by T D Raufson
Silas groaned as the decision filled the X-ray’s eyes. The die was cast. Silas could sense the sniper tensing on the trigger. The X-ray stopped running and turned to face the new threat. He raised his hands in front of him and crossed them at the wrists as if they would protect him from the bullets he thought were coming at him. The gunner had been keeping his rounds too close for the wildly jumping firing platform so his last round clipped the X-ray’s hip. As the pain registered, he uncrossed his wrists and an invisible force drove through the dust-filled air and struck the hood of the racing Humvee. Like a hammer striking a matchbox car, the hood of the Humvee creased in half as the forward suspension collapsed. The gunner slammed forward into his gun and then fell back against his restraints. A spray of blood haloed around his head as his nose shattered. He would survive. The Humvee and the gunner were disabled though, and the FBI would react to the attack.
“Overwatch, Romeo-One, take him.” The order over the FBI tactical net came just as Silas was analyzing the event and before he could call them back. The X-ray’s head jolted to the left with the impact just as the crack from the rifle reached them. The force of the shot threw the X-ray to the right as he fell to the ground, and the conflict was over as quickly as it had started.
Silas scanned the other four X-rays who were running now without looking back. He hoped he was right that they would be no threat if they could get away from this initial agitation. They would all know soon enough.
“Romeo-One, cease fire, all units.” Silas called over the tactical net.
“All units, Romeo-One. Hold fire. Secure your positions. Bravo-Five, Close on X-ray and secure with caution.”
Silas looked back over his shoulder at the colonel and the major. They both motioned him toward their Humvee. They would join Bravo-Five in the parking lot and mop up.
—
“He’s getting up.” The excited report on the radio came across the operational net, drawing Silas’ attention to the spot in the parking lot where the X-ray had fallen.
“Romeo-One, Overwatch. I have movement on the ground. Clear to take it out?”
“Negative, Overwatch. This is Tango-One. Stand down.” Silas took charge. He was surprised the lizard man was still alive, much less able to move. If the last shot had not killed him another one probably wouldn’t either. Silas heard the FBI channel open as Romeo-One started to countermand the order, but then decided he liked his career.
Romeo-One’s voice finally filled the open carrier. “All units, hold position.”
The major stopped the Humvee. Silas and Colonel Holloway jumped out as the last of the lizard men stood up and ran after his companions.
“How the…” Holloway began to ask as the last X-ray was running away from him. He gave up on getting an answer and looked back at Silas. “You were right. They didn’t really want this fight. They were just confused and angry.”
“This time, but look at what one of them did without much effort. What are those things? Where did they come from? What do they want? These are the questions we have to answer. Hopefully before we’re faced with a horde of pissed off lizards that can shake off a bullet to the head like it was a paper cut.” He motioned to the Humvee with the crushed front end. The driver was checking on the gunner who was responding and holding a compress over his profusely bleeding nose.
“I’m sure that’s exactly why you’re here,” Major Carson said over the hood of their Humvee.
Silas bent to the ground to pick up the flattened mushroom of the metal-jacketed slug that had struck the X-ray. It had been a thirty caliber, probably 7.62X51mm NATO. He dropped the quarter-sized disk of mangled lead into his pocket and shook his head.
“That’s why we’re here, major. Let’s get this report out. We’re not the only ones working outside the box today, and I’m thinking our other units could use this intel. I don’t want to keep antagonizing them and speed up their desire to fight us. Don’t forget to include that 7.62 is useless against them.”
“What?” Carson asked.
“The sniper round hit and delivered quite a punch, but didn’t penetrate. We don’t want soldiers and LEO’s thinking their standard ammo’s going to work.”
“The fifty worked,” Holloway said pointing to the pool of blood from the round that clipped the last X-ray. He followed the last lizard man with his eyes as he ran to join the others. “Where are they going?” he asked.
“No idea,” Silas answered.
“Romeo-One, Overwatch, first group is passing my position. They have slowed down to wait for their last member. They are no threat at this time. They look scared.”
“Overwatch, Romeo-One, roger. Observe their retreat. Report as soon as they pick a direction so we can tag and follow.”
So far, Silas was right. So far, they were just scared and upset. Silas needed to understand why. He needed to know, under what conditions they would turn their powers against them. He reached into the back seat of the Humvee and pulled out his tablet. It was a puzzle a lot like the ones on his wall, but it had a major difference. This puzzle had an intelligent brain behind it and could change its mind.
He opened the e-mail account and prepared the quick report to Tara. She would want to know the results as soon as possible. He liked the compacted chain of command, but it meant there was no breathing room between success and failure. Today he had avoided the failure, but the spark was still out there looking for a fuse.
June 21 – 1130 EDT – Signal Mountain, Tennessee
Melissa had finished the rest of her breakfast and retired to the library to wait for her parents. The small meal had helped cut the desire for meat a little, but she still felt like she had not eaten since the spell had first been cast. The television continued to show stories about half-dragons and other abominations appearing all over the world. There was a madness driving them into the streets. She couldn’t watch anymore. She needed a quiet place to think and, as always, the comfortable chair on the second floor of the library became her sanctuary.
Her silent refuge had a view of the pool house that Charles had locked Nicklaus in the night before. A group of workers was removing the debris where he had emerged in his dragon form and broken out of the small building.
Dragons had never desired attention.
Melissa agreed with the voice as memories agreed with the statement. Dragons preferred to stay to their own lairs even if those had become castles and kingdoms ages before. Dragons had emerged around the world the night before, and the leading news stories were about half-bloods and abominations, as they should be. Melissa was proud that dragons had returned without much fanfare. Except for Nicklaus and his half-blood rage, dragons were living within their environment.
It is too soon to celebrate. Your mate is resourceful. A headache chased the warning.
Charles cleared his throat to get her attention. “Miss, your parents are here.”
She stood from the chair and walked to the spiral stairs that would lead her down to the back patio. When she stepped out through the newly framed hole in the back wall, she had to stop to take in the couple before her. The day before, at the reading of the will, her father had seemed worn down. He had looked well over fifty to her, but this morning, standing in the cool morning shade of the patio, he looked almost her age.
Her mother, who shared her dark hair and olive complexion, looked more like her sister than her mother. Both of her parents looked at her with an angry scowl.
“Follow me,” she said, aware that everything she said sounded like a command. She transformed into her dragon form for the second time since she had emerged. The thrill of taking the stronger form was dulled some by a wave of weakness that filled her as she leapt into the air from the top stair.
Her wings beat the air enough to get her above the ground and allow her to glide. A few more strokes and she was half way across the yard. She glided across the lawn and her grandmother’s grave until she was above the ledge. When her tail cleared the edge, she dipped her win
g to start the spiral down to the landing ledge. It felt good to fly. She wanted to soar into the morning air, but she forced herself to deal with the business following her. She instinctively found her footing and then leapt into the cavern beyond. In the large vaulting chamber where she had transformed the night before, a huge fire was burning in the hearth against the back wall. She smiled. Having the chamber prepared for her father’s presence would relax the situation quite a bit. It appeared that Charles didn’t miss much.
Melissa landed in the center of the room and drew her wings back behind her. Her father’s blue form filled the opening as he landed with his wings wide and head high. In her mind, she greeted Valdiest, King of the European Dragons. He stepped forward enough to allow her mother’s green form to settle behind him. Again, she greeted and welcomed Kaliastrid, her mother and Queen of the European Dragons. The three dragons shifted around in the cave to make room for each other, but Melissa held her place in the middle of the floor.
Her father was scanning the chests that covered the floor. The cave was a secret of the estate that had been kept from everyone along with all of the treasure in it. She could see the appreciation in his eyes as he turned to face her again with far less anger in his face. She could tell he was considering how he could use the vast treasures hoarded around the cavern.
“Father, Mother.” She spoke her greeting and dipped her head in respect at each of them. Her mother, who had not seen her in dragon form before this moment, stared at her as if she was seeing something amazing. Her head tilted somewhat on her long neck and she dropped her torso onto her forward legs and claws. The position dropped her head below Melissa’s eyes, and she settled into a deep, reverent bow. Melissa was confused by the stance.
It is a sign of reverence and respect. Normally the king and queen would bow to no other dragon, except… Fire filled her eyes and her mind exploded in pain as the comments approached some memory they could not recover.
In an equal conversation each dragon would choose whatever position is comfortable, like Valdiest. He is relaxing onto his hind legs. He is comfortable because it is difficult to get out of that position. You would never see him take that stance if he felt alert.
Melissa considered what she was learning and wondered why her mother was not relaxing.
Her bow shows that she believes that you are above her. She will not stand or relax unless we give her permission.
Melissa stared at her mother for a moment with no idea what to do.
Her father noted her mother’s stance but held his position. Melissa cocked her head to a side in confusion. Her mother smiled at her and raised herself from the bow, but did not stand back up. Her father harrumphed and snorted at the show.
“Meliastrid, Nickliad told us how you’re protecting these humans.” He growled his greeting to his daughter. “It’s wrong. It’s abnormal. We’ve never needed them before, and we don’t need them now.” He paced on the floor a little, maintaining his standing position. “You know they are why we have been imprisoned?”
Melissa didn’t answer.
He doesn’t know the truth either. How is that possible?
“And these abominations that have returned, what’s happened while we have been subjugated?”
Her mental shadow helped her answer her father’s question. Although she refused to surrender completely to the voice, she allowed the answers to flow without check.
“If you will recall, father, we have used humans in our past. In fact, we have a long history of working with them.”
Melissa struggled with the information and tried to reconcile what she was learning. She accepted the fact that dragons had worked with humans once.
Her father whirled around and scowled at her. She was beginning to wonder if he had another expression.
“I’m not saying we should attack them, not yet. But they’re responsible for our imprisonment. I know it as well as I know my own name.”
He agrees with Nickliad.
“There are many things that are different today; more so than they have been for a long time. We would do well to remember that these humans have not seen a dragon in a long time.” Melissa started the response but her inner voice continued as her thoughts were becoming easier to merge in a complete statement. “As I recall it, father, even when we ruled, we were careful to work with humans and not against them. You’re letting Nicklaus’—Nickliad’s—emotions and your own human feelings cloud your judgment.”
The last words were delivered with a confidence that she didn’t feel. The child who had become mistress of the manor the day before wanted to drop her head lower and submit to her father, but an ancient instinct told her to hold her head high. Valdiest was not taking it well, either.
As he started to reposition and tower over her, she added, “I would have expected something like this from Nickliad, but not you.”
“So his tales are correct. You have protected a human from him. You stood between him and his wrath?”
“Father, Nickliad was beside himself last night. He raged like some half blood with no control of himself, not a dragon. I did what was right.” Melissa pondered how much her father knew since he was angry with her about Charles but said nothing about her part in casting the spell. Nickliad could have told them she had failed to recast the spell, but he had kept that to himself. Why? “None of that matters, anyway. Nickliad came here last night and attacked me. Charles defended me, as he would have defended either of you. I’m doing what I think is right. Nickliad can stay wherever he is if he’s not happy with me. The next time you see him, father, you can tell him I said that.” There was no resistance from her inner voice when she decided to end the relationship. She took a moment to ask why.
We are working through these memories a little at a time. Your mother helped me understand a confusing memory. We cannot have a mate anymore.
Her mother’s sudden intake of breath at her comment drew her back to the conversation immediately.
“Meliastrid, be careful what you say. Are you not aware of what power your words have?”
The fear in her message surprised Melissa. She looked at her mother’s eyes again and she could see fear swimming in them.
She knew she hadn’t tried to hold back, it had just felt like what she was supposed to say. She would have to consider why her mother was so concerned.
“How dare you! He is next in line, and I’m the accepted king of our kind. You have been his mate for longer than, well for a long time.” His eyes dilated and his whiskers twitched as he tried to remember the details of how long she had been Nickliad’s mate.
We are not the only dragon suffering from this pain. None of us can trust our memories. We must be careful. Something is not complete about our emergence.
“Yes, father, you are and he is, but I am the mistress of these grounds and these people. I’ll not have them attacked, not by him or you.” She reared back to her full height and extended her wings with her wingtip claws pointed at his head. The show of power was not lost on her mother who rose to her full height in support. The claw on Melissa’s chest flashed at the end of her decree.
Valdiest looked around at each of them with surprise and hissed. Melissa could see the confusion in his eyes as he wanted to resist her but could not. Melissa wondered why she had such power but did not relax her stance.
“There will be a conclave,” he said, “Nickliad is organizing it as soon as we can…” He paused as if searching for the word and his whiskers twitched once again. “…reach all of the heads of the clans.” His words seemed odd. She struggled with pain to figure out what was wrong with what he said.
Dragons do not have problems communicating. Something is missing that would make this easier.
Melissa looked at her mother. She was the only one talking to her in her mind. Why was that connection only between them?
“Why are we the only ones who can speak like this?”
“We aren’t. The males just don’t remember. There is som
e kind of mental block. I can’t explain it.”
“There is much dissatisfaction with what has happened,” her father continued, unaware of what was passing between Melissa and her mother, “we must stand up and take our place as dragons. Together we will decide what is to happen to the humans, especially considering their attack against us and their lingering disrespect.”
Nickliad and her father had been busy since they had emerged. Melissa felt a surge of fear at what he was planning. He was planning to avenge their imprisonment.
“As meaningful as that may be. I recommend everyone be sure of their facts before we take any more steps. Our return has created chaos in their cities, more than I like. The reports are terrifying.”
“That is not our doing. We cannot be held accountable for what half-bloods do. Humans don’t know terrifying; I’ll show them terrifying,” he blurted out angrily before he continued more regally. “We will decide how to educate them about our new place as their rulers. It looks like we will have to terrify them into it. Besides, the chaos is caused by their continued pact with abominations and half dragons.”
His memories are badly misaligned, her own mind told her. Some humans stood with half bloods but most saw them as bad as we did.
Valdiest continued, “Nicklaus is already looking into those strange events. I will assure you, no dragon has been involved in any violent activities. We have not lost our minds like the beasts the news is reporting. Partials have always been a blot on our existence. They will ruin it for us all. He’s looking into it. Their return to this world must be another horrible use of foul human magic. We will handle the humans though, like we handled the partials and abominations before.”