by Kelly Ethan
Really? Because it looked to Xandie like the woman had lost a daughter, and her life, at the same time. And Priss would lose the family she’d only just found.
All because of the greed.
Sixteen
The constant beeps of the life-support machine filled Xandie with equal parts relief and dread. Marjorie Penne had made it through the night but was in a medically induced coma. Thankfully she’d only taken a sip of the poisoned water when Xandie knocked the bottle out of her hand. Priss and Es stayed with their grandmother until the hospital had kicked them out to get some rest. Priss was staying with Es at the Penne compound.
“Any change?” Lila handed Xandie a hot chocolate from her bakery and Holly placed two of Xandie’s favorite pastries on a napkin.
“Thanks, guys.” Xandie smiled and inhaled her hot chocolate. “No change. They have her in a medical coma, but she survived the night. Surprised everyone. Dragon’s Breath is deadly for dragons, but she only had a sip. The next twenty-four hours will decide what happens.” Xandie broke her pastry in half. Her appetite had fled with her words.
“The police put a bulletin out on Adelind. She left in her car after dropping Es and the poisoned water off at the station. No one’s heard from her since,” Lila filled in Xandie. “Same with Ronald. The cops are worried Adelind did something to him.”
“Priss and Es are under Melody’s guard. She’s ordering pizza in for them and will bring them back here after they’ve had food and rest,” Holly offered in a quiet voice.
“And mom, Winifred and Elspeth are brewing potions and hexes in case of trouble.” Lila rolled her eyes.
“I checked in on Theo and his imp and they’re fine. The library’s on lockdown and only Harrow blood can get in.” Holly picked up a medical chart and flicked through. “Theo’s worried and wanted me to let you know the library’s concerned too. He said to be careful. He doesn’t want to train another librarian, since your seasoning is coming along so well.” She snickered.
“He’s all feline heart.” Xandie checked her watch. “I’ll find the doctor and have a chat about Marjorie.”
Xandie closed the door to the dragon’s hospital room. The tough old woman was almost as scary as Elspeth, but no one wanted to see the elder in a coma. Especially when her own daughter had caused it. A white-coated man with his head down walked past Marjorie’s room, swerving at the last minute as he spotted Xandie.
Curious? Why did she feel she’d derailed his plan by standing in the doorway? “Excuse me, Doctor? Can I speak to you?” Maybe the anxious doctor had information on Marjorie?
The white-coated gentleman sped up and raced around the corner of the hallway.
“Hey you, wait.” Xandie bolted after the man. She had a sneaky suspicion speedy Gonzalez wasn’t a medical professional.
Disappearing through an emergency exit to the stairs, she slammed into the heavy metal door as it shut in her face. “Ow.”
She rubbed her nose and shoved the door open onto the deserted stairwell. “Great, empty stairs leading to a deserted parking garage. That doesn’t scream horror movie at all.”
Taking a deep breath and steeling her nerve, Xandie followed the trail of discarded clothing into an underground garage. She toed a doctor’s white coat out of the way. “Freaky striptease.” She shoved the doors to the garage open and stumbled over a stethoscope. Xandie hissed as she landed on her knees on the bare concrete. Thank god she’d worn jeans today. Otherwise Theo would tease her about grazed knees.
“Coordination doesn’t run in your family, does it?”
Scrambling back, Xandie pushed herself upright. An older man with gray military style haircut and a plain black suit frowned at her.
“Excuse me?” Perfect strangers should keep their comments on her lack of athletic ability to themselves.
“It’s the age-old argument of nature over nurture.” The older man lit a cigarette, ignoring the no smoking sign overhead. “If you’d had your mother for longer than five years, would you have been as agile and adept as she is? It’s an interesting debate.”
He was talking about her mother like he knew her. But how? Who was he? Only one way to find out. “How do you know my mother died when I was five?” Dying, disappearing, amnesia, same thing to a five-year-old.
Guffawing, he snuffed out his cigarette with a thumb and a finger. “We call it actively recruiting. Your mother, injured or not, was an asset.”
“You’re the government men my mother worked for before she disappeared.”
“And afterward.”
He beamed a smile at her the way a pet owner did when their doggie did a trick. She fought a shiver, anyone who treated a person like an animal wasn’t someone she wanted to associate with.
“As I said, a memory isn’t needed. Your mother’s skills as an investigator and catalyst are innate and second to none. We weren’t going to let that talent go to waste.”
Waste? He’d stolen her injured mother away from a traumatized child. “You’re a monster. I was five. I needed my mom,” Xandie yelled, heart pumping a staccato beat. Her necklace blazed hot, a burning circular brand. Xandie spotted a tiny, shadowy figure scoot past the plain, nondescript government issue vehicle. Had the library sent a rescue party?
“I’m pure human. Not a monster, like those you surround yourself with. Your country needed your mother more than you did. You have no clue of the fight your fellow Americans are involved in against supernatural cabals. Their corruption influences the very foundations of your society. Your mother before her incident was an important asset. Close intimate knowledge of the supernatural world with no ostensible powers or supernaturally disfiguring features. Once unburdened of her family and supernatural memories, she became perfect for our use.”
Perfect? What crazy Kool-Aid was this guy guzzling? A skittering of nails under the government car had Xandie twitching. She shifted her gaze away, not willing to draw attention to what could be the library’s escape plan. “You’re psychotic. Where is my mom?”
The unnamed agent grimaced. “That’s the problem. She disappeared. We’ve been trying to track her for the last seven years. She’s top of our most wanted list now because of her knowledge of our inner workings.”
Xandie bent over, great peals of laughter ending in a snort ripped out of her. “Oh, that’s classic. You stole her then lost her.”
Half a dozen more knee-high shadows joined the other under the agent’s car.
“I thought you would appreciate the irony. And that’s why you’ll help bring your mother in.”
When Hell froze. “Nup. Not happening.”
He raised a fist and two more black-suited men stepped out, weapons drawn. The older man pointed his own weapon at Xandie. “You don’t have a choice.”
Shadowy critters swarmed the agent’s car, gray-green leathery skin blending to camouflage with the car. Metallic popping noises echoed in the empty garage as screws and bolts exploded out of the vehicle. Panels dropped off and doors hung drunkenly.
The two younger men threw their guns away as the creatures swarmed and climbed their arms and legs.
The agent in front of Xandie swung his legs as the leathery goblins clamped sharp claws onto his legs. With a curse, he threw his gun and a group of her rescuers jumped on it, screeching and howling until they reduced the weapon to bits and pieces. One animal let out a satisfied burp, before rolling over and patting his gray tummy.
Xandie smirked. “Never bring a gun to a supernatural fight. You’ll lose every time.”
“One way or another, you’ll lead us to your mother.” He grunted, trying to twist and move arms now pinned to his sides by the gremlins hugging him.
“I won’t. Wherever I go or whatever I do, the library will protect me. And I’m sure that goes for my family, absent or otherwise. If you don’t want an all-out supernatural war, you better stay out of Point Muse and my life.”
“You should listen to the little librarian.” A tall, muscled man with a shock of blo
nd hair stepped up next to Xandie.
More library help? “Yeah, what he said.” Xandie poked a finger at her new ally.
“We’ll never stop watching her. Miranda Harrow will come re-join our task force,” the agent spat, his face glowing red as he twisted.
Other muscular men, with varying shades of blond hair, surrounded the agent and his men.
“Look, but no touch, human.” Xandie’s new ally sneered at the prisoner. “I’d stop struggling or those kobolds might forget they eat metal and start devouring flesh.”
He ceased his movements, his eyes wide.
Bowing to Xandie, her ally gestured to the government agent. “With your permission, my men will deliver these gentlemen back to their employers.”
She got the impression her new friend knew who her black-suited enemies were. “And their employers are?”
The blond man grinned, his front teeth pointed. Smoke trickled from a nostril. “The American government has not always been so inclusive of different races and species. These agents’ task force, the Anti-Species Project, has been in place, deep in the government’s core since the fifties. Originally funded by the Pura Sanguis.” He cocked an eyebrow. “I gather you’ve had run-ins with the pure blood knights?”
Xandie wrinkled her nose. “Unfortunately. Hang on... Anti-Species Project. ASP? They work for a task force that has the acronym ASP?”
Her ally shrugged. “Humans aren’t that imaginative. We will return him to his bosses. They won’t try a face-to-face meeting again for a while, now they’ve tested your defenses.” He flicked his fingers and his men dragged the agents away.
“Hey,” Xandie protested. “He had information on my mother.”
“They might hate the supernatural, but they aren’t above forcing those with powers to barricade their minds. Even in interrogation their minds are impenetrable. He wouldn’t have given you any more information.”
“I take it you’ve come across these guys before?”
He grinned, shark teeth on display. “Once or twice.”
Xandie bet her new ally had come out on top at every encounter. The predator vibe was strong in this one. She stuck her hand out and introduced herself. “I’m Xandie Meyers. Thanks for the assist.”
“Ladon. I’m a Hesper Gold. The library knew we’d tangled with ASP before, so it called for help.”
Hesper Gold? She hadn’t come across that supernatural species in her research yet.
Taking pity on her confusion, he explained, “We are golden dragons who guard the garden of Hesperides and the golden apples of immortality.”
“Is that the gardens that has nymphs and belongs to the Greek Goddess Hera?” At least she didn’t look completely ignorant, that much information she knew.
“The nymphs vacated when Hera moved us in. We were heading to Point Muse Hospital when the library sent out her distress call.”
“Why the hospital here?” There had to be closer dragon hospitals they could go visit.
Ladon smiled, with teeth covered, and held up a golden-stoppered bottle. He cradled it in his hands. “A long time ago, when the matriarch was young and impulsive, she saved the life of a Hester child. He protected his apple tree against thieves and Marjorie leaped to his defense. We’re returning that favor.” He extended the bottle to Xandie. “This will heal her from her unending sleep.”
Xandie received the prized bottle. “Won’t this make her immortal?”
“Dragons are long-lived already, and this is a small dose.”
“Thank you. The Penne clan will appreciate this.”
He winked. “We’ll see. Marjorie is formidable although your Elspeth’s reputation exceeds her. We’ll see you again, librarian.” He turned to go.
“Ah, Ladon? Your little gremlin friends?”
“Of course.” He snapped his fingers and the kobolds swarmed out of the garage. With a tip of his head, the gold dragon followed them.
Cradling the bottle, she took a sharp breath and headed into the hospital. This immortal elixir would help heal Marjorie and then they could track down her attacker, Adelind, and clear Priss’s name.
Xandie reached the hospital room, surprising the doctor and her cousins.
“Where have you been? The doctor’s updating us on Marjorie’s condition.” Lila reclined on a chair close to the dragon’s bed.
Holly turned from reading the chart. “She’s not responding.”
“I can help with that.” Xandie held up the golden potion.
Gasping, the doctor pointed. “Is that what I think it is?”
“If you think it’s a gift made of immortal apples given to me by a golden dragon, you’d be right.”
“This will bring her out of her coma, and being a dragon, she’ll suffer no secondary complications. We’ll get this administered.”
Xandie deposited the bottle into the doctor’s waiting hands and gave a sigh of relief as he disappeared with the babbling nurses in tow.
“And will you inform us how you got hold of an immortality potion?” Holly squinted at Xandie. “Why are you mussed?”
“Fighting with dead bodies, probably.” Lila smirked.
“Happy to divulge details. But I need to check on Priss and Es first. Can someone run me out to the compound?”
Holly jiggled her moped keys. “Take a walk on the banshee side. You’ll never go back to riding in a bakery van again.”
Lila poked her tongue at her cousin. “I’ll wait here until you get back. Try to survive Holly’s driving. Like Theo, I don’t want to break in another cousin.”
Nose in the air, Holly ignored both her cousins’ laughter as she sailed out of the hospital room.
Seventeen
Xandie waved as her cousin zoomed off on her silver moped. Considering Holly was the quiet cousin, Xandie expected her to be a sedate driver. Except she wasn’t... Xandie shuddered at the image of the poor dog leaping out of their way into a ditch when Holly had gone off-road to avoid traffic. Hopefully it wasn’t a shifter otherwise the Harrows would be hauled to the station in a heartbeat.
Nodding to the guard out the front of the compound, Xandie stepped through the gate as it opened. The house stood out from the groomed landscape surrounding it. Dark red and brown brick frame, with white columns and trim around the windows made the building look inviting instead of an ostentatious outpouring of dragon wealth. Xandie paid little attention when she’d been here with the police, searching the hoard and finding Iris Malone’s body.
She passed Deputy Braun’s police cruiser. Melody was here in case Adelind circled back to the compound. It would destroy Marjorie if she woke from the coma to find Priss or Es missing or hurt.
Pressing the buzzer, Xandie waited for someone to answer. Five minutes later she was still waiting. She pushed the buzzer again, but the door didn’t open. Frowning, she tried the handle, and it turned with a quiet click. Where was Melody, or Priss? Even watching a movie and eating pizza they should have heard the doorbell. Xandie tried to phone Priss, but no dial tone. Point Muse ley lines had struck again.
“Melody? Priss? Anyone there?” Xandie stepped inside. What were the odds the three girls hadn’t heard her? “Pretty damn low,” she whispered to herself.
Creeping forward, she peered into an empty study, then kept moving through the house. The bathroom and the front receiving room looked likewise empty. Xandie opened the kitchen door and stumbled over the inert body of Deputy Braun.
“Melody.” Dropping to her knees, Xandie felt for a pulse. She sagged as the slow beat registered under her fingertips. Xandie turned the shifter’s head and ran her palm over a large lump and small cut at the base of her skull. The deputy should be okay, but she needed to find Priss and Es. Hopefully intact. “Don’t worry, Melody. I’ll handle it.”
Xandie spotted another door off the kitchen, but it was only an empty butler’s pantry. A line of sharp knives mounted on the wall snagged Xandie’s attention and she grabbed a small paring knife. Now where would a teenager eat
pizza and watch a movie? A thump overhead froze Xandie in place. Her bedroom, that’s where a teenage dragon would feel safe.
Heading out the way she’d come in, Xandie raced up the stairs. Once she hit the first floor, most rooms were empty of life.
Xandie paused at a door; this one had a cartoon of a dragon and St George pasted across the front. Odds-on favorite this room belonged to a teenage dragon. She peered in. A few pizza boxes upended with contents strewn across the floor. Pillows and cushions scattered across every available space and one of Priss’s beloved swords snapped in half and bloodied on the end.
Holding her breath, Xandie crept inside and grabbed the hilt end of the sword. Even broken she stood a better chance against an enraged psycho dragon than without a sword.
A thump from a room to her left grabbed Xandie’s attention. She held the shattered sword up high and kicked the door wide.
Es Penne lay trussed up on the floor of the bathroom, gagged. Her black and silver hair was disheveled and frazzled. Flipping her hair back, she stared at Xandie with wild eyes. Es drummed her feet on the floor and opened her eyes wide.
Holding a sword-free hand out, Xandie tried to soothe the terrified girl. “It’s okay. I’ll get you out of here, but just stay calm.”
Es grunted behind her gag.
Xandie kneeled next to Es and sawed at the rope around the teenager’s hands with the half sword. “It’s okay. I found the deputy. She’s breathing. Don’t worry about your...”
Her words trailed off as Es stiffened, fear and bitter hate in every line of the teenager’s body. Xandie started to turn as a heavy clawed hand came down on the back of her head.
As she collapsed, Xandie spotted Es sliding the sword behind her as the bathroom darkened away to black.
At least one of them might get out of here alive.
Jagged lightning split Xandie’s head as she rolled over onto her side. “Hangover hell without the benefit of a foggy memory and good vibrations.” She grunted when a rock dug into her bottom. Rock?