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Once Kessily had entered their bedchamber, Falkor looked at his men. “We’ve had news from Mystic River, Otter Cove, the Highlands and several other areas. It seems the Shadow League is preparing to make its move. We believe a dragon even older than me, one they call Abraham, is involved, and may well be the puppet master behind the League. It’s unknown whether or not they are even aware that he is a dragon.”
“Are there other dragons with whom he is allied or know who he is?” asked Warrick.
“Unknown. He sent the Ghost to assassinate a snow leopard in Mystic River.” Tevryn smiled. “It seems instead of killing him, she became his fated mate and is now part of the Resistance.”
“I suspect that pissed off those in the Shadow League and whoever is pulling their strings,” said Falkor.
“It did,” said Tevryn, nodding. “The one they call Abraham has kidnapped her best friend and is holding her hostage in order to force the Ghost to do his bidding. The Finder is heading up the Resistance. Deke sent the Hellhound to rescue the fair maiden. He did not engage Abraham or the League and has now disappeared with the friend.”
“So, Abraham…”
“His acolytes call him the Master.”
“The Phantom Fire calls no man nor beast ‘master,” said Warrick.
“True enough,” said Falkor, “but it leaves a rather large loose end that needs dealing with. At first, I thought to send Tevryn to remove the Master from power, but my concern is that would leave a power vacuum—one all too many would be trying to fill. We need to know who all the players are and meet with the Resistance to develop a strategy to neutralize the threat with as little fanfare as possible.”
“So, you’ve decided that we will ally with the Resistance?” asked Tevryn.
“I am leaning that way, but again, before committing the Phantom Fire, I want to have as much information as possible.”
“Forgive me, Alpha, but why get involved at all? Why not hole up here at Dragonwyk?”
“Because I’m not sure we will want to inherit the world Abraham and the Shadow League mean to create if they prevail. But more than that, we have word there is a laboratory outside of Reykjavik where experiments are being conducted with unwilling subjects and where the results could be catastrophic to all of mankind and most shifters. That we cannot allow.”
“You think?” growled Warrick. “They experimented on me while they held me captive in Seattle.”
“And the information we gleaned from that and from that coming out of Reykjavik are what truly make it impossible for us to continue our policy of standing on the sidelines,” said Falkor. “But we have to move carefully lest some of those responsible slip away. I want some of our men out in the world, observing and gathering information. I’ve just now instructed Tevryn to check out three possible entries into the fray. All are in King County.”
“Dani still has the loft in Seattle. If you want to use it as a base of operations, I’m sure she would be fine with it,” offered Warrick.
“Good thinking. I can let it be known that I’m a freelance journalist or photographer or something that explains my comings and goings, and that I’m subletting Dani’s place.”
Falkor nodded. “We can make that work. I’ll get our people to set up some kind of story and documentation that will give him a reason to be moving around. I want our people to be on high alert. Warrick, I told Tevryn I am uncomfortable leaving Kessily at this time, so I may have to call on you and Sobek to help coordinate and analyze the data we get.”
“Are there any dragon clans we know we can count on?”
Falkor nodded. “It wouldn’t hurt to reach out to my sister’s, as well as those of Ridley Monroe and Darius Beckman. If Kessily is correct, the birth of our child is nearing, and my main focus needs to be with them. I will send Sobek to talk with them, and Warrick, you will coordinate.”
“I am first warrior,” said Warrick.
“And as such I will depend on your help with battle plans. You will need in-depth knowledge of our allies as well as our enemies. What better way for you to have that than to be the one coordinating all of the information?”
“I hadn’t thought of it that way,” agreed Warrick, reluctantly.
“Is there anyone you suspect more than the others in King County?” asked Tevryn both to try and alleviate the tension as well as truly wanting the information.
Falkor shook his head. “It is difficult to decide. One is old money, and old money always wants more power and more money. The governor has delusions of grandeur but has powerful friends. The last is Elron Whistler…”
“The tech mogul?” asked Tevryn.
“One and the same. I think he’s an outlier. I only included him as he could be dangerous if he’s involved.”
“What do we know about him?”
“Not much, which is part of what concerns me.”
Cascade Ballroom, Salish Coast Hotel
