Draziel's POV
The meeting started about thirty minutes ago.
Seraphine hasn't taken her seat yet. She has been pacing back and forth in the room since she appeared, and I have been watching her in sheer worry and slight amusement.
It was either because she didn't want to sit close to Lord Tack, who now took a seat close to me today, or it was the fact that I had decided to call on the help of a water dragon. She hated Levia so much that even when she was still here, she wouldn't stand a mile close to Levia. They were as similar as night and day.
"Lord Draziel, you haven't said anything since you walked into the meeting." Draco said Vancruz supported him.
My eyes kept wandering back and forth, she wouldn't look at me even for a bit. If not for the fact that she had made me promise not to talk to her in the presence of everyone, I would have wanted to tell her to come sit close to me, that Tack would not see her.
But she was too conscious.
"Is he okay?"
The whisper lingered long enough till she cracked; her eyes met mine, then went down to Tack, who was now at the verge of speaking as well.
It had to be Tack, so I followed my instinct. I pulled my seat backward far from the general table where all the lords sat, then I ushered her to sit, which she did almost immediately, accosting her majestic pose. Still looking away, she bit her fingers, and I couldn't help but worry.
Was it Levia, or did she want to tell me something?
"Lord Draziel, are you alright?" Finally looking at the crowd before me, they all had their brows creased.
Kealith mouthed, "Are you okay?"
"I know the news about my outburst has gotten to the villagers, and I should clear it up." I started. "But I would like to clear the confusion among my very close partners, which are all of you here. First Kealtih did something wrong." I pointed it out, making him sink to his chair as everyone glared at him.
"But he also made something clear: I am too rusty for a woman. Seeing her in my room at night naked alerted me in a weird way, I thought I was in danger." My eyes snapped to Kealith when he burst out laughing.
"Who knew arousal was dangerous?"
"Kealith, shush." Vancruz threatened.
Holding himself from pulling Kealith over the table. I commanded silence on the table.
"Yeah, he isn't so wrong, but that doesn't mean I want to feel it again. I have a goal; I can't waver from it no matter what, which means breeding isn't for me until I am done."
"But Lord Draziel," Tack said. I heard Seraphine squirm. "I looked back to see her on edge, then I looked back at Tack.
Years ago when Tack was still a courier between Veyrax and the capital of Than, he had taken a likeness to Seraphine; they were both good friends and potential mates.
When he heard Seraphine died, he went into isolation for fifty years. He wouldn't participate in anything and barely came to the meetings or celebration. Seraphine, too, had dreaded seeing him in that manner and urged that I bring him out of his misery. So I brought him to the high table and made him a commander.
He had a daughter with one of the humans we brought, but she died shortly after. Her name was Seraphine too.
He hasn't recovered and has never attempted to have another child.
"Yes, Tack."
"What exactly aggravated you? I had asked Maryam, and she said it took you a minute to almost kill the lady. Arousal is built slowly, at least with humans."
My heart palpitation increased dramatically at the idea of anyone on this table even getting the slightest idea that it could be something else. It was already bad enough that our lives were unfortunate, but it would be worse if they found out I was mad over a lady I just saw.
A sting on my palm pulled my attention to my bleeding hand and then to the curious eyes of the rest of the clan present at the table.
"I would leave you to any answer you seem fit." I didn't need anyone to pry into the matter anymore, so I dropped the main course of the meeting.
"I want to call on the help of the Than capital."
Half of my clan members stood to their feet; their reaction was expected. We were not best friends with them. From our suspicions, they might have been the ones who showed the wolves our weakness for the sole purpose of being the superior dragon tribe, as they were the second largest.
They didn't face an agonizing fate as ours, which almost made our suspicions right.
"Why!"
"Because I need the ruler's knowledge on something. Levia and I go back a long way," I responded.
"That's preposterous. What could he possibly know that we didn't? We have a big library of knowledge passed down since the beginning of time."
I had been through that library, and I knew for sure it didn't have the knowledge I was seeking, and neither does the experience of the current dragon capital have the knowledge I was seeking.
"They know something I want to know; that's all I can say." The table went mad with tension, then one of the lords stood up and asked.
"What if they snitch again? The wolves are unaware of our new plan. We can't risk the lives of the humans." The humans had been at risk since they crossed their realms to ours. Levia was a worse fate than the wolves. Mostly around humans. But he can't kill what he can't see.
Seraphine taught me that.
"I thought of that too—we would hide all the women and postpone the festival. And if they still go back to the wolves with a story. I want everyone of you to remember Veyrax no longer condones wolves; they knew better than to cross over to us, we would roast them alive without looking back."
I would be damned if I saw a wolf a mile close to Veyrax. Oh, heaven knew this too well. I would pour fire on them not even their bones would be found. So even if the water tribe decides to be gossipers, they should try, but we were ready.
No wolf would ever cross the gates of Veyrax again, not while I live and breathe.
"Fine." Tack concluded. I looked forward to Kealith, who hadn't moved an inch since Vancruz shunned him.
"Then it's settled, tomorrow I will have a scroll sent over, and I expect every one of you to act accordingly. I need you to be as miserable as ever. Tell the workers to settle in; no one comes out. Make sure they have everything.
The villages should have more guards and tell the women and their families to stay indoors. Levia might linger, I know him, you know him. He would be curious, so I want everyone to feed his curiosity with delusion."
Levia and I weren't always this far apart, matter of fact, we were best friends in our youth when the fire breathers and water breathers were still close. Together we were a symbol of unity until the wolf struck and we all fell apart. But now I needed him; Levia was the only person I knew I could confide in.