Endania

Fifteen minutes later we came to a completely yellow house. I looked at Ash. He smiled. “Alora likes bright colors.” Did she have to like something that bright? I shook myself and sneezed. Oh, well. This is a free town. Ash knocked and a woman of about thirty answered the door. “Hey, Alora,” he said.

“Ashero, it’s been a while,” she said.

“It has,” he agreed.

She looked at me. “This must be Sylvia.”

~Nice to meet you.~ I said,

Alora frowned. “Aren’t you going to shift back into a human?”

“She’s staying in wolf form for a while but she felt this was too important to wait,” Ash explained.

“What is?”

“Um…you should sit down before we tell you.”

She sat in one of the porch chairs. “Okay.”

~I’m afraid we come with bad news. The Duchess of Endania was killed this morning.~ I said then whined because the memory was still painful. Ash ran his fingers through my fur.

Alora’s eyes filled with tears. “Her Grace is dead?”

“Yes,” Ash said quietly. “The Commanders had made Sylvia the new Duchess of Endania.” I’m surprised he told her. I thought he was going to make me do it.

She looked at me for a minute then knelt and hugged me. “Thank you for taking on that role. Endania would fall apart without a ruler,” she whispered.

~That’s what Lord Flame was hoping would happen.~

She blinked. “Lord Flame?”

~He’s the one who killed her.~

“Oh.”

“Your Grace, you have something else to tell Alora,” Ash reminded me.

I shook myself. ~Right.~ I looked Alora in the eyes. ~Alora, you are now the Commander of all shapeshifters. Do you accept?~

She bowed her head. “Yes, Your Grace.”

~Then from thighs day forth you will be addressed as Commander Alora.~

“Thank you.”

Ash raised an eyebrow at me. “Who told you the words you had to say?”

I titled my head to the side. ~No one. I just knew that’s what I had to say.~

“Maybe she knows because she accepted to become the Duchess,” Alora suggested. “I remember the late Duchess telling me that when she became The Duchess of Endania she knew things she hadn’t known before.”

“Makes sense,” Ash said. Then he looked at me. “I think using your fire will be easier now that you’re the Duchess.”

I searched within myself and realized I suddenly knew how to use my fire and how to control it. ~I already know everything about it.~

“The Duchess mantle told you that too?” Ash asked.

~Looks like it.~

“So what’s the plan?” Alora asked.

~All Commanders are making sure everyone is ready.~ I told her. ~I want to see how long it takes before Lord Flame realizes Endania hasn’t fallen apart.~

“But you still want everyone to be ready.”

It hadn’t been a question but I answered anyway. ~Yes.~

She stood. “Then I better get all the other shifters ready.” She walked away.

Ash and I started walking in a random direction since we had a few hours to kill. A thought that’s been hovering at the edge of my mind now came to the front. I stopped walking. ~Two. I have two people to deal with. Three if you count her husband but I don’t think I have to worry about him since he doesn’t have an ID.~

Ash stopped walking too and looked at me. “Sylvia, calm down. I’m not going to let her near you. Besides, she’s just a human. I can handle her. You said we had a week before they would come back. We still have two days left. Let’s just focus on the bigger danger for right now, okay?”

~Okay.~ I was still worried but I decided that I wouldn’t bother him with it. For now.

“Oh, Mon and I got you that phone.” He showed it to me. “It’s all set up. I’ll hold onto it while you’re in this form.”

~Okay.~ We started walking again. ~How many sisters does Mon have?~ I asked suddenly.

“Too many to count. She has brothers too. There are a lot of Element Dragons out there and they’re all related to her.”

~Do they all live in Endania?~

“Most of them do. Some enjoy being out and about. Her brothers especially.”

~Then how will Commander Nature contact them if we need them?~

“Oh, Element Dragons don’t have to be close by to speak mind-to-mind with someone or each other.”

~Oh. But we have to be close by when we reply, right?~

“No, because they hold the connection until the conversation is over.”

I sneezed. ~I’m never going to be a good Duchess. I’ve already been here for three days (If we include today) and I’ve because the leader of Endania.~

“Won’t be long before you’re the leader of the werewolves too.”

~What do you mean?~

“Once Dominic knows you know how to use your fire he’ll give it to you. He’ll then turn back to what he was before.”

~Which is?~

Ash smiled. “The guard of the Alpha.”

I growled. ~So I’ll have both you and him guarding me?~

“Yup.”

~Damn.~

“Hey, at least you’ll be well protected,” he told me seriously.

~I know.~ That wasn’t what was bothering me. I just hope I can be the Alpha.

“Hey, Ash!” A male voice called.

Ash turned. “Alanto. I didn’t know you were in town,” he said to a blue-eyed, blue-haired man dressed in a blue tuxedo decorated with shells.

“I just arrived.” Alanto turned to me. “I’m Alanto, guardian of the Atlantic Ocean. It’s nice to meet you, Your Grace.”

Ah, he’s an Element Dragon. ~Nice to meet you too.~ I told him.

“Was it Monica or Commander Nature who told you what happened?” Ash asked.

“Mon,” Alanto said messing with a bit of seaweed on his wrist.

“Figures,” Ash muttered. “Sylvia will be Alpha before long.”

“I know and it will be the first time there’s ever been a female Alpha.”

I looked at Ash and gave him a warning growl. ~Something else you’ve kept from me?~

He winced. “Not intentionally.” I growled at him again. “Sorry, but I know you’ll be a good Alpha. Mon does too. Oh! And no one will mind because the Duke told them it was possible he fathered a daughter and that if any of them had a problem with that, they could leave.”

~How reassuring.~ I said dryly.

“Hey, I’m still new at being a guard. I’m allowed some mistakes.”

I sneezed. ~You make it sound as though I’m going to fire you.~

“Aren’t you?”

~No.~

He let out a sigh of relief and turned to Alanto. “So what’s up?”

“The commanders asked me to get you. They’ve called a meeting,” Alanto said casually.

Ash scowled. “You couldn’t tell us that before?”

Alanto shrugged. “You have an hour before the meeting starts. There’s no rush.”

Ash looked like he was going to punch him so I stepped in between them. ~Let’s go, Ash. There’s nothing wrong with being a little early.~ He nodded and led the way.