“I love Justine, The Smart Computer. Mr. Google is okay, too,” her dragon said. “Will we meet him in person? He seems most intelligent.”
“We’ll ask Max later. Meantime, we have more important things to do for Max.”
Sasha made tea and pulled a packet of chocolate chip biscuits from the cupboard. These, she set on a plate. By the time the tea was steeping, and she’d set out the cups, Julia still hadn’t appeared.
“Is Julia lost?” Sasha asked. “Should I go to find her?”
“I’ll go,” Frank said, rising abruptly. He muttered under his breath and offered Sasha another halfhearted smile.
“Well,” Sasha said. “That is strange.” She smiled at Noel. “Would you like tea or milk?”
“Milk,” Noel said. “And a cookie.”
Sasha gave him the milk and placed a cookie on a plate for him. “Are the brown bits delicious?” She couldn’t wait to try one.
“Yes, but they’re not as good as Mummy’s cookies. Daddy, Max, and me all liked them.”
It was the most Sasha had heard from Noel, and the first time he’d mentioned his parents.
“Maybe Justine, The Smart Computer, can help us make some for Noel. It won’t be the same,” her dragon said. “But it might offer him comfort.”
Sasha agreed. She hadn’t taken to Julia at all, and the woman’s cold manner toward her and Noel didn’t reassure Sasha. This was a woman who was trying to wrest Noel from Max because it would impress her friends and society. If she’d shown an ounce of love or concern for Noel, Sasha might’ve warmed to her more.
“You’re not sleeping with Max,” Julia said, sailing into the room like a fishing boat under full sail.
Sasha’s eyes narrowed. “You searched my room?”
The woman brushed off Sasha’s indignation. “Answer me.”
“It wouldn’t set the right example for Noel,” Sasha said.
Julia’s eyes narrowed in on Sasha’s hand, the one bearing Max’s ring. “Max gave you Hazel’s ring!”
“We’re engaged,” Sasha said without flinching. If this woman wanted to intimidate her, she could think again. Sasha had trained with the high-ranked dames on Perfume Isle. Each social occasion where she’d learned to hold her own had prepared her for this moment. “It is an honor to wear Max’s and Noel’s mother’s ring.”
“When Sheryl told me of the engagement, I thought she was joking,” Julia said. “Where did you meet?”
She and Max had agreed on a story, and luckily Max had prepared answers for her. He’d told her to keep her answers simple and not to offer too many details. “We met when Max went on holiday to France.”
“I see. Where are your clothes?”
Once again, Sasha was pleased Max had been thorough in his preparation. Sasha wrinkled her nose. “The airline lost my bag. They think the man at check-in mislabeled it and sent it to Hong Kong. Although how he managed this feat, I have no clue. It’s most inconvenient. Max is picking up a few things for me while he’s in Edinburgh.”
Julia pursed her lips and appeared ready to launch into more questions.
“Offer her tea. Be the hostess and make her toe the politeness line,” her dragon ordered.
“Excellent plan.” Sasha beamed at Noel’s grandparents. “I’m so pleased to meet you both. Won’t you sit? How do you take your tea?”
Julia’s brows rose. “We’re having our tea here? In the kitchen?”
“Works for me,” Frank said. “I’ve always liked this room. It’s functional yet cozy. Hazel and John did a superb job with the renovations.”
“I enjoy this room,” Sasha said. “The colors are striking—the turquoise, the jade green, and the cream. They’re perfect to offset the slate gray. It reminds me of the sea on a sunny day. Now, how do you take your tea?”
“A touch of milk with mine,” Frank said.
Julia sniffed. “We’re drinking from mugs?”
“Stop acting a bitch, Julia,” Frank said. “We’re family, and we’re having a cup of tea in the kitchen where we’re all most comfortable.”
Julia’s glare at her husband promised retaliation.
Sasha spoke fast to cut the tension. “Milk, Julia?”
“Lemon. Please,” the older woman’s politeness came a beat later than it should have.
Sasha plucked a lemon from the fruit bowl and cut several thin slices. She set them in a small bowl and pushed them across the table to Julia.
“Have you set a date for the wedding?” Julia shifted back to the previous discussion.
Sasha picked up her tea and took a seat beside Noel. “We thought about six months from now, but we have no firm plans yet. Max is keen to get married sooner, and I have no objections.”
Julia snorted. “How old are you?”
“I’m old enough to recognize poor manners,” Sasha said in an even tone.
“Max is using you to make the judge presume he’s in a stable relationship and capable of bringing up Noel.”
Julia glare met Sasha’s own. How dare she? And in front of Noel.
“I’m sorry you’ve made a trip for nothing. Max mentioned you have Noel for two weekends a month and reasonable visitation rights. I understood you mutually arranged the visits beforehand, though.”
“You have a cheek! I have every right to see what sort of woman Max is introducing into my grandson’s life. I was right to worry. You’re too young for the responsibility of a child with difficulties like Noel. Max is too young, and I can’t understand why John and Hazel would think he should be responsible for the boy.”
Noel might be a child, but he understood the tension in the room.
“You’ve acted with the height of rudeness by turning up without following the correct protocol, you’ve searched my room and belongings, you’ve maligned Max—who isn’t here to defend himself—and now you’re insensitive to Noel. I am responsible for Noel and have Max’s permission—my fiancé—to care for his brother. Noel is happy and healthy, but he won’t continue in that manner if you continue to speak as if he’s deaf.”
“Well, I never,” Julia said and sucked in a huge breath as if she was about to start again.
“Sasha is right,” Frank said. “We shouldn’t have arrived here without arranging the visit with Max.”
“We have every right to check on Noel. Sheryl said you turned up out of the blue, and Max had never mentioned you before,” Julia said.
“Sheryl was an employee,” Sasha said. “Do you share details of your personal lives with people you employ?”
“There is something untoward here. I would feel happier if Noel came home with us.”
“Noel has kindergarten tomorrow,” Sasha said. “You would deprive him of the chance to learn and play with his friends?”
“Ooh, good one,” her dragon said. “Max prepared us well.”
“I guess he understands his grandmother,” Sasha said. To Noel, she said, “You enjoy playing with your friends at kindergarten.”
“Shasha is a dragon.”
“He saw us,” her dragon said. “What are we going to do?”
“Yes, I am,” Sasha declared. “I am a fire-breathing dragon who understands you have no right to remove Noel from Max’s care. Noel is safe with me, and we enjoy each other’s company. I suggest you finish your tea, have a brief visit with Noel. Read him a story before you continue with your day. Noel and I have a routine. Noel likes his schedule, and you’re upsetting him.”
Frank stood. “Sasha speaks sense. It is time for us to leave and let Noel and Sasha resume their activities.”
“This isn’t finished,” Julia said, bounding to her feet with such violence her chair toppled backward and crashed to the floor. “She’s filling his head with rubbish. Telling him she’s a dragon.”
“I’m sure he doesn’t mean a literal dragon, Julia.” Frank sighed and offered Sasha an apologetic smile before facing his wife again. “It was wrong for us to come here and create this scene. I knew it before we left home b
ut let you browbeat me into driving here. Julia, it’s time for us to go. You might disagree with John’s and Hazel’s wishes, but it’s clear to me Noel is in expert hands with Max’s fiancée. Further, he likes Sasha, and you can’t tell me he liked Sheryl. I swear I smelled alcohol on her breath the last time we met her for lunch. Goodbye, Noel.” He winked at his grandson. “You be good for Sasha.”
“Yes, Grandpa,” Noel said.
“Sheryl looked after Noel perfectly,” Julia argued, but she let her husband usher her from the kitchen.
“She lacks manners,” her dragon said with an audible sniff. It was loud enough to draw Noel’s attention. He frowned.
“It’s okay.” Sasha sought to reassure him. “My dragon is grumpy.”
“Max says I get grumpy when I’m tired,” Noel offered.
“I’m not a child,” her dragon snapped. “I don’t require a nap.”
Sasha giggled without volition and hurriedly backpedaled when her dragon huffed. A signal for Sasha to step warily. “Shall we go outside again? You can finish drawing your butterflies. If you draw big ones, we can cut them out and pin them on the wall in your room. How does that sound?”
“I need my crayons,” Noel said, wrinkling his nose.
“A suggestion,” Sasha said. “Draw the outlines and color them when we come inside again. That won’t take you long, but I can show you how to draw flowers or something else in the garden.”
“Yes,” Noel said. “Dragons.”
“I thought we were keeping dragons secret,” her dragon said.
“We are, but these humans assume Noel was telling lies and making up storybook characters. Note I didn’t lie to them. I told them I was a dragon,” Sasha said.
Noel scrambled off his chair, sprinkling crumbs everywhere.
“Next time, we’ll get you a napkin,” Sasha said, staring at the mess. “Never mind. We’ll do our housework when we come inside. You can help me sweep the floor, okay?”
“Boys don’t do sweeping,” Noel said.
“Who said?”
“Grandma.”
“Your grandma is wrong. Everyone should have a turn at sweeping and doing other jobs. It’s how we learn.” Sasha led Noel to the nearest bathroom and washed his face. “I can tell you about my family when we go outside. Would you like to hear?” She plopped a yellow hat on his head.
“Yes,” Noel said, and his eyes sparkled in a way she’d already learned denoted interest.
Outside, Sasha settled Noel with his drawing book and pencils. To start him off, she drew a giant butterfly. “This is how I draw my butterflies,” she said. “If you draw them that big, we can cut them out and make it look as if they’re flying through your room.”
“Yes.” Noel poked his tongue between his lips, his concentration total as he worked on drawing his next butterfly.
While Noel drew, she continued to weed, finding satisfaction in the manual labor. “I have three older brothers,” Sasha said. “Their names are Blaze, Rafael, and Griffith. I am the baby of the family.”
Noel glanced up at that. “You’re not a baby.”
“Parents always think of their youngest child as a baby, or so I’ve discovered,” Sasha said. “My older brothers always tell me what to do, but they are still the best big brothers. Max is an excellent big brother,” she added.
“I love Max.”
Sasha plucked the final weed from the garden on the right of the front door and resettled herself to start on the left. “Max does seem nice.”
“Can we go to the beach again?” Noel’s intent gaze told her this was important to him.
“Do you like the beach?”
“Yes, Mummy and Daddy like the beach. Maybe we’ll find them there.”
“Ooh,” her dragon said. “Poor little boy. He’s missing his parents.”
“Max is trying his best to fill the gap for him.”
“But he can’t be here all the time,” her dragon said. “Lucky for Max and Noel, we came along when we did, that it was time for us to have an adventure.”
Sasha grinned. “Lucky for us, you mean.”
“We should go to the beach,” her dragon continued. “We might sense the barrier or at least discover what happened and how we ended up here.”
Sasha nodded her agreement to Noel’s request. “We can walk there this afternoon. But you must rest first. Max told me you need sleep.”
“Don’t need nap,” Noel said.
“You might not need one, but I will because it is a long walk there.”
Noel’s forehead scrunched as he stared at her. “You could fly.”
“No,” Sasha said. “We’ll walk since it’s good to exercise your legs.”
“Okay,” Noel said.
“Oh, dear,” Sasha said to her dragon. “I didn’t think he saw us that clearly. He must’ve watched our shift.” She finished weeding this small garden too and sat back on her heels with satisfaction. The front entrance appeared more welcoming already. Now that the weeds no longer choked the plants, the flowers would flourish.
“I’ve finished,” Noel declared.
“So have I,” Sasha replied. “Let’s go inside and do a few jobs before we make lunch.” Sasha stretched out a hand to Noel and helped him stand. “Make sure you pick up all your pencils and put them in the case. You don’t want Max to stand on them and break your favorite ones.”
“Noel doesn’t move fast,” her dragon said.
“No,” Sasha said with a frown. “I need to ask Mr. Google about that thing Noel has. What…ah, Down syndrome?”
“Do we have this on Perfume Isle?” her dragon asked. “I have never heard a mention of the syndrome thingie.”
“Many dragon families would kill a child they considered deformed,” Sasha said.
“Noel has no deformities. He’s different,” her dragon snapped.
“Different but also the same as other children. He likes to do things and have fun. Loves the beach and misses his parents. He loves Max and is cautious with his grandparents.”
“Because he senses the tension between them and Max,” her dragon said.
The rest of the day passed agreeably. Sasha, with Noel’s help, cleaned the kitchen until it sparkled. While Noel colored butterflies, she asked Justine, The Smart Computer, many questions. With some pieces of kitchen equipment, she and her dragon experimented. They made lunch according to Max’s instructions, and after pinning up the butterflies in Noel’s room and reading an entertaining book with beautiful color illustrations, Noel had his sleep.
While Noel napped, she cleaned and dusted the room where she and Max had sat the previous night.
“Max is a fantastic kisser,” her dragon commented.
Sasha turned warm all over. “Yes.”
“We should do it again.” Her dragon fell silent until Sasha picked up a pile of books. Her dragon scooted up Sasha’s neck. “Kissing books! We need to read those books.”
Sasha, whose mind had strayed to Max and his manly muscles, jerked at the excitement radiating from her dragon. “What?”
“Kissing books. We might learn more about sex if we read a kissing book. Wait! Let’s ask Justine, The Smart Computer, right now. I’m certain human sex is similar to dragon sex.”
Sasha shrugged, admitting to curiosity. She picked up the thing—a tablet, Max had called it—and typed in the question. Her dragon tattoo moved into a position where she could see better. Sasha clicked the first link, and music blasted into the room.
“Whoa!” her dragon said. “Is that possible? Do our parents make those sounds when they have sex? Oh. Oh! That looks painful. Can a body bend like that?”
Sasha stared wide-eyed at the screen when a second man appeared and joined in with the action. “I’m fairly sure our parents don’t do that. The gossip would’ve flown the length of the Dragon Isles.”
“True,” her dragon said. “Holy Bridget. I’m glad we escaped Bruceous. I do not wish to do any of this with him. Let’s take a kissing book and rea
d that. It might give us fresh information. The lady on the cover looks happy to be with the man.”
“All right. We’ll read this one. The Taming of The Bad Boy. We’ll start reading tonight.”
The phone thing Max had given them rang and Sasha started, her heart beating at double-time before she realized what was happening. She pulled the instrument from her pocket and stared at the flashing screen. “It’s Max.”
“Talk,” her dragon commanded.
“No, remember Max said we have to push the button first.” The ringing stopped, and the light left the screen.
“He’s gone,” her dragon said. “What does that mean?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it will sing again.”
Sasha continued dusting and tidying. She’d sweep the floors later if she could find a broom. If not, she’d ask Justine, The Smart Computer, how humans cleaned their floors. The computer thingie truly did know everything.
4 – Work Woes and Fantastical Beasts
Max frowned at his phone, worry stirring in his belly. Noel had liked Sasha, but she hadn’t known about phones or the tablet. He’d had to show her what to do, although she’d caught on fast and asked intelligent questions. The world was a small place these days, and even children in third-world countries understood technology. They had the internet in remote African villages. The more he pondered the wisdom of leaving his brother with Sasha, the more he worried over his decision.
Yet wasn’t Sasha better than a drunk Sheryl who’d allowed Noel to wander off alone and become lost?
Despite his self-reassurance, his gut wouldn’t settle. Although his grandparents meant well, his grandmother would coddle Noel instead of inspiring him. Noel might have challenges, but he was still a kid who wanted to join in and do the same things as his friends.
Max checked his watch and picked up his phone. He hit the number for Sasha and waited. The phone rang and rang, and his worry solidified to concern. Before he could ring again, one of the junior reporters knocked on his office door.
The perky blonde beamed at him. “The boss is calling a meeting. In five minutes. He wants everyone there.”
“Just a quick phone call and I’ll be there,” Max said.
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