Page 2

Damian

I t was Tobias.

I sighed internally, careful not to let any sound escape or any hint of emotion reach my face.

Of course, it had to be Tobias. Why it couldn’t it be anyone else, any random dragon from across the Isles? No, it had to be my nephew.

Unfortunately, it didn’t matter who it was.

“Tobias,” I said coldly, my hand landing on the youth’s shoulder and spinning him around.

“Uncle Damian!” he exclaimed, forcing excitement onto his face a split second after the initial fear gave him away.

I stared down at him, ignoring the familiar lines of his face. He was a carbon copy of Evander—from the thick mane of raven-black hair that fell in unruly waves right down to the little cleft in the chin. The only thing separating him from my brother was about thirty years of age.

There was not, however, a difference in their morals or worldly outlook. Like father, like son, in this case.

Which was why, when Tobias tried to play the family card, he got my hardest, sternest look. This was no time to be familial, and he knew it.

“Um, I mean, greetings, Magistrate,” Tobias mumbled a few seconds later, brown eyes downcast as my look sank in.

For a split second, I hated him and, by extension, Evander for putting me in this situation. For making me choose between family and my job. But only for a second.

There was no choice. There could never be any choice. There was only the law and what it meant to our society.

If Tobias and Evander couldn’t respect that, it wasn’t my fault. We’d been raised better than that. He should’ve raised his son better. But he hadn’t. Somewhere along the line, Evander had gone the opposite direction.

I’d become the magistrate, enforcer of the laws.

He’d become a common criminal.

“Let’s go,” I said, my voice as cold as ice.

There was a brief hesitation in Tobias, but it faded immediately under the firmness of my grip. A wince twisted his handsome features for a mere moment, then he relented and started to proceed in the direction I dictated.

“Magistrate, I—”

I cut him off. “Don’t.”

Ever the one to push the limits, Tobias didn’t heed my warning. “I was going to—”

I’d had enough. My arm flexed, and I slammed Tobias against the outer wall of the shop next to which I’d spotted him. The wooden timbers shivered, and dust fell from the cracks, but they held together.

“I said don’t ,” I repeated. “We both know you weren’t going to buy it. You have a history of not buying things. Because you’re a common criminal, like your father. You think yourselves above the law. Or perhaps that the law is stupid. I honestly don’t know, but I do know you stole those apples.”

He squirmed under the attention as several passersby in the marketplace stopped to watch. Criminals were not well looked upon in the Dragon Isles.

“Dragons do not steal from dragons,” I said, quoting the law. Not that it would matter. It wasn’t the first time I’d done so to Tobias only for him to ignore me the moment I was gone.

Perhaps public judgment was what was called for.

The shopkeeper came out, eyeing the confrontation and likely wondering what was going on. The bins out front were filled with all manner of fruits, from several varieties of apples to oranges, pears, bananas, kiwis, and more. There was no security. There shouldn’t need to be.

“Put them back,” I ordered Tobias, releasing him from the wall. “And apologize.”

“Some uncle you are,” he muttered under his breath as he slunk over to the bin and deposited three apples back into it.

The shopkeeper’s eyes went wide upon the realization he was the one who’d been taken from.

“You!” he barked at Tobias. “You steal from me? Why would you do that? Are you poor? Do you not have food? There are places to go for this. We look after our own. There should be no need for you to steal from me.”

Tobias was seething now. I could see it in the hunch of his shoulders.

“I’m sorry,” he said, turning back to me.

My glare stopped him dead in his tracks.

“Tell him what you’re sorry for,” I ordered. “And loud enough for everyone to hear.”

Anger blazed in Tobias’ eyes, and I knew there would be hell to pay at the next family gathering, but I couldn’t let that bother me. I couldn’t let it affect my ability to do my job.

“Now,” I said, lifting a finger in emphasis.

Tobias turned. “I’m sorry for stealing your apples,” he said.

The shopkeeper looked at me, then back at Tobias. “Stealing isn’t necessary in the isles,” he said. “There’s plenty to go around for all. If your family is too poor to afford it, come and tell me. I’ll look after you.”

“My family isn’t poor!” Tobias hissed, embarrassment getting the better of him.

The shopkeeper leaned back at the outburst. “So, you’re just a common criminal then, stealing from one of your own, is that it? Without a care in the world?”

A low growl circulated through the crowd, which had now grown to nearly twenty people. Tobias looked around uncertainly, unsure of what would happen next.

Thieves were not liked. If I weren’t there, it was entirely possible the group would’ve taught him a lesson. One he would limp away from rather than walk.

As magistrate, however, it was my job to ensure crime didn’t happen, which meant stopping vigilante justice as well.

I let Tobias stew in the tension for a bit longer, hoping it would drive the point home.

“Go,” I said at last, pointing away from the crowd.

Tobias darted away, giving me one last spiteful stare as he went.

I sighed, walking up to the shopkeeper.

“Thank you,” he said before I could get a word out.

“You’re welcome. It’s my job. Is anything else missing? I will fetch him if so, though I didn’t see any evidence he’d taken more.”

The shopkeeper glanced at the bins and shrugged. “It is impossible to tell, truthfully. I would never have noticed if you weren’t there, Magistrate. Thank you for watching out for me.”

I nodded, staring after Tobias.

I’d done my job, and the shopkeeper was grateful, but I doubted a lesson had been learned. Tobias would tell his father, and Evander would make things difficult.

What would he have me do differently? Pretend his son hadn’t committed a crime?

I can’t do that.

I’m the magistrate.