by Susan Illene
He didn’t have to worry about me judging him, especially now that he didn’t plan to kill Aidan. “I have so many more questions I’ve been wanting to ask. Like do you still have family in Oklahoma? Did you go see them when you got back? How did you find out about me and track me down?”
“Wait, Bailey.” He held a hand up and gave me an amused look. “There will be time for all of that later. For now, I would like to eat.”
“Right, sorry.” It was tough holding back. For all my life, I’d wondered about my father, and why he left before I was born. I had gotten some answers but not all of them.
We went into the restaurant, lit with electric lights for once, and found a spread of food laid out against the side wall. A line had formed that went almost to the door. It might have been worse if not for the fact Javier was keeping the buffet open all afternoon and into the evening. People didn’t have to come all at once. We waited until our turn to dish up our plates and look for a seat.
“Bailey!” Trish called out from the back of the restaurant.
We headed toward her table where Justin, Danae, Miles, Conrad, and a few other familiar faces from the neighborhood sat. To my surprise, Jennifer and Bomber were there too.
“They let the dog in?” I asked.
Bomber was under the table chewing on a chicken leg, happy as a canine could be. The former police dog, a German Shepherd, once belonged to Jennifer’s husband. After he died on D-day, she took over care of the animal. Bomber worked hard to protect Earl’s neighborhood and scared off anyone who tried to get over the walls around the place.
Jennifer leaned down and patted the dog’s head. “I pointed out he was a service animal, and they decided not to argue with me.”
“We saved seats for you guys,” Conrad said, pointing to a couple of chairs at the end of the table. “Don’t be shy.”
My father nodded. “Thank you.”
It didn’t take a mind reader to figure out he would have rather been anywhere else, but once again he was making an effort for me. I settled down next to him and whispered, “Thanks for doing this.”
He salted the turkey on his plate. “If I am to get to know my daughter, I should meet her friends as well. Where is Earl?”
“He, Norma, and a couple of the other old folks insisted on stayin’ behind to watch the neighborhood.” Conrad leaned toward us and spoke in a confiding tone, “But personally, I think they’ve got their own party goin’ on. Probably gonna break out the booze I know they’re hidin’ and eat the cake Norma was baking when I left.”
I laughed. “Probably.”
“Javier really outdid himself with this Christmas celebration,” Danae interrupted from farther down the table. She glanced down at her empty plate. “I don’t remember ever being this full.”
I couldn’t say the same since I’d just had a huge meal the day before, but I did agree the sorcerer had planned the event well. It not only bought him the goodwill of the town—which was how he fueled his powers—but it also advertised all the services and products he had to offer. Even more people would be coming downtown now that they knew what all was available.
“Man, I ain’t even close to done yet.” Conrad grabbed his empty plate and headed back to the buffet to fill up again.
A waitress stopped by to offer us wine. Danae and a few others were quick to lift their glasses, but I declined. If I wanted to go hunting with my father later, I needed a clear head. Finishing my food was all I cared about for now.
“Where’s Aidan?” Trish asked.
I swallowed a bite of mashed potatoes. “He’s supposed to be here soon.”
She frowned. “I hope he doesn’t miss the fireworks. Javier spread the word that as soon as it gets dark, he’ll light them up.”
“I’m sure Aidan will be here,” I said, glancing toward the front windows. Nightfall wouldn’t come for at least another hour, so he wasn’t too late yet.
We chatted some more, and I finished my dinner. After everyone else was done, we headed back outside. Javier stood on a podium across the street with a microphone in hand. The sorcerer had dried off and changed into a dark suit that accentuated his Hispanic good looks. He asked everyone to get off the road because he had a surprise for us.
“Anyone know what’s going on?” Conrad asked.
I shook my head. “No idea.”
A moment later a few children began to squeal and point. I followed the direction of their gazes, and my jaw dropped. In the sky, there was a sleigh being pulled by three red dragons with Aidan in the lead. It suddenly made sense now why he insisted on coming to the Christmas Eve celebration on his own.
Danae glanced over at me. “Did you know about this?”
“No.” I shook my head. “Aidan never even hinted about it.”
“I can’t believe Javier talked him into it,” Conrad said, eyes wide. “I thought they hated each other.”
That was the impression I’d had as well, but maybe they set their differences aside for the holidays. The sleigh came in for a landing on the street, and I got my first good look at the man playing Santa. “Is that Hank?”
“Yeah, that’s definitely Hank,” Justin replied. He and Earl were the ones who talked to the radio guy the most.
My mind raced. All this time, I’d never mentioned anything about Hank’s radio station to Aidan or the other shifters, worried they might not like it. But that had to be how the man was getting so much good information on dragons—he got it straight from the source.
They pulled the sleigh up right in front of us. Santa and two elves hopped out, each carrying huge, red bags stuffed with gifts. The kids raced up, and they started doling them out. Meanwhile, Javier sent several people over to free the shifters from their harnesses. As soon as the dragons were free, people were ordered to stay back. Aidan lit up in flames as he started to shift, and the other two flew off in the direction of the fortress. They probably weren’t interested in staying for a human celebration.
The fire died down, and Aidan’s gaze went straight for me. I met him halfway, leaping into his arms. “If you were trying to surprise me, you did a good job.”
“That was my intent,” he said, smiling.
I looked up and narrowed my eyes. “How long have you been talking to Hank?”
“A few weeks.” Aidan pulled away, and we moved over to the sidewalk. “I don’t know how the man did it, but he tracked me down and asked if I’d be willing to pull the sleigh with a couple of other shifters. Nanoq agreed to the proposal since he thought it might be good for our relations with humans and because he didn’t want Javier getting all the credit for today.”
I didn’t recognize the two shifters who’d flown with him. “Who has been giving up the details on dragons to Hank?”
“That would be Phoebe. The pendragon has been telling her what information she can or cannot reveal, but we thought it might help humans better understand us.” Aidan gazed around the crowded street. “Fear is born from a lack of understanding or familiarity with something different than us.”
He was absolutely right, which reminded me. I pulled away to dig into the pouch attached to my leg harness. “I’ve got a gift for you.”
“I’ve got one for you as well.”
Before I could dig my present out for Aidan, a man started screaming from down the street. “The dragons are attacking!”
Chapter 14
Aidan
Aidan stiffened, and he grabbed Bailey’s arm. “We must go.”
“Dammit, I thought we had more time,” she said, expression furious. “The sun’s barely set.”
Beyond her, Wayne turned and began running toward the man screaming about the dragon attack. Bailey’s father had been limping before, but he showed no sign of injury now. The crowd parted to let him pass. Aidan and Bailey chased after him, following the path he made. They caught up as Wayne reached a middle-aged man telling anyone who would listen about what he saw.
“They came from the north,” he said, speakin
g to Javier with fear in his eyes. “I jumped in my car and took off before they reached my neighborhood, but I looked back once and saw them blowing fire at houses and people. One of them…it grabbed a woman and it…chomped down on her. I got here as fast as I could to tell you.”
A young girl with curly brown hair tugged on Aidan’s tunic, drawing his attention. “Will you save us from the mean green dragons?”
Her eyes were wide and full of innocence and fear. What made her come to him, he couldn’t imagine, but he felt humbled that she did. “I will stop them. I promise.”
“Red dragons are good,” she said in an informative tone. “Hank says on the radio that they fight the bad ones and protect us.”
Aidan struggled with an answer for her. The child couldn’t have been more than five years old, and yet she put her full trust in him—a man she must have seen turn from dragon to human. Could the people in town have started warming up to shifters?
Bailey took Aidan’s arm and smiled down at the girl. “You’re right. They do keep the green dragons away.”
“Where are they attacking?” Aidan asked the man who’d witnessed the attack.
The man pointed in a northerly direction. “That way—around the intersection of Porter Avenue and Rock Creek Road. You can’t miss them if you hurry.”
“Let’s get my truck,” Bailey said, spinning on her heels.
Aidan and Wayne started to follow her down the sidewalk, but then Conrad pulled up on a side street, driving her black truck. He stuck his head out the window, and shouted at them, “Hey, guys, over here!”
They veered to the left and hurried toward him. Jerking the doors open, Aidan and Bailey climbed into the backseat while Wayne took the front passenger seat. Conrad spun the truck about, following Bailey’s directions.
“How does he have the keys to your vehicle?” Wayne asked, glancing between his daughter and Conrad. “I did not see you pass them to him.”
“He goes out hunting with me a lot. After the first time I left him stranded with the truck and no keys while I ran off to chase a dragon, we decided he needed my spare set. It’s also handy for when I get injured,” Bailey explained.
“I see.” Wayne was quiet for a moment, considering. “But he is not a slayer. Why does he hunt with you?”
“Because I’m her sidekick,” Conrad answered, his hands gripping the wheel tightly as he drove the truck at breakneck speed. “I can shoot dragons with a crossbow, and I’m workin’ on my skills with a sword now that I’m fireproof. You don’t have to be a slayer to fight them if you got the right skills.”
Aidan almost laughed when he saw the expression on Wayne’s face.
“You’re fireproof?” Bailey’s father sounded skeptical.
“Yeah, happened durin’ that trip when we saw you last time. Aidan burned Danae and me with some different colored flames while we were in a cave, and somehow we became fireproof after that.” Conrad slowed while crossing a major intersection, checked for traffic, then gunned the engine to speed up again. “Shit was hot as hell, but it worked.”
“You agreed to this? He did not do it to harm you?” The slayer was clearly baffled. Aidan would have been happy to explain the whole story, but they were getting close to the area where the rogues would be and didn’t have time.
“We knew it wouldn’t kill us, but it did burn the clothes we were wearin’,” Conrad replied.
Aidan watched the sky. He didn’t see any signs of dragons at first, but as Conrad made the turn onto Rock Creek Road, he spotted a stream of flames break through the darkness. Aidan gestured in that direction. “There!”
“Pull over in that parking lot,” Bailey ordered, indicating a small parking area not far from the neighborhood. She couldn’t afford to lose her truck to dragon fire, and usually parked it at least a few blocks from where the beasts were attacking. There was no time to cover it with a camrium blanket.
As soon as Conrad stopped the vehicle, everyone hopped out. Bailey grabbed her bow and arrows from the back of the truck and Conrad got his crossbow. Wayne pulled out his sword. Aidan didn’t need a weapon since he planned to change to his beast form once they got close enough. Until then, he didn’t want to alert the dragons to his presence by getting up in the air where they might spot him. Everyone needed to get into position first so that they could have the greater advantage.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Bailey asked Conrad, slinging her quiver across her back. “These rogues are a lot more dangerous than the dragons we usually fight.”
Conrad nodded. “I’m sure.”
“Then let’s go.”
They raced up the street and turned down another road into the neighborhood. The dragons were two blocks up ahead. All the houses they passed along the way had been burned to the ground or close to it. The rogues were working their way down the street. Aidan ran faster than the others, wanting to get ahead before he had to stop and shift.
A series of rapid gunfire rang out, piercing the night air and hurting his ears. One of the green dragons who hovered over a house up ahead roared in pain. The bullets must have hit the beast in the belly or wings for it to have felt any discomfort. Aidan doubted the projectiles had done much damage, but if enough of them struck in the same spot at close range, they could break through soft scales and bring the dragon greater pain.
He slowed and glanced over his shoulder at the others catching up. “I will shift now. The rest of you draw their attention, and I’ll be there in a moment.”
They continued onward while he let his inner fire out. As his body morphed to his dragon shape, he watched through the flames as Bailey, Wayne, and Conrad set up position on the side of the road. They weren’t more than a couple of hundred feet from where the rogue’s attacked. Bailey let loose her first arrow, striking one of the dragon’s wings while Conrad struck the other beast with a bolt to the side of the head. That wouldn’t harm the dragon since he had a thick skull, but it would get his attention.
As both rogues turned toward the three humans annoying them with their projectiles, Aidan completed his shift. He spread his wings and lifted into the air. One of the green dragons attacked from the front while the other banked around to come at Bailey and her companions’ from the rear. Aidan went after the latter.
As he drew closer, he marveled at the sheer size of the beast, remembering the impressive strength and cunning the rogue displayed before. Aidan needed to consider his options. Ever since his last encounter with the Thamaran outcasts, he’d replayed the battle in his head over and over again. Aidan couldn’t remember the last time he’d been defeated that easily. With so many lives at stake now and in the future, he could not fail again.
While Bailey and Conrad continued firing arrows and bolts at the first dragon, who hovered fifteen feet in the air above their position and spit flames at them, Aidan met the other rogue a short distance away. They collided, clawing and snapping at each other. He nipped at the side of his opponent’s neck and got a slice through his left wing in return.
Aidan could not allow such a close battle to continue long, or the stronger dragon would tear him up. Making a quick decision, he clutched the beast’s head and tried to pull its mouth wide open. The dragon clamped down its jaw, not cooperating. If Aidan could just blow his second flames down his opponent’s throat, it would harden the soft tissue inside and make it almost impossible for the rogue to breathe.
The dragon jerked his head back and forth, sending Aidan swinging side to side. He dug his talons deep into the rogue’s snout to keep from coming loose and being tossed through the air. The dragon growled in pain and stopped shaking his head. Aidan let go, putting some distance between him and the rogue while he caught his breath. His opponent’s eyes glowed red, and he moved toward Aidan once more. The moment the dragon came within arm’s reach, he punched the beast directly on the nose. Bones crushed and blood spurted from his snout.
Roaring loudly, the rogue swiped his claws at Aidan’s face. He kicked his feet
up, using all his strength to force his opponent back before the talons reached him. For a moment, the Thamaran outcast floundered in the air. Aidan took advantage and surged forward to grab the dragon’s left wing, then snapped his own wings shut and used his dead weight to drag the beast downward. The dragon clawed at the air, unable to stay aloft. As they sailed toward the ground, Aidan waited until the last moment to flare his wings and slow his descent. His knees crunched when his feet touched the earth, but he managed to keep his grip on the rogue.
“Hold him!” Wayne shouted, racing over with his sword at the ready.
Beyond him, Bailey faced the other dragon, who had numerous cuts and wounds all over him. Conrad sat on the beast, gripping one wing while using a dagger to stab its back over and over again. His face was a mask of concentration, but there was a gleam in his eyes. “Eat that shit, you bastard.”
The rogue Aidan held jerked under his tight grip, attempting to pull away. It had caught sight of Wayne coming toward them and sought to escape the slayer. There was fear in the beast’s eyes. Bailey’s father must have done some damage the last time they fought for the rogue to be that afraid of him. Aidan dug in his heels, straining to stay on his feet as he held onto the top of the dragon’s wing. Any moment he would fall onto his back, and his opponent would be able to shake him loose.
Wayne leaped forward and arched his sword, slashing downward at the beast’s other wing. His blade was so sharp that it sliced halfway through before catching. Aidan had forged his fair share of weapons, but he had never seen any that could cut that cleanly. He would have to find out later how the slayer got hold of such a fine sword, and if the man knew how it was made. The dragon wailed in pain, making a high-pitch noise that hurt Aidan’s ears. It lashed out with its talons toward Wayne, but he easily dodged the strikes.
The destruction of the wing gave Aidan an idea. He adjusted his grip on the one he held and began bending it until he felt multiple bones snapping. The dragon roared once more, letting loose a stream of flames he sent over Wayne and Aidan. It had lost all ability to fly. Twisting around, it charged Aidan and leaped on top of him.