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Friday, April 24, 2167

The Gray Ward

Dragon Heights, Wyoming

Garnet loved storms.Every flash of lightning visible from the living room window excited the carbunclo, and she chittered at the rain streaming down the glass. While she put her paws on the sill, someone had taught her to be careful around fragile things, thus sparing me from an expensive repair.

At a little after nine in the morning, my phone rang, and my mother’s cell number displayed. I grabbed the device, swiped my finger across the screen, and answered, “Is Dad still alive?”

She laughed. “Why would I kill your father? He’s useless to me dead. I did beat him a little for the right to call you. We are in Dragon Heights.”

“I recommend a cab. If you get a rental, it might still have wheels ten minutes after you park.” In reality, nobody stole cars like that near where I lived. Other wards had it worse, but I wasn’t about to pass up a chance to worry my mother and drive her a little crazier at the same time. “Please opt against any dramatic entrances. I do not want to explain to my landlady why you’re crazy and that I was the one who shoved you over the edge.”

“I see you’re feeling quite fine this morning. What has you so excited?”

“Garnet is trying to talk to the rain.”

“A chattery chittery noise?” my mother asked.

“Yes.”

“She wants to hunt. Let her outside to play. She’ll enjoy it.”

Huh. I hadn’t realized she wanted to go play in the rain. If she wanted to play, I would indulge her. I grabbed my keys, shoved them into my pocket, and headed for the door. “Garnet, come along,” I called, waiting for the kitten to leave the window. While she protested in a mew, she obeyed.

I released the beast and said, “Don’t go into the street.”

In the blink of an eye, the carbunclo barreled down the steps, aimed for the nearest puddle, and splashed into it. Fortunately, she obeyed my edict to stay off the road, and I closed the door behind me to keep an eye on my pet. “Well, it seems you were correct. I thought cats didn’t like water.”

“Most cats do not. She’s not quite a cat. She just looks like one and mostly acts like one. She’s much smarter than any house cat.”

“I mean, the fact she understands English indicates that’s probably the case. Odd question for you.”

“Yes?”

“Can you think of any reasons why absolutely nobody would be on Shrine Hill except for me?”

There was a long moment of silence. “Can you repeat that? I couldn’t have heard you correctly. Did you say nobody was at Shrine Hill?”

“That’s correct. There was nobody there. I went around the entire place, and there wasn’t another soul on the hill or at any of the shrines. It was an empty forest on a hill. Garnet had a good time, but the entire place creeped me out. I was expecting tourists. Or somebody.”

“There were no shrine guardians?”

I frowned. “There wasn’t anyone there at all. Was there supposed to be? I’ve never been to Pilgrimage Ward before yesterday.”

“Every shrine is supposed to have a representative to teach the history of the dragon clans during daylight hours. Did you tell anyone you were going to the shrine?”

“No, but Cedrick warned me against going there because of all the attacks. I was not attacked.”

“Had they, they would get a taste of my flame, but only for a moment. They would not live longer than that.”

I cleared my throat. “Mother.”

“I see you have not lost your cop voice.”

I opened my mouth to chide her when a burst of wind exploded from the sky, signaling the start of a rain. Spouting curses, I dashed forward, snatched Garnet, and retreated into my apartment, holding her close to my chest.

A moment later, feathers exploded in the air, and thousands upon thousands of rapidly beating wings hummed even over the rain. A riot of color, flashing blue, green, red, orange, and yellow, expanded as the rains turned from mundane to magical. The conjured bodies splashed onto the ground and lay still.

Knowing what I knew of the magic, the sight no longer pained me.

“Kinsley?”

“And today’s rain seems to consist of hummingbirds. Garnet, become a wisp for me, please. It might not be safe for a few minutes.”

To my relief, the kitten obeyed, and she bobbed around my shoulders. Heading deeper into my apartment, I retrieved my bounty bag and my gloves, heaved a sigh, and said, “Call me when you get here. I might be down the street cleaning up these damned bodies. I hate bodies on my street.”

“Going to claim more bounties?” my mother asked, and I grinned at the complaint in her tone.

“Absolutely. Only a fool allows free money to go to waste—and if there are any injured birds, I’ll find and save them.”

“You’re going to end up with a menagerie, worse than even the titanium dragons,” she warned before hanging up on me.

“So what if I do?” I asked despite knowing the call was no longer connected. Pocketing my phone, I went to work to earn my keep.

* * *

Friday, April 24, 2167

The Gray Ward

Dragon Heights, Wyoming

Upon realizingwhat I was doing, Garnet helped gather the deceased hummingbirds, bounding along the sidewalks and staying off the road as I’d instructed. I handled the birds on the street, making use of my snow shovel to scoop them up.

In the hour it took my parents to find their way to my apartment, I’d gotten the entire block cleaned of dead birds. The sky proved to be a problem, as the living birds insisted on squabbling with each other. A few found me to be rather fascinating, swooping around my head.

A bright orange and green one landed on my head and made odd clicking sounds, and I ignored it in favor of putting my haul into garbage bags to take in for my earnings.

Neither of my parents seemed to be amused by my work, and the pair glared at me. My father raised a brow and waited. My mother placed her hands on her hips. If I went by appearance alone, my father’s status as muscle-bound would have invoked a certain amount of trepidation. However, I knew the truth.

He counted as a pussy cat most of the time.

My mother would take me to school and set me straight if I didn’t justify myself. At my current estimate, I had at least several thousand dollars in deceased birds to collect.

For an hour’s worth of work.

“My pay rate is several thousand dollars an hour,” I announced with pride.

My father’s expression warmed to amusement. My mother heaved a sigh.

Garnet brought me another bird and added it to her pile, and I stopped to pet the carbunclo. “Garnet, we’re going to go visit the titanium dragons and earn our paycheck, all right? I need to get a bag for your birds first, though.” I turned my gaze to my mother. “No stealing any of my birds, you.”

With my hitchhiking hummingbird still on my head, I went into my apartment, retrieved my new roll of garbage bags, and headed outside. By the time I returned, my father had decided to become a dragon in all his navy glory, although he’d limited his size to be twice that of a horse.

“As you will delay us further if you must carry all these bags to the titanium dragons, I shall streamline the process for you. I will not even charge you—this time,” he rumbled.

My landlady chose that moment to make an appearance, and she eyed my parents warily. “Is everything okay, Kinsley?”

Per our plan, I replied, “My… guests… wanted to check to make certain I’m a suitable caretaker for Garnet.”

Cecilia frowned, and after some thought, she said, “Garnet will not find better in Dragon Heights, sir and ma’am.”

My mother considered Cecilia, and she abandoned her grouchy ways to offer the woman a smile. “That’s just what I wanted to hear. Cecilia, is it? You’re the matron of the house there, are you not?” My mother pointed with unnerving accuracy at Cecilia’s brothel. “I’ve heard good things about the work you do with your women and men. Still, I doubt those titanium dragons have given sufficient information to the young girl here, so we will correct that. But do not worry. Carbunclo simply do not lower themselves to such menial tasks without everything being to their liking. We are satisfied in that regard, but we will be evaluating if everything is as it should be for her. Girl, do take our things into your home before we handle this matter?” Then, as though remembering manners were a thing she needed to deal with, she added, “Please.”

I admired my mother’s ability to pretend she wasn’t my mother, placed their bags on top of their suitcases, and hauled everything up the steps into my apartment. Upon my return, I said, “I will send them to a more appropriate location tonight, I promise.”

“It’s fine, Kinsley. Come over if you need anything.”

My mother made a thoughtful sound in her throat. “Perhaps a dinner reservation for tonight should you have the space for a party of four? We should probably be bothered with feeding her and her kitten as we imposed without warning.”

I hoped Cecilia realized my mother counted Garnet as a member of the party.

“What time?”

“Girl, make sure Matron Cecilia has the number of your new phone. Pick a good time for you, Cecilia. We will be ready when you are. I’d rather not make a mess of your reservations for the night.”

Cecilia checked her phone and said, “We have openings at nine.”

“Nine it is, then.” My mother grabbed the canvas bag and tossed it onto my father’s back, snapping her fingers and conjuring a fiery rope to lash it into place. While I’d seen the trick before, I made a point of widening my eyes, picking up Garnet, and acting like there was a fire-wielding dragon who might eat me nearby.

Cecilia fled.

My mother’s grin widened. “So skittish yet brave. Well done for cultivating such a friend, girl.”

“Thanks, I think.” I crouched, put Garnet’s birds in a separate bag, and triple knotted it so I would remember it was hers before putting the kitten on my shoulder and praising her.

The hummingbird on the top of my head made more clicking sounds along with some chirps and the buzz of its wings as it took flight for a moment before landing again. Garnet made one of her inquisitive mews, stretching her head towards the bird.

“Be gentle with the bird,” I instructed. “They’re very fragile and it could be hurt.”

Garnet mewed, which I assumed was an acknowledgment of my request.

Aware I could dislodge either, I moved with caution, hauling the collection of bags to my father and let my mother deal with strapping them to his back.

“And I suppose you expect to walk,” my father complained.

“It’s not far,” I replied, pointing in the direction of the bounty pickup point. “Some exercise could do you both some good, I’m sure.”

Both gasped at my audacity.

I ignored them and headed for the building the titanium dragons used to collect their bounties, carrying Garnet’s contribution. My father made a show of bitterly protesting his status as a pack mule. My mother swatted his snout, and when that didn’t quell his whining, she fashioned a whip of fire and gave him something to complain about.

The pair squabbled the entire way to the titanium dragon’s place. To my relief, Cedrick was inside, and I took Garnet’s bag to him first. “This is Garnet’s collection. I cleaned up my street, and I regret to inform you that I am launching a potent attack on your clan’s coffers. There are two dragons following me around to confirm I’m caring for my carbunclo properly, and since they’re imposing, they offered to carry my bounty—without charge.”

Cedrick’s eyes widened when he glanced at the door, where my parents snapped at each other.

“Please don’t mind them.” I lowered my voice and added, “By offered, I mean the woman made that poor dragon act like a mule, and she keeps whipping him. Is there a protection agency for dragons? I think that poor navy dragon might need some help.”

Cedrick leaned close to whisper in my ear, “In truth, I’d be more worried about the navy dragon deciding he has grown tired of being whipped.”

Interesting. Did Cedrick know my parents? If so, what did he know that I didn’t? “In good news for me, I think they believe Garnet likes me.”

Cedrick pulled back, and his gaze focused on the top of my head. “Are you aware you have a bird riding on you?”

“I’m aware. It’s from the rain. Please thank your father for telling me about the nature of the conjurations. It made today much easier to cope with than normal. There are birds fighting everywhere, though.”

“Hummingbirds do that. In good news, you won’t have to chase down many of the birds. They will fly back to their roosts on their own or take up residence in the city.” The titanium dragon-kin stared at the bird perching on the top of my head. “How long has that bird been there?”

“Longer than I appreciate,” I admitted. “Is it still alive?”

“Yes. It’s preening.”

“You’re the one who works here. I’m sure you can handle getting it off.” My attempt to stare the titanium dragon-kin into submission failed, but he did grin at me. “Can you tell if this is a summoned bird, a created bird that was somehow granted life, or whatever the other options might be?”

Cedrick’s attention returned to the hummingbird. “I believe it is a conjuration given life—you are aware of the concept of familiars, are you not?”

Familiars? I tilted my head to the side, trying to decide which bit of folklore Cedrick referred to. “Like witches with the black hats? The black cat familiars?”

Heaving a sigh, the titanium dragon-kin regarded me with a pained expression. “You must be from a prejudiced city.”

Damn it. “Good guess. I’ll even give that to you as a freebie for correctly guessing on the first try. It’s a living bird, then?”

“Mostly.” Picking up a bucket from behind his desk, he set it nearby, opened Garnet’s bag, and began counting her haul.

The kitten mewed, and she pressed her paw to my cheek. “Cedrick is counting how many birds you picked up, and you’ll be paid ten dollars for each one,” I told her.

Like he did with everybody, he sorted them by species. As far as I could tell, Garnet had found six different species of hummingbirds.

Cedrick pointed at a set of three bodies. “These ones will get her fifty each; they’re a rare species, and they’re in good shape for a conjuration, so we might be able to get some good information about them for preservation efforts.”

Garnet mewed, and she leaned forward for a better look at the birds.

“The titanium dragons like helping endangered species, Garnet. That’s part of why I do the bounty collecting. I prefer catching living things so they can go to a proper habitat, but this time seems to be all about the bodies.” I lifted my hand and gestured at the freeloader perched on my head. “Mostly.”

“Ninety-two,” Cedrick announced, and he returned most of the bodies to the garbage bag and took it to the back before retrieving the bodies of the rare birds and storing them in a clear plastic tub. “I’ll give you her payment in cash, Kinsley.”

“Thank you. I’ll help teach her how she can spend her earnings once we’re home.”

Cedrick chuckled before heading into the back, returning with an envelope, which he handed to me. “Do you want me to try to get your bounty?”

I regarded my parents, who continued to fight in the streets. My father had transformed back to human, and the pair had their noses pressed together while they hissed and growled at each other. I could only assume they worked out their nerves from having to hide their nature in Miami. “Do I earn street cred for trying to break that out without getting eaten by a dragon?”

“You’d be earning a hefty deal of respect to go along with your street cred. That navy dragon is old. The red dragon is also old. Their color deceives, too—they can call more than one color as they need. I’ve heard rumor that the woman can create fire so intense it can reduce any being to ash in a heartbeat. Fire is the domain of the red dragons, but such intense heat is a power of orange dragons. She does not wield that power often, though. That has earned her a great deal of respect among dragons. But she also is feared, for the wise understand what she could do if pressed.”

As I would die if I told my parents they were old to their faces, I regarded them through narrowed eyes. “Do you know them?”

“I know of them. Navy and red dragons—or orange dragons—do not normally mate. Their natures clash. Red dragons enjoy illuminating the darkness with their flame, and navy dragons enjoy their secrets and shadows. Orange dragons share many traits with red dragons. I’ve never met them, but they are formidable dragons. That they’re here is worrisome.”

I wondered what my parents had been doing prior to my birth to have gotten such a reputation in Dragon Heights. “What’s worrisome about it?”

“They only show up if there’s something interesting going on—and no matter what people say, interesting times are dangerous.”

In good news for my sanity, I had a way to distract Cedrick from my parents’ presence. I petted Garnet. “Yes, Garnet is interesting.”

Cedrick relaxed, and he chuckled. “That she is, but I doubt those two would come here just to see a carbunclo kitten. But I could see them doing such a thing if they were particularly bored.”

I huffed, faked a sniff, and headed for the doors to retrieve my bounty. Rather than engage the crazies making a fuss on the street, I hauled the bags in and left them at Cedrick’s desk, making several trips to get them all. “Maybe I’ll get lucky and they’ll go away. I don’t even know what they’re fighting about. They’re just making a bunch of throat noises.”

“They’re posturing at each other as mated dragons do when they both want the same prize.”

Right. My parents wanted to be friends with Garnet, and they wanted to be hugged, which meant they were likely arguing over which one would be shown affection first. When I had been a child, they had played such games, although I hadn’t understood the posturing when I’d been little. “Is the going rate really going to be ten per dead head?”

“The price does not change because the composition of the rains happens to be numerous and weighing little,” he assured me, hauling my first plastic bag up onto his desk and opening it up. He went to work separating the birds by species. Twenty-three species in total, with a handful of them only having one specimen each promised good compensation. While he worked, I petted Garnet, and I lifted my hand to see if the hummingbird might hop onto my finger.

To my amazement, the little bird cooperated, and it preened.

“That is a little boy,” Cedrick informed me without looking up from his counting. “I’m not precisely sure of his species, but I’ll see if there are any matches in one of our wildlife books. The conjured birds and familiars, like that fellow, are always modeled after a real species of bird. It’s something about the magic. Familiar types, like him, are pretty rare. He’ll be bagging you two hundred, and you’ll probably end up with him as your pet. Or familiar, if you’ve the right type of magic for it. You may, you may not. But the magic burst was stronger than we expected this morning, so I suspect there’s more than a few familiars out and about today. It was a multi-species rain.”

“There were multiple rains?” I asked, and I struggled to keep my eyes from widening. “These familiars aren’t true creations, are they?”

“Yes, they’re a type of true creation. The magic makes them most suitable for those requiring companionship. That little boy will be a good friend for your Garnet when you can’t take her with you.”

I could see the carbunclo and her hummingbird sidekick taking over the world, and my parents would encourage the odd pairing. Had I not met Monster, I might have found the whole thing a little distasteful, but Monster had changed my opinion.

If a kitten could be given a healthy body, why couldn’t a hummingbird be brought to life through surges of wild magic?

The bird hadn’t done anything wrong. I tested my luck and stroked the back of my finger down the bird’s tiny chest. To my delight, he leaned into my touch.

“See? You’re getting along great already.” Cedrick shoved most of the birds back into the plastic bag and delivered it to the back before retrieving the clear tub and adding the rarer samples. “That bag had over two hundred hummingbirds.”

I had six more garbage bags and my canvas bag left to go, and they were all filled roughly the same. I narrowed my eyes. “How did so many fit in that bag?”

“The feathers make them appear even larger than they are.” Cedrick grabbed the next bag and went to work counting everything.

The entire time, my parents argued outside of the building. Thirty minutes after starting, he declared I’d retrieved twelve hundred and three conjured birds and one true creation in the form of the familiar content to perch on my finger. Unlike Garnet, I received a check.

While the titanium dragons might keep tens of thousands of dollars in the building, I thought it was sensible that Cedrick had written out a check, which was for over fifteen thousand dollars. Aware of what his father had told me, I said, “Is this going to be audited?”

“Absolutely. Since you just got audited, I don’t have anything extra for you right now, but you’ll have an audit next month for certain. Your familiar will likely bag you more than what I paid you. And yes, the bird is clearly yours. Hummingbirds don’t behave in that fashion.”

“But what do I feed him?”

“Nectar. You can get it at any gardening store. You’ll need a feeder, which you’ll hang from the ceiling, and you’ll give him fresh nectar every other day or so. You’ll keep your feeder indoors, so your nectar won’t rot on him quickly. Make sure you get a nectar that has no artificial coloring. I’ll look into what sort of plants you can keep in your apartment he’ll appreciate. Right now, he’s imbued with a great deal of magic, so he won’t need to eat for the next few hours.”

“You’re sure I should just take him home?”

Cedrick grinned at me. “My father would whoop my ass something fierce if I tried to take away your new pet. He told me he talked with you about Monster. Are you feeling a little better about the rains?”

“Mostly. That it was birds this time helped. They’re going to just fly off and be birds now, right?”

“Some will stay, some will go, but yes. They’ll fly free and do what birds do. Some hummingbirds will be out of place here, but the young, fledging dragons will learn to fly while trying to catch the ones that need to be returned to South America—or magic will encourage them to fly south. Should there be a large migration of those birds, several dragons will accompany them to make certain the foolish do not hamper their path. And to offer them nectar, of course.”

Of course. “I’ll still come after you dragons if you summon rains of cats, dogs, or horses. You know, common house pets.” I petted the hummingbird and cooed at the bird. “But this rain wasn’t bad. Not like the past few.”

“I’ll admit, I was surprised at how much you liked those bloodsucking toads. Ah, that reminds me. My father wants you to visit Mouthy Asshole. He’s overcome with sadness that we dragons are not brave enough to let him bite.”

I laughed, gesturing at my parents with my free hand. “As soon as I ditch those two, I will give you a call.” Careful not to dislodge the bird, I got out my phone. “I’ll need your number.”

“And you need me to teach you how to deposit your check without having to go all the way to the bank. I’ll even take care of calling to confirm that the money is legitimate. It won’t take but a few minutes. I’ll even do what I can to spare you from those dragons outside. Maybe I’ll be an interesting enough dragon-kin to spare you from further torment.”