Destiny (Experimental Heart Book 1)

by Shannon Pemrick

  I looked away. “I’m not worth getting upset over.”

  His grip on me tightened and he pulled me closer. “I disagree.”

  My heart rate picked up and I pulled on his arm with my good hand. “Please let go.”

  “What is wrong with what I’m doing?” He tried to look at me again. “I get you’re human, but this is normal for dragons.”

  “It’s not normal for humans.” I pulled on him some more. “It’s… a possessive action. Please let go.”

  He listened this time. “How possessive are humans?”

  I glanced at him and then focused on my healing arm. “Depends on the person and what the object of their obsession is. Some get annoyed when something happens to the object they possess or want to possess, and some… get violent.”

  Raikidan leaned on the desk, his arms crossed. “Sounds like us dragons.”

  I looked at him. “How often do you get violent?”

  “Well, it depends, but if someone doesn’t have expressed permission, whether that object is inanimate or living, like a dragon or non-dragon, that’s the more likely state we’ll be in.”

  My brow furrowed. “Non-dragon? Like humans and elves?”

  He nodded. “It’s most common for reds, as they like to mingle and live amongst the non-dragons, but it can happen to any color. Even a black, believe it or not.”

  With what he told me about black dragons, I found it hard to believe. “Why people?”

  “The dragon forms an emotional bond with the being, attaching to them enough to see that living being as a treasure. They’ll then protect them with their life.”

  I looked down at my hand. “Must be nice having a dragon protecting you like that.”

  “I watch your back.”

  “Not like that.” I fiddled with my cloth binding. “I’m no treasure. A muddy rock at best.”

  “No, you’re not.”

  What did he know? He was a dragon who claimed to know little about humans. I looked at him, only for those captivating eyes of his to snag me. My pulse slowed, and everything around us disappeared. I tried to say something, anything that would bring me back to reality, but the words didn’t come.

  Raikidan moved, breaking the eye contact, and rested his chin in the crook of my neck. He wrapped his arms around me again and I resigned to this fate. He wasn’t going to listen, and if I was honest with myself, it wasn’t really all that bad. I did feel calmer, safer even. Allowing myself to look at this objectively, it wasn’t as alarming as I’d let myself believe.

  Raikidan tilted his head, and still it was okay. I found myself reaching up and resting my hand on the side of his face. He didn’t pull away, and still, everything remained okay. It didn’t make sense to me. It has to be because he’s a dragon. I wouldn’t have given such lenience to a human.

  Azriel’s office door flew open, and the two of us jumped. I immediately regretted it and cried out as excruciating pain shot through my arm. Raikidan reacted by placing his hand on my shoulder and looking at me with worry. I gave him a reassuring smile. It was my fault for not being aware of my surroundings.

  Azriel’s voice carried into the room. “Eira, are you okay? Do you need some painkillers?”

  “I’m fine. I just need to not be surprised by sudden entrances, thank you.” I looked up, only to be surprised by the familiar man standing in front of Azriel, our hasty door-opening culprit. “General Zo?”

  He stood in the doorway, staring at me. Unlike when I’d seen him before, he wore standard civilian clothes, but dog tags hung around his neck. This was standard attire for soldiers, playing off the lie that their service wasn’t forced. A stupid façade. The majority of civilians didn’t care that we had no say in what we did or that we only served orders every hour of the day. But I guess it helps soldiers get through their miserable lives by pretending they can have normal lives sometimes, so there’s a plus there.

  Zo took another moment to speak. “You’re the injured civilian?”

  I looked to Azriel. “No one else was hurt, right?”

  He shook his head. “Just you.”

  I look to Zo. “Then, yep, that’s me.”

  Zo looked to Azriel. “Then who beat up one of my men? You said he was in here too.”

  Azriel pointed to Raikidan. “He is.”

  Zo’s brow rose. “A civilian beat up a Brute? You expect me to believe that?”

  “I do, since he’s my newest bouncer.” Azriel, what the hell are you doing? “Ryoko recommended him to me because of his strength. He got his chance to prove it today.” Azriel looked to Raikidan. “And yes, Rai, per your earlier request, you’re getting off-time pay for assisting me earlier with the corralling.”

  “Better be,” Raikidan muttered. “And it’s Ray. Only Eira calls me Rai.”

  Azriel huffed. “I don’t get special treatment, too? What is this?”

  I giggled. “Because it’s fun to hear you whine.”

  He pointed at me, his eyes narrowed with mischievous intent. “Watch it, young lady. I can mess with your hours now that I’m your boss.”

  I stuck my tongue out at him and Zo chuckled. “You two seem to know each other well.”

  I nodded. “Azriel and I met… three days after Rai and I arrived in the city.” I grinned Azriel’s way. “He was all bummed out he’d lost his good streak.”

  “I did not,” Azriel said, crossing his arm. “It was only delayed.”

  I waved him off. “Yeah, yeah.”

  Zo approached and sat down on the desk, his eyes focused on me. It made me uncomfortable. “As amusing as this banter is, I do need to ask you a few questions.”

  “I’m more than happy to answer your questions, General.”

  He tapped my chin with his knuckle. “Just Zo, remember, Sweetcheeks?”

  I laughed. “Right—I forgot, sorry.”

  “Now, tell me what happened.”

  I gave him a quick but thorough explanation of the events that transpired, and then looked at my bandaged arm when I came to the end. “Then the big freaky guy grabbed me and this happened.”

  Zo’s brow furrowed. “Azriel said he harmed you, but didn’t go into detail.”

  “Well, he—” My arm spasmed and I cringed.

  Zo jumped off the desk and stared wide-eyed at Azriel. “You gave a civilian regenerative serum? Are you insane?”

  Azriel crossed his arms. “Your Brute completely crushed her wrist. It’d take several surgeries and weeks of healing for her to maybe get full use of that hand back had I not. I tested her to make sure she was compatible, and then gave her a low dose determined safe for civilians. I know what I’m doing.” Azriel looked my way. “That was your third spasm, correct?”

  I nodded, wincing—this pain the worst of them yet—and he nodded back. “I thought so. Everything is happening on time. You’ll have one more in ten minutes. That’ll be the last.”

  I let out a small breath of relief when the spasm died down. I hated this stuff. Improved or not, I should have sought out a shaman to give me proper healing. “It’s fine, really.”

  Zo sat back down on the desk and brushed my bangs out of my eyes. “Are you sure?”

  I nodded, using the motion to pull away a bit and tried to flex my hand. It hurt to try, but my hand moved, showing the serum was working. “See? I’m a lot tougher than you think.”

  He chuckled. “I suppose so.” He turned his head and brushed my bangs with his fingers again. My brow furrowed and he smiled. “Sorry. Your hair color fascinates me. I—”

  I held up a finger, finding this the perfect opportunity to throw off any suspicion about my identity. “Don’t say you think it’s natural. I’m so tired of hearing that.” Zo blinked as I ranted. “Who in their right mind thinks purple hair is natural? I mean, c’mon!”

  “Well, uh, you have a good point,” he managed. “What color hair do you have naturally?”

  “Red,” Azriel said as he walked over to one of his bookshelves. This pulled Zo’s attention
from me, allowing me to give my friend a questioning look when he turned around with a picture frame in hand. Azriel walked over to the desk and handed it to Zo, winking at me when Zo’s eyes fell on the photo.

  Zo chuckled. “You two are something else.”

  I leaned to the side to look myself to find it a photograph of Azriel and me. The two of us were pulling on each other’s faces to make each other look as ridiculous as possible, and my hair was in fact red in this image. And not an orange kind of red like I had for that failed mission with Ryoko. This red looked much like what you’d see for a fire elementalist, and the color Raikidan sported in his hair. I remember that day. It was about a week before I’d gone on the run. I had just finished an undercover assignment and he’d stopped by for a visit. Azriel, you are a genius.

  Zo looked at me. “You look good with red, but I think you pull off this violet color well. You should keep it this way.”

  “She’ll color it as she pleases,” Raikidan said.

  I looked at him to find a clear scowl directed at Zo. What’s up with him?

  Zo cleared his throat and passed the photo back to Azriel. “Of course. My comment was merely a suggestion.”

  I pushed Raikidan by the shoulder, though he didn’t move much. “Don’t be mean. Or I’ll let Azriel get creative with his work punishments.”

  Azriel grinned. “Please do.”

  Raikidan glanced at me. “I’ll give him the same permission for you.”

  I stuck my tongue out at him. “He loves me too much.”

  Zo looked intrigued. “You’re going to be working here as well, Sweetcheeks?”

  I went to open my mouth, but Azriel beat me to it. “Yes. She’s my newest waitress.”

  Zo looked at me, his eyes showing his clear interest in the matter. “Really?”

  Azriel, I’m going to kill you! I forced a smile. “Yeah. I needed to try something different, and since Rai was coming to check out open positions, I tagged along.”

  “Well, you’re in good hands with Azriel.” He tapped my chin with his finger and then stood up. “I need to get going. Stay out of trouble from now on, Sweetcheeks, you hear?”

  I chuckled. “Trouble is my middle name.”

  He chuckled and touched my chin again before leaving. Azriel followed him and had a quick conversation before closing the door.

  He looked at me with a raised brow. “Sweetcheeks?”

  I hung my head. “Don’t get me started. It’s not my idea to put up with it.” I then pointed at him. “Speaking of not my idea, how about consulting us next time before you spontaneously hire us.”

  Raikidan nodded, agreeing with me.

  Azriel held up his hands. “Sorry, but I didn’t have time to consult you. Zo showed up quicker than I expected, and I needed a legitimate excuse to why Raikidan was able to beat the guy up. All my bouncers need to have exceptionally high strength to handle the clientele I bring in. You know this.”

  “And what about me? It’s not like Raikidan said I was working here, just that he would convince you to dish out creative punishments.”

  “I figured you two came as a package deal.” He smiled. “Plus, I’m sure the shop doesn’t pay as well as I can.”

  I sighed. He wasn’t wrong. At the rate the projects were crawling in, Zane wasn’t able to technically pay all of us individually, plus fund the rebellion. It was why we had a shared fund stashed away in the house.

  Azriel came over to me. “How’s the pain?”

  “I’m coming out of shock slowly, so the pain is increasing, but not as bad as it could have been had I let it be.”

  The door of the office opened, and Rylan and Ryoko strolled in. Rylan looked… confused. “Azriel, have you seen Blaze? I looked everywhere for him.”

  “He left with four young ladies before the incident happened,” Azriel said.

  Rylan pinched his nose. “I knew he was up to something. I shouldn’t have let him hold onto the keys.”

  “No use getting worked up about it. This is Blaze, after all,” I said. “Nothing we can do to stop him. We’ll just use the bikes. They can each fit two people, so it’s not a big deal.”

  “But you—”

  “I’m almost healed up. I can drive.”

  Rylan crossed his arms. “Even if your bones are fixed, you shouldn’t put too much tension on them for a few more hours.”

  I looked to Azriel, who shrugged. “I don’t see an issue with her driving. It’s not like she’s using that wrist to twist the throttle.”

  “To add to that, Raikidan can’t drive a motorcycle,” I said.

  Ryoko’s hand shot up into the air. “I can drive him!”

  While Rylan didn’t physically react to the excited offer, the bond tugged hard on the back of my head. That didn’t please him in the least.

  I shook my head. “I’m more than capable of driving him.”

  She winked at me. “I’m sure you are.”

  I rolled my eyes and went to spit out a retort, but my arm spasmed. Luckily this wasn’t nearly as painful as the last three times.

  “And that’s four,” Azriel said. “You’re good to go. Your arm will hurt for a few hours, but by the morning, you should be as good as new.”

  I flexed my hand, the pain a dull ache. “Thanks for patching me up.”

  “I’ll always help you, Laz, you know that.”

  I smiled and then stood up. “We should head out.”

  Azriel sighed. “And I should go make sure the dance floor has been properly sanitized. One thing, though, Laz.”

  “Yeah, what’s up?”

  “Watch Zo’s hands when he’s around. He’s an ass grabber.”

  I pinched my nose. “Perfect. Thanks for the warning.”

  We said our goodbyes, and left the building. I noted, besides the closed-off dance floor, everything had returned to normal in the club. When we reached our parked motorcycles, Raikidan climbed on behind me. I secured my helmet and then started up the machine. I planned to wait for Ryoko and Rylan, but the two insisted on arguing who would drive.

  “We’ll see you two lovebirds at the house.” I shifted the motorcycle into gear and drove off.

  “Lovebirds?” Raikidan said. “As in the small tropical birds that mate for life?”

  I nodded. “Yeah. Humans use the expression to tease others who care about each other a lot. Especially if they’re too stubborn to make anything official between them.”

  “I see. So, it’s in no way a reference to the bird’s life mating?”

  I shook my head. “No. I told you before, most nu-humans don’t mate for life. Not anymore, at least.”

  “I see. Thank you for answering me freely.”

  Why is he thanking me? He’d been acting weird all night since the incident.

  I shook the questions from my head and focused on driving. It wasn’t anything to be concerned about.

  The rest of the ride was quiet. Ryoko and Rylan never caught up with us, so I suspected either they continued to argue long after we left, or they took a different route.

  The garage door opened at my command when we drew near, and I parked my motorcycle in its usual spot. As we hopped off, the sound of Ryoko’s motorcycle echoed through the garage. I waited for them to pull up beside us, finding out that Rylan had managed to win their mini-argument.

  “I thought you two were going to be there all night,” I teased.

  Rylan snorted as he cut the engine. “She’s stubborn, but not your kind of stubborn.”

  I noticed Ryoko’s good mood when she removed the helmet and grinned. “So, what did you bribe her with?”

  He hung his head. “Ice cream.”

  I laughed, and Ryoko smiled wide as she hopped off the motorcycle. “Any kind I want, too!”

  “Well, I hope you’re not thinking of having it now. It’s a bit late,” I said as I headed for the stairs.

  She held her head high. “If I want ice cream at one in the morning, I will.”

  I glanced back
at her. “What, some guy break your heart, so you need to watch sappy love stories and mend your soul with ice cream?”

  Ryoko laughed and caught up with me, leaving the confused men behind. “You’re too funny, Laz.”

  The two of us were ascending the stairs by the time they caught up. When I opened the door to the living room, we stopped short. In front of us stood a very angry little girl.

  “Where were you?” she demanded.

  “Uh, out?” I pushed past her and called out down the hall, “Seda, I need a communicator.”

  “Yes, I’m aware you were out,” Genesis said. “And I know exactly where you were, because I was awake when Blaze came home an hour ago.”

  “I guess his escapade didn’t last as long as he’d hoped,” Ryoko mumbled.

  Rylan snickered, and Genesis’ eyes darkened more.

  I leaned against the back of the couch. “And what’s your point, Genesis? We’re allowed to go out and have fun every now and then. It’s called a morale boost.”

  She opened her mouth to speak, but then noticed my bandaged arm. Her eyes went wide. “What happened? Blaze never mentioned anything about you getting hurt.”

  “Probably because he was too focused on the four girls he left with to notice the real issue that happened,” Rylan said.

  Genesis’ face scrunched. “I didn’t need to know that detail, thank you.”

  Seda came out of her room just then and sashayed down the hall. I took the communicator from her and placed it on my head. The visor slid across my eyes, and I searched for a particular communicator signal.

  “Whatcha need, babe?” Aurora asked when I connected.

  I could tell she was typing away at some project, and I ended up shaking my head with a chuckle. “Do you ever sleep?”

  She laughed. “Sometimes I wonder, but that’s what happens when you have insomnia.”

  “Fair enough. I need files.”

  “All right, what type of files?”

  “I need as many files as you can get on these new experiments coming out.”

  Her end was silent for a moment. “Any particular reason?”