Page 72 of Radiant Shadows

The violation of my privacy was a visceral sting, but the deepest blow of all was the mention of Celeste. I gave her a sorrowful look, struggling to breathe against the claws of betrayal that cloyed inside my chest.

She must have seen us together the time we’d met up right before Christmas. Why hadn’t she come to me first about Julian? Hadn’t we been friends long enough? Hadn’t I earned some measure of her trust over the last seven years?

“If you’ve been listening in on my conversations with Julian,” I growled, “then you’ll know he’s on our side and that he’s been our eyes and ears in the heart of Hadrian’s fortress.”

The general snorted. “You’ve been played, Caesar! Never in this world has there been agoodvampire, and there never will be. It’s been proven by over a millennium of war between our peoples. This Julian... He’s got you right where he wants you—right where Hadrian wants you.” Arthur shook his head. “Since I’ve known you, I’ve taken you for a reasonably intelligent man. How wrong I was.”

Lord Dracul’s words pushed me over the edge, and the rage that erupted within me caused my gryphon to burst forth. Brown feathers sprouted along my skin like flames on wood as I grew in size. My hands and feet molded into dark talons, and the muscles in my body flexed with familiarity. Through my newly-formed beak, I released a shrill cry, a voice of challenge to Arthur.

At the same time, the five soldiers—including Igneaus Summers—shifted as well. Their uniforms were smart clothing, expensively made but imperative for military use.

However, Arthur and his assistant, Nikolai, remained in human form. Terror was stark across the Candida boy’s face. It was apparent he didn’t want to be in this situation. Celeste stood back, the sadness on her face deepening even more.

While my intelligence had been insulted, I wasn’t stupid enough to take on a phoenix, a naga, and three weres—all military-trained. I couldn’t fight my way out of this, and clearly no amount of evidence would sway their preconceived notions. I was fucked.

Slumping my wings in surrender, I shifted back into my human form.

“Smart move,” Arthur said, holding a fist in the air. I assumed it was meant as a command for the other shifters—they didn’t shift back to their human forms, just kept wary eyes on me. “Thank you for complying, Mr. Rex.”

I hung my head in defeat. “So what happens next?”

“Well, now that you’ve been relieved of your duties, you are free to move on to wherever your heart desires—awayfrom the Dome.” I could hear the smug smile on Arthur’s face, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of looking at him. “You are no longer welcome on school grounds. And if you are caught attempting to return, you’ll find yourself under military imprisonment. Do I make myself clear?”

I clenched my jaw against the storm of emotions that raged inside me. Fury, indignation, sorrow, hopelessness… Backing down wasn’t in my nature, but I was outmatched and outwitted. Compliance was my only option—at least, for now.

“May I ask who my replacement is?” I sent Celeste a hopeful look, as she was easily the best candidate for the job.

A slight smirk—barely detectable—inched its way onto the general’s face. “Myself, of course. The Dome is now officially a militarized school. All teaching will be supervised by higher-ranking officers, andpropercombat training will be taught to each student.”

My rage flared again. “You’re turning this place into a military school?”

“The future of the shifter world relies on the strength of the military. Why would we teach our students any other way?”

My mind raced. I had always known the school needed to have classes based around combat—I’d ensured it was an integral part of every student’s education. Theyhadto know how to protect themselves from the vampire threat. But an advanced focus on military training? That had never been the plan. Our students—mystudents—deserved more than that.

I squared my shoulders, standing to my full height with pride. “I will go peacefully. But heed my advice, Arthur: you can’t force loyalty. You can try to beat obedience into these kids, but fear is not the same as respect, and one day, you will lose both. Just ask your son.”

A spark of fury lit fire in the general’s amber eyes, darkened only by the slightest shadow of doubt and insecurity, and I knew I had hit the nerve I’d been aiming for. It was the only crumb of satisfaction I would take with me in my defeat.

“May I speak, General?” Celeste said, her soprano voice pinging off the white walls before the general could lose his temper.

Arthur turned toward the head mermaid—the person I had come to love and trust as a sister as we made her vision of the Dome a reality—and nodded.

Celeste took several graceful steps forward. “Though it pains me to see you leave, Caesar, it is alarming you’ve hadanyvampire dealings at all. I know your past. Nevertheless, I can’t let you leave the school without help. No matter what has happened, you have done a lot for the lives of hundreds of shifters. They will be forever indebted to you. Therefore, I have opened an account for you and have supplied you with funds to help you get started on whatever life you decide to lead now.”

I wanted to spill everything to her right then and there. Of all the people I knew, she would be the only one who could understand what I was doing with Julian—minus the romantic element.

But it was too late. Arthur had seen to that. Clearly, our years of working together had meant less to her than it had to me.

“A parting gift I didn’t agree with,” Lord Dracul added with irritation. “But Lady Celeste does make an excellent point. You have done well over the years.” He narrowed his eyes. “But even the best fruit can turn to rot.”

I forced myself to bridle my bubbling anger. Arthur’s abrasiveness was relentless.

“You may return to your office,” the general sighed, waving a hand over his shoulder that signaled his soldiers to shift back. “You have the rest of the afternoon to pack your belongings and say your goodbyes.”

I met his dismissive glare with all the challenge I couldn’t show otherwise and gave him a firm nod.

Arthur moved closer until he stood nose-to-nose with me and whispered, “You should have handed over Arya when I first asked.”

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