Page 7

Monday, April 20, 2167

The Gray Ward

Dragon Heights, Wyoming

I engagedmy new phone in a staring contest while Garnet ran around the apartment, zooming to and fro as though the devils of some hell chased after her. Sometimes, she hopped on her wheel to run off some of her energy. Other times, she used me as a launching pad for her adventures.

Once I gathered the courage to call my parents, I would be laughed right out of the country. Me, get a kitten? A pet? Something other than me to care for?

Letting my breath out in a gusty sigh, I picked up the wretched cell, tapped the phone icon, and input my parents’ home phone number. If nobody answered, I would swallow my pride and use my father’s cell.

My father would at least hear me out before laughing at me. My mother would scold me, hear I’d gotten a kitten, and laugh without listening to anything else.

I pressed the green icon to connect the call and held the device to my ear.

Ring. Ring.

Click.

“Well, well, well. It seems our little hatchling has decided to join the modern world, purchasing a phone,” my father answered.

Damn. Betrayed by technology. “According to Mom, I was a torturous sixteen hour live birth, which was a curse of her own choosing, as she could have refused any offers of seduction from you, my loving father,” I quipped back.

“I know, I know, but we can’t tell her that. I like having accepted offers of seduction. As I see you are no longer embarrassed by the natural order of things, what’s wrong? You don’t call or ask for help unless something is truly the matter.”

I chuckled. “I am calling to notify you that you have a grandchild. She is a kitten, and her name is Garnet. She is currently tearing across my domicile. I don’t know what was in her milk this morning, but if I could bottle her energy, I would be the richest woman in the world within a week.”

“I see. According to your area code, you now live in Wyoming. Dragon Heights to be specific. Do you care to tell me why you are in Dragon Heights rather than in Miami where you belong?”

“The men are hot, the kittens are cute, and the city is welcoming of the strange humans of the world—and there isn’t an open hatred of necromancers or anyone who might resemble one. In reality, it was where I was at when I decided to join the modern world, purchasing a phone. Now you can text me at your leisure and inquire about my current status. But I will do my best to make certain you cannot track me by my phone.”

“I see we made mistakes raising you,” my father muttered. “But as you have bothered to contact me, I have some information that might be of use to you.”

“Can I ask for some specific information before you give me the bonus information?” I asked, wondering if my father might be able to help give me a clue on who might want to kill pilgrims or terrify the local brothel workers.

Or both.

“As you were wise enough to ask, yes. How can I help you?”

“Should I be concerned if I did some dragons a favor and they’re being frighteningly generous?”

“If you decided to go to Dragon Heights, and you did something for somebody, chances are the somebody is a dragon, wants to be a dragon, or is related to a dragon. If you do a dragon a favor or they feel they owe you a debt, they will do things like that. Frankly, you gracing them with your presence should be sufficient to get them to fall into line.”

“Dad,” I scolded.

“You are my daughter, and they should be worshipping the ground you walk upon.” After issuing a soft, displeased snort, he added, “What sort of gifts have you received for doing what?”

“I recovered animals from their rains for the bounty money. They audited my account, and they gave me cash and a carbunclo.”

“Excuse me, but did you just say they gave you a carbunclo?”

Garnet chose that moment to come barreling over to me, launched herself onto my lap, and squeaked at me. Giggling, I pinned my cell between my ear and shoulder and scooped the kitten up, snuggling with her. “She has little stone paws, and she loves mashed potatoes. I took her to a fancy restaurant because she wasn’t getting on well with the dragons who were keeping her. I have a reputation, Dad. I love animals, and the dragons know it. I threatened to take on the entire titanium clan if they rained kittens, puppies, ponies, or any pets on the city.”

“So, you’re saying you’re still in Dragon Heights.”

“I was, at some point, in Dragon Heights.”

Dad chuckled. “And you charmed the titanium dragons enough they gave you the carbunclo kitten the Chileans had gifted them for a favor?”

“I may have threatened them about the rains. It was lemurs last time, Dad.”

“We may have heard rumor of a woman-eating toad, but now I fear the rumor was more of a daughter-eating toad. Please tell me you are not the woman who got bitten by a dangerous toad.”

“Mouthy Asshole isn’t dangerous. He’s just grouchy about being endangered. He thrives on human flesh, which is why I may have agreed to go get bitten again. It’s for his emotional health, Dad.”

“I see you have decided that you are not actually a necromancer but a protector of all animals instead.”

“I know I’m not a necromancer, Dad. But I can’t beat the prejudices there, and I wasn’t destroying Erik’s reputation because people can’t distinguish the difference between necromancy and other abilities.”

My father sighed. “About a month after you left, he went on a campaign regarding abilities similar to necromancy in Miami. And he showcased every single life you saved and helped, making it rather clear that he felt their prejudices cost the city good people like you. He was promoted despite his vocalization, and six months later, he resigned his position to take on a new post while looking for you, his missing fiancée.”

Damn it. “He quit?”

“At least in Miami. You know that man, Kinsley. He never thought you were actually quitting on him. He knows the most damaging thing you could do to yourself was stay if it cost him his dream job. He proved himself in his first six months, and he has decided you will be his.” My father huffed, and then he snickered. “He came over asking for our blessing to hunt you down. Your mother made a variety of suggestions of what he should do with you once he catches you, all of which might result in grandchildren. He left feeling much better about himself. I’m being generous and warning you. It wouldn’t do if you didn’t show him some sport once he picks up your trail.”

“Erik quit?”

“Please don’t worry, Kinsley. He won’t ever quit being a cop. He’s just being a cop in a new way. It took him a few months, but he did realize that he would rather be a cop in a different way than be a captain and eventually a chief in Miami without you. But he did have your reputation cleansed in the eyes of your co-workers. All you have ever done is good for your people, and he made certain everyone knew it before he packed up and moved.”

“He’s really not in Miami anymore?”

“He is not. As he is our future son-in-law, we even offered to store some of his furniture until he captures you.”

On one hand, I didn’t need any more trouble. On the other, if Erik did show up, he might be able to help me get to the bottom of the problems in Dragon Heights. I’d have to pay the piper for my choices, but my father’s commentary offered hope of some future together, something I’d given up on the day I’d left Miami. “They outlawed parents marrying off children decades ago, Dad. You can’t just decide we’re getting married.”

Hope hurt, but because it was my father dangling tidbits of it within my reach, it hooked its nefarious claws deep within me. However, I would not give my father the satisfaction of catching me wanting to return to my comfortable past, one that’d been filled with good company, a great deal of love, and a willingness to sacrifice.

When I’d left, I’d understood the concept of sacrifice. I had not understood the reality of the pain and the longevity of the heartache, however.

My father’s chuckle irritated me and warned me he intended to cause trouble. He delivered when he said, “Oh, he’ll catch you. The only question is how much trouble you’ll give him before you accept his proposals and he corners you in a wedding venue. Your mother insisted; there will be a ceremony entirely for her enjoyment.”

If I didn’t change the subject, I would be bludgeoned to death with what my parents felt I should be doing. “I have a carbunclo kitten, she’s adorable, and her name is Garnet. I will be crushed if she finds a handsome suitor and leaves me to have a litter of kittens.” I snuggled my kitten again and settled her on my lap. “Do you know anything about carbunclo?”

“If she runs off to have kittens, she will come back to you in time. Once a carbunclo bonds with someone, they stay until death do you part with short separations for procreation purposes. If Garnet, her suitor, and her kittens stay with you, you will be saddened when you realize you can’t keep them all. Her suitor would return to his bond, and the kittens would eventually go to new homes. Your kitten will be an excellent companion, drive you to the limits of your sanity, and keep you on your toes until Erik catches you. And she can go all the places mundane pets cannot, thus rendering your concerns about having a pet null and void.”

Right. My father had never approved of my hesitancy to include other living things in my life—and he had been astonished when I’d brought Erik home.

“You seem confident.”

“Your mother is involved, and she has decided Erik is going to catch you. I’m smart enough to go with my wife’s flow when she decides an appropriate suitor is coming for our child. She’s quite upset she couldn’t just marry you off. You would have been married months ago had she been legally allowed. You were going to marry him anyway.” After a few more snickers, my father cleared his throat. “In good news for you, your mother is on an outing with your future mother-in-law, as they go out fairly often. I fear they plan your wedding, but I can’t confirm that.”

“Seriously, Dad?”

“I’m quite serious. We got together, had a lovely discussion about you, and comforted Erik. He refused to be upset with you for putting him over yourself, but he was also heartbroken it had come to you being forced to choose between his dreams and yours.”

Well, I’d be losing sleep over that. “You’re not allowed to tell him I was in Dragon Heights. If he finds me because of his own hard work, I will even let him pet my kitten.”

“And you’ll cry because you struggle to accept anyone could possibly love you enough to scour the entirety of the country for you,” he predicted. “And because you’re you, you will do your best to dodge him, as you are convinced that you will obviously crush his hopes and dreams for being an excellent police captain or chief. He might even aim for becoming a commissioner one day. He does love that paper pushing to a horrific degree, and he’s certainly charismatic enough to make such a path work for him.”

“That should count as child abuse,” I grumbled. “I have tried to be a good daughter. I wrote you letters.”

“Your mother will be expecting her next letter on time as always, by the way. She collects them, and those are part of her hoard now. If she does not get letters from you, she will side with Erik even more than she already does. You should send us individualized letters this time. I don’t ever get to keep the letters, and I want some letters addressed to me. That is the only way your mother is going to let me have one.”

“But half of the letters were to you,” I blurted.

“I very much appreciate one of the women in my life caring about me. Your mother has claimed any scraps of paper addressed to her in any fashion. What can I say? She’s a dragon, and she will never have a sufficiently large hoard.”

Well, since my father had brought up the subject of dragons, I would try to accomplish my work. With one hand, I petted Garnet. With the other, I snagged a pen and my notebook dedicated to the pilgrim murders. “How did you become a dragon, Dad?”

“Spontaneous combustion. Your mother and I both ascended without outside influence.”

Of course. My parents had more pride than they knew what to do with. “Of course. That is because you are the best dragons on the planet, obviously. When I was in Dragon Heights, I heard something about pilgrims.”

“Ah. You must have heard about the people being murdered at the shrines. It’s been on the news. Knowing you, you probably like a dragon-kin, as a friend, and you’re convinced he’ll be murdered.”

“Dragons think I’m just an interesting human,” I admitted.

My father laughed so hard I worried he would choke to death before he reined in his humor. “One day, someone is going to piss you off enough you’re going to sprout wings and scales. You are my child, and one day, you will fly. Mark my words. But if the pilgrim issue worries you, then you need to do what you do best. You aren’t going to be changing your colors anytime soon, not without good reason. The lack of jurisdiction and resources is but a small obstacle for you.”

“You have an overly inflated view of my general superiority, Dad.”

Once again, he laughed at me. “It’s my job as your father to be proud of you and your accomplishments. Use your heritage to seek out justice. That is what you do best. At first, your Erik didn’t understand why you would throw yourself onto the altar of self-sacrifice, but we explained it to him. And after a few months as a captain, he reached the same conclusions you had. Instead of deterring him, it firmed his resolve. It’s good for young dragon women to be vigorously hunted by their men. Your mother made me put up quite the fight before she took pity on me, so don’t be shy about running Erik around. You proved your dedication to his cause. Give him a chance to prove his dedication to your cause.”

“I broke up with him to save his dream.”

“Yes. I know that, you know that, your mother knows that, and Erik understands that better than you likely prefer. You need time to think about that, so let me ask a question. Are you all right?”

I checked on Garnet to discover my kitten had fallen asleep on my lap. “I have a kitten. I’m better than all right.”

As far as lies went, I told a mostly harmless one. Any time I only hurt myself, I considered it to be my victory. With Garnet, I wouldn’t be alone. Until I cracked the cases, I enjoyed having a solid purpose in life.

Later, I would worry about what the future would hold.

“Good. Just be patient with your carbunclo. She needs you even more than you need her, and they don’t take well to being alone. Just teach her to use her secondary form often when you’re out and about. And Kinsley?”

“Yes, Dad?”

“Be grateful yours loves mashed potatoes. There are far more expensive foods out there.”

“Trust me, Dad, I am. Tell Mom I love her, okay?”

“I’m not even telling your mother you called. If I do, she might try to add the phone to her hoard. Please send me my own letter next time, okay?”

“I feel someone should have warned me that parents become quite needy later in life. I’ll send you your own letter next time, Dad.”

“Preferably with your home address on it instead of yet another random city somewhere in the world.”

I snorted. “Keep dreaming. Love you, give Mom a hug for me without telling her why you’re hugging her, and text me if there’s something important you need to talk to me about.”

“Will do. Love you, too. And Kinsley, please do try to limit any trouble you get into to manageable levels. Erik can’t ride to the rescue until he knows where you’re at.”

“Are you saying I can get into trouble but only if Erik is around to play at being a rescuer?” My father would drive me crazy one day. “That’s ridiculous.”

“It is sensible! And it’s more fun to get into trouble with someone. Imagine how much trouble you could have caused as a child had you joined forces with Erik then.”

“No, Dad. I am not going to indulge your overactive and flighty imagination. Don’t tell Erik where you think I’m at. I’m going to need literal rescue should he show up. I will cry. And once I start crying, it’ll take a miracle to get me to stop. I do not want to cry.”

“You’d only be crying from the pure joy of having your fiancé back where he belongs, and that’s allowed. Crying is not illegal.”

“And when was the last time you cried?” I challenged.

“From laughter?” Dad asked. “Yesterday, actually. Your mother started doing impressions of some snoots she had to deal with, and she did a marvelous job of it. From remorse? It’s been a while. Call it four or five years. From grief? More recently than I prefer. You rarely saw me cry while you were growing up for one reason alone: I knew it would make you cry. You couldn’t handle the distress of others, not until after you became a cop. Then you still couldn’t handle the distress of others, but you had an outlet. Compassion is a good trait, although it hurts sometimes.” My father paused. “Most times, really.”

“Do you think I made the wrong choice, Dad?”

“No, Kinsley. You didn’t make the wrong choice. You made the only choice you could both live with. You understood Erik much better than Erik, at the time, understood himself. And now that he has a better understanding, he sees the value of the choice you made. He changed. Only one question remains: will you? I love you, take your time thinking about it, and give your kitten some love for me.”

My father hung up, and long after the call ended, I held the phone to my ear and pondered his words.

People changed all the time. I’d witnessed that sad truth time and time again. Loving spouses transformed into brutal, abusive monsters—sometimes overnight and without warning. Stress could transform a once vibrant soul into a thin shadow of their former self.

How had Erik changed?

Part of me wanted to know, but the rest of me feared the answer.

Change could be good. Change could be bad. Change could be simply change, lost somewhere in between.

What had become of the man I had left behind?

I placed the phone on my desk, and rather than pursue the mysteries I needed to solve for the sake of the brothel girls and those seeking to become dragons, I petted my kitten and wondered.