“For the Spirits sake, Illarion, spit it out!” Valerius demanded.
“I was speaking with Vozyth and she said that the earlier humans the Behemoth overtook did not stay near the crater,” Illarion stated. “They ran as far away from there as they could.”
Anwar blinked slowly as if not quite believing what he was hearing. But then he shook himself. “But all the others automatically went back to their bodies no matter where they were!”
“No, they did not. If you look at who has remained in a coma, or whatever you call this,” Illarion gestured to Fadel, “they were taken first. They didn’t cluster like the others did near Raziel and Iolaire’s lair.”
“Raziel warned us that the longer the spirits were in the Spirit World they might be trapped there,” Anwar argued again.
“Yes, but what is a long time to a Dragon? What is time at all?” Illarion pointed out. “Maybe these others did not return because they were too far away from one of the entry points to this world when the Behemoth was destroyed.”
“Meaning if they were brought near one of those entry points they would return to their bodies?” Caden asked, grasping Illarion’s meaning before the others.
Illarion nodded. “I have had Vozyth and Mephous searching, but it will be best if they leave from Raziel and Iolaire’s lair as that is closer to their likely entry point--”
“You sent Mephous out of its lair?” Anwar interrupted. “To--to search for Fadel? You left yourself vulnerable?”
Illarion nodded. “Yes, well, how else are we going to find him and bring him back--umph!”
The Green Dragon King was engulfed in a hug by Anwar. Caden had tears in his eyes as he squeezed Valerius’ hand. Valerius found himself feeling a little choked up. He met Illarion’s gaze over Anwar’s shoulder. Valerius found himself giving a slight nod to Illarion. A nod of appreciation. A nod of respect. Illarion smiled in return.
This was why they were best friends.
Finally, recovering himself, Anwar pulled back and unabashedly wiped tears of joy from his eyes. “Thank you, Illarion.”
Illarion awkwardly patted Anwar’s shoulder. “It might not work. Maybe I shouldn’t have gotten your hopes up, but--”
“No, no, I’m so glad you did. I was losing all hope. This helps. I’ll know that we’ve done all we can if this doesn’t work,” Anwar answered. He wiped his eyes again and straightened his shoulders. “Now I can focus on making you all look beautiful for this wedding. Come! I have things to show you.”
See Me In A Crown
Caden tried not to dread this. The fitting. The fuschia. The stuffing him into clothes he would never be caught dead in, which wouldn’t be comfortable. They’d be lucky to last past the ceremony. He fully could see himself stripping down until what remained didn’t bind him and dancing the night away, wedding clothes smashed under his boots or kicked under furniture.
But Anwar looks so happy! And while it's mostly about Illarion’s plan to find Fadel, I know some of it is because he’s dressing the whole wedding party.
Every Dragon Shifter was a part of it. They would all precede down the aisle ahead of him and Valerius. Illarion would hold the rings, which Mei had created along with Jahara and Esme’s help. He didn’t know what they looked like, but they were sure to be something special. Remembering Xipil’s touched expression at the piece of sculpture that Iolaire had made for it, Caden was certain that Mei wouldn’t okay anything but the best. And it felt awesome to know that their rings would be created by their friends and fellow Dragon Shifters.
Tez, Kaila and Illarion were handling the food. Illarion’s role was chiefly to taste it. His love of the olive-oil drizzled, rosemary studded lamb chops was legendary. Tez referred to Illarion as a “walking stomach” which was probably the nicest thing the Golden Dragon King had ever said about Illarion.
The overall look and feel of the wedding--not to mention what all was to happen--was being handled by Chione. After all, she had been promised a wedding to come back from the land of the dead. But Anwar, Esme and Jahara were also helping with that. After all, the outfits couldn’t clash with the flowers or the silk bunting.
What goes with fuschia? Caden wailed internally.
The wedding staging area was taking place in the back of High Reach over three levels. This was where the castle’s back wall soared out of the mountain itself and there were walls of windows. Caden and Valerius had mostly been banned from being anywhere near there. The wedding was going to be a bit of a surprise. They would arrive where they were told to arrive and they would play their parts. So Caden and Valerius only knew what they had been told about the outfits. But Anwar had waxed poetic about fuschia at dinner earlier that week. That meant it had to play a large role in their outfits no matter what Caden hoped.
Anwar stopped before the double doors that would lead them into this sacred wedding space. He turned to face them. His hands rested behind him on the door handles. His gaze swept over them as silence fell. It was as if he were opening a show. Caden looked up at Valerius. The Black Dragon King was stroking his beard with a faintly amused look on his face.
“My plan for the clothes you and the wedding party will wear is for them to reflect the wearers and yet, despite our differences, to have them work together as a whole,” Anwar explained with all due seriousness.
How will fuschia reflect us exactly, Valerius? Caden asked.
We will both be evenly miserable in it, Valerius answered with a squeeze of his hand.
So long as it will make Anwar happy, Caden replied.
“Much like the helix that still spins above us.” Anwar gestured skyward.
They all looked up, including Vanya and Viski, who had somehow each gotten a green Dragon plushie in their mouths. But, of course, they just saw the curved stone ceiling. But Caden swore he could feel the helix, which now did not just contain red and white strands, but all of the Dragon Spirits’ colors. It spun lazily above them, but not just here. One could see it in every territory.
