by Jen Robyn
“Justified?” she hissed. “Was it justified when I caught you with your precious Marilyn, and then she moved in with you afterwards? No, Roger. Maybe I made some errors in judgment when younger, but that’s not why I don’t want to see you now. It’s your recent deceptions that locked you out of my life.”
“I see,” he said icily. “And are you saying you’re so perfect, you’ve never made a mistake you wished to change?”
She sighed, feeling very much as she had around Chaos. “No, I’m not,” she replied. “But that doesn’t mean I should be subjected to forced meetings with you, when I happen to be seeing someone else. So why don’t we forget all this, go back to the office, and…”
“Just a second!” he growled, his eyes dark. “Backtrack to this mention of someone else. Who is he?”
Julianna bit her lip. She hadn’t meant for that to come out the way it did, since she had no proof to back up Dominick’s existence. Still... maybe she could tell him part of the truth. It might get him to stop bothering her.
“I met him a few months ago, and we’ve been seeing each other for a while now. His name is Dominick.”
“Dominick... Dominick what?”
“Westbrooke,” she supplied hesitantly. “Now do you see why I’ve been reluctant to get together with you again?”
“Hold it,” he interrupted, raising one hand to silence her. “Westbrooke. That name doesn’t ring a bell. Is he from this neighborhood?”
“Not exactly,” Julianna said carefully. “Look, Roger, I don’t see how this is any business of yours.”
“If it concerns you, it is.”
Great, she thought. As if I want your concern anymore. Spying a flash of movement, her eyes widened upon seeing Marybeth standing several feet away. Answering the silent question in her eyes, her friend gestured towards the back, earning a nod from Julianna before she disappeared.
“I find it very coincidental that you mention this new guy all of a sudden, when until today, you’ve made no mention of him,” Roger told her. Wary of his new hostility, Julianna slowly began pushing her chair back again. “Where are you going now?” he demanded.
“To the ladies room,” she said through a forced smile. “Do I have his majesty’s permission?”
Growling once more, he waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. “We’ll continue this discussion when you get back,” he decided.
Sure... in your dreams, she thought, as she strode to the back. Shutting the bathroom door behind her, Julianna turned to Marybeth thankfully.
“I’m certainly glad you’re here,” she sighed. “Roger’s beginning to get on my nerves with his third-degree questions. How did you find us here?”
“It wasn’t difficult, since Almira began ranting about your leaving with her prospective client.” She grinned slowly. “Or should I say, prospective male companion.” Even Julianna couldn’t withhold a smile at the thoughts conjured up by that again. “As soon as I overheard the name of the restaurant, I raced here on my lunch break to get you away from that egotistical excuse for a man.”
“It’s appreciated, but what about Almira? She won’t like it if I stand up a business client.”
“Roger’s business has nothing do with actual business, and if Almira needs an excuse, just say you were food poisoned and had to leave without paying your respects.”
“Food poisoned?” laughed Julianna. “I haven’t even eaten yet.”
“Then just tell her you started to feel sick.”
“Well... Roger does tend to inspire that in me these days.” She smiled conspiratorially. “All right, I’m convinced. Let’s go.”
Fortunately, at the time the pair decided to sneak out, Roger was busy discussing his order with the waiter, allowing them to escape his notice. When a more than reasonable time passed though, he suspiciously called the waiter back again.
“I was dining with a red-haired woman in a velour top, about five-foot-five, with a beige handbag.” The waiter nodded in recognition. “Good, you remember. Did you happen to see where she went?”
He shook his head, just before another waiter walked up to the table. “I believe she and another woman left a short while ago, sir.”
“Damn!” shouted Roger, slamming his hand against the table, causing several others to stare his way.
He ignored them, rubbing his chin angrily. With Julianna, he should have expected something like this, but she was living in a dreamworld if she believed he was simply going to accept her brush-off. No, right now he had only one goal on his mind. To find out just who this Dominick Westbrooke was, and to see just what competition he was dealing with.
Chapter Fourteen
“It’s been months since I’ve wielded one of these,” murmured Dominick, holding up the sword he held. The silver blade gleamed against the sunlight, its gold hilt carved with the runes of dreamphasers. A fitting gift for his eighteenth birthday from his father.
It had been Discord who suggested they return to Barokka to pick up a few weapons, since many of the caverns of Chavernos were far from secure as life on the island was, some being deadly. Fortunately though, Lendric’s home didn’t sport any demons guarding the entrance.
At least none that they’d seen when last here.
“Let’s just hope you won’t need it,” replied Warp.
Like many of the caverns, this one sported the rough outlines of a trail, occasionally sprouting other passageways to tempt unknowing individuals with what was hidden beyond, issuing its own surprises in the dark.
The sound of Discord’s boot hitting a squishy substance alerted their attention instantly. “What the hell is this?” he growled.
“Look out! Acidic slime!” shouted a voice.
Knowing the deadly substance well, the other pair jumped back instantly with a gasp and a scream, while Discord tore his boot off, swearing. Dominick quickly cast an illumination spell, but as light was cast upon the boot, all could see it was dampened only by an ordinary puddle of water and a smidgen of mud.
“Just kidding!” snickered the same voice, soon echoed by the laughter of several others. Moments later, a barrage of multi-colored lights flooded the tunnel, causing the trio of humans to duck, while the lights flew over their heads to escape outside, vanishing towards the horizon.
Growling against their mocking laughter, Discord shook his fist after them. “Damnable fairies, if I ever get my hands on you, I’ll tear your blasted wings off!”
“And another useless human threat comes into play!” chuckled the initial fairy, floating by the entrance with folded arms. Although only about a foot high, the reddish-haired little man clearly wasn’t intimidated, grinning with amusement. “Been a long time, hasn’t it, Discord?”
“Xavier!” Discord growled.
“Ah, ye remember me. I’m touched.”
“I’ll do better than that, breaking every bone in your miserable hide, you pint-sized pixie!” he snarled, making a grab for him, though missing by inches.
The mischievous fairy laughed again. “Sorry, but I have better plans for the day. Maybe some other time… if ye can catch me.”
Discord made a second lunge for him, but the fairy disappeared in his hands, fairy dust springing up in his wake. As the frustrated man sneezed several times, Xavier’s echoing voice called out, “Better luck next time.” His laughter trailed after him.
Sensing Dominick and Warp’s amusement behind him, Discord whipped about to face them, but their smiles faded into nonchalant seriousness.
“Not one word,” he warned quietly, glaring at them once before storming down the corridor, threatening dire vengeance against the tiny pranksters.
When he was out of hearing distance, both his wife and son muffled their pent-up laughter before following him.
*****
Dominick kept up an illumination spell to aid them through the darkness.
With only minor creatures found within the caverns, which skittered away from them harmlessly, it was only the uphill incline of t
he long path that was tiring. When they finally reached the entrance to Lendric’s home, there were no lanterns, but there was a wooden door which had a luminous glow.
“It’s about bloody time,” said Discord, breathing hard as he reached towards it. Sparks flew from his hand as he pulled it back with a yell. “Blazes, that thing’s made of fire!”
A musical, condescending laugh echoed about them. “What did you expect of a dragon’s domain? A snow-laden entrance?” mocked the same voice, just before a tall fair-haired man in dark blue robes materialized. Before any could speak, he continued more seriously, “Do you have an appointment with the great dragon sorcerer?”
Discord’s eyes narrowed. “Great dragon sorcerer, hell! You tell Lendric, this is Discord Westbrooke, and I’ve brought my wife and son to meet with him.”
“I’ll let him know, and he’ll get back to you by the end of the week.”
“By the end of the week?” snarled Discord, his face reddening as he took a threatening step towards the somewhat lanky man who then wobbled back slightly. Obviously due to the rough footing of the cavern, the man would have insisted.
Glaring at Discord, he snapped, “You can attempt to beat my brains in, Mr. Macho, but don’t think you’ll break this door quite so easily! Only the right spell can open it.”
“Then you’d better use it now, or by Chaos, I’ll...”
Warp’s gentle touch on his shoulder drew his attention slowly. “Dear,” she whispered, “there are other ways to handle situations like this. Observe.” Flashing a sweet smile to the man, she gave a brief laugh. “You’ll have to pardon my husband,” she said aloud, leaning forward slightly. “Terrible temper when he’s angry, I’m afraid.”
“Yes,” said the man, casting a wary eye at Discord. “I can see that. But I have my orders, and the great dragon sorcerer doesn’t speak to just any riff-raff.”
“It’s a good thing my brother stayed home then,” Dominick laughed quietly, his pun lost on the bemused man.
“Fortunately,” continued Warp, recapturing his attention, “I happen to be a bit more reasonable. If you won’t open the door for us, then I’ll simply have to use another method. But don’t worry, I’ll put in a good word for you as a security guard.” Waving once, she vanished in a flash of lights.
“What?” sputtered the man. “B-but she can’t do that!”
“Too late,” Discord replied with a deep laugh, folding his arms. “Now that you have a spare moment, you might want to brush up your job resumé.”
“Or you might open the door, so we can find my mother before Lendric does,” suggested Dominick.
His blue eyes narrowing with irritated defeat, the man finally clenched his fists and growled. “Oh, very well! But he’s not going to like being disturbed by your little troop!”
Waving his hand at the door, the man recited an incantation that caused the glow to fade. Pushing the heavy door open, the man strode inside, glancing about for the missing Warp.
“All right, Mrs. Westbrooke, you’ve had your little game of hide-and-seek!” he snarled. “Come out right now, you deceitful demoness or I’ll...”
“You’ll keep a civil tongue in your head,” came a deeper voice, just before a curtain parted several feet away. “Please excuse him, my lady. He may spout venom like a viper, but he does have his good points.” Warp reappeared, the arm of a blond-haired elf around her shoulders.
Smiling amiably as his emerald eyes twinkled, the dragon sorcerer known as Lendric led his companion back to the awaiting pair. Though even older than Discord and Warp, he didn’t look it due to being a dragon, instead seeming to be a man in his prime. Upon reaching maturity, all dragons aged too slowly to be noticed for countless years, making five hundred years seem like five.
Dressed in a leather outfit considered a favorite among the elves, a forest green cape flowing behind him, one would hardly guess by his slender frame that a dragon’s heart beat within.
Magic—even on a world filled with it—was still wondrous to behold when capable of transforming a majestic dragon into a human or an elf. They could transform into other forms just as easily, but those were the norm.
Discord stepped forward instantly, his expression grim. “I suppose we should be honored that his royal imperial majesty has a few moments to spare for the meek and humble,” he murmured, with a feigned bow.
The gateway man jabbed his shoulder. “Show respect for his greatness, beast!”
Discord’s eyes flashed warningly, just before he reached forward to pick the man up with one hand, his grip tightening about the man’s throat.
“Beast, you were saying?” he hissed, his dark eyes beginning to swirl with the magic he was named for.
The man stared down at him with bulging eyes, only able to get out a soft rasp. Lendric sighed wearily. Discord’s temper was well-known, often exceeding that of Chaos, and since he had the strength to match it, he was formidable when pushed too far.
“Now really, Discord,” he interjected. “I don’t take kindly to guests choking my assistants, so kindly release Normrynth.” At his initial reluctance, Lendric’s eyes flared red, and his voice deepened even more. “Now, my friend,” he said with deceptive quiet.
Glaring once more at the assistant, Discord casually relaxed his hand.
Normrynth dropped to the floor with a loud, “Ooof!” He then sat up with a murderous expression. “Next time, Westbrooke, I’ll drop you like a pebble from the top of Chavernos’s highest mountain!”
“In your case, that shouldn’t be much of a threat,” growled Discord, earning an angry mutter from him as he left the room. Folding his arms, he turned to face Lendric. “We meet again, o’ dragon of ages.”
“Yes,” he replied with a smirk. “Glad to see you too, o’ discordant son of my old friend. How is Chaos these days?”
“Chaotic as usual,” drawled Discord. “You know, you really should put some lighting in this place. That outer tunnel is so dark, you’d have to be an elf with infra-red vision to manage without it.”
“What would you have me do? Put up rows of lanterns for the ‘tourists’?” he asked sarcastically. “Besides, that’s what torches are for, and in my elven form I do have the required vision anyway.”
Knowing better than to match wits with Lendric, Discord gestured to his side. “I take it you’ve become reacquainted with my wife Warp.”
“And bewitched by her as ever,” agreed Lendric, kissing her hand gently. At her uncharacteristic blush, Discord stepped forward to pull her back, clasping her hand meaningfully to entwine her fingers with his own. The silent gesture spoke volumes. Smiling slightly, the dragon elf shook his head knowingly. “The Westbrooke men are ever possessive about their women, are they not?”
“That’s why they’re ever in demand by the ladies,” agreed Warp, squeezing her husband’s hand reassuringly.
“Which brings us to the reason we’re here,” continued Discord. “But perhaps our son should be the one to explain this, since it involves him.”
Lendric turned to the younger man, his smile becoming surprise as he appraised him. “Well I’ll be a son of a wyvern, if it isn’t... wait, don’t tell me...” He rubbed his head thoughtfully while mentally searching for the name. Before anyone could interrupt, he brightened. “Ah, I remember. Demonic, right?”
A short laugh escaped Discord. “More usually his brother, but at times I’d agree with that,” he murmured, just before Warp nudged him into silence.
“It’s Dominick,” she corrected, glaring at her husband. “Our son’s true name, despite Discord’s efforts to make it seem otherwise.
Needing to cast his irritation somewhere, since her catlike grin was only making things worse, he turned to their son. “I still don’t understand why you prefer that ordinary appellation your mother insisted on naming you,” growled Discord. “Phaser holds more status to your ability.”
“That’s just it,” argued Dominick. “I never wanted to be looked at solely for that. Besides
, it’s not my fault that Grandfather decided your real name should be...”
Discord swiftly covered his son’s mouth before he could utter a syllable of the mysterious name. Some things he didn’t need blabbed to the entire world, or in this case, Lendric.
“I get the idea,” chuckled the dragon elf, smiling. “I’m sorry to have forgotten momentarily, Dominick, but it has been quite awhile since our last meeting. I still remember you as a boy when I was much taller than you, but now we stand as equals.”
“Time changes all of us except you, Lendric,” replied Dominick, his eyes twinkling as he shook his hand. “One of these days, you’ve got to show us where you hide your fountain of youth.”
“Ah... all internal, dear boy. Can’t be marketed.” He winked conspiratorially. “But if you ever find a way around that, let me in on it. We’d make a fortune!”
“I’m sure we would,” he agreed.
“A pleasant thought. But introductions aside, why don’t we get down to business?” Gesturing towards a group of chairs, Lendric waited until they were all seated before continuing amiably. “So, what grand trouble brings you here, Dominick? The need for another potion to send Riff croaking?”
Dominick grinned, albeit a bit sheepishly when his parents turned to him questioningly. They’d never known about that incident! When he’d been twelve years old, a whopper of a fight with his brother had prompted him to venture forth to locate Lendric in the dream-state, asking the dragon sorcerer if he’d grant him a potion to turn his scheming elder brother into a frog.
Lendric had been highly amused by the boy’s request, but told him that he obviously couldn’t just go turning anyone into frogs! Seeing his point, Dominick came up with an alternate... more subtle means to get even with his brother.
Placing a minor spell of illusion upon the fifteen-year-old Riff—who had lately become quite favored by female attention—he suddenly developed a slight crimp to his style. For the next time he tried to kiss one of his many girlfriends good night, the spell caused her to see herself kissing a frog. Riff nearly jumped five feet at the girl’s scream, afterwards scratching her name out of his ‘little black book’.