Page 69 of Dragon's Revenge

Grayson’s voice was rich and Erwan found himself entranced as Grayson told the story of how the dragons and the wolves had aligned themselves, how they had sworn loyalty to each other.

“But then Arne, their storyteller, spoke a prophecy,” Grayson continued. “He said, ‘The day will come when the wolves are in need, when the times are at their darkest and the survival of our species is at stake, that the dragons will break the oath they swore today. Fate will not look kindly on this and will take her revenge on the dragons. And when the dragons are dying, they will beseech the forgiveness of the wolves, upon which will depend their survival. But it will be the wolves to grant, and if they do, it will come at a price…and with a new covenant.’The storyteller has spoken.”

Erwan had heard the prophecy before, of course, but somehow, it hit him anew, especially the part about fate taking revenge on the dragons. Had that happened yet? Or was that still to come?

And what did that last part mean, about the dragons dying and beseeching forgiveness? Wait, he had… He sat up a little straighter. He had begged the wolves for forgiveness. When he’d realized how the dragons had failed the wolves, he and his brothers had bowed to Lidon and offered their servitude. Was that the new covenant? Or were they still waiting for something else? Why were these prophecies always as clear as mud?

Grayson walked them through the history of the alliance step by step, from the initial unease over Arne’s words to the Great Shame when the Doyle clan reversed course and abandoned the wolves. “In 1776, with the American Revolution about to ignite, Seamus the Librarian spoke these words: ‘The dragons will be faced with the choice between honor and betrayal, and they must choose wisely. Old alliances will be reconsidered, with implications that will impact generations to come. But when the White Dragon and the True Alpha join forces, peace will reign.’ It’s unclear if that last line referred to the White Dragon of that time or our times,” Grayson said.

Yup, clear as mud.

But Grayson wasn’t done yet, and Erwan was impressed since the storyteller shared all of this without looking at notes even once, as if he’d committed it all to memory. “On the day Erwan was born, Lucia, his mother’s servant, spoke a prophecy. ‘One day, he’ll stand up against his father and make right what was wrong. When the True Alpha rises, so will your son, and he will bring justice and honor and peace, but it will come at a price.’”

That one was a little easier, as Lidon has to be the True Alpha that prophecy referred to. But that meant Erwan would be the one to bring justice and honor, and that was a heavy responsibility to carry.

“That vision was hidden from Cladhaire and Baoth, or Erwan may not have survived. As it was, only his mother’s powerful protective spells kept him safe.”

Grayson wasn’t softening his blows when it came to Cladhaire and Baoth and their misdeeds and evil ways. Where Erwan might have hesitated out of fear of reinforcing the prejudices Duff already held against the dragons, Grayson spoke the truth.

“When Erwan was sixteen, he manifested as a white dragon, though he didn’t know it at the time because his father kept the truth from him. Ever since, he and his brothers were raised without being allowed to use magic, hoping it would prevent Erwan from growing into his full powers. Over time, Cladhaire and Baoth became more and more comfortable using black magic, even on their own father, whom they killed.”

As always, Erwan’s heart stung when he thought about his grandfather, killed by his own sons. The very thought chilled Erwan to the bone.

Grayson then shared everything about how the wolves had declined in power, how shifting had become impossible for them, and how the Melloni gene originated. It had culminated in a civil war that had luckily been contained quickly but had still left lingering effects on the capital and its citizens. The pack had taken in multiple refugees, including Yitro.

“The Hayes pack grew too big, and the Hightower pack was established with Rhene in charge as pack alpha and Sivney Howell as his second-in-command. But when one of Rhene’s omegas got lost and Rhene ended up at Doyle castle, looking for him, it changed everything.” Grayson sent Erwan a warm smile. “The fated mates bond between Rhene and Erwan became the catalyst for change, and both packs, as well as the dragon clan, would be better for it.”

He walked them through everything that had happened, including all the events at the Dragon Council that he hadn’t even been present for. He must’ve combined accounts from several people to be able to give an overview like that, and Erwan was grateful he didn’t have to recount it himself. Living through it once had been stressful enough, especially the stand-off with Cladhaire and Baoth and discovering the red tent. Grayson left nothing out, including the bad parts. And boy, there were alotof bad parts on the side of the dragons.

Finally, Grayson blew out a deep breath and ended his story. “The storyteller has spoken.”

Lunch had been served while Grayson had been talking, though Erwan hadn’t eaten much, too nervous about Duff’s reaction. Lidon had shown no such qualms and had wolfed down a big plate, as had Palani.

Duff, who had listened without interrupting even once, sat quiet and pale, leaning back in his chair as he nibbled on a sandwich. “As the storyteller, your oath forbids you to lie in your stories,” he finally said, his voice soft.

“Correct.” Grayson clearly didn’t take offense at that.

“So everything you have told me is true, even the parts you weren’t present for.”

“Yes. I verified all information from multiple sources until I had a complete picture that my wolf confirmed accurate. Such is my responsibility as the storyteller.”

Duff’s shoulders dropped. “There’s so much I don’t understand… How could all this be true when…?” He swallowed. “When everything I’ve been told all my life directly contradicts it? How can I know what’s true?”

Erwan held his breath. This was a pivotal moment. One wrong word now, and they’d lose Duff forever.

“You start with what you know to be true,” Palani said kindly. “Either because you’ve seen it yourself or because too many sources claim the same thing, so it can’t be fabricated. And then you go either forward or backward until you’ve found the next true thing. This is how we approach it in investigative journalism. So, what’s one thing you know to be true?”

A long pause. Then, “That Erwan is a white dragon. That has been confirmed by multiple sources.”

Erwan nodded. “I am…and if you want, I’d be happy to shift so you can see with your own eyes.”

“Thank you. I’d appreciate that,” Duff said, his voice shaky.

“Good,” Palani said. “Then start there.”

ChapterTwenty-Seven

In his wildest dreams—back when he’d still been naïve enough to allow himself to dream, to have hopes for the future—Oliver could never have imagined his life would turn out like this. To others, it might be something incredibly mundane, sharing a walk with their partner, but to Oliver, walking hand in hand with Adar was pure magic. Delton was on Adar’s other side, and judging by the beaming smile on his face, he was enjoying himself too.

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