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Thursday, April 30, 2167

The Gray Ward

Dragon Heights, Wyoming

Garnet whinedand cried upon my return to my apartment, and I consoled her the best I could. “I’m sorry I couldn’t take you with me, baby. They’re still gathering evidence at that nasty mansion, and it’s unsafe for people and carbunclo alike.” So Tourmaline wouldn’t feel left out, I sought him out, petted his breast, and said, “We’ll go on a little trip so you can taste some new flowers and have a good time outside, all right?”

While it took a few minutes, I managed to convince the pair that the world wasn’t ending.

That left me with the problem of my parents. They sulked in my kitchen, refusing to look me in the eyes.

“I don’t know what your excuse is. I was being questioned and discussing that horror house with a chief and three captains. Had you two been there, you would have turned that chaos into a circus. Thank you for watching Garnet and Tourmaline, though.”

My mother pouted, and she faked a sniffle. “You were gone for hours.”

Which one of us was the child? I stared at her while taking turns paying attention to Garnet and Tourmaline. “And I’m going to be leaving you alone for another hour or two as I go to run errands. I will be taking Garnet and Tourmaline with me. You can hunt for Erik and complain to him about how you’ve been abandoned. Then you can plan some form of dinner outing, just make certain Garnet and Tourmaline are accounted for. You can make certain Erik understands he lives here for the next while.”

My father checked his phone. “Will two hours be enough time?”

“Maybe. I have my phone back, so I’ll text you if it isn’t enough time.” I expected Cecilia would take the longest, as she had good reason to be wary about the police’s involvement. “I could go for some fast food.”

“You just want to tease Erik,” my mother accused.

I nodded.

She rolled her eyes. “We’ll do fast food. Text when you’re done your errands.”

“Lock the door behind you if you leave. And if you can lure Erik here without leaving, then you win.”

“What are we winning?” my father asked.

“You’re winning an opportunity to be lazy.” I opted to keep my backpack with me, convinced Tourmaline to ride on my shoulder with Garnet, and checked my pockets to make certain I had everything. “No trouble. There has been an overabundance of trouble for one week.”

While my parents complained, they stayed in my apartment, leaving me to head up the street to the brothel without an audience. I knocked, let myself in, and waited for either Cecilia or one of the brothel women to find me in the entry. To my relief, Cecilia showed up, and according to her gauzy attire, she would be working her clients sooner than later. “Sorry to bother you, but I have news.”

“Is it good?”

“Mostly. The bad news isn’t all that bad as long as you don’t mind friendly cops, like that yellow, poking his nose in your business.”

“If only he would,” Cecilia complained.

I laughed. “As far as I know, he’s single, but he’s a yellow, so he’s going to be loyal. If you have a woman who wants out of the brothel business, then he’s a good candidate. Otherwise, enjoy the game. His brother is more my type.”

Cecilia raised a brow. “You’re after one of the Millson boys?”

“I’m the reason one of the Millson boys wasn’t home,” I confessed. “You’re going to see a lot of the Millson family hanging around and about my apartment for a while. That leads me to the next bit of bad news. My yellow has a place in the Tower Ward, and once it recovers from having been turned to rubble by some dragons, I’ll be headed that way. I’ll still help you get those apartments into good order, though. I like that sort of work, and I want to help others in my shoes. In better news, I’m being officiated as a private investigator, so whenever you have any problems, you can come to me for help. I’ll have to share with the police force if they ask me to work a case, though. Which is what’s now happening with your case.” I turned, lifted the leg of my pants, and showed her the faint line marking where I’d been cut. “I tangoed with the culprit, and let’s just say they won’t be bothering anyone else anymore. Mrs. Millson got her claws on him.”

Cecilia winced. “Mrs. Millson as in the commissioner’s wife?”

I nodded. “She dropped body parts all over Death Mile, apparently. I wasn’t there; I got an unconventional invitation to visit the people who were attacking the brothel women. Only time will tell if they’ve all been apprehended, but even if they haven’t, the police are working on it.” I winced at the thought of Erik’s mother ripping someone else apart above the city. “I don’t think anyone wants to give Mrs. Millson an excuse to decorate Death Mile with body parts again.”

“She can take care of herself, that’s for certain. Do you think the attacks will quiet down?”

“I’m pretty sure the man responsible for the attacks is the one Mrs. Millson tore apart. However, time will tell. But if anyone is stupid enough to continue the attacks, they won’t like what’s going to happen to them next. They’ve offended the wrong dragons.”

“The Ramonses?”

“They’re just the start of those who are cranky about this situation.”

Cecilia smiled. “Excellent. Still, if you’re moving, I’m going to owe you a lot more than what you’ve been paid.”

I shook my head. “I got paid in something a great deal better: opportunities. I won’t say no to a nice dinner with my yellow at your place sometime, but I warn you, I have a furry chaperone, and she has a feathered sidekick.”

The brothel matron burst into laughter. “I’m sure I can handle feeding you, your yellow, and your little ones. Just give me a call or shoot me a text when you want to have dinner, and we’ll get a spot open for you in the parlor. It’s quieter in there, anyway.”

“And if you hear about any more attacks, shoot me a text or give me a call. Copycats are possible, and it’s best for everyone if they’re dealt with in a hurry.” Had any of Cecilia’s women disappeared, she would have told me about it, so I assumed they’d kidnapped those who wouldn’t be missed.

They’d misjudged my situation, and I foresaw their decision to target me would be the last they made. If my parents didn’t get a hold of them and bring them to justice, I would.

But for the moment, I would hope that there would be no more attacks and that we got a chance to rescue any who might still be alive.

* * *

Thursday, April 30, 2167

The Diamond Ward

Dragon Heights, Wyoming

After sendingthe leader of the black dragons a text, he invited me to his home in the Diamond Ward. I did my best to lay low; the last thing I needed was a certain cop realizing I was in his turf. Erik would, if given a single excuse, arrest me for the fun of it.

When wearing his uniform, Erik could get away with just about anything, and I only had myself to blame for it.

At the dragon’s mansion, which reminded me of a Victorian palace rather than someone’s home, I braced for an uncomfortable talk with its owner, knocked on the door, and wondered if I needed to tell Enzo Acri that his fancy gate did him no good when left open.

At my third knock, Enzo Acri opened the door, and my carbunclo hissed at him before pressing close to my neck.

I grinned at her antics, soothed her, and promised that the old black dragon wouldn’t be taking her away.

The black dragon regarded me with a raised brow. “Now that I know what to look for, you’re truly a feminine version of your father. I can’t say I blame you for going anonymous. In your shoes, I might have made the same choice. Still, I never thought those two would have a hatchling. I certainly never would have accused them of being doting parents. Come in. You’ve had an exciting week, so you probably want to get off your feet.”

“Imagine my confusion when people started talking about what monstrous people my parents surely are.” I laughed at the absurdity of it all. “To me, they’re great except when they’re here misbehaving. Then they test my patience. At home? They’re fine. They don’t actually argue seriously at home. It’s a lot of posturing and flirting. I will never be old enough to bear witness to the flirting, which is why I developed unacceptable levels of independence as soon as legally able.”

The black dragon chuckled, led me through an entry filled with antiques and into a sitting room, likewise filled with a fortune in antiques from all around the world. At his invitation, I sat, setting my backpack beside my chair and taking the time to comfort both Garnet and Tourmaline.

“Will you still test in?”

“That’s the plan. I’ve been licensed as a private investigator using my record outside of Dragon Heights, but I want to earn my keep rather than get in on virtue of everyone thinking my parents are literal demons out to scour the city.”

Enzo snickered. “I’d say they aren’t that bad, but when they’re in town, they really can be. As long as you don’t draw more attention to yourself while with your father, I think you’ll be able to trick most people into believing you’re just an unfortunate who got dragged to the shrines. When old dragons take people to the shrines, strange things can happen. That you have the Millson clan keeping an eye on you should alleviate most problems. You’re marrying into their clan, are you not?”

“That’s the plan. I’ll be moving to the Tower Ward with Erik once the house is rebuilt. It lost against some feuding dragons.”

“That is an unfortunately common occurrence here. Before I moved to the Diamond Ward, I had to rebuild my place three times.”

“Which ward?”

“Pearl. Pearl can get pretty rough. Since most of us collect firearms because they’re treasures rather than use them, we settle our differences through brawling. When you have two dragons the size of locomotives brawling, property damage is a real risk. In good news, only dragons who can afford the repair bill tend to get into brawls on the street. Sometimes, a pair of dragons will decide a property is an eyesore and destroy it on purpose, having it rebuilt to their standards rather than the current owner’s situation. You’re marrying the youngest of the Millson boys?”

I nodded.

“He’s liked, so it wouldn’t surprise me if his Tower Ward property had gotten targeted on purpose. Tower Ward doesn’t usually have many problems; it’s a quiet ward for dragons who’d rather be left alone. And, for some reason, a rather notable number of law enforcement personnel tend to live there. It’s a pretty safe ward. If there were dragons brawling on the streets and trashing houses, they liked the owner of the property.”

“He ended up with three lots.” I thought about that, decided Enzo was onto something, and nodded. “I challenged Erik to getting a carbunclo companion for Garnet.”

“Ah, yes. There are actually two new kittens coming to Dragon Heights. One, a young male from Peru, will be going home with your parents. They are keeping this somewhat secret, as they know you’ll be very upset if your Garnet goes seeking out nookie from abroad. They’re hopeful their little boy will charm all the local carbunclo ladies to keep their owners happy. The second kitten is from Bolivia, and I procured her upon hearing the circumstances. She is very social and should match well with Garnet as a companion.”

The black dragon lifted his hand, snapped his fingers, and waited.

A young woman, who had the clan leader’s eyes, entered the room carrying a yellow carbunclo kitten in her arms. Garnet perked up and squeaked.

The kitten, a quarter of Garnet’s size, wiggled and mewed.

“Oh, she’s so young,” I whispered.

“She was just weaned, and the other kittens in the litter were already claimed. The one your parents are getting was swapped out from the original plan; the little female they had in mind bonded to someone rather accidentally. Their new boy is very adventurous, so he should fit with them quite well. Desmona, go ahead and give Kinsley the kitten. I think we’ve taken sufficient safeguards to prevent accidental bonding.” The black dragon smirked. “We took care to explain to the little one that she is to go to a young yellow dragon who needs to be loved when you and Garnet aren’t around.”

Desmona giggled and handed over the kitten. “Don’t mind my father. He joined in on securing a carbunclo kitten the instant he heard about it. With two girls and a boy, we might actually be able to help the species. We got lucky there were so many litters recently.”

Garnet mewed, and after placing the yellow kitten on my lap, I asked my little girl to introduce herself.

Within two minutes, a purring Garnet groomed the little one. Tourmaline clicked, and I invited the bird to make friends with Erik’s kitten, too. “What’s her name?”

“Citrine.”

I should have guessed. I smiled, gave all three their owed petting, and said, “Thank you. How much do we owe you for the kitten?”

“Nothing. She’s a gift,” Enzo informed me. “Citrine would have the same struggles Garnet suffered through, so I made the recommendation she go to your household. With your parents having a boy, neither of your girls will have much difficulty finding a suitor. His temperament is promising. He’s quite tolerant.”

He’d have to be to deal with my parents. “Do you have a dish? I have some of Garnet’s kitten milk with me, and she probably needs to be fed.”

Desmona bounced off before I had a chance to thank her.

One worry rose above the others. “You don’t think Erik will have a problem bonding with her?”

“I think they’re birds of a feather and will be cozy with each other by the end of the day. Citrine should fit well with the police, too. She has a strong sense of justice and drive, but she also needs to be around people. Your Garnet needs to be around a specific person, which is you.”

“She had no problems going with my parents,” I informed him.

“Ah, but they’re tyrants, and she likely recognized you’re all part of the same family unit.” Enzo chuckled. “I’ll drive you to Erik’s station after the kitten has been fed, that way you can introduce Erik to his new carbunclo. I’ve already asked Phillip if he can bring Monster out today, so he’s just waiting for the call.”

I smiled at the thought of Erik having to deal with the titanium dragon’s cat. “I love Monster.”

“Anyone with half a heart loves Monster,” the black dragon replied. “As that Millson boy hatched out loving animals, I’m sure there will be no problems. And Kinsley? If you need to escape from the insanity, send me a text. I’m sure I have a quiet library somewhere in this mausoleum you can hide in for a while.”

* * *

Thursday, April 30, 2167

The Diamond Ward

Dragon Heights, Wyoming

Cedrickand his father met us at the station where Erik worked, and I tried to figure out how to carry Citrine and take Monster from the dragon-kin. My attempts to stare the dragon-kin into submission failed to yield results.

He laughed at me.

“You can’t have our cat,” Cedrick informed me. “I know that look well. That is the look of a woman who wants what I have, and you can’t have Monster. You can pet Monster later tonight, but Erik has to send him home first.”

“If I do not get to pet Monster tonight, the entirety of the Gray Ward will hear my unhappy wails,” I warned.

“May the very heavens forbid such a travesty.” The dragon-kin grinned, smiled at Citrine, and scratched behind her ears. “You’re going to love your new home, little baby.”

Citrine purred and rewarded the dragon-kin with a nuzzle.

“I doubt Erik is going to throw Monster.”

“Erik will toss Monster up in the air and catch him because Monster loves it, but he wouldn’t throw our cat.”

Our circus drew attention, and Erik emerged out of the station, and he raised a brow at me. “What’s going on?”

I lifted Citrine, gave her a kiss on the nose, and whispered, “That’s Erik, okay? Go make him the happiest dragon in the world. He deserves it. He’ll even share his pillow with you.”

Then, hoping for the best, I set Citrine down.

The kitten wibble wobbled on her way over to Erik, mewing and squeaking the entire way.

Before Erik could fall prey to his inclinations, swoop in, and pick up his kitten, Cedrick handed over Monster. “You need to toss the cat.”

“I’m not throwing Monster,” Erik informed the titanium dragon-kin. He took a moment to snuggle with the cat before apologizing for needing to go play with the kitten and placed Monster on the ground so he could pick up Citrine.

Monster vanished.

I doubted Erik even noticed. He scooped up the little kitten and began the important process of rubbing her soft little belly against his face and blowing raspberries.

I smiled and petted Garnet and Tourmaline while observing Erik make a fool out of himself.

“I told you he wouldn’t throw Monster,” I told Cedrick.

“So you did. I was not expecting him to go for the kitten belly right out of the gate.”

“Carbunclo belly fur is worth the risk to life and limb. Right, Garnet?” My kitten mewed and nuzzled me. Smiling, I petted her, and so she wouldn’t feel left out, I picked her up and dropped a kiss on her nose before cradling her in my arms. “It was a stupid challenge, Erik.”

“Apparently, your parents were attempting to help me with said challenge, but they were charmed, and they’re not giving up their carbunclo. I saw him about an hour ago. He’s adorable. I even forgave them for falling prey to him. I couldn’t say no to that face.”

Erik would have trouble saying no to Citrine, as he snuggled with the little girl, cooed to her, and made it clear she’d wrapped him around her little paws in two seconds flat.

Enzo chuckled. “I’ll go smooth things over for him in the station as it’s my fault he had a special delivery. I’m sure it won’t be a problem. Everyone knows your Garnet needs a friend, and how better to provide her with one? Then I’ll get out of your hair so you can get back to your day. Text me when you go in to take your test. If anyone gives you any trouble, I’ll have a word with them.”

“Thank you.”

“Glad to help. Try to be patient with the Ramonses. They’re a little cracked, but they’re a good enough sort.”

No kidding.