No, she told herself firmly before making the final leap, it’s time you stood up for yourself and proved yourself worth listening to.
With that last thought, she straightened her shoulders and passed between the massive columns and into the great hall before her.
-Chapter Twenty-One-
Enemies and Allies
Jahrra’s boot heels clacked and echoed horribly as she walked over to the open door leading into Essyel Auditorium. Taking one more deep breath, Jahrra fisted her hands and stepped through the entrance. Nobody noticed her at first and she was too frightened to clear her throat or call out, so she just stood there and listened, her eyes finding Jaax immediately.
Her guardian sat rigid behind the large podium on the presentation stage, Kehllor on one side and Dathian on the other. Jahrra released a huge sigh of relief. Even if he couldn’t help her in this latest challenge she had taken upon herself, it was a comfort knowing her elvin friend was nearby.
Scattered throughout the auditorium were other members of the Coalition, all sitting or standing, all of them seeming to be arguing amongst themselves about one thing or another. Jahrra didn’t feel as if the arguing was done in anger, just a general pre-meeting banter to get ideas flowing. She heard several complaints about calling a meeting on such short notice.
“Jahrra?”
Jahrra started and then froze at the sound of her name being shouted above all the noise. Dathian had spotted her and to her slight relief he had a small, encouraging smile on his face. The chatter slowed and then diminished, all eyes now on her.
“Your guardian informed us that you would not be able to make it to this evening’s meeting,” Dathian continued, his voice raised to carry over the space between them. He cast a wary glance towards Jaax.
Jahrra swallowed and answered, “No, I was delayed, but I am here now.”
Kehllor, Jahrra noticed, grinned and gave her guardian a questioning look. It was strange seeing the golden dragon at the center of the gathering and not sitting in the back of the room with Shiroxx. Would the female dragon even be here tonight, despite Jaax’s condemnation? She hadn’t bothered to check on her way in and she wasn’t about to now.
Dathian stepped aside and gestured towards the chair beside him, an invitation for her to make her way down the stairs and join those at the center of the room.
Jahrra shot a hooded glance at Jaax and nearly blanched. Oh yes, he was not happy with her presence. It looked as if he were digging his claws into the dark wood of the stage floor. Instead of letting it have a negative effect on her Jahrra decided to revert, if only a little, back to her haughty childhood self.
She held her head high and answered in her most determined tone of voice, “Yes, I’d like that.”
She took the stairs carefully, not looking at any of the other Coalition members as she sunk lower into the room. When she reached the stage she quickly headed towards the chair Dathian had indicated. It was a relatively safe spot, putting herself between a prince of Dhonoara and Jaax. He really couldn’t afford risking the life of an important royal ally should he decide to try and murder her on the spot, so at least for now she could rest easy.
“Shall we begin this meeting?” Kehllor asked Jaax in a lowered voice.
“Perhaps we should,” he growled, low enough for only those on the stage to hear.
Jahrra lowered her head, not wanting to look at him.
He cleared his throat and addressed the entire room, “Thank you all for coming to this special meeting. We have much to discuss for there have been recent changes that involve members of our cause that must be addressed immediately.”
Jahrra detected the bitterness in his voice as he spoke the words and she took the opportunity to glance about the room once more. There were three other dragons there besides Kehllor and Jaax. Two of them looked like Korli dragons in shades of grey and blue, the other one, although not Shiroxx, was just as bad as the vindictive dragoness.
Rohdann, his soot black scales standing out against the bright room and his pale blue eyes watching her with malicious intent, made her skin crawl. Whereas Kehllor had been Shiroxx’s loyal hound, abused and made to feel he couldn’t survive without her support, Rohdann had been her shadow.
Although he only attended meetings sparingly, the black Tanaan’s presence had always made Jahrra squirm. And in the last few months he’d managed to turn the subject of any meeting into a challenge, whatever that subject might be. It was no secret he despised Jaax and through him Jahrra herself.
The fact that he was present tonight without his leading lady and that his full attention was aimed at Jahrra, made her feel as if Shiroxx’s retribution had already been put into motion. Surely the malicious dragoness had informed Rohdann of her quandary. But did she yet know of Kehllor’s shift in loyalty? Jahrra cast this thought aside, for she wasn’t even supposed to know yet.
Shaking her head and swallowing hard, Jahrra tried to ignore her wandering thoughts and the black menace near the top of the room. Acting on instinct, she turned her head just enough to keep her guardian within sight.
Jaax glanced at Kehllor and the younger dragon gave a single nod, then he turned his gaze on Jahrra. Feeling a strange obligation, she looked back at Jaax with stubborn resolution. His own eyes were hard but they seemed to have lost a good deal of their wrath. Only a hint of confusion and maybe even pain clouded them now.
Jahrra was surprised at this. Had she managed to hurt Jaax’s feelings again? Was he so convinced that he thought he knew what was best for her that it pained him if she ever went against his word?
Turning his head, Jaax addressed the crowd once again. He chose to forego small talk and got straight to the point. “Earlier this morning I was impelled to dismiss Shiroxx from the Coalition. She will no longer be welcome at our meetings, privy to our actions or accepted among our members as a dragon fighting for the cause.”
The murmuring began before Jaax had even finished his statement. Jahrra darted her eyes around the room, noting who seemed pleased, angry or undecided. The dragons seemed to have mixed feelings; some were whispering to one another, their eyes wide with sadistic glee. Some merely glowered at Jaax. The elves among them were doing the same, though an air of nervousness flitted about them.
All the others, not belonging to the dragons or the elves, were talking the loudest, some starting full blown arguments. Jahrra swallowed and glanced at the golden dragon just on the other side of Jaax. How was he taking all this? He showed neither anger nor surprise, just a rigid determination not to let any of his emotions surface. His eyes merely scanned the crowd as Jaax tried to bring order to this meeting. He seemed to have adjusted to his newly appointed position within the Coalition very quickly. Jahrra didn’t know whether to be disturbed or impressed by this realization. It was wonderful to know he had finally broken free of Shiroxx and was now offering his loyalty to those meaning to do good in the Coalition, but the fact that he could slip into those shoes so smoothly within just a few hours was something not to be ignored. She would think about it later; right now she had other things to worry about.