Steel Dragon (Steel Dragons Series Book 1)

by Kevin McLaughlin

  She smiled and raised her glass. “To new friends.”

  They clanked glasses and a wave of satisfaction washed over him. It was so overwhelming he almost felt it himself. It was her aura pushing against him with the strength of a rising tide. Who was this girl? How was she this powerful? He glanced at his servants to see them both smiling as well. She had overpowered his own effect on them without even trying.

  Yes, he decided, he’d done the right thing. By working with the Steel Dragon, he could get a feel for her powers, her strengths, and most importantly, her weaknesses. “Shall we begin?”

  “What? Today?”

  “Yes, right now. I’d love to get a sense of what you’re capable of…to better tailor my lessons. There’s no point in wasting time on developing your speed if you’re already faster than me.” Shadowstorm chuckled and Kristen smiled. He didn’t even have to lie about his interest in her strengths.

  “Uh, sure.”

  If she became an ally, he’d have to work on her manners, but that would come later. He took a sword from the wall and started toward the door. “Please, right this way.”

  She followed him through his mansion and out to his garden.

  They strolled past his sculpture collection. If it made Kristen uncomfortable, she did a good job of hiding it by jabbering away. “So, do all dragons basically have the same powers, or what? I know that one guy could turn his hand into metal, so is that more common than I realized? Are we all more or less the same strength, or can working out affect that? I guess I can’t imagine a dragon doing pushups or going to the gym, though. Do your two forms line up? If I’m super-buff as a human does that mean I’ll be extra strong as a dragon?”

  “Kristen, please, calm yourself. There is much to learn but I can’t simply tell you everything.”

  “Why not?”

  Shadowstorm sighed and tried to sound endearing. She was such a human with no sense of patience or propriety. “To begin with, I have another engagement this evening and do not have the hours needed to fully answer all your questions. Beyond that, I simply don’t know all the answers.”

  “What? But you’ve been around for like… Wait, how old did you say you were?”

  He waved the question aside. “Old enough, my dear, old enough. I’ve been around long enough to know that we dragons are private beings. We could rule this world if we would only reach out and take it—there was a time when it bent to our will far more than it does today—and yet my brothers and sisters prefer to give their counsel from the fringes of society.”

  “Well, isn’t that for the best? I find it commendable that human democracy has flourished considering only one of you could rule a state if you wished it.”

  “Is it best, though? I understand that humans wish to oversee their own affairs, but surely some level of direction is needed. Look at Hitler and look at the brutal history of slavery in the United States. Democracy is only as good as its majority. Sometimes, I wonder if there would be less violence in the world if we simply had a ruler who did not allow it.”

  She paused to consider that. “I never thought of it that way before. I guess, from your perspective, that might make sense.”

  “From our perspective, Kristen. I know you’ve yet to feel fully comfortable as a dragon, but I’ve read about you in the papers. You single-handedly stop criminals from committing violence in your town. Tell me, how do your human peers feel about that?”

  Shadowstorm left her to think about that as they walked out onto his training arena. It was a large sandy court that was often used for volleyball matches when he wanted entertainment—human games were always such fun to watch—but his servants had understood his intentions and removed the net for the two dragons. One of them was still raking the last corner of the sandy square smooth. The man would be punished later if he distracted his guest.

  He stopped and turned to face her. She looked like she’d almost prepared an answer to his question, but he didn’t want to hear it. He merely wanted her to think about her new place in the world. If she was to become his ally, she would need to come to her own conclusions about what was best for the humans who claimed this planet for their own. He knew how he felt about the vermin, but many balked at such judgments of the wretchedly irresponsible beings who called themselves intelligent.

  So, instead of letting her answer his question, he drew a line in the sand at his feet with the sword, pointed the blade at her, smiled, and said, “What’s important is that you learn your abilities, so please, try to cross this line.”

  Kristen grinned. “That’s it? That’s how you want to train me? No theory and no guidebooks?”

  Shadowstorm laughed indulgently. “We are dragons, not basketball players. Our power is inherent in our form. In answer to your questions about our strength, I do not know all the details of every dragon. I think that each of us has different levels of abilities, and yet few of my brothers and sisters realize their full potential.”

  “And you wish to help me realize my full potential?”

  Again, he laughed. “I think we should start with you crossing this line. Come, as quickly as you can. Use your speed.” He stabbed the sword into the sand and raised both hands in a defensive stance.

  She nodded. No sooner had her head moved than she raced forward.

  He had to restrain an instinctive gasp. Fire above, she’s fast! In a blink, she had halved the distance between them and in another, she was about to cross the line.

  Shadowstorm drew the sword and swung it at her shoulder.

  “Hey!” She turned her arm into steel and deflected the blow effortlessly. “You put the blade in the sand. I thought that meant it was off-limits.”

  “I never said any such thing and besides, I didn’t expect you to be so fast.”

  His praise brought a broad smile to her face.

  “There were dragons at the party who don’t move as quickly as you do.”

  Kristen shrugged. “You seemed fast and blocked me with no problem.”

  He smiled and hoped it was a warm gesture. Most of his smiles were used to threaten, after all. “I have never taught a dragon how to use their powers before. Do not assume I am a teacher of such quality as to make you better than my own humble skills.”

  She nodded and seemed to parse the deeper meaning of what he’d said. That was a mistake. His statement had been too close to the truth.

  Hastily, he changed the subject. “Let us test your strength. We clasp hands and try to shove the other to the sand or pull them across the line.”

  “You mean like pro wrestling?” She grinned.

  Shadowstorm didn’t even vaguely understand the reference—wrestling was one human sport he found to be quite dull—but he nodded all the same. His instructions had been clear enough, even to someone raised by humans.

  They stood on either side of the line, caught hands, and each tried to move their opponent.

  The first two matches went to him quite easily. He was simply larger than her and had wrestled in both his human and dragon form for centuries. The first time, he simply shoved her back into the sand and the second, he pulled her toward him, lifted her off her feet, and threw her down.

  In the third contest, though, before he could lift her, she turned herself to steel. He thought he could still lift her, but not with the hold he currently had and not with her pulling so hard.

  Shadowstorm gave a few inches and when she slipped back, he readjusted himself, lowered his bulk closer to the ground, and yanked again.

  She came toward him but didn’t topple forward. Instead, she maintained her balance and yanked back.

  He used one of his most well-guarded secrets and turned himself insubstantial for only the briefest of moments. It was not easy to do so he rarely did the trick, but it worked. Kristen—unable to hold on to pure shadow—fell and tumbled through the sand.

  “Again,” she said, grinned, and pushed herself up. “I don’t know how you broke my grip, but it won’t happen two times in a ro
w.”

  Shadowstorm saw the wisdom of that and changed activities.

  Over the next hour, he tested her in every way he could think of. She was strong, fast, and had almost mastered her ability to turn into steel. He showed her a few tricks, mostly how to increase her healing speed and how to use her aura to affect his servants. While he didn’t wish to divulge anything, she already had a powerful aura that undoubtedly affected the people around her, so she might as well know how to use it properly. Besides, auras didn’t work on other dragons, so she wouldn’t be able to turn it against him if she decided to.

  And she might very well decide that he was her enemy. He was forced to admit that to himself. She was a fast learner and smart. When she saw that her opponent would beat her, she tried to find other ways to win.

  If she discovered that he’d rallied the gangs to attack the city—that dear old Sebastian was, in fact, Mr Black—he had little doubt she would turn against him. Yet she would be a potent weapon if she could be properly tempered.

  In the end, he invited her back for more training. It would be a dangerous game of Dragon and Knight but he felt the risks were worth it. She had to see him as an ally and hopefully, a partner. Only then could he unleash her as a weapon upon this worthless city.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  The next few days at work would have been relaxing if Kristen worked for anyone but Drew. There were no major incidents and no more of the odd baiting from the specters who’d attacked the station. None of the detectives were able to learn a damn thing about the hostiles who’d come in and attacked, though. They’d escaped in a car that had been found abandoned an hour later with no prints, no DNA, and no clues at all.

  She would have worried over their escape if she hadn’t been so certain they’d attack again. All she had to do was wait and they’d target her once more. The thought made her both giddy and terrified.

  The team leader used the opportunity to push them hard during training and obviously relished having Washington as a new recruit and Kristen working at being human again.

  In an effort to adhere to the commitment she’d made to him, she kept her reservations to herself. She understood where Drew was coming from. He simply didn’t understand the extent of her powers, and—if Dragon SWAT was honest—she wouldn’t be with them forever. And yet, after meeting with Shadowstorm for another session, the training felt stifling. It was more like the team was adjusting to being themselves again and how to behave without a dragon on the team—which was a total waste of time, in her opinion.

  While she didn’t know how long she’d be on SWAT, if they used her abilities—really used them—they could actually effect real change in the city.

  They finished practicing non-lethal, hand-to-hand takedowns and Drew told everyone to hit the showers. She smiled as she turned the hot water on. Shadowstorm and her had been practicing the same kind of fighting, and he was a much tougher opponent. Working with regular humans was more of a challenge in control than it was in learning the skills.

  After training with the much more powerful dragon, she fully understood that she could quite easily defeat any human in hand-to-hand combat, even without her steel skin. While she’d seen glimpses of it before, it had never really settled in as a certainty. She was much faster than a regular person and strong enough to crack bones with her bare hands.

  Still, she decided to not tell her team these tidbits. As little as she liked to admit it, Shadowstorm was right. She was different than a regular person and she could see the wisdom of keeping some of these differences a secret, especially when her boss was so determined that she act human while at work.

  Kristen finished her shower, dressed in her regular clothes, and went to join everyone in the lounge. There was a heated debate going on about what to do for after-work relaxation.

  “I’m telling you, the finest hot wings you’ve ever tasted this far north.” Butters stood with his feet apart and pontificated to the room at large.

  “Hear, hear,” the Rookie shouted. “Happy hour with beer and hot wings.”

  “We can do that later,” Hernandez argued. “I’ll spring for the fifty cents you’re saving per beer if we do airsoft first.”

  “I thought you were banned after what happened last time with—” Drew didn’t finish the sentence. They all knew that he was going to say, “with Jonesy,” but he didn’t. Sometimes, it was better not to scratch the wound.

  “There’s a new course.” The woman’s eyes gleamed, which convinced Kristen that she’d hidden low-powered explosives and wished to bring another play fort down on her team’s collective heads.

  The team leader considered that and shrugged. “Airsoft has my vote. We can practice with different partners and new strategies while we’re there. Beanpole, thoughts?”

  “Airsoft sounds enjoyable. I’d like to show Butters what happens when I don’t have his back.”

  “All right, three to two. Hall, do you want to push this into a solid majority?”

  She thought back to the last time she’d played airsoft and shook her head. “Sorry. I’m with Butters and the Rookie. Beer and wings sound fantastic after all the drills you’ve made us run this week.” She didn’t mention that airsoft wasn’t much fun when she knew she could move faster than the plastic pellets. And that had been months ago. It wouldn’t even be a challenge for her now.

  “Damn, three to three. I guess it’ll be up to the Wonderkid. Where is he, anyway?” Drew poked his head out into the hall. “Washington! You wanna shoot your friends or drink poison?”

  “Shoot my friends, always,” he called in response.

  “Hot damn,” Hernandez said. “Four to three. do you guys want to carpool or race there?”

  The group left the lounge and headed to the front of the station and past the armed officers who were on duty at all hours now.

  “Wonderkid,” the woman who worked the front desk called in a sing-song voice as they passed.

  “Yes, ma’am?”

  “Did you piss the missus off or something?”

  “Ma’am?”

  “I’ve never seen a bouquet of flowers this big come for anyone unless a was fight was involved.” There was indeed a huge bouquet of flowers on her desk.

  “Or a funeral,” Hernandez quipped. Everyone laughed. Sometimes, gallows humor was all those who had lost still had against the world.

  “I’m still single…and alive,” he said with a grin.

  Everyone laughed at that too. It really had been a good week for the team. There really was nothing like training way too hard under Drew to make a team work together.

  “Well, they’re still for you. You’re the only Wonderkid we have here.”

  Washington furrowed his brow. “Are you sure? Who are they from?”

  “It’s signed ‘your secret admirer.’ There’s a poem too. You never told us you were the romantic sort, Jim.”

  “Let me see that.” He snatched the note as the woman was about to start reading.

  “Yay!” Butters exclaimed. “A performance. Please, project. We’d all love to hear whatever sappy nonsense it takes to get in the Wonderkid’s pants.”

  Everyone laughed except Washington, who read the note with his eyebrows drawn together and his lips moving slightly. He paused and read it again.

  “Okay, Washington, you can dump those on your desk. We can carpool out and you can collect your fancy flowers in the morning.”

  “Nah… Nah, you know what? I think I might…uh, take these home. Airsoft’s not really my thing anyway.”

  “What? I call bullshit. You said you wanted to shoot your friends.” Hernandez sounded as if she’d been betrayed on her deathbed instead of having a friend back out of a few hours of fun.

  Keith chuckled his rookie laugh. “Damn, man. Flowers and a poem and you come calling? I guess I would too. That’s not exactly discreet for a booty call.”

  Everyone absolutely lost it at that one. He beamed at their laughter until Drew slapped him on th
e back. “Come on, you guys,” the team leader said. “Don’t resent the guy for getting some while the rest of us have to vent our blue balls by shooting each other with tiny plastic balls.”

  More giggles ensued. It had been a long week but Kristen didn’t think that had anything to do with their teammate’s changed mind. Washington didn’t look like he was about to go get laid. He looked nervous—scared even—and he glanced constantly from the flowers to the rest of the team. He tried to hide it, but something was amiss with the Wonderkid.

  “Now hold up!” Butters said. “The vote is tied. Three to three. There is no reason for us to go to airsoft without a proper debate or a recount.”

  Hernandez put her hands on her hips. “Bullshit. Washington’s vote counts. What, you don’t believe in absentee voting?”

  “No, I cannot say that I particularly do,” the sniper responded smartly.

  “I still say drinks sound better than more airsoft,” Keith said.

  “Either way, let’s load up,” Drew said and led the way to his car—an SUV that, although newer, wasn’t nearly as homey as Jonesy’s decommissioned SWAT van had been.

  As they walked beneath the darkening sky, Kristen surveyed the Motor City. The SWAT station really was located on a prime piece of real estate. On the appropriately named Atwater street, it sat directly on the river with downtown at its back and a view of the water in front. She looked behind them to see the sun sinking between the buildings. And there was Washington, huffing down Bates Street toward the city center with his bouquet in hands, moving like he was on a mission.

  Something about that didn’t sit right with her. She thought back to the team of assholes who had tried to demolish a building on her head. He had wanted to leave her to pursue them. At the time, she had thought he wanted to catch them but now, a different idea struck her. What if he had known the building would come down? What if he’d merely tried to get to safety and leave her behind? His dislike of dragons was no secret, and this gang of thugs also seemed to have their sights set on her.