Defy The Alpha(s) 2: Rebel Beast

Chapter 76: House Aetheris

"The loudest rebellion is rarely against an enemy. It’s against one’s own."

~ Rebel Beast

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House Aetheris had rarely felt this crowded. The common room had been designed to accommodate the largest creatures in the academy, yet with nearly every dragon and avian beast gathered under one roof, the spacious hall suddenly felt far too small.

Most of the dragons remained in their human forms, knowing their shifted forms would take up too much space. The smaller avian beasts, however, saw no such need.

Parrots perched comfortably along the backs of sofas, ravens occupied the railings overlooking the lower floor, while sparrows, finches, hawks, and owls rested on chandeliers, shelves, and window frames. Their constant chirping blended into a restless murmur that filled the hall.

Tamara had been the one to call the meeting. After her conversation with Rhydian, it dawned on her that her position might not be as secure as she had once believed. Things had changed, and the rules were no longer so simple. She had to get the House in order before Rhydian decided to put her in order instead.

That was why she stood at the front of the room, patiently waiting until enough eyes settled on her.

"I know the arrival of the human girls has unsettled many of you," she had barely begun when her words ignited the room.

"Unsettled?" one dragon scoffed. "It’s disgusting!"

"How can we continue pretending everything is normal while humans are still walking around this academy?"

Several dragons voiced their agreement.

"They should’ve been sent home the moment they arrived!"

"And after what happened this morning?" another dragon snapped. "His Highness publicly humiliated Thamas over a human."

His fists clenched.

"That was an insult to every dragon in House Aetheris."

The accusation immediately found support. Voices rose from every corner of the room until they overlapped into a single wall of outrage.

Even the smaller birds began chirping loudly, echoing the dragons’ sentiments with surprising enthusiasm.

Another dragon said, "Prince Rhydian has forgotten who he’s supposed to protect."

"Yes!"

"He’s lost his way!"

"The interests of House Aetheris should come first!"

Tamara allowed them to vent for a few moments before attempting to regain control.

"Everyone—"

She got no further because a broad-shouldered dragon stepped forward from the crowd.

Quest was his name, and he looked directly at Tamara, making no attempt to hide the contempt in his eyes.

"That," he said coldly, "is what you should be dealing with."

The room gradually quieted.

"Instead of nodding your head every time the prince speaks, perhaps you should remind him where his loyalties belong."

A few dragons exchanged uneasy glances while the others openly nodded. The House was divided now.

Quest wasn’t finished.

"If someone competent held this position instead of..." His eyes swept over Tamara. "...a woman, perhaps Prince Rhydian would’ve listened to reason by now."

A handful of dragons agreed with him while the others were unsure which side to choose.

It wasn’t exactly a secret that Quest had coveted Tamara’s position for years.

Ever since Tamara had been appointed instead, he had challenged nearly every decision she made, convinced the role had been stolen from someone far more deserving.

Namely, himself.

Anger flashed through Tamara’s eyes. Questioning her decisions was one thing, but humiliating her before the entire House was another.

She took a deliberate step toward him.

"Perhaps you’d like to repeat that—"

The grand doors swung open, and every head turned.

"Since you’re looking for a Quest..." Rhydian’s amused voice echoed through the hall before he even stepped inside.

"I’m here now."

The Dragon Prince walked into the common room wearing his usual carefree smile.

"Why don’t you now try making me listen to reason, Quest?" Rhydian deliberately emphasized the dragon’s name, turning it into the punchline of his own joke.

Quest’s face paled immediately. He hadn’t known the prince would be attending.

Yet Rhydian’s presence surprisingly wasn’t what stunned the room into silence. Rather, it was the four young women walking in behind him.

The dragons froze, and the birds stopped chirping. For one long heartbeat, nobody spoke. Then whispers spread through the room like wildfire.

"Aren’t those the humans?"

"What are they doing here?"

"Why did His Highness bring them into House Aetheris?"

A parrot perched overhead tilted his head before flying down and shifting into his human form.

He leaned toward another parrot and whispered,

"I heard from one of the hawks stationed near House Therion that both Therion and Ophidian have already taken humans into their Houses."

The other parrot nodded.

"In that case, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. Our prince has never liked being left out of anything."

Rhydian started toward Quest. No one told the others to move, but they did, stepping aside until a clear path stretched between the prince and the dragon.

The hall fell eerily quiet. Quest stood rooted to the spot as Rhydian closed the distance between them.

The Dragon Prince stopped directly in front of him.

"Well?" Rhydian said, his tone almost conversational. "I’m listening. Convince me. Change my mind."

Quest swallowed.

Only hours earlier, Rhydian had broken Thamas’ shoulder before the entire House. The memory remained painfully fresh. Becoming the prince’s next example was the last thing he wanted.

Then Rhydian rested a hand on his shoulder, and his soul nearly left his body.

To everyone else, it looked almost friendly until his fingers tightened. Not enough to hurt, but enough to remind Quest that if Rhydian wished to crush his bones, he could.

"Well?" Rhydian prompted again.

"Talk."

Quest cleared his throat.

"I... I only meant..." His confidence from moments ago had vanished. "We’re dragons, apex creatures. We shouldn’t be lowering ourselves to the same level as humans."

He forced himself to continue despite his dry throat.

"They’re meant to serve us... not stand beside us."

His eyes briefly swept toward the four girls.

"And our families won’t approve either. They’ll see this as degrading ourselves. Associating with humans diminishes what it means to be a dragon."

When he finished, he found himself breathing harder than before.

Rhydian regarded him for a long moment.

"Is that all?"

Quest nodded cautiously.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Rhydian sighed.

"And you wonder why you aren’t my second-in-command when you’re this stupid."

Gasps rippled through the hall.

Several of the smaller birds instinctively covered their beaks to hide the laughter threatening to escape. The last thing any of them wanted was for Quest to discover they’d found the exchange amusing.

Rhydian’s grip tightened ever so slightly, and Quest stiffened until his heartbeat thundered in his ears.

The smile disappeared from Rhydian’s face, his voice now cold enough to silence the entire room.

"I encourage disagreement."

His fingers tightened another fraction.

"I encourage ambition."

Another pause.

"I even encourage competition within my House."

His blue eyes settled squarely on Quest’s.

"But if you ever undermine Tamara’s authority again..."

The words came out almost as a whisper.

"I’ll make Thamas’ punishment look like a childhood memory."

No one doubted him. Not even Quest.

Rhydian released his shoulder as abruptly as he’d seized it. Quest inhaled sharply, only then realizing he’d forgotten to breathe.

From where she stood, Tamara watched Rhydian in silence, affection softening her eyes before she could stop it.

Perhaps Thamas would call her foolish again for loving someone who would probably never return those feelings. Yet moments like these made it impossible not to.

Rhydian hadn’t merely defended her position, he had defended her dignity. Most dragons in positions of power wouldn’t care about a dragoness’ honor unless their own pride was on the line.

Rhydian walked past Quest and took his place at the front of the hall. The amusement was gone from his face, and every member of House Aetheris instinctively straightened.

"Nothing blinds a dragon faster than believing the sky belongs to him alone. It doesn’t."

His voice carried easily across the room.

"Humans command the skies now as well. They built machines that fly without wings. We breathe fire. They build bombs capable of reducing cities to ash."

His gaze swept across the gathering.

"So tell me, in what way are they truly beneath us?"

No one answered.

"Yes, their lives are fragile." He nodded. "But they compensate for that fragility with something we’ve consistently underestimated."

His expression hardened.

"Numbers. Every year, fewer dragons are born. Meanwhile, humans multiply without pause, spreading across the world like weeds."

Several dragons lowered their eyes, mourning that reality.

"We spent years trying to halt the assimilation, but Fate appears to have rejected that decision. While we cling to old prejudices, our enemies have adapted. They’ve begun building alliances with humans, and by the time we finish arguing over pride, they’ll have finished preparing for war."

"Fortunately..." A confident smile slowly returned to Rhydian’s face. "You have me."

A few dragons exchanged uncertain glances.

"I saw the board changing long before the rest of you realized we were playing a different game."

He turned toward the four young women standing quietly behind him.

"So allow me to introduce the newest members of House Aetheris."

He extended a welcoming hand toward them.

"Charlotte."

"Zainab."

"Indigo."

"Meredith."

"Welcome to House Aetheris."