had to listen to him.
For Cain, this was especially difficult because he wanted to agree with Con, but he knew that something had to be done. Yet, as he and his clan attacked more villages, he became less sure about his choice. Finally, Cain pulled his clan back and returned them to their land. The mortals there had either been killed or fled, so it was quiet. But Cain knew that could change quickly enough.
He set up sentries to make sure no mortals came across their boundary. He laid out plans of action for what needed to be done to protect his dragons. Then, he went to Dreagan to see Con.
Cain wasn’t the only one who’d had a change of heart. Many other Kings were there, as well. Cain walked straight up to Con and bowed.
The King of Dragon Kings merely gave a nod of his head. There was no need for Cain to explain his actions. Con let him know that he understood why Cain had chosen as he had. It was enough that Cain was with him now.
Those at Dreagan split into smaller groups and began protecting villages from the onslaught of dragons. Just the sight of them standing with the humans was enough to stop most of the dragons, but not all.
It didn’t take long for more Kings to return to Con’s side until only one stood against him—Ulrik.
“Ulrik, please,” Cain begged his friend to listen.
But Ulrik refused to hear any of them. He didn’t stop, not even when Con called his Silvers to him. All but four of the largest silver dragons obeyed Con.
“If we want to stop Ulrik, we have to catch the other Silvers,” Cain said.
Con turned his large head to him, his purple eyes meeting Cain’s.
“I doona think even that will stop Ulrik,” Banan said.
“Nay, it willna,” Con replied. “But it’s what we have to do.”
Sebastian dove from the sky, his voice filling their heads as he landed. “More dragons are being killed. I willna lose any more of my clan. I pulled them back, but it wasna enough. The mortals chased them, giving my clan no choice but to defend themselves.”
Con sighed loudly. “Whatever peace we might have had is gone. There are too many of us to hide. We’re meant for the skies, and I’ll no’ do that to our kind.”
“What are you proposing?” Guy asked.
“We send our dragons to another realm until we can get this sorted out.”
No one said anything after Con’s statement. Cain wanted to counter, wanted to say something that gave them another option. But there wasn’t one. If the humans were now chasing the dragons to kill them, then there was only one choice.
“If there are no more mortals, then we doona have to send our dragons anywhere,” Cain said.
Con gave a small nod. “I’ve thought of that myself, but it comes back to the vow we made to protect them. That means even from ourselves. They deserve a chance at life, just as we do.”
“At the expense of our families? Our way of life?” Rhys demanded angrily.
Anson shook his head. “I doona want any part in annihilating a species. It’s no’ who we are.”
“So, we give up our families? Our freedom?” Darius questioned.
Con looked at each of them before he said, “We only have two choices. We kill the mortals, which goes against no’ only who we are but also the vow we made. Or we send our dragons away until all of this calms down, and they can return.”
“Do you really think they’ll return?” Guy asked.
Con nodded. “I doona want to think about life without my clan, but I must think of what’s best for everyone, no’ just me.”
Cain bowed his head, his heart breaking in two. “As I said earlier, no matter what path we took, this was always where we were going to end up. The mortals are too different from us. They fear us and covet the power we have. As much as I want them gone, I doona want to kill any more of them. But I doona want to send my Navies away either. As Con said, we have to think of our clans. Right now, I want to ensure that they live.” He lifted his head and looked at Con. “I take it we’ll remain?”
“Aye.”
“That gives us a chance to set things right for our dragons to return instead of a constant state of battle here,” Cain finished.
Noreen sniffed because even though his words had been calm, she could feel he was overcome by heartache. She mouthed his name, mentally wrapping her arms around him to give him strength.
More debate went on for nearly another hour, but ultimately, it was decided that they would open a dragon bridge and send the dragons away. The Kings wasted no time in getting their clans gathered and over the bridge. Cain’s was one of the first to leave because he didn’t want to put it off.
As soon as the last of the Navies was gone, he turned his attention to helping Con and the others capture the four Silvers. The Silvers were large and extremely powerful, but they didn’t stand a chance against the Kings.
Once the four were sleeping and caged within Dreagan mountain, the Kings focused on Ulrik. Noreen’s emotions were pulled this way and that as Ulrik was forced to Dreagan. She experienced how deeply Cain felt each word that Ulrik hurled, but it wasn’t until Con bound Ulrik’s magic that she doubled over from the agony within Cain.
He stood tall, stoic, but inside, he bellowed his grief.
Ulrik’s banishment was the final straw. Cain didn’t watch his friend walk from Dreagan. Instead, Cain flew to his mountain and paced the caverns, holding in his roars lest the humans hear.
The anguish was too much. Cain knew he had to sleep, or he would follow in Ulrik’s footsteps and create even bigger problems for the Kings.
The last thought Cain had as he closed his eyes was flying over his land through a rain shower while a rainbow formed to his right.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Cain took a deep, steadying breath before he opened his eyes. He wasn’t sure why he’d closed them in the first place. Maybe because it was easier not to see the emotions—or lack thereof—on Noreen’s face.
But as soon as his lids raised, she flung herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.
“I had no idea. I’m so, so sorry,” she said, her voice catching a few times.
He felt something wet land on his neck, and he realized that she was crying. Actually, she was sobbing. He slowly raised his arms and wound them around her. As odd as it sounded, her embrace actually helped.
All the Dragon Kings had experienced something horrific during that time, and not only sending their dragons away. Why would they sit around and talk about it after? It had been better, as well as easier, to put it as far back from their minds as they could.
Noreen’s body trembled with her tears. Cain now regretted letting her see his memories. He would’ve been able to control his voice and face if he had spoken about what had happened. Instead, she had not only witnessed it through his memories, but she had also felt every heartbreaking and agonizing moment.