“Oh, yes, they’re meeting up with everyone at different spots than you. Illarion had requirements.” Tez’s nose wrinkled. “Poor Valerius.”
“Poor Valerius,” Caden giggled. “I’m sure he’s having fun or, at least, he’ll have stories.”
“I’m certain that Anwar will protect him from all of Illarion’s antics,” Tez said. “Anwar’s a new man since Fadel was found.”
“And that was Illarion’s plan,” Mei said as she dragged a tortilla chip through some very creamy spinach and artichoke dip.
She had a pool cue in her other hand. She was playing against three burly men whom she looked at through hooded eyes as if she wanted to eat them too. They were looking back at her like they wanted to be eaten. She was wearing a silvery sheath dress with some very red lipstick. Caden realized that all of the Dragon Shifters had some silver or white on them for him and Iolaire. He was more than touched.
“Illarion’s really come around,” Caden agreed.
Mei’s head turned from her prey to Caden and there was a very different look on her face. “Because of you.”
“Oh, no, no, more because of Valerius and Illarion himself and--”
“Because of you,” Mei insisted. She pursed her lips. “I’m not good at this talking-to-people-honestly-thing. But you should know that you’ve had more of an impact in your short time as a Dragon Shifter than most of us have had in centuries.”
Caden blinked and swallowed. “That’s amazing of you to say, Mei, but you’ve all done so much more than me.”
She smiled and squeezed his shoulder. “But you’ve done what none of us ever could. Brought us together. Life is better… with friends.” She kissed his cheek, which had her pool-mates groaning, but then she was quickly sashaying back to them. “Come now, boys, how about we play strip-pool!”
There was a roar of enthusiasm.
“And that’s another one that you’ve changed,” Tez said with a tip of his head back to Mei.
“I didn’t change anyone, Tez. If I did anything at all, and I’m so not saying I did, it was to remind them that they’re needed. Not just by their people. Not just by their territory. But by us. By everyone. They just stepped out and met that challenge,” Caden told him.
Tears were running down Tez’s face and he clutched Caden to him. “That’s why Eldoron and I love you, Caden! You’re more beautiful inside than any of us. Eldoron is more beautiful on the outside, you understand, but that is its nature.”
“I know, Tez. No one is more beautiful than Eldoron.” Caden hugged him tight.
“If there’s hugging going on, why am I not in on it? Kaila demanded.
Caden and Tez opened their arms to make it a group hug.
“Why are we hugging other than for fun?” Kaila asked. “And why is Tez crying?”
“Happy tears, Kaila dear, happy tears,” Tez assured her. “And the hugging is because Caden is our friend.”
“Lana knew he was going to be the one to fix things,” Kaila said as they parted.
“Lana did?” Caden wiped his own tears away.
“Oh, yes, Lana could see your soul and knew that you were the one,” Kaila answered as she popped another pretzel bite inside. “And you are. Everyone is happy now. Family. Friends. Love.”
“Thank you, Kaila. Again, I’m not--”
“You are, Caden.” She then threw a dart over her shoulder that hit the center of the dart board. The people she was playing against groaned.
“You won again, Kaila!” one of them said.
“How about we play another round? Double or nothing?” Kaila grinned.
Her offer was accepted.
Caden was deep into beer, pretzel and dip land when Landry stood on the stage where the band was setting up. She had a microphone in one hand and a beer in the other. But she didn’t sway drunkenly. Instead, she looked almost nervous.
“Hey, everybody, I’m up here, because I get to give the second toast of the night to my friend Caden.” She pointed at him and people clapped and hooted. She swallowed and said, “There are so many good things I could say about Caden--embarrassing ones, too,” here she paused as everyone laughed, “But I’d like to focus on one of the qualities that Caden has that a lot of people don’t. Maybe they’re smart not to. But he’s got it.”
