The egg rested inside a makeshift carrier against my chest. The hatchling sang songs full of joy that it would soon greet the world and asked enough questions to make my head swim. She, because that's the impression I got from her, kept asking about the world—what was it like, where would she live, how had she gotten here? With her almost constant chatter I had a hard time concentrating on walking, much less trying to understand the fact that I was part Rikashi. Then there was Aer and that kiss. I shouldn't want another one as badly as I did since he was most likely going to disappear again when everything was said and done.
I was trying to answer another of the million rapid-fire questions the hatchling asked when I ran into Aer's back, not realizing he'd stopped. Aer looked over his shoulder at me.
"Sorry,” I murmured. “Are we there?"
He nodded. “Yeah. You feel anything?"
I tried to concentrate but an overpowering question from the hatchling filled my mind.
"What's my name?"
"Hush,” I thought. “We'll figure that out later."
"But it's important."
"What's important right now is not getting caught, now hush!"
If it was possible for an unhatched dragon to hmpf, she did, but she was silent. I tried something I'd never done before, I tried to sense Rikashi. I could feel Aer, he felt warm and comforting, then Shirak, still warm but curious. I spread my burgeoning ability outward. I didn't feel anything close, but maybe Aer and Shirak's presence was blocking the others? “I don't think so."
"I will go in first,” Shirak said, shifting to his smaller form not waiting for either of us to agree.
We watched as he glided across the yard to the back door. I slipped my hand into Aer's, and he squeezed it reassuringly. Shirak crawled through the doggie door, a leftover from the previous owners that my parents had never removed. I chuckled and Aer looked over at me his eyebrow raised as if to ask “what?"
I pointed to the doggie door Shirak had crawled through. “Guess it's a dragon door now."
His shoulders shook as he tried not to laugh, and he smiled at me, his eyes twinkling with mirth. “Let's not tell Shir he just invented the first Rikashi door."
"Okay."
The door opened and Shirak, back in hybrid form, motioned us toward the house. We hurried across the yard, breathing sighs of relief when we crossed the threshold into the house. I couldn't help the nervous feeling in my stomach as I passed Aer and his brother, and memories from the previous evening came rushing back.
I froze in the archway to the living room, looking at the mess. I hadn't been able to see anything last night around Aer's wings, but I had heard the crash.
The den, once a homey room filled with wood furniture and the brick-a-brack of a lifetime, now looked like the proverbial bull in a china shop had been through it. The coffee table, an inheritance from mother's side, was a shattered mess, good only for firewood or toothpicks. The couch looked undamaged, or the half not through the wall at least. The desire to rip wings off and do other damage to the ones who caused this surged through me.
"Did they do this?” I practically shrieked.
"Yes,” Shirak said from behind me. “Brutes, are they not? No care for others’ possessions."
Aer snorted, and I whirled to face the two. Aer was covering his mouth with his hand, no doubt hiding a laugh, and Shirak was looking anywhere but at me. I pointed at Aer. “We'll talk about this later,” I growled.
I turned back to the mess. I couldn't worry about it now. Mom and Dad would be gone for another two weeks, so hopefully I could clean it up before they came home. Of course, it was looking like by that time I might have a baby dragon. What the hell did you call a baby dragon, anyway?
That wouldn't be easy to explain. Hey, Mom and Dad, look what followed me home. Isn't she cute? Can I keep her?
I pushed all that aside for now. We had bigger concerns at the moment.
"Aer, you and Shirak can find something of Daddy's to wear.” I started down the hall to my room. “If you make a mess in there you are cleaning it up."
My room had been mercifully spared the destruction. All my dragon figurines still sat on their shelves untouched, even the blown glass one. I pulled the bedspread into a nest and sat the egg in the center, patting it gently.
"Be good. I have to pack.” As I crossed to the closet to grab a duffle bag and a few shirts and jeans, I realized what I'd done and said. I shook my head. Expectant mothers talked to their unborn child all the time, so talking to my hatchling wasn't so weird, and she had started it.
Shirts, jeans, tennis shoes and underwear were shoved in the duffle. Not knowing how much time we had before Mr. Creepy showed up, I grabbed my cellphone off the dresser and tossed it in the bag. My wallet and keys went in the pocket of the jeans I was wearing. I'd take a shower once we were back at the motel and safe.
The backpack I'd used to bring those three evil Rikashi into my home lay on the floor where I'd dropped it. The egg should fit into it, then I wouldn't have to worry about dropping it and once hatched she could ride in it still.
God! I was an idiot, I'd led them right to me and my home. For a split second I wanted to break down and be a girly-girl and cry, but there was no time. I shook the feeling away and concentrated on the here and now.
"Phi? You ready to go?” Aer's voice called from the hallway.
"Yeah, one sec.” I tucked the blankets and the egg into the backpack.
I looked up and saw Aer standing in the doorway, wings and tail gone, dressed in a pair of my dad's jeans and a polo shirt.
"Looks good on you."
Good was an understatement. He looked utterly irresistible. If our lives didn't depend on getting out of here as quickly as we could I would have suggested closing the door and locking it.
He smiled and I tingled, yeah, literally tingled. It's funny how once you admit something to yourself, things like that have added effect on you. I wondered if me having Rikashi blood would change the fact that we weren't supposed to be more than friends. Not that it mattered now. Not after he'd admitted that he loved me. Rikashi Council be damned. I'd fight every member if I had to, there was no way I was letting Aer walk away this time.
As I thought through the events and discussions of the previous day, something occurred to me. A thought that made my blood run cold. “Aer?” He crossed the room, putting a hand on my shoulder. “If I'm part Rikashi that means one of my parents is too."
"That would only make sense,” he said, and I knew he didn't understand what I was trying to say.
"Maedhros said he was drawn to me,” I replied, not wanting to put what I was thinking into words.
Aer just looked at me, a frown on his lips. “Again, that only makes sense. What are you trying to say, Phi?"
I growled and slapped at his chest. “What if something's happened to my parents?"
"Why would...” His sentence ran off as he put the ideas together.
One of my parents was part Rikashi. If Maedhros was sending people after Rikashi, then my parents were in danger too.
"Is there any way for you to get in touch with them?"
I shook my head, worry and anger filling me. “No, they're backpacking through France. I swear if he's hurt my parents, I'm going to kill him."
Aer put his arms around me but even that did nothing to allay my fears. “Don't worry, Phi, I'm sure they're all right."
I pushed him away. “How? How can you be so certain? What if he just points and says, ‘Look, a Rikashi, kill it?’”
His mouth worked up and down. I kept waiting for some reassurance to come out of him but nothing. I sat on the bed and put my head in my hands. Part of me wished none of this had happened but that would have meant Aer would still be gone. Plus, there was no guarantee that Maedhros would not have come after me and my family anyway.
A long, triumphant note filled my mind, replacing the background song that I had learned was dragon song. A sharp, cracking noise came from the backpack. I jum
ped up, looking at the egg. A long crack had appeared on the surface of the egg, and it bulged and wobbled as the hatchling fought to meet the world.
"What was that?” Shirak appeared in the doorway, looking about the room for danger.
I pointed to the egg. “She's hatching."
I couldn't tell what sounds were from my ears and which were in my mind. The dragon was so noisy in her excitement to hatch. The egg and backpack rocked. I quickly lifted the egg from the backpack, giving her room to push against the confines of the hard shell. I heard Aer and Shirak talking, but I couldn't focus on what they were saying—the dragon had my full attention. A piece of the shell fell away, and I could see the movement inside, a small horn, more like a tooth, was poking away at the hole it had made.
Without thinking I started to reach for a piece of the egg, to help the hatchling in its quest to be born. An angry note sounded in my ears, echoed by one in my mind, and a hand on my wrist stopped me. I looked up into Aer's violet eyes. He shook his head.
"She has to do it herself,” he whispered, before turning his eyes back to the hatching dragon.
I did the same, watching in awe as she pushed and shoved until the hole was big enough for her head, covered in dull silvery blue scales. She opened her mouth, revealing a row of tiny pointed teeth, and let out a shrill cry. A clawed foot worked its way through the hole, pushing in the edge, cracking the egg further. She paused once, her head resting out of the shell, and then one mighty heave and she tumbled out onto the bed, her scales moist. I almost let out a cry of happiness along with her. She lay, her sides heaving with the effort of hatching and then turned a green eye on me. “Hungry."
"She's hungry,” I said, reaching now to run my fingers along the side of her neck.
"Do you have any meat in the fridge?” Aer asked, hovering at my shoulder.
"There should be."
A few moments later a package was shoved into my hands. I opened it and offered one of the beef cubes to the hatchling. She snapped at it, almost nipping my fingers. “Hey, easy,” I scolded, holding the next bite out of reach.
She put her head back on the bed, looking contrite. “Sorry."
I smiled at her. “It's all right. Just eat it slowly. It's not going anywhere but into your belly, you silly thing."
The hatchling struggled to her feet, setting back on her haunches as I offered her another piece of meat. This one she took more daintily, throwing her head back and letting the chunk of beef slide down her throat. I shook my head. “Can't even chew it first?"
"My name?"
"She wants a name,” I said, more to myself than either of the two males in the room. At the moment, I barely realized they were there. “Leena, her name will be Leena."
I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up again at Aer. His look of awe and wonder must have mirrored mine. “Finish feeding her and then we need to leave."
"She is a silver.” Shirak's voice came from across the room.
I looked at him questioningly. Leena's scales looked bluish to me. “Are you sure?"
He nodded. “The color will change as she grows."
Leena butted my hand with her triangular snout, flapping her wings, her front feet on my knee, mouth open waiting for more meat. “All right, all right, patience."
"Hungry!” she shrieked.
"You're a demanding little thing,” I murmured. It didn't take long before she finished the whole pound of beef cubes and was still clamoring for more, even though her little belly was rounded from gorging herself. “No. You'll get sick."
She shrieked once more but was becoming tired from both the effort of hatching and her full belly. I quickly wiped her with a cloth, getting all the bits of egg off of her and then placed her in the backpack nest. She was already mostly asleep, filling my mind with a sleepy tune. Aer shouldered my other bag, and I put the backpack on backwards, so I could keep an eye on the little silver dragoness. “Let's get out of here."
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter 16
Aerandir Cirdan Gwindor
It was decided we would take the car, which was parked on the street. It meant going out the front door. There was a silent debate between Shir and I over who'd go first. He won or was it lost.
Shirak slipped out the door, not opening it fully, and headed toward the car. The plan was for him to get it running, then I would follow Phi. If there was danger, I was to take hybrid form and get her and Leena away.
I heard the engine turn over and nodded for Phi to go next. I followed her out of the house, my back tense, ready to sprout wings if needed. Motion across the street made me pause. A black sedan sat across the street, the driver's side door open. The man climbing out of the car wore an expensive designer suit. I tensed momentarily until I recognized Mr. Jackson, one of our father's friends.
"Shir,” I called, gesturing toward the man now coming toward us.
Shirak got out of the car and joined me in standing between Phi and Mr. Jackson. Hiding her and her precious cargo from him was as important as protecting her. Jackson nodded as he approached, looking serious, but if I remembered correctly, this man would look serious even if you were tickling him. But I wasn't taking any chances and neither was Shirak, both of us were ready to take action.
"Shirak? Aerandir? Your father sent me to find you."
"How did you know where we were?” Shirak asked suspiciously.
"He said that you might be staying with one of Aerandir's friends and gave me the address, so I came here first. Please, you can follow me in your car.” Without waiting for an answer, he turned and went back to his sedan.
I looked at Shirak. “What do you think?"
"He is not lying,” was all Shirak said, but I knew my brother too well and could almost hear the silent “as far as he knows."
I nodded, having picked up no trace of a lie either, but agreed with the unspoken. He could just believe that he was taking us to our father. “We'll have to take the chance. At least we have the car this time."
I turned to the car, opening the back door for Phi. “Does he know what you are?” she asked.
I shook my head. “No. He's just Dad's business partner. Dad would never break the Erestor."
She chewed on her lip. I wasn't telepathic, but I knew what she was thinking. She'd assigned herself the role of mother to a newly hatched Great Dragon and being a mother, her child's safety was more important than anything. She didn't ask any more questions, instead she handed me the backpack and climbed into the car. I held it carefully, awed that she would let me hold it. She'd shown no inclination to let Shirak near her baby.
I peeked inside to look at Leena. The hatchling looked at me with surprisingly intelligent eyes, almost as if she was trying to figure out who I was and if I could be trusted.
Phi fastened her seatbelt and held out her hands. I carefully handed over Leena and tossed her other bag in the front seat before climbing in to sit next to her. Shirak glared at me but took the driver's seat. He hated driving. The car rumbled to life, and we were soon following the black sedan.
"You think it's a trap?” Phi asked, idly stroking Leena's neck as the dragon now slept in her lap, its head on her shoulder.
"I don't know,” I replied honestly. “I certainly hope not."
"We can only hope it is not a trap. Where Father is, more Rikashi will be,” Shirak said over his shoulder.
About ten minutes into the ride, Leena woke up. For a few minutes the silver dragonet was content to sit on Phi's lap, but then decided to explore the car. She climbed across me to look out the window on my side and then disappeared onto the floor of the car. She reappeared in the front seat.
"You are going to be seen,” I said in draconic.
She looked at me from over the seat and sniffed, yawned in my face and then went back to examining the buttons and knobs on the dash. I turned to Phi. “Do something with her!"
Phi shrugged and spread her hands helplessly. “She's just a baby, she's curious."<
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I grumbled under my breath and kept a close eye on Leena, ready to grab her if she did anything too dangerous. Mostly she just sat on the front seat, watching. One time she tried to climb in Shirak's lap but a stern warning from Phi and she settled back down. As the car turned down street after street, I began to wonder exactly where Mr. Jackson was leading us. He wasn't going to Dad's office downtown nor my parents’ home on the other side of the city.
"Aer..."
I looked at Phi, putting my hand on hers. “What is it?"
"There are a lot ... and I mean a lot of Rikashi nearby."
"Shir?"
He shook his head. “They are blocking."
"So, how come I can feel them?"
"Your ability is different from mine. I cannot explain it exactly, only that we sense in different ways. I can block our minds from another Tasartir or Elessar with telepathy but not from a Tinuviel. Your ability works on a much closer range, which is probably why Maedhros has a Tasartir with him. He finds the general location and then confirms with his ability."
I squeezed Phi's hand. Leena crawled over the seat and into Phi's lap, humming softly. The notes served to soothe me as well.
I wasn't exactly as calm as I was trying to project. My insides were a ball of tension. I hoped like hell we weren't driving into a trap.
The car ahead of us pulled up to a huge gate, beyond it a long driveway disappeared into a stand of trees. Mr. Jackson leaned out of his car and pressed a button on a call box. After a moment the gates opened, and he drove inside. Shirak let our car coast forward to stop alongside the black sedan when it pulled to the side of the road.
Shirak rolled down his window and Jackson gestured on ahead. “This is as far as I go. Your father's request was very specific. You are expected at the mansion."
"Thanks,” I said, and Shirak rolled the window up and he put his foot on the gas. I turned and watched as Mr. Jackson backed out of the gate and started down the road.
The roadway to the mansion was beautifully landscaped. Above the trees I could see turrets I assumed from the house. We rounded a corner, and the mansion loomed ahead of us. It looked like that one in the movie, The Haunting. It was a very impressive and imposing structure. Shirak let out a sigh of relief.
The Quickening Page 9