Dragon Unbound

by Katie MacAlister

  “Mate, you do not know—” Baltic started to say, but Ysolde rounded on him.

  “Oh, I know. You, all three of you big strong dragons, you’re all scared of one little woman, one you haven’t even talked to, to find out just what she’s doing here.”

  “We know what she’s doing here,” Drake said dryly. “She was robbing me blind.”

  “The rest of the band was,” Ysolde insisted. “She wasn’t even at the house.”

  “Actually, she was,” the First Dragon found himself saying.

  Everyone in the room turned to him. With slow grace, he rose to his feet, and rubbed his face again. He disliked this new sensation of whiskers, a side effect of having agreed to live as a modern dragon. That and the disagreeable feeling in his gut. He realized with a start that it was hunger, and immediately wondered if the siren was hungry, too.

  “She was in the house, sir?” Gabriel asked. “You saw her?”

  “Yes. She was trying to save me when she thought her companions were harming me. She is not, however, a thief. I have discussed it with her, and she explained how she came to be with them. It was not by her own choice.” He turned to Aisling. “One of the needs you have bound upon me for a month is the desire to feed myself. You have food available?”

  “You’re ... you eat?” she asked, looking incredulous. She must have realized how rude that was, and immediately added, “I’m so sorry, I should have thought of that. Of course you’re hungry—regular dragons get hungry, after all. We had dinner right before you got here, but I’m sure I can have something whipped up for you.”

  “And the siren,” he said.

  “Yes ... of course. She’s probably hungry, too.” Aisling glanced at Drake. “I’m sure Vicky won’t cause any trouble while she’s eating and bathing.”

  “No,” Drake said, shaking his head. “Not in this house. Not with the children present.”

  “But—”

  “The subject is not open to further discussion, Aisling.” Drake was no longer standing alone—during the time he had spoken, the other two wyverns had moved in to flank him, just as the women tightened around Aisling.

  The scene would have amused the First Dragon more, but the demand of his belly, and his desire to remove the siren from her imprisonment, preyed on his mind. Without addressing anyone in particular, he went to open the door, pausing to say, “The woman will dine and bathe with me.”

  All six people turned to look at him, identical expressions of astonishment on their faces. The First Dragon had no idea what had triggered that reaction, but he didn’t particularly care. He had other concerns, one of which was to see the woman in more comfortable circumstances, while another was to feed his belly. And there was a pressure in his bladder that he remembered from his time living as a dragon with Maerwyn. He hoped his accommodations had a privy nearby.

  “I ... you ... what?” Aisling finally stammered.

  “She will remain with me in the gatehouse you have placed at my disposal. You said there were four bedchambers—she may have one. She will be confined to the domicile until such time as she decides what to do. You can have food sent to us?”

  “Yes,” Aisling said, blinking. “Certainly.”

  “What an excellent idea,” Ysolde said smoothly, moving over to him and taking his arm. “The poor woman must be miserable in the cellar like that—I speak as a woman who suffers greatly at such times—and it’s the perfect solution because she won’t be in this house at all, where she might sway people, and yet, will be held safe.”

  “And she’ll be able to get to know the First Dragon,” Aisling said with a bright smile. “And vice versa. Boy, this couldn’t have worked out better if we arranged it!”

  “But ... the First Dragon ... won’t she simply sing at him?” May asked, following along with the others into the hall.

  “I am immune, child of shadows.”

  “Oh, well, that’s handy. ...”

  The black demon dog emerged from a passageway. “Hey, Ash, the siren is down there bitching up a storm. You going to let her wash or not? Also, she requested a morphine drip, or at least a bottle of ibuprofen. Heya, Big Daddy. She had some pretty colorful things to say about you, also.”

  The First Dragon glanced at the demon, and set a ring of fire alight around its feet. He continued past in the direction the demon had come, ignoring the shouts of the dog.

  “Sire of all dragons, I must caution you against taking the woman out from our control.” Drake was on his heels, clearly not happy. “I am aware that her abilities have no power over you, but she has too much over the rest of the dragonkin, and I have little hope she would not use it at the first opportunity. You must know that above all else, we must protect what we hold, including those dear to us, and we cannot do that with such a threat loose.”

  “She will not be loose,” the First Dragon told him, starting down the wooden stairs to the cellar. At the end, he could see Drake’s bodyguard sitting on a chair with a book in hand. He rose hastily at the sight of the First Dragon, and stood awkwardly at attention at the door to the siren’s chamber. “She will be under my guard.”

  “But you—” Drake stopped, evidently unable to find the words to continue.

  “I’m having some things sent over to the guardhouse,” Aisling called down the passage to them. “Ysolde and May went over to make sure everything is nice for you both. Jim, leave them alone. The First Dragon will fire you up again, and this time I won’t put it out.”

  “I’m just helpin’,” the dog told her, and nosed the First Dragon aside to bellow inside. “Help’s on the way, babe! Tell your uterus to take a chill pill. Big Daddy is here to wash your back, too, heh heh heh.”

  The First Dragon leaned down to say softly, “Do you like being a dog?”

  Jim glanced up, wary. “Yeah. Why?”

  “I just wondered how you’d enjoy being a small dung beetle.”

  Jim’s eyes widened, and it backed up, running immediately into Drake’s legs. “Dude. It was just a joke.”

  “Not a very good one,” the First Dragon said, straightening up.

  “Big Daddy isn’t going to wash your back after all,” Jim bellowed at the door. “That was a joke. Tell him you don’t like dung beetles, will ya?”

  The First Dragon almost gave in to an eye roll.

  There was silence from the cellar for a moment, and then the siren’s voice drifted out to ask, “Why?”

  “’Cause I think he’s got the hots for you, and he’ll listen to you.” Jim flashed the First Dragon a cocky grin, but before the latter could do so much as set the demon’s head on fire, it was off, tail whipping around the corner as the dog fled, leaving behind it, “Think I’ll go help May and Soldy. Later taters!”

  Drake sighed. “I would apologize to you for the demon, but I’m sure you are well aware that it has a favored status in our home. Aisling and the children are very fond of it, so I ask that you not destroy it.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of doing so,” the First Dragon said, and gestured toward the door.

  The guard looked to his wyvern.

  “We’re taking the woman out.” Drake answered the question in the guard’s eyes with what the First Dragon felt was too judgmental a tone.

  “But, you said—”

  “The First Dragon has offered to be her captor, and of course, we must comply with his wishes.”

  “What’s going on out there? Why is the blasted First Dragon not getting me out? He said he was!” The siren’s voice was muffled, but perfectly audible.

  Drake unlocked the door, and the woman staggered forward. The First Dragon caught her before she could fall, holding her hips while she regained her balance.

  “You will go with the First Dragon,” Drake told her.

  “You will not use your voice around any dragons,” Gabriel added, coming up behind them, clearly in the capacity of a guard.

  Baltic sighed, and slowly followed suit. “You will not attempt to escape. Doing so will a
nger me.”

  The woman looked at Baltic. “And just who are you?”

  “I am the dread wyvern Baltic,” he answered, looking down his nose at her.

  She looked utterly unimpressed, much to the First Dragon’s amusement.

  Baltic pointed at him. “I’m also one of the firstborn, a first-generation dragon. That is my father. Much though you might be tempted, as I have no doubt you will be, do not harm him.”

  She gave him a smile that was shy and yet warmed him to his toenails. “I wouldn’t dream of it. Did Aisling mention ... er ...”

  “She said you have your woman’s time, and are uncomfortable,” the First Dragon finished for her, and, taking her by the arm, led her toward the stairs. “You will have a bath at the house put at my use, after which you will dine with me. I feel a need for food, and you appear to me to be hungry.”

  “Really?” she said, her voice rich with amusement as he escorted her up the stairs, and through the hall to the double doors. “How on earth did you come by that deduction?”

  “You are too thin. You don’t eat enough,” he told her, his fingers tightening slightly on her arm. “You need more flesh.”

  “Dear goddess, could you please clone yourself so that I can give one of you away to every woman in the world?”

  He tucked away the word “clone” to be asked about later, not recognizing the term.

  They reached the guesthouse, a pleasant building with two floors and a small walled garden. Beyond it stood the heavy black wrought iron gate that allowed visitors to pass onto the grounds.

  “I’m going to want extra patrols guarding the fence and gate,” he heard Drake say as they entered the house. “We’ll have to use closed-circuit video to watch, since any of us would be vulnerable.”

  The First Dragon entered the small house absently musing on the fact that for the first time in several centuries, he was looking forward to having intercourse with a mortal.

  Social intercourse, he mentally corrected himself, then indulged in another rare smile.

  Chapter Five

  I won’t say that I didn’t feel guilty when, as I was delivered to a bedroom in the gatehouse, I found May and Ysolde puttering around, unloading a stash of feminine hygiene products, body shampoos, and an assortment of garments.

  I paused in the middle of the room, feeling all shades of awkward.

  “Did you remember the chocolate?” Jim asked, pushing past me to nose around the garments laid out on the bed. “Aisling sent Istvan off to buy some salt and vinegar chips. She swears they work miracles for the men from Planet Abdo.”

  I stopped feeling guilty and stared at the demon dog. “The who from what?”

  “You know, men from Planet Abdo. Abdomen. Get it? Heh heh.”

  “Ignore Jim,” May said, giving the demon a tolerant look. “Its nose got out of joint with the arrival of baby Ava. We brought some of Aisling’s clothes for you in case you didn’t bring anything with you. And also some pads and tampons.”

  “We weren’t sure which you preferred. I, myself, used to use a cup, but then I discovered this wonderful shot that takes care of everything,” Ysolde said.

  “Really?” Jim plopped its big butt down and looked interested. “They got a shot now? Will modern miracles of medicine never cease!”

  “Out,” Ysolde said, grabbing the dog by its collar, and hauling it to the door. “Go blight the First Dragon. Or better yet, go home.”

  “Gonna have some girl time, huh?” Jim said, nodding knowingly. “Can I stay if I’m quiet? ’Cause I’ve always wanted to hear what goes on in a dish session.”

  “No. Go away,” said Ysolde.

  “Aw, come on, Soldy. You know how I love to get in touch with my inner woman.”

  May gathered up an armload of feminine hygiene products and took them to the small attached bathroom.

  “You going to talk about the divine feminine? Empowering your womb space? Dumping emotional sludge?”

  “Jim, go away. Now, let’s see. ... Oh yes, I did bring some chocolate, but that’s just because there’s nothing that chocolate can’t make better.” Ysolde turned to a bag and pulled out a handful of candy bars. She grinned. “These are from Aisling’s personal stash. There’s both dark and milk chocolate.”

  “I know what’s going on here,” Jim said, wandering back into the room. “You’re gonna talk about how to have vibrant orgasms, and that’s why you don’t want me around. But you’re not thinking about the benefits I bring! Not only am I male, but I can take notes if you guys get too caught up in making Big O faces and stuff—”

  Ysolde turned to the demon, shoved it out of the room, and set its tail on fire.

  “Geez!” Jim said, promptly sitting down and doing a wiggle to extinguish the fire. “Some people just aren’t open to sharing their experiences with others—”

  Ysolde slammed the door closed in its face.

  “I wasn’t done talking!” Jim yelled through the door.

  “We’re done listening to you,” Ysolde yelled back.

  “But I got something to say to the Vickster.”

  I sighed, and opened the door. “What?”

  It tipped its head and, I swear, winked at me. “It’s kinda private.”

  “What?” I repeated, guilt making me sound more irritable than I was.

  “I just thought you might want to know that you can’t get it on with the First Dragon.” The demon stood up, shook, checked its tail for signs of singeing, and sauntered down the hallway. I stared after it a minute, then hurried after it.

  “What do you mean by that?” I stopped it at the top of the stairs. Drifting up from below, I could hear the rumble of masculine voices. No doubt the other dragons had come over with the First Dragon—dammit, I really would like to know his name—and were probably trying to convince him to turn me over to the Watch, the Otherworld’s version of the police.

  “Just what I said. The First Daddy can’t get it on with mortals. Well, I mean, he can, probably—I don’t know for sure, but I’ll ask if you’d like—but there’s a thing with demigods. They can’t fall for mortals without losing their status.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  The demon shook its furry head. “It’s a thing. It makes sense, if you think about it.”

  “How on earth does anything so contrived make sense?” I demanded to know. “It sounds like a convoluted plot device.”

  “Or it’s a fundamental precept that explains the difference between demigods and mortals,” Jim said with a knowing look in its eyes. “You ever wonder why they got to be demigods in the first place? Stuff had to set them apart from the mortal race, and there has to be repercussions if those lines are breached. Otherwise, we’d just have demigods everywhere running everything, because nothing was there to stop them.”

  “Oh. I guess that makes sense.” I thought about that for a minute. “It keeps everyone to their own, I assume.”

  “Mostly. I mean, if you knew that you’d lose your god status if you fell for a mortal, it would kind of keep you from looking too closely at them, wouldn’t it?”

  “I suppose so, but it’s really a moot point. I like the First Dragon—he’s an intriguing man—but I’m not looking to ... er ... hook up.”

  “Uh-huh,” Jim said, smiling. “You just keep telling yourself that.”

  I returned to the bedroom to find Ysolde on her cell phone. “No, you may not. I don’t care if it was run over—I will not have you carting home a deceased weasel. Brom—can we have this discussion another time? I have to get Vicky settled, and then go calm down Baltic. He’s with the First Dragon, and you know how cranky that makes him. Leave the weasel where it is, and go back to the house. And be sure to close the gate. Drake will have kittens if you leave it open again.”

  May emerged from a small attached bathroom. “I put everything in the bathroom, Vicky. ... Er ... would you mind me asking what your real name is?”

  I blinked at her for a couple of seconds, my mind whirli
ng, what with dead weasels and demigods who couldn’t have sex with mortals, and me stuck with a bunch of dragons who were being remarkably kind, given the situation. It was almost as if they had an ulterior motive. I wondered what that could be. “Vicky?”

  “Eh? Oh. Er ... what makes you think Vicky isn’t my name?”

  “The First Dragon says it’s not.”

  I made a face, thought about denying it, and decided there was little use. “My name is actually Charity.”

  “Pretty name,” she said.

  I gave a little half shrug. “It was a description more than a name. My parents dumped me without any information when I was about a year old. The foster-kid people thought it was amusing to give me that name.”

  “I’m sorry,” May said, clearly uncomfortable, which just made me feel guilty all over again. “Is that why you steal?”

  “It’s a long story, but I would like to point out that I don’t actually steal anything.”

  “But, you’re working with people who do.” Oddly, there was no anger or even accusation in May’s eyes. I was a bit surprised by that. “Is there a reason you’re doing so? I’m sorry if I’m prying, but I’m just trying to determine if there was a reason other than material gain that you are working with the thieves.”

  Now I was really surprised. It was as if the women could see through to my soul. “Assuming you are refering to my past, and the fact that I’m basically persecuted by the Otherworld police force, then yes, there is a reason I am with the band.”

  “We thought it must be something like that. We’ll want the whole story later, but for now, we’ll let you be so you can take a shower. Painkillers are in the bathroom,” Ysolde said, tucking her phone away. “Aisling said to let her know if you need something else, like a hot water bottle. She also wants to know if you like needlework.”

  “Needlework?” I repeated, confused.