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Saturday, April 25, 2167

The Diamond Ward

Dragon Heights, Wyoming

At eight in the morning,my parents showed up, dragged me out of bed, and took me to the heart of Dragon Heights with Garnet and my hummingbird in tow. Following the gemstone theme, I named him Tourmaline. The pair handled the morning adventure better than I did, especially as my mother insisted that I bring my new camera, which shared its bag with my new laptop. While I longed for my bed and grumbled over hauling a heavy pack, my parents bounced around as though they hadn’t left for their hotel at two in the morning after dinner.

Cecilia had reassured me it wasn’t a problem that my parents had eaten the equivalent of ten pricey dinners.

Dragons ate a lot, and my parents enjoyed displaying their financial prowess.

The thought of the dinner exhausted me, and I had a full day of exploring the city’s most prestigious ward ahead of me. If given a choice in the matter, I would have gone back to bed and called it a day.

Even the streets of the ward oozed opulence.

High end boutiques, the sort of places I wouldn’t have gone to even in Miami, took over the entire block. Dragons and dragon-kin alike stared at my parents, and more than a few of them shot me sympathetic looks. One woman, dressed in the kind of clothes that screamed she possessed great wealth, demonstrated admirable courage and headed my way.

Garnet, who’d learned strange people would pet her if she ventured far from me, crowded against my neck and whined. Soothing her with soft words and gentle caresses, I promised that she didn’t have to let anyone hold her unless she wanted to be held.

“You are Miss Kinsley, yes?” the woman asked, her tone friendly and soft.

I gave her credit; her approach was that of someone aware tone mattered to a kitten. “I am, ma’am. A pleasure to meet you.”

She smiled. “I am Lolly. I have been hoping I would get to greet you and your kitten.”

“Her name is Garnet. Garnet, baby, Lolly wants to meet you. She might even scratch under your chin.”

The carbunclo lived to have her chin scratched, and that convinced the kitten to relax a little, and she stretched out to the woman with an inquisitive mew.

Lolly did as the kitten wanted, scratching under her chin. “Aren’t you such a good little girl! If you do not mind me asking, do you know what her favorite stone is?”

I recognized a trap when I saw one, and thanks to my parents’ bickering over dinner, I had a decent idea how to handle the trap. I smiled, praised my kitten, and replied, “She is still learning what stones she loves the best, but her favorite uncut stone is a smoky quartz crystal cluster, and her favorite cut stone is a blue garnet I purchased for her at Shrine Hill. We’re going to be going on an outing to find her some new stones soon.”

“Oh, how lovely.” Lolly unzipped her purse, plunged her hand into its cavernous depths, and pulled out a smoky quartz spear, one with a point on each end and pitch black. “Then this is perfect. Welcome to Dragon Heights, Garnet. I hope this stone makes you feel a little more at home here.”

Garnet’s eyes widened, and she mewed again, staring at me.

“You can accept Lolly’s generous gift if you would like, Garnet. It’s very kind of her.” I would ask my mother why the woman wanted to earn her way into the carbunclo’s good graces. “I can put your treasure in my bag until we get home if you’d like. You can cuddle with your new stone after we finish our errands.”

After a moment, the carbunclo jumped off my shoulder, transformed into a wisp, flitted to Lolly’s shoulder, and transformed again, settling in to nuzzle the woman and shower her with chirps, mews, and squeaks.

Rather than get upset over the possibility of fur on her nice clothes, Lolly giggled and petted my kitten. “You have done such a wonderful job socializing her in such a short time. What’s your favorite color?”

As Erik had haunted my dreams, I decided to fling a barb at my parents and refuse to claim their colors. “I very much like yellow. Purple is a nice color, and I’d have to pick a rich brown as my third favorite.”

After giving Garnet another few strokes, Lolly rummaged through her bag, pulled out a small box, and held it out to me. “As I am sure nobody has bothered to welcome you to our city, I hope you will accept this as a gesture of good will.”

I smiled at the woman’s kindness, accepted her gift with both hands, and said, “I really appreciate that. Thank you, Lolly.”

“You’re very welcome.” Lolly gave Garnet another scratch under her chin before saying, “Back you go to your companion, little one. Do try to tolerate those mean old dragons. They have no manners, but you will be safe with them around, so do relax.”

Garnet transformed to her wisp form, and once I had her stone in my hand, Lolly waved and left, leaving me puzzled over the exchange. Rather than return to her kitten form, she zipped to my mother and darted around her head.

Once Lolly disappeared into a nearby store, I held the quartz and the box in one hand, took off my backpack, and put both items into one of the empty sections within. “I wonder what that was about.”

My father chuckled. “Lolly would be a sacrificial lamb sent out to evaluate your mettle. First, she tested to see if you were greedy; you could have asked for any stone, and you told her the truth about what Garnet likes. She can, when she wishes, sense the truth. She is a black dragon, and she is quite skilled at identifying when someone lies. Second, she tested your courage. We are misbehaving terribly, and you are proving your tolerance. Finally, she tested us. She knew we watched her. She will surely spread rumors of how we torment you.”

“It was all right to accept those gifts?”

“Your face tattled on you, I’m afraid. You couldn’t have appeared to be more grateful for such consideration if you tried.”

My mother snorted. “Don’t worry yourself. Phillip and Cedrick will have spread word far and wide of your suffering—and how you are spending every last penny you’ve been earning on making certain Garnet is the happiest of kittens.” With a smile, she held her hands out to the carbunclo, who transformed and settled on my mother’s palms. Rather than try to claim my kitten, she transferred Garnet back to my shoulder. “Now that we know we are being observed, it is time to get you properly fitted for your gowns and wedding dress.”

“That is not necessary.”

“Oh, it is necessary. Things are about to truly become fun.”

“How many people have you attempted to force into marriage?”

“Fewer than a hundred, more than one,” my mother replied, and she pointed at a bridal store down the street. “We can do this the hard way if you’d like.”

I surrendered, and careful to keep from dislodging both of my pets, I stepped into the store, questioning what I was doing, why I was allowing them to railroad me, and who my parents targeted in their display of idiocy and power.

* * *

Saturday, April 25, 2167

The Diamond Ward

Dragon Heights, Wyoming

I fellin love with a sleek white gown with a modest enough V-neck and short off-shoulder sleeves. It fell to the ankle, allowing shoes to be seen. I hated dresses that hid my shoes; if I was going to wear torture devices on my feet, I wanted people to be able to admire them. I appreciated the lack of a train, something I viewed to be gaudy on a good day and intolerable on a bad one. The simplicity of it enchanted me, and rather than follow my parents around, I stared at it, refusing to peek at the price tag.

Simple and beautiful things tended to cost a fortune.

My parents could afford a wretchedly expensive dress, but if I betrayed my interest, they would assume I wanted to wear it in an appropriate venue. That the man they wanted for me still had a rather firm grip on my heart didn’t make matters easier on me.

I wondered how many reminders of Erik I could take before I retreated to my bedroom, buried my face into my pillow, and cried. It’d been a while since I’d done that.

I thought I’d become strong enough to get through life without breaking apart from the consequences of my choices and actions.

The shop’s manager stepped to my side, made a thoughtful noise, and went to a nearby rack where the dress waited. “Come with me, ma’am.”

As my thieving parents had made off with Garnet and Tourmaline, likely teaching them bad habits, I went along with the woman. “Kinsley,” I murmured.

“Anisa,” she replied with a smile, taking me to the changing room. “This one laces in the back, so you will need assistance. For the initial fitting, it’s best to see how it fits without a bra, if you are amendable.”

“Sure.” We both had breasts, and I had no problems with another woman helping me to test out a gown that would make my mother’s wallet weep. “Are there even any bras that can work with a dress this nice?”

“It’s a custom, made from the same material as the gown, and uses some magic to offer support. From my understanding, you do not have a wedding date yet?”

I heaved a sigh and went to work getting undressed, grateful I’d worn a nicer pair of panties and a matching bra for the day’s activities. Anisa checked my bra’s tag and the fit, nodded her approval, and helped me wiggle into the gown.

It fit, and while I didn’t wear white often, I learned I could wear it well with my dark hair contrasting nicely against the fabric. “This is gorgeous. And no, there is no date yet.”

Technically, there wasn’t a groom, although there’d been previous preparations for there to be one. Had Erik been present, he would have offered to serve as my bra without hesitation. Every rare now and again, I’d let him serve as my walking, talking bra.

Those distant days might be what broke me—and got me to dance to my parents’ tune while hoping for what might have been to become reality once again.

“It’s a perfect fit, too. I won’t need to make any adjustments whatsoever. How lovely.” Anisa adjusted the collar, smiled, and said, “As long as you stay within five pounds of your current weight, this dress will treat you well.”

I blamed my status as a dragon-kin, but my weight rarely fluctuated beyond three pounds either way. “Those dragons feel obligated to torture me for some reason,” I whispered. “Is this dress appropriate?”

“This dress is for women who want something lovely without the fuss of a custom gown. Sure, there are other women who own the same gown, but it blends classic and modern well and appeals even to the conservative. The dress is also designed to be dyed after the wedding to give the woman more options. You can bring the gown back here for dyeing.”

That would make my life easier—and went a long way towards convincing me I needed to stage an assault of my parents’ wallet. The difficult part would be convincing them I liked the dress without betraying to anyone watching there was more than met the eye. “I suppose we better show them, then. Else they may never stop—or leave.”

Anisa grinned. “You have caught on to their nature. Please do not stress yourself over this. This is not the first time they have done such a thing. It will not be the last time. The last time they pulled this stunt, they saw a young woman pining for a young man, and the two had come from differing clans much like they had come from differing clans. Upon discussion, they were married within the week, and the Ramonses handled the arrangements. That couple? They enjoy having hatchlings in their nest at all times. Their fights run a high risk of more hatchlings being added to their family. But they are happy, and the two clans in question are much better at being civil.”

I could see my parents doing something like that. “Thank you for telling me that. I had no idea.”

“It was quite a few years ago. Honestly, we’re all shocked that the Ramonses bothered to come to the city.”

I had questions, and my parents had done a good job of dodging giving me answers. However, I would become assertive and use their own tactics against them, applying pressure until I received a confession regarding their wicked ways. With Anisa leading the way, we emerged from the dressing room, and I placed my hands on my hips and glared at the menaces determined to turn Dragon Heights upside down. “This dress is not offensive, and it can be dyed whatever color I want should I use it for its intended purpose,” I announced.

My parents ceased their bickering to eye me. My father crossed his arms over his chest. “No.”

I raised a brow, and I realized if I crossed my arms, I’d shove my breasts up and test the dress. I regarded my cleavage with interest, realized his protests involved how the gown made it clear I was a pretty woman, and disregarded his opinion as nonsense. I raised a brow in my mother’s direction.

“Yes. Ignore him. He is male, and he views things with a male eye. He is being an idiot. The whole point of the dress is to make certain she seals the deal, my darling. When looking like that? She is sealing the deal, no matter which man she decides to drag to the altar. The point is to compensate her, and that means you do not get an opinion about her dress. I don’t care what it costs. I’ll buy it, and if there is an additional fee for the dyeing job afterwards, I will prepay that, Anisa. I trust you can find an appropriate shoe for that gown without drama. I think I’ve had my fill of drama for one day.”

Could my mother even reach her fill of drama when it involved my father?

Hell would surely install air conditioning and offer luxury accommodations first. Rather than call her out on it, I turned to Anisa and said, “I either want three inch heels or kitten heels. I don’t really like heels in between.”

“A kitten heel will work well with that dress due to its length. You do not need a tall heel, I assure you. There are even slippers we could use, although I do believe I have an excellent pair of shoes. Please follow me.”

Ignoring my father’s huffing, puffing, and growling, I obeyed, hoping I would escape the store with one and only one dress, a pair of shoes, and my sanity.

* * *

Saturday, April 25, 2167

The Emerald Ward

Dragon Heights, Wyoming

To my dismay,I did not escape the store with one and only one dress, a pair of shoes, and my sanity. I had no idea what I would do with six dresses, ten pairs of shoes, and no sanity, but I accepted my lot in life with a sigh. To prevent us from hauling everything, my parents informed Anisa they would come pick everything up a little later.

A single comment from me informing them that Garnet required lunch tamed my parents.

I told them I wanted to give her kitten milks and knew a restaurant she enjoyed that served all kitten kind, which spared me from even more drama.

What Garnet wanted, she got.

It amused me that my parents had accepted their role as servitors of my carbunclo kitten.

To make certain Tourmaline wouldn’t go hungry or feel left out, I stopped at a home and garden store for a small feeder, undyed nectar, and a bottle of water so I could make him food as well. Upon arrival at the restaurant, I discovered the place bustled. Without a care there’d be a wait, my mother talked to the hostess before returning to us with a pleased expression. “It will be about thirty minutes, and they’ll call me when our table is ready. They know we’ll have Garnet and Tourmaline, so both will be accommodated.” My mother eyed the nearby stores. “I do like this ward. There is so much to see and do.”

And buy. At the rate my parents kept buying things, they’d slay their wallets and join me in being poor. I pointed in the direction of the pet shop. “You may buy Garnet and Tourmaline one toy each. Please remember that their acquisitions must fit in my home. Garnet has a new tree and wheel and she’s been happy with her beds, so you have to get her an actual toy.”

My kitten squeaked at the mention of toys.

Tourmaline flitted to a nearby flower to have a snack.

“One toy per pet per person,” my father countered.

“Fine. Just remember we only have thirty minutes.”

The time limit got my parents on the move. With them marching as though the store might close at any moment, we made it in five minutes. With the same energy as young children, they hurried through the store, beelining for the sign featuring a cat.

To my dismay, Wanda and her boy were there, and the woman laughed at me. “You look absolutely ragged. Are those mean old dragons dragging you everywhere?”

Jamie’s attention locked on the carbunclo, and I struggled to keep from laughing at the hope in his expression.

“They really are.” I scratched Garnet and said, “Remember Jamie, Garnet? He’d like to say hello.”

With wide eyes, the boy bobbed his head. “Please?”

Garnet squeaked, shifted to her wisp form, and transferred over to Jamie’s shoulder before transforming back, nuzzling his cheek and settling on his shoulder. I smiled at my kitten. “She’s gotten quite good at that trick.”

“She really has. Alas for me, I have caved. Jamie really wants a kitten, so we are going to meet kittens until he picks the perfect pair. I won’t have a sad and lonely kitten in my house, so we will be adopting two. He dragged me to the Gray Ward yesterday to help with the rains. He wanted to earn the adoption fee and everything his kittens need. He isn’t quite clear on how the bounties work, so he insisted we stay the entire day. I had more than a few conversations with him about the nature of life and death.”

The thought of the boy dealing with such a topic hurt, especially when I struggled with it myself. However, I could make certain the boy left the pet store with empty pockets but a great deal of joy. “Great job, Jamie. You should make your mom take you to visit all the kittens, put them on your lap, and see which ones like attention from you. That’ll help make certain you find kittens who want to go home with you. If you take home a pair of sibling kittens, they’ll be extra happy.”

“I’ll do that, Miss Kinsley!” Jamie petted Garnet and added, “Thank you for letting me pet your kitten again.”

I knew better than to tell him he could whenever he wanted; I’d be swarmed with even more dragons and never have a moment of peace. “You’re welcome.” I scooped Garnet off Jamie’s shoulder, praised her, and said, “Garnet is about to get a few new toys, as is Tourmaline. I hope your venture goes well.”

Wendy chuckled. “I think it will. Just try to be patient. I’m sure those two will lose interest soon enough.”

There was no chance of that happening, not that I could tell her that. Rather than betray myself, I said, “I’ll try, although it has been difficult. They bought six gowns, Wanda. Me. Wearing a gown? And they bought the gowns at a boutique in the Diamond Ward.”

Wanda’s eyes widened. “Oh.”

“I couldn’t bring myself to look at the price tags. They bought shoes to go with the gowns, too. What do I do?”

“Wear them,” the dragon replied, and her expression relaxed into a smile. “Once they go off and do whatever those mean old dragons do when they aren’t bothering people, I will help you become more comfortable in your gowns, and perhaps we can see to some jewelry.”

The thought of the fortune in jewelry in my apartment would bother me for weeks, and I didn’t need to put on an act to display a suitable amount of distress. “Please tell me the jewelry at Shrine Hill is mostly costume jewelry.”

Wanda covered her mouth with her hands. “I’m afraid not. Their inexpensive jewelry is sterling silver with semiprecious rather than precious stones.”

I bowed my head. “Well, at least Garnet likes her new treasures. I bought some for her. Those dragons do not seem to understand that their wallets are not bottomless pits filled with money.”

The red dragon laughed. “I wouldn’t worry about their wallets, Kinsley. They have more wealth than they know what to do with, and they could likely buy out half of Dragon Heights and not miss a penny of it. They are old, they’re grouchy, and they have dedicated their lives to accumulating treasure. Like good dragons do.”

“But how?” I pointed in the direction they had gone. “How do they do that if all they’re doing here is spend, spend, and spend?”

“Oh. I suppose you would have no way of knowing. Well, he is a broker.”

“Of what? Souls?” I muttered.

Wanda laughed and shook her head. “He handles financial brokerage, real estate brokerage, and business brokerage. The business brokerage is where he earns the most money. When companies buy and sell, they go to him to make certain the transaction goes smoothly. When there are worries of monopolies, he evaluates the companies and accurately determines if there will be a problem with legal entities. They pay him a fortune to do this. Some say his work on a deal can cut out a significant amount of legal tape and hassle.”

I struggled to imagine a world where my father worked in the business world, failed miserably, and spluttered. “And he does that for dragons here?”

“Only as a mediator. No, he typically works for humans and their companies—or the other species hiding around in the world. The only way he’ll do business with dragons is if both groups of dragons have requested him as a neutral party. Most do not. He’s, well, a mean old dragon with no patience for other dragons.”

Once again, I struggled to imagine my father being a mean anything, although I couldn’t fault her for calling him old. He admitted he was of advanced age for a dragon plenty enough at home. “And her?”

“She’s an irritable, annoying shark of a woman!” Wanda yelled.

Deep within the store, my mother laughed.

“Was that a good idea?” I whispered.

Wanda grinned at me. “It absolutely was a good idea. Now she knows I’m here, as once she decides she’s buying something, she gets tunnel vision. She might even visit me before she leaves. She’s one of my cousins, several times removed. We don’t track that nonsense, else we’d be listing where we fell in the family tree for ages rather than get anything done. She likes that I’m willing to call her out. I would have said something far worse, but there are children in the store.”

I was somehow related to Wanda?

I foresaw many different problems, especially if the woman realized we were related. That I had relatives in Dragon Heights hadn’t crossed my mind. How was I supposed to go back to a somewhat quiet, mostly boring, but otherwise safe life if I was related to dragons in the city?

Then again, I should have known better.

Dragon Heights bustled with dragons, so having at least one be a relative made sense. My parents had to have come from somewhere. I’d even known my mother had more than a little red dragon in her heritage.

But for Wanda to be among the red dragons related to my mother, thus related to me?

I needed time to digest that news.

Wanda winked at me. “Try not to worry yourself overly much about those dragons. While I have no doubt they wanted to make sure Garnet is in a good home, they get bored, and you are not boring. It’s truly all right to accept their gifts without worry. They may be mean old dragons, but they’re never cruel.”

* * *

Saturday, April 25, 2167

The Emerald Ward

Dragon Heights, Wyoming

If given their way,my parents would spoil Garnet rotten. As I wanted my kitten to have some perspective about eating out, I taught the carbunclo why going to the restaurant counted as a special occasion. Like our first trip there, we sat on the patio, and the waiter brought the carbunclo a platter of milk to tide her over while the rest of us placed orders for our drinks.

The restaurant had made a note of her favorite, and I praised the kitten for taking her time with her treat. The table had plenty of room for even five people, and I went to work situating Garnet’s spot so she could eat with us.

“I’m surprised you know Wanda,” my mother said, raising a brow at me.

“She was in the store where I got my new phone,” I explained. “Then Garnet charmed her, and she helped me buy my new furniture. I believe she was bored.”

“Undoubtedly. If she was in the store, you went into the chain her clan owns. All the locations in Dragon Heights have a dragon working every shift. It brings their customers into the store when they visit here. They do special visits for other locations, and they advertise them heavily in the area to draw attention to their brand. Wanda is an exceptionally distant cousin of mine. Our branches of the clan view each other as tolerable menaces. There are talks about having some of the hatchlings reunite the branches; there are at least twenty generations of separation between Wanda and me, which is distant enough for healthy hatchlings. In dragons, there only needs to be six generations of separation to erase most ancestral inheritance excepting for certain traits. Coloration is a trait that can linger through at least thirty generations.”

Humans typically counted generations in twenty year increments. I puzzled over the peculiarities of draconic generations until our drinks arrived and the waiter asked if we were ready to order. My parents went first, and I attacked my parents’ wallet through ordering steak and seafood. While it took a little work to get Garnet to order rather than sip her milk, the kitten opted to try a creamy pasta dish topped with seafood. Understanding I owned a potato thief, I ordered three servings of mashed potatoes, hoping I might get some.

I had my doubts as the carbunclo could somehow pack away more than her weight in food when hungry.

Tourmaline received a dish with nectar decorated with a flower bloom, which we put closer to my parents so the excitable kitten wouldn’t disturb the bird.

“Dare I ask how someone figured that out?” I took a sip of my tea while keeping an eye on my pets, grateful I could take them onto the patio but worried someone might create problems for us.

Tourmaline could fly away if trouble came calling, but I worried about Garnet.

I wanted her to only know safety, comfort, and love.

It would be a challenge protecting her from the nature of the world.

“One of my sisters is a silver dragon, and we haven’t had a silver in the bloodlines for at least that long. And yes, we’re quite certain there were no dalliances, especially not with a silver. My grandfather made use of magic to confirm that. Then he got his ass handed to him by my sister, who took severe offense to the suggestion that our parents might not have been loyal to each other. Considering we’re from the same hatching, I may have had a turn with that old snake myself. He got trounced six times, once for each of us from that hatching. She’s the only one who turned out to be a silver from my parents. The rest of us are either red or orange. I confuse people, as they can’t readily tell if I’m red or orange.”

“You’re both,” I muttered.

“I know that, you know that, but everyone else likes pretending I’m not as dangerous as I am. Fools, all of them.”

What would I do without my mother’s ego? I restrained myself and kept from rolling my eyes despite wanting to. “Do all dragons track their bloodlines like that?”

“We do,” my father answered, and he reached over and petted Garnet. “Both our families do due to the high chances of hatchlings becoming any one color. The odds for us favor navy, red, and orange dragons, but the reality? Any hatchling of ours could be any color.”

That did not bode well for me. While I enjoyed solving mysteries, I preferred when the mysteries couldn’t twist around and bite me in the ass. “Is that old snake still alive?”

“Barely,” my mother growled. “I feel a need to go beat him again. Darling, we should drop in and pay those serpents a visit. They deserve to be beaten.”

My father sighed. “As you wish.”

“Do they live here?”

“They live about an hour from here. By air, of course.” My mother made a thoughtful sound, and she got out her phone and sent a text. “I do believe we’ll do that tomorrow. Expect us the day after to take your little family on a rock hunt for Garnet. Darling, don’t forget your saddle. You will need it. We are not going by car.”

My father heaved another sigh, longer, louder, and with a dramatic flair. “You’re going to make me carry a rider?”

“Yes, I am.”

If looks could kill, my mother would have been dead, leaving me to find a shovel to bury her. Fortunately for us all, my father huffed and puffed but accomplished exactly nothing with his fussing. “Very well.”

“Excellent. Now, Kinsley, do tell us about your life in Dragon Heights. I’m just burning to know how well the testing system works, how viable it is for migrants, and the things you would change to make it more obtainable.”

I recognized when my mother meant business, and as I valued my life, I did as told.