“Once it would have taken people days to cover this distance. I see a few hours as a triumph of mankind’s, not an inconvenience.”
“I’m sorry I was harsh on you, but don’t leave. We need to keep training.”
“There’s already somebody trying to kill me in Detroit. At least if I’m there, I can protect the people I love. I’m sorry if that seems like a liability.”
“I want you to transform so you can protect them. Don’t you see that?”
“I do,” Kristen said. “I’m not even really angry with you anymore. But I have to do this my way.”
“Even if your way gets you killed?”
“Look, I gotta go. It’s not polite to make people wait.” She got into the car, checked with the driver that he wouldn’t mind the drive into the city, and they left.
Thankfully, the man recognized her need for silence and she was able to nap on the ride home and let her body heal from the pummeling she’d received. She’d meant what she said to Stonequest. His heart was in the right place, maybe, but his methods? They plain sucked.
She was a dragon and knew that deep inside. But she was human, too. He wasn’t wrong about her needing to find her power. But her gut said she had to handle that in her own way.
Chapter Sixty-Three
They met at a place of Shadowstorm’s choosing on the roof of an abandoned apartment block slated to be demolished in a few days. Although he’d only given the assassin less than an hour to reach the location, she’d still beaten him here.
He might have been impressed if the Steel Dragon were dead.
“Perhaps it’s time you changed your moniker,” he said to the other dragon. Both had arrived in their true forms. His body was dark, the color of bruised clouds, with flickers of lighting that played across his scales. He seemed to drink in the light, being one of the few dragons who drew from more than a single elemental force for his magic.
Death’s dragon form was dark as well, with scales that bordered on black. He couldn’t tell exactly what her power was, but no one could. Already, she’d transformed into a human form—a thin woman with dark hair and dressed in black. Obviously, she didn’t want him to glean any information from her dragon body. She’d made a career of killing dragons. One couldn’t do such a thing by giving away information about oneself.
Although to be a successful assassin, one was expected to actually kill the target.
“Her death will come as it did for every other dragon I have ever targeted,” she said.
It bothered him that she knew who he was. Not long before, he could have operated behind the guise of Mr Black, but now that the Steel Dragon had outed him, everyone knew his identity. The only advantage of this was that he could conduct meetings in dragon form.
Dragon to dragon, Shadowstorm was quite large, but dragon to human, he was beyond massive. And yet Death didn’t seem intimidated at all. She held herself with a self-assured arrogance he found obnoxious given that she’d failed.
“I paid you well to solve this problem,” he complained.
“And solve it I will.”
“When?”
“As soon as possible. The Steel Dragon is proving harder to kill than I expected. Her skills are fair in her human form, and that steel skin is a tricky thing.”
“I warned you about her steel skin. The entire human news apparatus warned you about her steel skin,” he roared. He hadn’t meant to lose his temper but it was so fun to roar at human-shaped beings.
“Yes, true, but you failed to fully brief me on her team. They are more than competent.”
“I told you they were police.”
“Even for human peacekeepers, they are exceptionally skilled. Plus, there’s Stonequest.”
Shadowstorm growled at the mention of Stonequest. “He’s hardly around.”
“And how close did you let him and his precious dragon SWAT get to you before you tucked tail and went into hiding?”
He sneered at her. “You tell me all your reasons for failure, and yet you have not returned the treasure I gave you for this job.”
“Because I have a plan. You see, the Steel Dragon does have a weakness. Her humanity.”
“I tried to turn her already. It wasn’t possible. Something tells me she won’t listen to a killer.”
“I won’t need to convince her of anything. I’ve found where her human family is nesting.”
Hope bloomed inside his chest. It was the same feeling as one he’d had when he’d discovered a new human settlement centuries before. There was a power to knowing about unconnected humans. They were strong together but isolated, they were laughably weak.
“So snare them!”
Death had the audacity to laugh in his face. “Don’t insult what I do, and I won’t insult whatever mess you’ve got yourself into with the Masked One.”
“How did you—”
“You hired an assassin, Shadowstorm. Do you think I accept simply any contract? There are many dragons out there who would like me dead. It’s good to know I’m not the only one of us with enemies.”
Shadowstorm took a deep breath and exhaled. Smoke and steam came from his nostrils and made swirling clouds around her. The gesture terrified humans, but despite her form, she didn’t seem intimidated in the least.
At least I’m not working with a coward, he reassured himself.
“If you get the family, the Steel Dragon will come to save them.”
“Your little kidnapping gambit with those thugs I’d found failed. There’s no reason to think I could find thugs that are any more competent, especially considering this is supposed to be your city.”
Anger surged and he growled, a low, almost subsonic sound that he was quite sure Death understood despite her human form. If she insulted him again, they would fight. Honor demanded it. Even in the world of dragons that existed outside the Dragon Council and their petty dragon SWAT, there was honor that must be defended.
She held up her hands in a placating gesture. It was the first sign of deference to her employer she’d shown all night. “I won’t stoop to kidnap humans, no matter the price. Things have happened in the past—messy things—and it’s simply not worth the hassle.”
“So why even concern yourself with their location?” He had begun to grow frustrated. Yes, Death was an assassin—a master of ending the lives of dragons—and yet, there she was, a few feet in front of him and still in her human form. This was not how she hunted dragons. He could attack her now and snap her little human neck before she could even transform. If she didn’t start talking sense, he would too.
“I won’t fetch them, but I’m not above using them,” Death said, her tone a purr.
“How?”
“If I put them in jeopardy, do you believe the Steel Dragon will come to their aid?”
“It’s all but a certainty. As long as she knows they are in peril, she will be unable to resist.”
“Then imperil them I will. She’ll come running, and I’ll finish her off in the confusion.”
Shadowstorm shook his head. “This sounds needlessly convoluted. You won’t capture them, but you’ll make attacks on their life? You’re letting the human police decide where you battle the Steel Dragon.”
Death shook her head and clicked her teeth like he was nothing but a disobedient servant. “I know my trade. The Steel Dragon will die. Tonight.”
He nodded. While he certainly wouldn’t trust Death with his life, he felt he could trust her to end Kristen’s. She was an assassin, after all, and if her price were any indication, the best in the world. Besides, he didn’t really care about the details of the plan, only that it came to pass.
The Steel Dragon must die if the Masked One was to be appeased. And he must be appeased if Shadowstorm wished to keep his life.
Chapter Sixty-Four
The carshare ride was a long one, and when the driver neared the destination, Kristen would still have a few blocks to walk. She didn’t want anyone to have the address of her parent’s
safe house in their phone. She tipped well—after all, it had been an hours-long drive—exited the vehicle, and found her bearings.
Her parents were staying in a honeymoon suite in a pleasant hotel. They were on lockdown so they couldn’t come and go. She thought it was a fairly safe location. The cops had first recommended a safe house in a rundown hotel. It even had undercover cops stationed there, but her mom had balked at the prostitutes on the street so they’d been sent to a nicer establishment. She was sure her parents didn’t mind.
As she wound through the streets and moved steadily closer to the hotel, she watched her backtrail constantly with her dragon night-vision the entire time. She had to be sure she wasn’t followed. Her family had already been put in danger once because of her and she would not let that happen again.
Although a part of her wondered if such thoughts were naïve. Could her parents ever return to their quiet suburban life? They’d already faced droves of reporters, news vans, and now kidnappers. Perhaps it was childish to think they’d ever be safe again.
It was a somber thought and left her a little despondent as she showed the receptionist her badge.
The woman nodded politely and told her to wait, but instead of telling her the room number, two police officers came over. Some people might’ve been worried at the reception, but she was pleased to see they were taking their jobs seriously. She recognized one of them and waved. He nodded and led her to the elevator.
The officer used a key to access the floor her parents were on. Without it, the elevator wouldn’t allow anyone entry.
“Has anyone else asked to see my folks?” she asked casually, even though if someone had asked that it would mean this place wasn’t secure.
“No, ma’am.”
They rode up and stepped out to where two more men stood on guard outside the room. She showed them ID since she didn’t personally know them, and they let her in.
Inside, she found what she’d expected. Her mom and brother were passed out—Mom in the bed and Brian in front of a TV that someone had long since muted.
Her dad was awake, though, and chatted to the two cops in the room.
“Krissy!” Frank Hall said when Kristen entered. “I wondered if you would visit your poor family. Do you know we’ve already eaten everything on the room service menu? Johnson here says he won’t even go get me a pizza from Buddy’s. Can you believe this shit?”
Johnson held his hands up to protest the accusation. The other cop laughed and Frank smiled.
“You didn’t—that’s not honest to God beer, is it?”
She pulled the six-pack out from behind her back, glad that she’d stopped at a liquor store on her walk over. Part of losing any possible tail, she’d told herself, but really, she’d only wanted to be able to have a drink with her dad.
“Bell’s Oberon Ale.”
One of the cops grinned at that, so she opened four bottles and passed them out.
“We shouldn’t,” Johnson said.
“The Steel Dragon’s here. We’ll be fine,” Frank proclaimed and took a sip. “Aw, goddammit, Krissy, you got this fancy wheat-beer microbrew shit?”
“Dad, this is good.”
“Not as good a cold can of PBR.”
“I’m sure you can get crap beer from room service.”
“Yeah, for six dollars. Six, dollars, Kristen. For a god damn PBR.” He shook his head in disgust and seemed more appalled at the expensive room service than the fact that someone was actively hunting his daughter. But then, that was Frank Hall.
“Well, if you don’t like it, I can drink yours.”
He waved her away. “I’ll make do, Krissy. Now, tell us, what on earth is the Steel Dragon doing keeping her old man up on a work night?”
“Keeping you up? It looks like you’re doing fine here.”
Frank laughed, but she heard his voice crack. “There’s a goddamn assassin out there hunting you, Krissy. I’m sure you’ll be fine. Your mother is scared shitless, but I know better. Still, do you think I can simply pull the covers up and sleep when we have armed guards watching us fart?”
Kristen didn’t laugh at the joke. In fact, it took almost everything she had not to break down into tears. Her dad could read her like a book, though. He put his beer down and gestured at the two cops to give them some space. They both retreated to the doorway so father and daughter could talk.
“What’s going on, Kristen?” he said, stood quickly, and fixed her a cup of coffee.
Despite opening the beer, Kristen was relieved that he fixed her coffee. Her mom had made it a rule for as long as she could remember for him not to drink alcohol when he was stressed. Frank—being a cop—had seen what alcohol could do to people who were already stressed, so had honored his wife’s wishes. It was nice that he honored them even when she was passed out.
She took a sip of coffee and managed not to grimace. It was horrible. Her father had never learned how to use enough grounds.
“Is it the assassin?” he asked.
Kristen uttered a single painful guffaw. “Believe it or not, no, not really.”
He grinned at that. “Well, what the hell could put you on edge more than some super-sniper?”
“Okay, that’s part of it, for sure. I’ve been training with Stonequest, mostly so I can be ready to defeat Death.”
“Death?”
“That’s the assassin’s code name.”
“Isn’t that like a firefighter’s nickname being hose?”
“Dad!” She glared at him and he merely grinned in response. Frank Hall was a man who believed in using humor to defuse a situation. She tried to maintain her glare but finally, a smile broke through. At times like this, she simply couldn’t help it.
“Go ahead, sweetie. I’m only making sure my little girl’s still in there.”
She looked down and noticed she’d turned herself to steel, something she hadn’t meant to do. “See, this is exactly it. Stonequest is trying to train me to take more control of my powers. I want to be in more control. I really think I need to.”
“So, what’s the problem? You have super-speed and stuff. Big deal. Your brother has a super-fat mouth and he’s absolutely shameless about it.”
“It’s not those powers, dad.”
“Then what? Are you worried you’ll have to start dressing like the rest of those douchebags? You know I saw one of them dragons the other day wearing an ascot. Honest to God.”
Kristen snorted. Leave it to Frank to see the big issues. “Well, yeah, that’s kind of it, actually. I haven’t transformed yet.”
“Sure, you have. You’re steel right now.”
She made her skin revert into flesh and acknowledged that she’d let it get away from her because she was stressed. “But I haven’t turned into a dragon. I’ve already felt myself changing. I don’t have to worry about getting hurt like regular people. I have an aura that can affect other people’s emotions—”
“Use that one on your mother for me sometime—”
“Dad!”
“Sorry, sweetie. Go ahead.”
“I have all these powers that I never expected, and they’re already changing me. I take risks I wouldn’t have taken without them and do things that would have terrified me before, but now… Well, it’s simply a way of life. Plus, there’s this sense of…of loyalty.”
“Loyalty?” He sounded almost comically disbelieving.
“Yeah. Kind of? That doesn’t really begin to explain it, honestly. Like the idea of you or Mom or Brian getting hurt makes me feel…” She grunted, unable to express herself. “I simply can’t let that happen. It’s the same with my team. None of you can get hurt because of me. You’re all my responsibility now. I’ve already changed so much. I’m scared that if I do actually transform into a dragon body, I’ll lose who I was. I’m scared that I’ll be governed by what it feels like to be a dragon and forget who I am. I’m scared that I’ll have to give up who I am—that the Kristen Hall you know will vanish if I change.”
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Frank took a sip of coffee and studied her for a moment. He set the cup down and took her hand. “Krissy. I don’t know much about dragons. You know that, of course. Even when I was a cop, I wasn’t on SWAT or anything. I know more about parking meters than I do the Dragon committees—”
“The Dragon Council,” she corrected him.
“Whatever. My point is that I don’t know them, but I do know you. You’re my little baby and I might know you better than you know yourself.”
“You didn’t even know I was a dragon.”
“I did so.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“Will you stop taking after your mother for five damn minutes and let me talk?”
She smiled. Marty never let Frank finish a sentence either.
Her dad took another sip of coffee. “I may not know dragons, but I knew you were one. Listen to things you’re describing. Taking risks? Kristen, you tried out for every damn sport there was. Your whole fucking childhood was risk after risk. And loyalty? You once beat a kid up because he said Mario was better than Donkey King and it made your brother cry.”
“Donkey Kong.”
“Let me finish.”
Kristen nodded and sipped her coffee.
“The point is, if you’re a dragon, you’ve always been one. If other dragons are brave, loyal, and stubborn, then it makes sense you are too.”
“I didn’t say anything about stubborn.”
“Well, maybe that one you get from your old man. Plus, you have your mother’s iron will. I know this is all crazy. I’m merely your fat old man, watching you do all this amazing stuff. It’s crazy, but I still have my fat gut. For you, it’s gotta be…well…” Frank shook his head, speechless for a rare moment. “But, honestly, when the news came in that you were a dragon? I wasn’t surprised.”
“Oh, come on.”
“Really, Kristen, I wasn’t. And you know what, neither were you.”
“Yes, I was. I was shocked.”
He shook his head firmly. “Maybe you were surprised—maybe. But what did you do when you transformed? You sprang into action. You took risks to protect those you loved. You did what you’ve always done, only with more power than you had before. The truth is, you’ve always been a dragon.”
Steel Dragon (Steel Dragons Series Book 1) Page 49