Kenneth laughed like the young, ambitious man he’d once been. In many ways, he was as bloodthirsty and depraved as the dragons he’d created. But he was still the smartest man Hugh Cafferty had ever met.
“They can fly now. Have I told you that?”
“No, but it’ll make getting them to North America easier.”
“The last time I had her, I couldn’t break through her skull and that was when she was in human form.”
“You’re creative enough to figure something out. You only said the dragon must be alive for the stone to maintain its power. Alive and being in good health are entirely different states of existence. Without her tail or legs, she won’t die. This dungeon is a fortress built to withstand most any siege. It will hold a disabled and weakened dragon.”
“My dragons are smaller than the Bloodstone Dragon and nowhere near as powerful.” Another laugh, giddy and with a trace of madness. “That means I’ll have to make more. Many, many more.”
Kya never expected to find herself back there. If this weren't an emergency, she would’ve waited for Armstrong to return home. Perhaps that was the better option. She hadn’t seen him since the day she’d asked Ledisi to return him to the Knights. To be more accurate, they hadn’t spoken since that day. Two years after her kidnapping, she’d return to the land of humans and the healing of children. During her weak moments, she’d fly to the home she once shared with Armstrong. He looked well, although the exuberance that once radiated through him had dimmed.
He’d suffered in a way Kya hadn’t known, hadn’t wanted to know. Observing him, not at all the man she remembered, hurt a part of Kya she thought no longer existed. She didn’t want to still love Armstrong Knight, yet she did. Despite the awful ending to their love story, Armstrong was an honorable man and would’ve made a wonderful father.
The door to Isaiah and Nicole’s home swung open. Wide-eyed, mouth open, Armstrong stood there, silent and appraising.
You act as if you’ve never seen a dragon. Do close your mouth, Knight, before a fly decides to take up residence.
He closed his mouth and the door, which didn’t prevent his family from peering at Kya from the windows. The human part of the Bloodstone Dragon desired nothing more than to transform into the human Kya the Knights knew and befriended. As much as she’d remembered her times with Armstrong, Kya also replayed happy memories of being a member of the Knight family.
Like her feelings for Armstrong, her love for his family hadn’t diminished with her absence from their lives.
“I can’t believe you’re here.” With quick, long strides, Armstrong closed the distance between them. “And in the middle of the day. Everyone is staring.”
Yes, well, that was another reason she should’ve waited to seek him out. The Knights attended church on Sundays, although Kya never did when she lived with Armstrong. While his work schedule hadn’t allowed Armstrong to attend as often as his mother would’ve liked, he made an effort to go when he could.
Of all that could’ve changed in the eight years they were apart, Kya knew the Knights Sunday morning church ritual followed by brunch at Armstrong’s older brother’s home had not. One of the faces in the upstairs window was Armstrong’s mother, who waved at Kya with an enthusiasm she hadn’t expected.
In turn, Kya nodded, then sent a wisp of healing magic through the air, under the windowsill and into the nostrils of Mrs. Knight. In a few seconds, her rheumatoid arthritis would be no more.
“You’ve gotten bigger. I even think you’re more gold than before.”
She had grown, but not by much. Of the adult dragons, Kya was still the smallest of the Dracontias.
I’m certain you and Father are the only two who’ve noticed the additional gold. He likes to think himself dominant, but Mother has left her green mark on most of their offspring. One male and one gold dragon out of eight, Father’s claim to dominance isn’t supported by the evidence.
She thought Armstrong would laugh. Kya had stated her father’s hubris in such a way as to produce that desired result. She felt awkward and unsure, and it had nothing to do with the growing crowd of people.
Instead of laughing, Armstrong stepped closer to her, neck craned back and eyes lifted. “So beautiful. Seeing you on television has never done you justice. The Aragonite Star Dragon doesn’t need more than one gold dragon. He has you, which is enough for any male, dragon or human.”
She’d forgotten how easily Armstrong’s words and earnest eyes could melt her heart and resolve.
Will you fly me? There is much we need to discuss.
“The Kesins?”
Yes.
“I saw them on the news. From what I’ve read, they attacked you.”
They had, three times in the last six months.
“You told me Kesins couldn’t fly. That they had no Dracontias stone or magic.”
That’s what we need to discuss, but I don’t wish to do it here.
“I don’t suppose you’d be willing to return to our, I mean my house and have our talk there?”
Kya hadn’t shifted into her human form since before her pregnancy. She may no longer harbor animosity toward humans over what happened to her, but that didn’t mean Kya would ever again make herself vulnerable by taking on their form.
She glanced at Isaiah and Nicole’s house again. The Knights were no longer at the windows watching them, but Kya could hear their chatter inside. Kya’s unexpected arrival was on everyone’s tongue, especially the girls, who hadn’t seen Kya since that fateful day eight years ago. She’d protected them as best she could before the drug made her insensible and weak. It pleased her to see and hear how well they’d grown. Like all the Knights, Kya missed the children.
Not giving herself time to reconsider, Kya expelled a burst of Bloodstone magic. Her arrival had already caused a scene, why not give the neighbors even more to gossip about? Inside her fog of magic, Kya let the shift wash over her. The transformation was like peeling back the layers of her scales. Deep within her dragon body slept her human form.
With the touch of magic, the human Kya stirred from her slumber. She stretched and yawned within the dragon’s protective body, her mind and form slow to process the command. Dusting off the last tendrils of confusion, the human knelt within the belly of the beast, arms stretched out to her sides and palms pressed against the dragon’s body.
As the human Kya accepted the Bloodstone magic and the dragon Kya relinquished her dominance, the twin wills became one. The shift seamless and mutually accepted. The human Kya absorbed the Bloodstone Dragon, shifting her frame of reference from outside-in.
When the red fog evaporated, a fully formed and dressed Kya stood before a smiling Armstrong. The Bloodstone Dragon was now submissive to the human Kya dominant. Curling in a ball, she felt the dragon relax and fall asleep.
“You’re still as beautiful as ever.” Armstrong appeared as if he would embrace Kya when he stepped closer and began to lift his arms. Midway, his arms stopped then lowered and Armstrong stepped back. “Sorry, old habits die hard. You haven’t aged a day in eight years.”
She had, of course. But eight years to a human didn’t equate to the same time for dragons.
“It’s been twenty-one years since the first time we met. I was twenty-five and thought I knew more than I did. Now, I’m forty-six and realize I still have a lot to learn. But you, Kya, for a dragon you’re still so young. Although, in many ways, you were always wiser than your years.”
The temptation to lapse into their once comfortable conversations was strong. She’d forgotten how enjoyable speaking with Armstrong could be, particularly when he challenged her with his wisdom and insight. She’d forgotten because she refused to think of him and their time together. The tactic denied Kya the years of happiness they shared, but she couldn’t have those memories without the horrible ones that marked the end of their relationship.
She wasn’t there to discuss the changes in their lives, despite how much her new revelation would
indeed alter much between them.
In silence, Armstrong led her to the front porch. They sat in the two wicker chairs that faced each other, Kya’s back to the house. Her frontal placement provided her with a full view of the street and sky. Until he’d given Kya that chair, she hadn’t realized how unsafe she would’ve felt if her back was to the street and people. But sensitive, intuitive Armstrong had known how important it was for Kya, after what had happened to her, to feel in control.
“Not that I’m unhappy to see you or that you need a reason to drop by, but I know this isn’t a social call. What does your visit have to do with those strange Kesins?”
Where to begin? Well, there was only one way to say it, so Kya did, without preamble.
“I have reason to believe our Kesin is alive.”
She thought her words would shock Armstrong, but he only cast his eyes downward and shook his head.
“I always wondered. I even prayed. Then I thought what it would mean for our child to be alive without our love and protection. My thoughts were the stuff of nightmares because I knew if our baby survived, the child would be in merciless hands.” Soulful dark-brown eyes rose. “Is that what you’re telling me? Our child has been with Dr. Westmore all this time?”
Kya didn’t know for sure, although it’s what she thought and why she sought out Armstrong.
“You’re right, Kesins cannot fly or possess a healing stone. Yet, I’ve fought, these past few months, many who can take to the air. They attack without true strategy and are wild and vicious in a way that Kesins are not. They smell wrong. They are Kesins to the eye only. The same way I’m human to the eye only. But this isn’t my true form, and the same is true for those Kesins.”
“I don’t understand. How can there be dragons who look like Kesins but aren’t? And where does our child fit in?”
Taking a pointless deep breath, Kya explained.
“Every creature in nature has a unique scent, Armstrong, including the two of us. I know your distinctive smell as well as I know my own and every member of my family.”
“It took us so long to find you because no Dracontias, not even your parents, could detect your scent. Your father said it was because you were underground.”
Kya had no idea whether the men who’d taken her to that awful place had known how well they’d selected her prison. If she’d been above ground and no dirt and metal to buffer her scent, her parents, no matter the distance, would’ve been able to track their offspring.
“I smelled traces of us on the Kesins.”
He slid to the end of his chair. “You what?”
“Traces of us and a scent I’d never smelled before. But the smell was similar to ours.”
“How is that possible?”
“It’s only possible if our young lives and dragon blood is being used to recreate Kesins.”
“That’s insane.”
“That human doctor who tried to steal my healing stone was insane.”
“You think that’s why he took our baby? That he hoped our child would have a healing stone?”
He left unsaid what they were both thinking about how the human would’ve retrieved the stone. But the anger that flickered in his eyes said it all.
“I’ve never known a Kesin to be born with a Dracontias stone or magical abilities.”
“Perhaps that’s only the case because there are so few Kesins born. You told me yourself, dragon-human matings are rare. Or maybe our DNA, when combined, is so amazing that we defy the norm.”
“Defy the norm?” Kya couldn’t help herself; she smiled.
“Yeah. I don’t know how and I don’t care. The bottom line, based on what you’ve said, is that our child is alive and at the mercy of Westmore, who I will kill, and that the asshole has not only taken our child’s Dracontias stone but used it somehow to create fake Kesins who can fly and have been attacking you.”
“That’s an accurate summary.”
“You do realize that fool sent those fake Kesins because he still wants your Bloodstone?”
“I do.”
“What do you want to do about it? How can I help?”
“I believed you when you said you would do all in your power to track down the men who were responsible for my kidnapping.”
Armstrong jumped to his feet. “I have every bit of information I was able to scrounge up on the Westmores and Caffertys. File cabinets and floppy discs. Anything that was public on those families, I have it back at the house.” He yanked Kya from her chair and hugged her tight. “Thank you for coming to me. Thank you for a chance at redemption.”
Kya couldn’t bring herself to return Armstrong’s embrace, but she also couldn’t force herself to withdraw from his hold. After so many years, being in his arms again felt perfect and all too right.
“We’re going to bring our child home, Kya. I promise you, I won’t let the two of you down again.”
He hadn’t let her down the first time. They’d both made mistakes. Kya may not have developed at the same rate as Armstrong, but she wasn’t the same naïve and arrogant Bloodstone Dragon she’d been all those years ago. Heartache and loss had a way of forging the strongest of psychological swords—hardness, balance, strength, and flexibility.
As if realizing he held her too long and without her permission, Armstrong released Kya and stepped back with a soft, “Sorry.”
“It’s fine. How much time do you require to review your records?”
“I’ll begin with the list of homes. For the Cafferty family, it’s quite a few of them if my memory is right. But not all of them would be suitable to hold and hide Kesins. From what you’ve said, Westmore probably has many of them, which means he must have a place big enough for the dragons and far enough away from people that no one will see or hear them. My lists aren’t exhaustive, though. It’ll only take me a few hours to go through the documents. If nothing jumps out, I may need a few days to add to my database.”
“Remote, large, and with an underground holding.”
“My search criteria. Yeah, that’s what I’ll look for. In the meantime, make yourself more visible and see if you can’t attract the Kesins.”
“They’re puppets. They won’t lead us back to the human doctor if captured. I use my magic to salvage the ones that I can. Unfortunately, most resist and die.”
They were victims, just as Kya had been and just as her Kesin still was. She may not be able to return their humanity, but she could give them a peaceful death.
The front door opened, and Kya wasn’t surprised to see Armstrong’s mother, one hand on her hip, the other on the door.
“I hope you weren’t planning on flying away without coming in and saying hello to everyone.”
Kya had planned on doing just that. Rude, she knew, but the other option was an emotional quagmire she wasn’t ready to tackle.
Mrs. Knight opened her arms. “Come here, Kya, and give this old woman a hug.”
Unable to do anything other than submit, Kya moved to embrace the older human who smelled of myrrh.
“Oh, my sweet child, we Knights have missed you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what? For needing time to heal?”
“For lying. For being a coward.”
“All nonsense.” Mrs. Knight held Kya’s face between her warm hands, lowered her forehead to her mouth and kissed. “I prayed for your safe return when you were taken. And I prayed you would, when the time was right, find your way back to your human family.”
Her human family? She’d thought she lost this human connection with the dissolution of her relationship with Armstrong.
“Will you come in? Spend time with the family?”
Kya shouldn’t. Self-preservation told her to reject the invitation and return to Buto until Armstrong contacted her with a location. But she found herself allowing Mrs. Knight to pull her into the house and close the door behind them.
In an instant, Kya was flooded with hugs, kisses and questions. Overwhelmed
by so many Knights talking at once, she nearly missed when Armstrong, keys in hand, said, “I’m going home to check my files. I’ll call when I have something.”
13
“I could’ve flown on your back.”
“True, but I would’ve had to fly lower and at a slow pace. The flight to Ireland would’ve been long and uncomfortable.”
“Ten hours and one stop are long.”
“Yes. Would you rather have spent that time on a dragon’s back with magical binds wrapped around your body?”
Armstrong peered out the window. He’d made sure to get a window seat so he could watch Kya. The dragon flew beside the plane, which made no damn sense. He’d flown with the Aragonite Star Dragon to London. He considered mentioning that fact to Kya when he remembered that her father had encased him inside some mystical bubble during the flight that had permitted the dragon to fly at an accelerated speed, reaching Great Britain in record time. Armstrong had also fallen asleep on the flight from London to Buto.
He didn’t like that Kya had a point. Armstrong never minded her being right, so that wasn’t his issue. His problem was that Kya was very good at putting distance between them, both physically and emotionally.
Once he’d begun his search, locating the files on homes owned by the Westmores and Caffertys, it hadn’t taken Armstrong long to narrow the list down to one obvious location. How rich did a family have to be to own a goddamn castle? The lower walls that would become the Cafferty Castle were laid in 1320. He’d wanted to laugh as much as he wanted to shoot Westmore and Cafferty when he held a printed copy of a picture taken of the castle. Armstrong even remembered when he’d added the image to the manila folder, thinking power and privilege rarely resulted in good, upright behavior. All too often, entitlement bred a sense of immunity to the societal and legal limitations of the average person.
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