Another idea popped into my head. “Logan can put her in a dragonsleep!”
Logan frowned. “Sloane, she eats every two hours. She would starve. Your full grown dragon can go three days without food but a baby wouldn’t last more than sixhours.”
Shit. I was starting to panic. This land, our safe haven, was about to become a warzone. I wasn’tready.
I sensed him before he spoke. Turning, I saw Isaac holding both staffs, and wearing metal cuffs on his arms, he looked fit for battle. “Sloane, I’d like to speak with youprivately.”
I looked to Logan, who squeezed my hand and gave me a nod. “We’re calling a pack meeting. Come over to the fire-pit when you’redone.”
I nodded, as he walked over and ushered Caseyaway.
With a heavy heart, I faced mymentor.
“This seeming catastrophe is a gift,” he toldme.
How on earth could he see this as a gift? I just gave him a stank face and hesmiled.
“We have advanced notice, so we get to prepare. We get to choose where we want this to go down. On ourturf.”
“We’re not ready,” I pleaded with him. In the end, it was Isaac and I who were going to take Ardan down, and we hadn’t trained nearly as much as we shouldhave.
He set down his staffs and placed both hands on my shoulders. “We’ll never be ready for something like this. We just need to get it overwith.”
Okay, not the sagest advice, but probably a good point. Rip that Band-Aid rightoff.
“There’s like sixty of us and hundreds of them,” Isaid.
He nodded. “And how many of them throw fire and can createsinkholes?”
That got a grin out of me. “We are kind of badass, aren’twe?”
Isaac chuckled. “We are, and Mother Earth is on ourside.”
I nodded, feeling a renewed sense ofconfidence.
Isaac squeezed my shoulders, letting his hands fall to his sides. “I want you to know I’ve contacted my lawyer, in the case of my death I’ve left the land to you andLogan.”
My eyes bugged out. The vision of a tiny staff tattoo flashed through my mind. “What? No. You’re not goinganywhere.”
He just gave me a flat look. “I certainly hope not, but an old man must plan for his demise oneday.”
No, I refused to allow the demise of Isaac. “I’m not going to let that happen, Isaac. You and me are both walking out of this alive, together, and we’re starting EarthSchool.”
He nodded. “I hope so, child. I hope so.” Without another word he bent down, picked up his staffs, and walked to the crowd congregating by thefire.
What the hell just happened?God, if you take Isaac from me, we’re not friends anymore. I sent up my threatening prayer, pretty sure that wasn’t how it worked, but it was worth atry.
No more loss. I couldn’t bearit.
After a few steadying breaths, I reached for my staff too, and walked over to the fire pit. Dee and Keegan were standing on chairs, towering over the crowd of shifters and a sprinkling ofskyborn.
“So,” Keegan said, “you all have a decision to make. You can either stay here and fight when the time comes, or leave now and be spared. No one will think less ofyou.”
“We’re staying!” Isabellascreamed.
“So are we!” a group of big ass shifters from Dee’s pack yelled. The group’s voices rose up as every person declared their decision. Lynn was weeping in Tony’s arms, and I hated to see the guilt in her eyes. She might have felt this was her fault. It shouldn’t be a crime to have a baby that was a different race. That shit was going toend.
“Alright!” Dee shouted. “Let’s prepare, then. My group will set up a perimeter. I want you guys in the trees with guns, knives, bow and arrow, whatever we have. Bring food up there and bottles to piss in, because we’re not getting down until this isover.”
