City of Dragons: Blood Bonds

by Adrienne Wilder

  “Are you busy?” That’s Bauer, right down to business.

  “Um, no. What can I do for you?’ Haley stood up and straightened her jacket.

  “You sure? I know you had a bit of a rough start this morning.”

  Great. He’d probably been down in the common room watching it on the flat screen with the rest of the uniforms. The Center didn’t have a common room; it had a break room, equipped with four vinyl chairs that had escaped from the sixties, and a half-working coffee maker.

  “Yeah. About that...” Damn, how did she go about explaining this one? Especially to Bauer? “Nice suit.” Oh great, that was brilliant.

  Bauer smiled and touched the dark coffee jacket like he was still taking in all the new and shiny it was giving out. His large, equally dark hands adjusted the already perfect lapels. “The wife picked it out.”

  She’d done a good job. Haley had never met the woman, but she knew how to dress her man.

  “It looks nice on you.” An awkward silence lingered for too long.

  Bauer cleared his throat. “Look, I’ve got a lawyer downstairs in the Tank with a busted nose screaming lawsuit. His supposed-to-be client is in interrogation room six, licking the blood off his fingers like he’s just gone to KFC. So, I couldn’t give a rat’s ass what those idiot reporters blabber all over the news on things they know nothing about. And those boys at the PD know you keep their asses out of the hospital on a daily basis, so they won’t dare talk smack about anything.” He crossed his arms, uncrossed them, and then scrubbed a hand over his half inch brush cut.

  Haley tried to knock the stupid grin off her face but it wasn’t going anywhere. “Interrogation room six?”

  “Yeah...”

  She motioned to the door. “Lead the way, Detective. Lead the way.”

  Chapter 6

  Detective Bauer gave Haley the stats on the detainee as they walked down the stairs and across the underground breezeway connecting the CFKR building and the Atlanta PD.

  “His name is Creyal. Young, fifty years tops. Vice has been working tips on a new gang that just moved into the city.”

  “What’s the name?” Names said a lot about a gang. Like whether or not they were Folk, Kin and what they were involved with. Faeries usually specialized in weapons (technological and magical), plant extracts, and sometimes endangered beasts or their parts. Kin usually dealt with illegal flesh trading, domestic slavery, and drugs. There wasn’t much Haley could do about Folk because they were free Agents. However, Kin could be pressured by involving the Queen. More than likely, Medan was the biggest source of illegal activity, but she liked to keep that kind of business at an arm’s length. If the problem people started attracting attention to her club, she usually made them disappear.

  And that train didn’t have a return track.

  “No name,” Bauer said.

  That was unusual.

  They came to the stairwell. Bauer pushed the door open and held it for Haley.

  They headed down the stairs. He said, “We think they may be involved with a new kind of drug trade.” At the next door leading into the Tank, he paused and pulled a vial from his pocket.

  Haley took it and held it up to the light. The contents looked like liquefied gold.

  “Temporal fluid?” That’s what it looked like to her. She’d seen enough of the stuff from her own temporal glands. She used it to Roll Farley when they fed. It opened the lines for metaphysical contact. Farley wasn’t strong enough to endure the exchange without it.

  “That’s what the lab boys thought until they tested it.” Bauer pushed the door open.

  “What is it then?”

  “A synthetic.” Bauer shrugged. “Seems like it’s close enough to the real deal to give the desired high.”

  With Humans everything was a “high”. The effects of metaphysics or Alchemy were rarely as simple as a “high.”

  Haley said, “Uh, temporal fluid doesn’t make you high. Not like your normal street crud.”

  “Then what do they use it for? They’re obviously injecting it intravenously. That Kin down there has track marks all over his arms.”

  If he wasn’t healing needle holes, it meant Alchemy was involved.

  Haley tried to think of an explanation she could give in thirty seconds and wouldn’t break about fifty Human sensitivity rules. “It’s the atom bomb of Viagra.”

  There. That should do it.

  Bauer’s eyebrows collided between his eyes and he looked at the vial like it was kiddy porn.

  “Okay, that’s not the best of explanations.”

  “You want to try again?” he asked.

  “Not really. ‘Cause no matter how I try to say it, you’re going to get that same look on your face.”

  As they headed into the Tank, the walls became a dark olive green. It wasn’t a pleasant color, but it didn’t show ichor stains.

  Interrogation Room Six was on the right. A tall skinny lawyer stood near the door, screaming hysterically, while stuffing wads of Kleenex up his nose in an attempt to stop the red geyser in the middle of his face. Two uniforms stood by looking concerned but smelling like they were just a few steps from pissed off.

  Haley stepped up between the two cops and extended her hand at the screaming, bleeding pencil man. “I’m Agent Haley Night, with the CFKR.”

  The lawyer fell silent. It took him a moment, but he gave her his hand. She shook it, limp dish rag that it was.

  Haley motioned toward the room. “I hear you’re having a bit of a problem with your client? I’m here to help you with that.”

  The lawyer sputtered a moment then said, “He hit me!” His eyes went up to the two uniforms. “And they won’t arrest him. I want to press charges. I want them to do something about it, and they keep telling me it was my fault! My fault!” His voice cracked.

  Haley kept her smile in place and nodded like she completely sympathized.

  Not.

  Bauer was looking through the six by six inch port hole in the door. The expression on his face wasn’t a happy one.

  The lawyer waved a boney finger at the door. “That-that-that thing in there ... he hit me for no reason. I want an Alchemy unit down here now!”

  Haley shook her head but kept her best shit-eating grin in place. The last thing they needed down here were any of those.

  “Mister...” She waited for him to fill in the blank.

  “Lemmons. James Lemmons.”

  “Lemmons.” Haley put her hand on his arm like an old friend. With a small pull she had him inching down the hall. “How long have you been with Legal Aid?”

  “Two weeks.”

  “And this is your first non-Human assignment?”

  “I’ve handled dozens of defense cases...”

  Haley patted his arm. “But those were Humans, am I right?”

  Lemmons occupied himself with trying to cram another tissue in his nostril.

  “Okay, this is my suggestion. The next time rotation comes around for Kin behavior, you might consider taking the free workshop.”

  “I’ve worked with some of the finest law firms in this city, Miss Night. I can promise you I know how to conduct myself with a client.” Considering he’d just called her Miss Night, he needed some workshop time before he did that to a Male. It was going to be a lot harder to stuff Kleenex up his nose with one arm shoved up his ass.

  Haley eyed the guy up and down while he rotated between trying to keep his tissue in place and pushing back his comb over. He smelled like day old bacon sprinkled with something bitter. Lots of Humans smell like food to Kin. Usually it was something boring like buttered chicken. But Mr. Lemmons had a very distinctive odor Humans only acquired under certain conditions. Those conditions being the illegal plants and flowers kind. Besides, lawyers didn’t come out of cushy offices to trudge in the Tank for just any reason.

  “You want to file a report.” She made it a statement.

  “Yes!”

  Haley looked over at the two uniforms. They wa
tched her, stony faced and completely calm.

  “Um, gentlemen?” She waved them over. “Mr. Lemmons here wants to file an assault charge. You’ll need to call Internal Investigations since he was injured down here in the Tank by a suspect.” She did her best to sound oh-so-important and in command.

  The cops exchanged a look and slowly unfolded their arms.

  “Make sure you take Mr. Lemmons to the hospital. Get a full blood panel including all the basic extracts and implants.”

  One of them reached for Lemmons and he jerked back. Haley feigned surprise.

  “I’m fine, I don’t need a hospital.” Lemmons tugged at his jacket.

  Haley shook her head. “Sorry, but it’s protocol. When an incident happens on city property and people start talking like they might sue...”

  “But my nose is just broken.” His hands fluttered at her. “Why would all that other stuff be necessary?”

  Haley smiled. “Now, Mr. Lemmons. You’re a lawyer. If our insurance is expected to pay out any kind of damages then they’ll want to make sure you weren’t, how do I say this, engaging in inappropriate herbal recreation at the time of the incident.”

  Lemmons’ eyes popped and his watery gaze pinged at rapid fire between the three of them. One of the cops reached for the man again. Lemmons yelped and pulled back. He lost one of his Kleenex when it fluttered to the floor and he was left fumbling for a new one from his jacket pocket while his upper lip turned crimson.

  “That won’t be necessary. I’m fine. I’ll be fine.” He plugged the leak again.

  “Are you sure?” Haley waved a hand up and down at the uniforms. “These officers want to make sure you’re completely satisfied with their, services.”

  Lemmons nodded, crammed the tissue higher up into his nose, and then adjusted his hair. Twice.

  “Really, really, just, just do whatever, I’m fine.” His eyes went from the floor, the walls, the doors.

  “Okay. I’ll get Creyal straightened out. You wait here.” Haley pointed to the spot he was standing on. He gave another nervous hand flutter and nodded.

  Haley joined Bauer at the door. He still had that look on his face, the one that said he didn’t approve of what he saw. “Thanks.”

  She shrugged. “No problem.” After all, it was her job.

  “You ready?”

  Haley took off her jacket and handed it to one of the officers. No need to mess it up. It was easier to replace a blouse. The jackets had to be tailored to fit right. Sometimes cleavage could be an inconvenience. “I am now.”

  Bauer turned the handle and yanked open the door.

  “You may want to close that thing.” Haley pointed to the window and glanced at the lawyer. “I don’t think he’d be able to handle the show.” It wasn’t really just the lawyer Haley was worried about. She stepped inside and the door shut with a heavy metallic thud.

  The room was small like all the other interrogation rooms. A badly scarred wooden table occupied one half and was accompanied by two folding chairs that looked like they’d been run over a few times and hammered back out.

  Chairs got broken a lot down here. Some days it was a regular WWF match. Especially if the cops tried to handle something on their own.

  Creyal was doing an impersonation of a vulture on the edge of the table. One hand was up at his mouth and he was rotating between sucking and licking the blood off his fingers.

  His lavender eyes rolled up to Haley and he grinned, flashing large lower fangs that were almost tusks. It was an unusual characteristic.

  His tongue lolled out, a piercing dotted the center, and he pressed it against his thumb which he pushed too far into his mouth. Creyal had a lot of piercings. Most were in his ears, but there were some in his nose, lips, and eyebrows. He was missing his shirt, which gave Haley a good view of the posts in each nipple. And of course the tattoos covering every inch of skin.

  The images were of scales and fire.

  Some of Haley’s people fought the anti-shift laws any way they could.

  The ink was so dark and dramatic it almost concealed the small round Nevus set at the edge of his collar bone. Unlike the flat ink, its green color glittered and rolled even in the sickly florescent light.

  “Well, well, if it isn’t the domesticated Female I’ve heard so much about.” Creyal unfolded himself and stepped off the edge, his body bending and rippling in a way only nonhuman creatures could.

  He was no different than most. His body was tight, carved, too perfect to be real. His leather pants hung low, flashing a thin line of hair. He had a post piercing his skin right where a belly button should be. Not all Kin impress the same subtle details. Belly buttons were kind of like pubic hair, some had them, some didn’t see its use.

  Haley stood still while Creyal slinked around her, his mouth open, his nostrils flaring, as he ate up her scent. Heat rose off his skin and green iridescent scales rippled down his shoulders and across his arms and chest before disappearing back under his flesh.

  Creyal stopped his body inches from hers. Haley met his gaze. Bits of gold joined in with the inhuman lavender shade. Creyal cocked his head one way, then the next. His hands hovered over her shoulder. His fingers worked like he could feel her skin.

  Haley eyed the track marks in his arms and neck. She frowned.

  The Male eased the rest of the way around her and dropped his shoulders. Haley stared, realizing part of her was hesitant to initiate contact. This morning had gone badly because she’d overestimated herself. But Creyal was no Niles Fury. He was a mid-ranked Male at best--new, reckless, and terrified of being pinned. Not much more than the average feral. She was stronger than him, faster. Even if he did move like liquid and look like he belonged on a calendar of World’s Sexiest Band Members.

  He’d play drums.

  Haley lifted her right hand and Creyal dipped his head down, catching her palm. He went to his knees, submissive, but not quite surrendering himself completely.

  His mouth pressed to her hand and he licked it, his teeth brushing her skin.

  “I smell other Males on you.” Creyal pressed her fingers to his chin using her hand to stroke his own jaw and neck. Covering the other scents with his own. In a Harem, only a Dominant would take top scent. Creyal was issuing a challenge for placement.

  “Are they yours?” He looked at her with curious eyes, a small crooked smile on his lips.

  It was a common question and Haley only had one answer. “No.”

  His face fell. It was unusual for a Female to not own the Males who had left scent on her skin. Creyal obviously didn’t know what to make of that.

  He pressed his shoulder to her thigh. His hands brushed her ankles, his fingers kneading the skin of her leg as he moved them upward. Creyal stopped halfway, his gaze pleading for permission to continue.

  Haley put a hand on the top of his head. Creyal’s black hair was pulled back in a ponytail and slick under her fingertips. She felt him shudder and his scent blossomed. He smelled sickly to Haley. Whatever Creyal was shooting into his arms was doing bad things to his body.

  The hollowed out look to his cheeks and ribs may not have been so purposely designed after all.

  Haley touched his cheek and that was all.

  Creyal hesitated, probably hoping she would change her mind. Haley held her stance and he curled against her, his hands dropping to a point below her knee. His head went down between his shoulders.

  Haley stepped back and he let her. Of course he didn’t have much choice. She’d made it clear she wasn’t interested.

  These moments were always a battle between Haley’s biology and her Human social lessons. In the Dens, even Females who weren’t interested in sex at least brought blood.

  “I’ve never touched a Female.” His eyes rolled up at her, glittering more gold than lavender now. “I do not please you?”

  “Creyal, I’m here to help the local PD. It’s not about whether or not you please me.”

  He snarled, his eyes going dark, and h
is face becoming harsh. “What Female rubs skin with the Chetrah?” He uncoiled from the floor and moved away from her. “You really are domesticated. I thought they were stories. Do you fuck them too?” He dropped his jaw, flashing his strange tusks, and flicked his now forked tongue.

  Haley crossed her arms and watched the display. It was typical, and nothing but hot air.

  Creyal’s hands slid to the front of his pants. He popped the button and pushed them downward, flashing enough that Haley could tell he was going commando.

  “I can offer you a lot more than any walking snack-cake.”

  Haley didn’t look away when he slid his hands down the front of his leather pants. Looking away was a sign of intimidation. A Male like Creyal was stupid enough to try and take advantage of that.

  He rolled his head around on his shoulders, obviously enjoying himself.

  “Creyal.”

  He paused in his massage. “Yesss…”

  “I need you to cooperate with the Detective outside that door.”

  He pulled his hand out of the front of his pants and stroked his stomach. For Kin, the gesture was sexually explicit. A lot more brazen than rubbing his cock.

  Haley did not avert her eyes, and she was careful to keep her expression bored. After a moment, he quit.

  Creyal shrugged. “If I cooperate, will he bleed for me?”

  She almost asked who. Bauer or the lawyer. Convincing the lawyer he might need to feed his client could prove interesting.

  Might even be worth the disciplinary action.

  Instead she said, “No.”

  Creyal shrugged, moved to one of the metal chairs, and melted into it. He swung his bare feet onto the table top; he wore a jade ring on his middle toe. Shoes were another thing a lot of Kin went without. Most were barefoot and shirtless until the middle of winter.

  “Then why should I tell them anything? If I have something they want, then they should be willing to give me something I want.” His hand rested on his stomach just above his unbuttoned pants.

  “Creyal, this isn’t the Dens.”

  “No shit!” His eyes were angry. Haley had insulted him by not acknowledging his perfection or his willingness to please her.