by Meg Ripley
Kaylee had led him into a large room that, while it was attached to the house, didn’t seem to quite be part of it. The walls weren’t finished the same way, and it was much colder. The large metal contraptions that filled it gave off an unpleasant smell. She leaned against a red one. “I wanted to get out before everyone else got up and asked a lot of questions.”
As much as she angered him sometimes, Archard found himself amused. “You don’t want anyone to know that we left together?”
“It’s not that,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “I just don’t want everyone in my business. I stayed at home when I started college because I still had work to do with my father. And I’m gone a lot, so it made sense. But I’m kind of tired of everyone knowing every move I make.”
“College?” Archard knew they were speaking the same language, but there were so many terms he had yet to learn.
“Let’s just put that on the list of things to explain. For right now, let’s go.” She turned around and pulled a lever on the red metal thing, making part of it pop open. Kaylee started to get in when she noticed him standing there like an idiot. “I’m sorry. I’m not thinking. Here.” She led him around to the other side, popped it open again, and pointed at the odd chair inside.
Archard got in, wondering if he’d made the right move. He had no idea what this thing was, although Kaylee seemed perfectly comfortable getting inside it. A large door opened up in front of them as the device roared to life around him, growling quietly to itself.
“It’s a car,” Kaylee laughed, her cheeks reddening prettily. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t know what a car was before. I should’ve warned you. It’s just a machine that helps us get around.” She pushed several levers and the car slowly glided outside.
Digging his fingernails into the upholstery underneath him, Archard tried not to let himself react too much. His instincts told him to find a way out of this thing immediately. “Wouldn’t it just be easier for everyone to fly?”
“You’ve got to remember that all the people on this planet are humans. They don’t have wings. A few of them have some other abilities. I’ve got an aunt that’s psychic and two others who are witches, but those are rare occurrences. There’s no magic here. People had to create inventions to help them along in life.”
Archard wasn’t sure that he’d ever thought of shifting as magic. It was just something he and everyone he knew could do. “What about wizards? Are there any here besides Varhan?” He watched curiously as a stripe of gray ground slid away beneath the car and joined in with other, similar creations.
Kaylee shook her head as she confidently operated the vehicle. “Nope. All of that is make believe as far as most humans are concerned. They like to write stories about it, but they don’t actually think it’s real.”
His stomach rolled uncomfortably. Archard didn’t like the out-of-control feeling the car gave him, and even being near Kaylee wasn’t enough of a distraction. “I don’t like this thing.”
She looked at him with concern. “We’ll be at our first stop in just a few minutes, I promise.”
Soon enough, she pulled up in front of a large brick building and showed him how to open the door to the car. He was grateful to get his feet back on the ground again, and he tipped his head back to look at the structure. “This house is even bigger than yours.”
“This isn’t a house,” she explained. “It’s a library. It’s a place where people come to borrow books and to learn. I thought it would be a good place to start, because if you’re here for a while, you can come learn, too. I spent a lot of time here as a kid.”
“It’s for children?”
“Part of it is, but not all of it. The biggest rule is that you have to be quiet, okay?”
Feeling stupid yet intrigued, Archard followed her inside. A musty but pleasant smell attacked his nostrils, and his lips parted at the sight of so many books. “This is incredible.”
She smiled proudly. “I’ve always thought so. My dad said you had books on Charok, but they weren’t very common.”
He shook his head. “I’ve only seen a few of them in my lifetime. Well, other than the ones in your home. I thought that was a huge collection, but clearly I was wrong.”
“There are a lot here, but we also have something called computers. That’s going to take a much longer time to explain, though. Anyway, you can find almost anything you want to learn about. The encyclopedias can be a nice way to find out a little about a lot of things.” She showed him a beautiful set of heavy books that had numerous topics in them. They carried a few to a table and laid them out.
Archard had never been as studious as his Aunt Lucia, but he still felt as though he could stay in this big, quiet building all day. There were other people around, and he’d expected to attract attention, but most of them had their heads bent toward books or were searching for something on a shelf. “We don’t have anything like this on Charok. What books we do have are stored in a cave specifically for archiving, but most of our stories and histories are written directly on the walls.” He marveled as he slid his finger over the glossy pages.
Eventually, he looked up to see Kaylee watching him. “You’re ready to go?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“No, but…” Archard trailed off as he realized she was right. She hadn’t said a word. She hadn’t even so much as tapped her finger impatiently on the table or let out a heavy sigh. He just knew that she was ready to move on to something else, but he didn’t want to say it. That would sound crazy. “I’m sorry. I guess I just got the idea that there was more you wanted to show me.”
“You’re not wrong,” she said with a smile. “We’ll put these back. I only hope you like the next place as well as this one.”
Archard didn’t truly want to leave the library behind, but he was eager to see what else Kaylee had to show him. He was also pleased to find that it wasn’t as difficult being around her today. She made him uncomfortable, but not in such an infuriating way. It was an odd thing regardless, but at least it was more pleasant.
When she pulled to a stop this time, there were numerous other cars around them. “This is the mall. It’s where people come to shop for things like clothes or gifts. There are going to be a lot more people here, but since it’s such a common place to go, I thought we should get it out of the way. And we might want to get you something else to wear.”
Archard looked down at his woolen shirt and trousers. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”
“There’s nothing really wrong with it,” she replied quickly. “It’s just that you’ll really stand out if you aren’t dressed like everyone else.”
Though he didn’t like anyone to think he was impressed by Earth structures, he was quite shocked to see the large, open space around him. “Your builders must be very talented.”
She smiled. “I guess you’re right. I don’t really think about it much, because I’ve grown up in these kinds of places. But it’s pretty neat.”
He saw that she’d been right about the number of people there, and none of them were dressed quite like him. They also weren’t as polite as the ones at the library had been, staring at him openly. “How do you know they aren’t wizards?”
“What?”
“You said everyone is human, but how do you know? They look the same as us when we’re in human form. There could be dozens of wizards here.”
Kaylee looked around, her eyes slightly alarmed for a moment, but then she shrugged it off. “I just know. It’s how things work here, and I’ve spent a lot of my time studying humans. It’s actually what I plan to do for a living when I’m done with school.”
He looked down at her as she walked along next to him, wondering how such a beautiful dragon could get so caught up in these human affairs. It didn’t make sense, but then again, nothing made much sense to him right then.
She took him into various places she called stores, and he could hardly keep up with all
the new words she defined and human habits she explained. It was all fascinating until she made him try on clothes.
“But I’m going to look ridiculous in this,” he argued, holding the flimsy shirt between his thumb and forefinger. “And why are the pants so heavy?”
She pressed her lips together, suppressing a laugh. “They’re called jeans, and they’re great once you get used to them. You go in there, close the door, and put them on. I’ll be sitting right here, and you have to come out and show me.”
“Why?”
Kaylee giggled. “It’s just how things are done. Besides, you don’t know how they’re supposed to fit, so you need my opinion. Just do it.”
Archard felt a flush of embarrassment heat his cheeks as he went into the little room she indicated. He told himself he had no choice but to play along, but when he stood in front of her a few minutes later, he wished he’d refused.
Her eyes raked over his body openly, and he couldn’t tell if she smiled because she was pleased or amused. “The jeans look good, but I don’t think the orange shirt is your color. Try this one on instead.” She handed him a very similar garment in a dark blue.
Archard cursed himself under his breath. He was making a complete fool of himself. If his cousins ever got wind of this, they’d give him hell until he died.
But Kaylee’s reaction when he came out of the dressing room this time was a different one. Her eyebrows arched, and her mouth turned into a little knot. She stood up and adjusted the collar of the shirt. “This is much better,” she said quietly, her hand lingering against his chest.
“I’m not sure you’re right,” he replied, matching her volume. “I feel silly, parading around in front of you like this.”
“No.” Her eyes focused on the two buttons just below his collar. “It’s just what people do.”
The electricity between them practically crackled in the air. “And what do they do after this?” He knew very much what he would like to do.
Kaylee cleared her throat and took a step back. “You go put your own clothes back on so I can pay for these. Then we’ll go get some lunch.”
There were restaurants in the mall, but after picking out a soft pink sweater that Kaylee insisted would look lovely on Lucia, they went to a different, smaller building. It was on the other side of the city, and though it was crowded, it didn’t feel nearly as strange as the mall had.
Kaylee took a long drink of tea. “I’m sorry. I know this has been a lot to take in, and I’m sure it doesn’t even all make sense. I’m doing my best.”
“It’s fine,” he assured her. “To be honest, it’s been a lot more fun than I thought it would be. It’s certainly given me a lot to think about. For the moment, I’m more than happy to see what this tastes like. What did you call it again?” He pointed at the slab of meat between two pieces of bread that a young woman had just placed in front of him.
“A hamburger. It’s a very common American food.”
“And these?” There were little golden sticks on the plate next to it.
“Fries. Try them with some ketchup.” Kaylee picked up a red bottle from the center of the table and tried to squeeze something out of it onto his plate, but only a few drops came out. She frowned. “Hang on. I’ll get some more. Try the burger, though.”
She got up and headed toward the counter, where a large woman poked at buttons on a machine. Just as she was coming back toward the table, though, two young men came barreling through the aisle of the diner. They were pushing one another, and one of them slammed right into Kaylee. The bottle flew into the air as Kaylee hit the floor.
Archard was on his feet in a moment, sailing past another customer and grabbing the man by the collar of his shirt. His voice came out in a roar as his knuckles tightened, and he let go with one hand to pull his arm back.
It was only the grip of Kaylee’s fingers on his arm that stopped him. “Archard! Let him go!”
“But he hurt you…” Archard kept his gaze directly in the man’s eyes, the instinct to draw blood having completely taken over him.
She pulled at him again. “He’s just a kid! Now set him down!”
Archard tipped his head as he studied his victim. The man was almost as tall as he was, but the more he looked, he could see what Kaylee meant. He still wanted to pound him thoroughly, but Kaylee’s words seemed to have even more authority than his gut reaction. Archard set the other man on his feet and turned to Kaylee, who pulled him back toward their table and told him to sit.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” she whispered angrily from her side of the table.
“I don’t understand. He hurt you.”
Her eyebrows knotted. “They were just a couple of kids horsing around; it was an accident.”
Now that his adrenaline had subsided slightly, Archard could see what she meant. There was no malicious intent, but Archard had reacted as though there had been. “I’m sorry. I…just wanted to be sure you were safe.”
“I don’t know how exactly how things work where you’re from, but we try to be a little more civilized here.” She’d retrieved the bottle of ketchup, and she shoved it at him crossly. “I’m perfectly safe. If someone is actually threatening my life, then you’re more than welcome to intervene. But really, you went too far.”
“I’m sorry,” he repeated. It was the only thing he could think of to say. What he knew, though, was that he’d overreacted in a way that even he couldn’t understand. He’d felt this need to protect her ever since he’d first met her, and he’d instinctively acted on that the second he’d thought she was in danger. She didn’t belong to him. There was no reason he should feel that way. But he did.
She sighed. “It’s okay. Really. I can’t expect you to come out into the world for half a day and understand it all. No harm was done, and if anything, that kid will probably watch where he’s going for the next few days. Let’s eat.”
The waitress came by to initiate an exchange of paper with Kaylee that Archard didn’t quite understand, and before she left the table, she turned to him with a smile. “Okay, I’ve been wondering ever since you got here, so I have to ask. Where are you from? I’ve never heard that accent before.”
Archard watched her closely, still not quite convinced that there weren’t wizards among the humans. “Accent?”
“Yeah, the way you talk. It’s strange.”
Kaylee reached across the table and touched his hand, giving him a meaningful look. “He’s from…uh…Iceland.”
The waitress gave her a doubtful look. “Really?”
“Yeah. Here. Keep the change.” Kaylee handed her some green paper and sent her away.
“I don’t speak strangely,” Archard said, watching the woman retreat. “If anything, she does.”
Kaylee’s hand was still on his, and she patted his knuckles before pulling it back. “You do sound a little different than most people around here. We should just be grateful we can both understand each other. Maybe we should go home. I think this has been enough for one day.”
Archard was enjoying his time with her, but he thought she was probably right. It’d been fascinating to see how the Earthlings lived, but it’d also been disorienting and exhausting. He didn’t think he could ever belong here on this planet, but at least he’d learned something. Archard laughed to himself.
“What?”
“What?” She’d caught him off-guard, lost in his thoughts.
“You were laughing at something.” Kaylee opened the door to the diner, making the little bells that hung on the door jingle.
“I was just thinking that if I ever make it back home and tell someone what I’ve seen here, they probably won’t believe me. It’s so different that I never could’ve even imagined it.”
“If you stay long enough, then maybe you can come with me on one of my trips. I see a lot of different cultures, ways of life and religions. While some people live like what you’ve seen today, it’s not like that everywhere on our planet.”
; As they walked to the car, Archard noticed one of the waitresses out in the parking lot. She was leaning against a car and talking to a male, swirling her hair around her finger. He leaned in and kissed her, and in a moment they were just a tangle of limbs and clothing.
“I guess humans aren’t very discreet with their mating,” Archard remarked as he got into Kaylee’s car, thumbing over his shoulder at the lustful couple.
She smiled at him again. It was the same smile she’d given him numerous times that day, amused, but something more. “They’re not mating, necessarily.”
“What do you mean?” Once Archard’s parents were gone and it was up to his aunt to raise him, she’d told him how dragons found their mates. It wasn’t a matter of picking and choosing, but of finding the one you were fated to be with. He couldn’t imagine acting that way with someone who wasn’t his mate.
“Well, they’re probably just dating.” She put the key in the ignition but didn’t turn it, sitting back against the seat. “You remember how you tried on those clothes?”
Archard nodded. “Of course.”
“People do that to make sure they fit and that they’re comfortable before they take them home. It’s kind of like that with finding a spouse. They’re trying each other out.”
He glanced at the couple again, who hadn’t ceased their display. “By sticking their tongues down each other’s throats in a parking lot?”
Kaylee’s laugh was like bells, and so different from how serious she could be. “No. Well, that’s part of it sometimes. But they go on dates and hang out.”
“Dates?” He saw the look of weariness on her face. “I’m sorry. I’ve asked too many questions.”
“No, no. I told you I would take you out so you’d understand, and that’s what I’m going to do. I just never realized how hard it is to explain things I’ve understood my whole life. A date is basically just a chance for two people to spend time together; to get to know each other. They might go out to eat, or go shopping, or see a movie. It can be almost anything, really.”