by WB McKay
"Wow," Phoebe said again.
"I know," I said.
"That's…"
"Scary," I finished for her.
"Convenient," she said.
I sighed, the crown feeling awfully heavy all of a sudden. I'd always thought that was just an expression. "We'll see," I said. Wasn't there also an expression about the head who wore the crown being lonely or something like that? I guessed human rulers knew what they were talking about.
CHAPTER TEN
I could have ridden any of the dragons, but I chose the leader. Not to piss him off--really, I hadn't been a fan of him, but he was only protecting his people--I did it as a favor. If this was my group of people to look after, I'd have rather had the threat on my back than my friend's. I hoisted Ava's sleeping body on first, and I slid up behind her. One of the other dragons picked up their sleeping comrade without having to be told.
"Where are we going?" asked Phoebe. "You should have asked them for more details before making them shift back."
"Maybe I'll remember that next time."
"Doubt it," she said.
"Me, too." I surveyed the dragons, nervous about having us actually take to the sky. I had wings. I could grab Ava if something went wrong. Phoebe could probably throw out vines and grab onto me as she fell, if that happened. I wasn't sure any of that would do us much good if we were swarmed by more fire breathers while we were in the sky.
"It's funny how neither of us doubted there would be a next time for you to remember that for, though," said Phoebe. "You really aren't much of a couch person, are you?"
"Couch person?"
"Someone who likes to sit on the couch, and you know, hang out."
"I enjoy watching Medical Heroes with you."
"But you like commanding a legion of dragons in a Faerie desert more, don't you?"
I giggled before I could help it. "What is a legion, exactly?"
We both laughed. When some of the dragons rumbled their displeasure, we laughed harder.
"I needed that," I said.
"I could tell. So, are we going?"
I decided that if we ran into other dragons, they were unlikely to attack us when we were on the backs of their friends. If something happened, we'd handle it. When had I become so cautious? Maybe one too many things have gone wrong lately. I shook it off and ordered the dragons to take us to Greta now. My previous commands about safety were taken to heart; we kicked off smoothly and the two dragons without riders went out on the sides of us as guards.
As far as my eye could see, desert stretched around us--until it didn't. My vision went blurry, I gripped the dragon tighter as dizziness threatened to take me, and then it was over and I was somewhere else.
"You okay?" shouted Phoebe.
"What happened?" I asked. "And yeah, I'm fine. You?"
"It wasn't glamour. I don't know. But it's much better now, don't you think?"
It was. The air was cooler. It smelled of a fresh rain, but the sun was out. The dragons adjusted their path, heading straight for a small village nestled in a valley. The buildings were surrounded by snowcapped mountains, and bordered by a lake so wide I couldn't see across it. This was where Greta called home.
As we began our descent, many of the people came out of their homes and shops. At first it was just curious glances, but by the time we'd landed a crowd had gathered at the end of the main street.
"Those are not happy faces," said Phoebe.
She was right. "I sense a lot of disgust pointed in our direction." The dragon bounced beneath me as he touched down. We'd landed in a small field right in front of the townspeople, on display for everyone to see. I hopped off and carefully slid Ava to the ground. Phoebe ran over to my side. "They don't look ready to fight," I whispered to her. "That's a good start."
A woman dressed in green and purple earth tones came sprinting out of an alley further into town. Her arms waved above her head as she shouted at the others. "Cover your ears!" None of them followed her command. "Cover your ears!"
Phoebe covered hers. She turned to me and shrugged.
I squatted down and covered Ava's. Better safe than sorry, I figured. A few of the dragons in front of me covered theirs, but most of them looked unimpressed or confused. I took a rough count of thirty. Thirty dragons, plus the five with me. If the lot of them turned on us, we were in deep trouble--especially with Ava unconscious. I didn't see Greta among them.
"You," I said to the leader. "I told you to take me to Greta."
The sprinter reached the main crowd. "Cover your ears!" she desperately cried. "What are you thinking?" She grabbed people's hands and shoved them up to their own ears. "Only mind control would make my brothers fly in strangers on their backs! No one shift! Cover your ears!"
"Oh, shit."
Phoebe laughed.
"I don't see what could possibly be funny right now."
"I mean, she's smart, isn't she? She's got you figured out."
"That would be hilarious, if we weren't in so much danger."
"She's smart," said Phoebe. "We'll be okay."
The smart woman got between the crowd and us. Ribbons of fabric stuck out of her ears. The bottom of her shirt was ragged. She'd made earplugs out of the balled up cloth in an attempt to protect herself from mind control… freeing up a hand to form a fireball.
"Greta!" I started to raise my hands up in the human sign of surrender, but dropped them when I remembered that wasn't a good idea here. I was the weapon, movement of any kind was a threat. "I'm Sophie Morrigan," I shouted loud enough for anyone to hear. "Greta! I'm here to see Greta! Greta owes me a favor!"
"That's not working," commented Phoebe when the first fireball hit the ground in front of my feet.
I looked at the leader dragon. "Protect us from your sister right now!"
The leader lumbered his large body to where the fireball had been thrown. His body language told his sister exactly what was up; he was, in fact, doing this against his will.
"Join him!" I yelled to the others. They'd dropped their sleeping brother close to the town and left him there. "You! I pointed at the dragon Phoebe had ridden in. "Bring Greta to me as fast as you can!"
Dirt sprayed over everyone, he kicked off the ground with such force.
"Phoebe, we have to keep Ava safe."
"I know." She crouched next to me and I heard the rustling of vines building up behind us, safely out of view of the crowd. We could barely see the crowd between the leader dragon's front legs. They had backed up a few steps. The woman with the shirt in her ears still had her fire on display. She had a calculating look on her face as she scrutinized her brother. "How long do you think these lumps in front of us are going to deter the rest of them?"
"Longer than it takes Greta to show up," I said.
"Hopefully." Phoebe looked worried now.
"Doubting that woman's intelligence will save us now, eh?" I smirked. "I could always ask this guy to take a bite out of his sister, but I don't think Greta'll want to help us if I do."
The smart woman had her back turned to us now. She was attempting to communicate something to the crowd.
"That's bad," said Phoebe.
The woman glanced over her shoulder. She was smiling.
"Ava," I said, but Phoebe was already on it. She had one arm under Ava's shoulders, and I wrapped one around her middle. We backed up as quickly as we could, which wasn't saying much. "Dragon--"
I didn't get a chance to finish that command before more than a dozen fireballs lobbed over the dragons at us. Phoebe's vines snapped out around us, but they were no match for fire.
There was a loud crash in town.
Vines brushed against my arm. They were wrapped tightly around Ava.
"Let go," said Phoebe.
I pulled out my arm and the vines lifted Ava so she was floating on her side. We backed up, much faster now, as I considered my options. The dragons were moving with us, their bodies our only shields. They weren't working so well. The flames droppe
d all around us, many of them much too close.
"We need to find Greta," I said.
"Is Greta worth this?"
"I don't know."
I barely noticed Phoebe's look of disbelief.
A blast of fire shot through the sky over us, and I looked up to see the dragon I'd sent to town flying right through the balls of flame. Sitting calmly on his back was a woman I almost didn't recognize.
The dragon roared and shot another blast of fire, this time at the crowd, before landing next to the others in dragon form. Greta smiled, pleased as if she'd run into me on the street. "Sophie," she crooned. "Welcome to my home!"
I stomped the flames from a twisting vine. "I appreciate the warm welcome."
Her eyes twinkled with joy. This was a different Greta than the one I'd found in a prison cell. "Come," she said. "I always wanted to introduce you to my children."
I walked over and patted the leader on his side. "I think that's taken care of."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The room smelled of disinfectant and was impeccably clean. IV poles lined the wall, waiting to be of use. The dragons' medical ward could have been on Earth, if it wasn't for the overwhelming magical scent that said we were still in Faerie. Magic was good at healing, but there was only so much it could do. Human medicine helped fill in the gaps. Still, it was surprising to see it in Faerie, especially in a dragon community. I would have pegged them for the "rub some dirt on it" kind of crowd.
I thought that as an insult, until I realized I was of the "rub some dirt on it" mindset, at least when it came to myself. I would rather my friends sought help for their bruises, but I went to the doctor only when forced.
Ava had been carefully placed on one of the hospital beds. Phoebe perched at her side. The dragons had offered to carry Ava in for us, but Phoebe had cut that off before I could decline. She didn't unwrap her vines until after she tested the bed for herself. It seemed overboard, but at the same time, it was what always touched me about Phoebe. She took care of people. It was how I'd want someone to take care of me if I was unconscious.
Luckily, Greta hadn't been in the hospital when I'd sent the dragon after her. I'd told them to bring her as quick as they could. Somehow, they decided the quickest way was to crash into the building she'd been in. It looked like a library, judging by the books in the road. I cringed to imagine telling Owen I'd destroyed a library during his rescue.
The only door in the room opened. Even having just seen her outside, I did a double take. No one would describe Greta as frail now, but it was the only word that fit the last time we'd met. Her gray eyes were sharp and focused, and her light brown hair was lustrous and curly. She had been so dirty when she was held prisoner by the clansmen I couldn't tell for sure what color it was. Her bare arms were taut with muscle. She smiled when I met her gaze. The woman who'd greeted me outside, the one who'd told everyone to cover their ears, stepped in behind her. Now that they were side by side, I realized how similar they looked. I could have mistaken them for sisters, if it weren't for the other woman's posture of deference that said daughter.
"Hello, Sophie. It's good to see you again." said Greta. She stepped aside so her daughter could move closer. "Sophie, I'd like you to formally meet my daughter, Zoe. She's about as much trouble as you are."
Zoe held out her hand so I shook it. Her shake was firm with a hint of roughness to her skin, like mine. She worked with her hands. "We'll see about that," I replied, narrowing my eyes at her. The two women laughed, showing me their first major difference. While Greta's laugh was quiet and wry, Zoe's was loud and boisterous. "The laugh is a good start, though."
"I've heard a lot about you, Sophie," said Zoe, taking her hand back so she could gesture at my body. "But none of what I've heard mentioned your current appearance. We had orders to bring you in, but the description didn't match what we expected."
"I didn't expect it either, to tell you the truth." I shrugged and allowed my human form to return. It was still a thrill that I could shift my clothes. "Is this more like what you were expecting?"
"Yes," said Greta, "minus the crown. What is that about?"
"A real pain in the ass, that's what it is." I rolled my eyes. Why did it feel so weird to say this? I took a deep breath and prepared for their shock. "It's the Golden Fleece. I won it a few months ago." Their mouths popped open, but instead of gaping with shock, they both mouthed the word oh. Not even a raised eyebrow. "But you already knew that, I guess?"
Zoe nodded. "We've heard about the Fleece, of course. No one mentioned it looked like a feathered crown. It suits you."
"Yeah, it's a regular fashion piece," I said. "So, do you already know why I'm here then?" I asked, probably with more heat in my voice than they deserved. It wasn't their fault that my exploits had been spreading like wildfire over the last year. A good agent kept a low profile. I had always been a good agent, if you asked me. Lately, I wasn't so sure.
"From what Henry said, you are here to collect on the favor I owe," said Greta, with no indication that she was bothered by my temper. "I don't know what it is that you would ask, but I would be glad to repay it."
"Geez, Greta. I remember you being this nice and calm, but I'd thought you were tired at the time. I just came busting in your home demanding favors and you look ready to offer me tea and cookies."
"Oh my fae, I forgot to offer you food."
I rolled my eyes. "That's okay, Greta."
"But you love food," said Greta.
"That's a weird thing to remember."
"I saw you eat at Siobhan's house."
"Okay, to be fair, I was super hungry! And really, I'm sure a lot of people get like that over Siobhan's food."
"I'm sure they do," said Greta. "I'm sure lots of people growl while they eat, too."
"Hey! Those were good ribs. And you live with a bunch of dragons; I'm sure a lot of them growl when they eat. If the food's good enough, you know."
Greta's giggle was soft and kind. Zoe turned away so she wouldn't have to look me in the eyes while she laughed.
My eyes drifted to Ava's slowly rising chest. Phoebe sat at her bedside, holding her hand. Zoe's laugh was loud, but Ava didn't even twitch. She could use the rest, but I worried. "I'll tell you my reason for being here as soon as you wake up my friend."
Greta nodded to Zoe, who retrieved a syringe from a drawer and administered Ava a shot while Phoebe scrutinized her every move.
"I wanted to be sure you were yourself. One can never be too careful in Faerie," said Zoe, returning to her mother's side. "I don't think enough people would know you growl when you eat ribs to steal your identity, do you?"
"No comment."
Zoe smiled. Or continued smiling. If her smiles weren't so infectious, I'd be intimidated by anyone who exuded that much joy. She patted Ava on the arm. "She will wake in a few minutes. Would you like a tour of our village while we wait?"
"You're awfully nice for someone who just convinced a whole town to throw fire at me."
She shrugged. "It wasn't the whole town."
No apology. I liked that. "A tour, huh?" I stretched my legs, finding them stiff. I gave Ava another glance. It was wrong to leave her, but it was always better to know your surroundings. "It would be nice to move around. Do you mind staying with her, Phoebe?"
"I'm not going anywhere," she replied, firmly.
"I will monitor Ava's vitals myself," said Greta. "There are almost never any complications from the charm, but I wouldn't want to be responsible for harm coming to your friend after all you did for me."
My gut trusted her, and my mind agreed. Not that consulting my brain had proven fruitful. I hadn't had time to reanalyze my decision to attack the approaching dragons against my gut instinct, but I didn't have much hope that a review would reveal the debacle as anything other than a mistake. Ah, well. I slid off the bed and rolled my neck, sighing at the relief provided by the popping noises it made. "I guess it's just the two of us," I said to Zoe. "Who will ever protect u
s from all the mean dragons?"
Zoe snorted and a puff of smoke shot out her nose. "My brothers and sisters know better than to mess with me. The rest of the village might piss themselves if I looked at them sideways. We'll be fine."
"Giggles to deadly in five seconds flat." I gave Zoe another look over. There was a lot of wiggle room in what Zoe said, but I believed her anyway. She walked like she was built for kicking ass. "I approve."
She rolled her eyes with a smile. "I don't know what I would have done if you didn't!"
"Ah, and you're giving me shit." I lightly punched her arm. "We're going to get along just fine."
"Ha! That's usually how I tell if people are going to be my friends."
"Sounds like a good system," I said. "I don't have enough friends to have a test for figuring that out."
She put a hand on my arm and at first I thought it was to offer me bullshit comfort, but then she burst out laughing. I rolled my eyes, but like I said, her laugh was infectious. I couldn't help it. It was kind of funny.
"You're both horrible," said Greta, like it was a true compliment. "I'm sure you'll have inside jokes by the time you return to this room."
Zoe opened the door and gestured toward it with a slight bow. "After you."
With barely a thought, I shifted back to my new form. I thought I was being paranoid, but I felt safer knowing I could run or fly.
The village was more interesting from the ground. The buildings were mostly small, and while from a distance they were almost uniform in size and shape, they each had something for a unique detail. My favorite was the one with what looked like pillars built into the walls, but were actually filled with water and fish. I could see right through them into the florist's shop. Ava would just love it.
Zoe wasn't interested in the shops around us, of course, and she walked toward the lake in silence. Everything seemed fine until we approached the water. As easy going as she'd been a moment before, a tension grew between us as we walked. I was having a difficult time keeping up with the many faces of Greta's daughter. I kept her in my peripheral vision, waiting to see what she'd do next. Once we were well out of earshot of her mother and any of the other milling residents of the village, Zoe sat on a bench that faced the lake, her smile gone somber and her gray eyes dark with some emotion I didn't know her well enough to read. "My mother will, of course, agree to any favor you ask. She owes you her life."