The Stone Dragon

by H. M. Gooden

  The girls nodded and smiled and the guys smiled back.

  "Hey, I'm Dustin, and this is Jake. Nice to meet you. Are you in town for long?"

  Dustin, the taller and blonder of the two guys gave them a perfect smile and Cat could tell that he probably got pretty much whatever he wanted from almost everyone wherever he went. His charisma was off the hook and he clearly knew it. Still, his aura was clean, and he seemed like a nice guy. Jake, with dark blond buzzed hair, was more muscular looking and a little shorter. He smiled as well, but didn't speak. He seemed quieter and had a dark blue aura with a feeling of water magic about it.

  Cat glanced sideways at Mai and noticed her friend blushing.

  Hmm, interesting. This could be something to watch.

  Vanessa caught the small interplay as well and one eyebrow rose as she glanced over at her sister. Unspoken agreement passed between the two girls and Cat knew that Vanessa would be playing Cupid before much longer if Mai didn't do something about it herself first. Cat shook her head slightly in amusement, before tuning back into the conversation again.

  "We're in town for a few more days. Sadly, school starts again next week. We're hoping to find a few parties or things we could do, places to see before we go back." Evelyn smoothly answered Dustin's question, flashing a smile with her typical take-charge charm.

  Cat smirked inwardly. Trust her friend to invite herself along in a way that was endearing and not pathetic, unlike Cat's usual awkward attempts. It was great having a friend who had cool-kid credibility.

  Dustin smiled at Evelyn with an interested look before glancing at Jake, who tilted his head slightly.

  "Well, we're planning on going to a little impromptu thing tonight. You guys are more than welcome to come, if you want. It's at another guy's house though. Have you met Kevin yet?"

  Cat looked at the girls, as the same thought flashed through each of their minds.

  Bullseye.

  Just the invite that they'd been hoping for.

  "Are you both going?" Mai asked, looking at Jake, becoming noticeably pinker in the cheeks to Cat's sensitive eye.

  Jake looked back at Mai.

  Score!

  Cat watched as Jake also turned a deeper shade of rose in response. She felt a tingle of excitement for her friend. Although everything felt crazy and intense, this was a whole different, fun kind of excitement, and she didn't think that Mai was used to it at all, which made it that much more delicious.

  "Um, yeah, I think so. It should be fun." Jake had a nice deep voice and spoke more quietly than his friend.

  Mai smiled at him and he smiled back. Dustin noticed and raised his eyebrow as well at their conversation, looking at Vanessa.

  "So, it looks like your friend's going. Do you want us to swing by and pick you guys up? Jake has the ultimate in conveyance. A sweet, sweet minivan." Dustin said, looking at his friend before relenting. "Okay, what it loses in coolness it makes up for in carrying capacity. It seats seven, so we have lots of room for four beautiful ladies."

  Vanessa laughed, then punched him lightly on the shoulder.

  "You're on. What time should we expect you?"

  Dustin looked at his watch.

  "Give us a few hours to sort some stuff out and then we can come get you around eight? It won't be that late of a night. Shooting starts at six am for us tomorrow."

  Vanessa groaned. "Thank God I don't have to be here that early. My scene isn't until at least ten, so I'm not planning on rolling out of bed any earlier than nine if I don't have to."

  Dustin shrugged dismissively. "Fight scene. All the guys have to be here for that. The ladies get a break tomorrow, so you can consider it a Christmas present from the head cheese."

  Vanessa batted her eyelashes as she simpered.

  "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers," she drawled, causing everyone to laugh.

  The group broke up after that, with the guys waving and walking out one way while the girls went the other way after Vanessa gave them her address. As they walked away, Vanessa looked at Mai, noticing her cheeks were still a little flushed.

  "So Mai, what do you think of Jake? He seems nice, doesn't he?"

  Mai looked at Vanessa, her eyes wide and guilty before they slid away, not making full eye contact.

  "Um, yeah, I think so. Why? Oh no! Did I do something wrong?" She put her hands on her cheeks, looking worried.

  Vanessa laughed kindly. "No, you were just fine. I couldn't help but notice that he seemed to be interested in you."

  Mai looked at her hopefully. "Really?" said Mai. "Do you think so? He seems really wonderful..." she trailed off, looking dreamy. "There's something about him that feels very comfortable."

  Cat nodded and looked at Evelyn. "Probably his water magic."

  Evelyn agreed. "Yup, Definitely that. What do you think, Cat? Creature? Human? Bit of both?"

  Cat shrugged while Mai looked at them in amazement.

  "What? Do you really think so?" Mai sighed, then brought her arms around her waist hugging herself lightly, lovingly.

  Cat nodded. "He definitely has abilities. Stronger than my dad, but I can't tell how strong. He has a dark strong blue aura and a depth that I associate with the ocean. So it's completely possible he's something strong, but we probably won't know what unless he tells us."

  Cat looked at Vanessa, sharing a thought as only sisters can. Cat addressed Mai slowly, as though she was just coming up with the idea as she talked.

  "Mai, I wonder if you could spend some time talking to Jake? Maybe see if he's someone we can count on, or need to watch out for. Is that something you'd feel comfortable doing? It could be dangerous."

  Mai looked at her with both trepidation and excitement.

  "I guess I could, if it was important." She seemed to draw herself up a little, almost talking to herself. "That could work, I think. Maybe I will see if I can get him to say anything in conversation. Of course, I would have to get him alone, if I were to pry any sensitive information out of him. It might not work at the party if too many people are around."

  Vanessa clapped her hand on Mai's shoulder.

  "Don't you worry about that. Between the four of us, I think we can make an opportunity for you to get Jake alone somewhere."

  Mai looked up nervously at the word 'alone', but Vanessa smoothly reassured her.

  "I'm not overly worried about you, Mai. After all, you can turn into a frickin' dragon."

  Mai nodded. "True. I keep forgetting that. I guess being a dragon is better protection than pepper spray."

  The girls laughed at her joke, amused and surprised at how much their quiet friend was blossoming with each passing day.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  The drama and flurry of activity at the apartment later that night was right out of a tornado movie. With four girls and only one bathroom, there was a lot of occasionally heated discussion about who needed what at what time. Cat and Vanessa's parents had taken one look at the apartment, heard what was happening, then quickly decided to go watch a movie.

  Cat's mom summed it up nicely as they left.

  "No way in hell am I getting in the way of four teenage girls and a single bathroom. Mindy, out," she muttered as they left.

  Cat smiled at her mother's exasperation, giving her parents a kiss before they hurried away. Cat wasn't concerned about how she looked, given her sole interest was in finding and neutralizing this Kevin guy, whom she'd yet to meet.

  The situation was far different for the others though. Evelyn and Mai hoped to make a good impression, with Evelyn intrigued with Dustin's charm and overall babeliness, while Mai was practically mooning over Jake. Cat had a sneaking suspicion if things went well that night, she might see what soul mates looked like for the first time. Not love itself, since she knew her parents loved each other and had a good relationship, but actual soul mates. Considering the way Jake had looked at Mai and her instant attraction to him, Cat felt this could be one of the great romances of history. The sp
arks she'd sensed between them were impressive. Truthfully, it made her feel jealous and wistful. She wouldn't mind having that feeling some day.

  Vanessa was being her normal, charismatic, and beautiful self. While she wasn't interested in any of the guys, she still needed to make a good impression for her own satisfaction, and was in front of the one mirror applying all kinds of powders and paints. Cat had finished dressing before her parents had even escaped, in a nice shirt and pair of jeans, with lip gloss. She'd even left her hair down for a change, which took about five minutes, total. She sat on the couch, watching the others prep with amusement.

  Mai was worried that she'd make a social misstep and asked everyone's opinion on her appearance multiple times. Cat was getting tired of telling her that she looked beautiful but didn't stop, knowing the level of insecurity Mai was showing was due solely to the idea that she was supposed to get Jake alone, which simultaneously terrified and delighted her beyond words.

  Finally, after what felt like hours, everyone was ready. They were sitting around talking about nothing while waiting for the guys to show up when the doorbell rang. Vanessa and Mai both jumped to their feet, but Vanessa motioned to Mai to sit back down.

  "I'll get it. You don't want to look too eager."

  Mai nodded and sat holding her hands, knuckles whitening slightly. Cat put her hand over Mai's, sending a pulse of energy to her friend to help her relax. Mai smiled, then immediately tensed again when Dustin and Jake entered the room.

  "Hey, ladies. All ready to go? I don't guarantee a great time, but if the party sucks we can all go get burgers or something after."

  Dustin smiled equally at everyone, then Evelyn stood up, walking over and nonchalantly tilting her head to look up at him.

  "Sounds good. I'm always hungry after these things."

  Dustin smiled at her, then gestured to the door.

  "Follow me. Our steed awaits, my lady."

  Evelyn laughed lightly at his corny joke and followed him down the stairs.

  Jake was standing at the door and made a similar gesture, with eyes only for Mai.

  "Ladies first."

  Cat and Mai grabbed their coats and followed behind Evelyn and Dustin, while Vanessa locked up behind everyone. Once outside, it was obvious that some seating rearrangements had happened. Evelyn ended up sitting shotgun instead of Jake, while Cat and Vanessa silently moved to sit in the far back, leaving Jake and Mai to sit across from each other in the middle row.

  It was interesting sitting in the back, observing but not taking part in the conversation. Vanessa was watching Jake and Mai intently, as if she was at a movie and in serious need of popcorn. Cat glanced to the front where Dustin and Evelyn were having a lively lighthearted debate. Both were charming and easy going and their interaction looked natural and fun. However, when she turned to look at Mai and Jake in the middle, it was a completely different story. Cat agreed wholeheartedly with Vanessa's rapt expression. It was easy to see the two strangers were both enthralled and scared of each other. Cat felt like she was watching Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time. Although the conversation was stilted, the intensity was breathtaking. By the time they'd arrived at their destination, the awkwardness had thawed a little and Jake and Mai were able to talk almost normally.

  They all got out in front of a tall wooden house, a narrow three story like all the other houses in the area. Dustin led the way with Evelyn right beside him, still talking animatedly. Jake and Mai followed but fell behind, oblivious to their surroundings as they talked, so Cat and Vanessa went on ahead.

  "SO, ARE YOU FROM AROUND here?" Jake walked close, but not close enough to touch her. Mai felt like she could breathe again, now that they were outside of the enclosed van, but still felt short of breath as she replied.

  "Um, yes. My family has been in San Francisco for over a hundred years."

  Mai was so thankful that Vanessa had spent some time prepping her in how to answer some of the more tricky questions before she'd started working with her and talking to people. She'd pointed out the problem of her origins long before Mai had realized it could be an issue and she was grateful more than ever now, as she didn't think she'd have been able to come up with something quickly while walking beside this strange and handsome man. She peered at him through her lashes and saw him nod as they kept walking, still lagging behind the others.

  "I just moved here a few years ago. I'm from Norway originally, but I’ve always wanted to travel." He smiled down at her. "I guess you could say the sea is in my blood."

  When Mai stopped walking to look at him with confusion, he laughed.

  "Sorry, I was referring to the Vikings, of course. They were known to be seafarers. It's kind of a cultural stereotype. But for my family at least, the sea is very important to us. I just wouldn't feel right if I was living somewhere far away from it." Jake looked sheepish as he spoke, falling silent as they ambled along.

  Mai saw that the others were walking up the stairs and slowed her pace further, not yet wanting to be plunged into the activity of a house party.

  "The sea is important to me too," she offered shyly. She wanted to let him know about the water magic within, but while Cat and Evelyn had been certain he had his own elemental powers, she didn't know how to bring it up.

  But by now, they had reached the stairs and Mai knew she was out of time. Jake offered her his hand.

  "Here, let me help you. These stairs are steep. I fell down them last month after a hard rain made them really slippery. Luckily, I only injured my pride."

  Jake stood there, earnest and kind with his hand outstretched, and Mai nervously accepted his offer. The moment her hand touched his for the first time, she felt her blood begin to thrum through her body with increased power. She took in the sight of her smaller, paler hand in his larger one. It felt rough and warm, with a small sprinkling of dark hair on the back. It looked like it belonged there. Mai smiled with happiness and followed him up to the apartment.

  THE FOYER THAT THE group had entered into branched out into an open concept living room with old narrow slat wooden floors. There were about ten or fifteen people already there and soft music played in the background. It looked like an even mix of males and females in casual groupings of three or four people and seemed to be a nice, low key event Cat thought she'd enjoy if she knew everyone in the room. Unfortunately, she didn't and she wasn't eager to try learning anyone's name. Her single goal for the evening was to find a guy named Kevin and find out what his game was, then see if she needed to stop him.

  "Promise you won't leave me, Vanessa," she hissed to her sister through a fake smile. With Evelyn and Mai already fully occupied with Dustin and Jake, Cat didn't want to be left alone without a buffer. She may have come a long way in terms of hanging out, but she still didn't enjoy events with strangers.

  Her sister gave her the patronizing big-sister shtick, but at least answered with the support Cat had hoped for.

  "Yes, I shall protect you, little one. Let's go around the room and I'll introduce you to anyone I know and ask for the names of those I don't. Okay?"

  Cat nodded, not even irritated by Vanessa being her snotty sister for a change.

  True to her promise, Vanessa walked around the room with Cat, making small talk and generally schmoozing everyone with a skill that made Cat jealous. Everyone seemed nice. Most were people Vanessa knew from work, with only a few that she didn't who'd come with the others as dates.

  Finally, they found their target. They entered a spacious open kitchen and saw a red headed guy, about six feet tall with an average build, standing beside the sink pouring drinks. He was conversing easily with two girls and seemed completely average until Cat used her aura vision. She did see a soul, thankfully, but the one she saw was very dark, almost black and kind of shrunken, like an old piece of fruit.

  He saw Vanessa and Cat enter the kitchen and stopped what he was doing.

  "Hey girl! I'm so glad to see you here. You never come out with us! Can I get you a
drink or something?"

  Kevin went over to Vanessa and air kissed both sides of her cheeks while holding her shoulders loosely.

  Vanessa returned the ritual and answered him with a big smile.

  "Sure, but just a Diet Coke tonight, Kev. Our parents are out and I'm on set tomorrow. Don't want to look like crap."

  Kevin laughed loudly, as though Vanessa had told a joke before he handed her a can.

  "Of course, dearie. And who is this little firecracker?"

  Kevin cocked his head towards Cat, who gave a little wave.

  "Hi, I'm Cat, Vanessa's sister. Just here, visiting with the folks for the holidays."

  Kevin clapped his hands. "Oh, that's fabulous! Can I get you a drink?"

  Cat nodded. "Diet Coke is fine for me too. You have a lovely place."

  Cat felt stilted and awkward, but no one seemed to notice. Kevin actually started to gush about how he'd acquired the place and decorated it. Cat tuned out his words pretty quickly, but managed to nod and smile at the right times.

  When he handed her the drink, she 'accidentally' brushed his hand and explored his aura up close. What she felt was troubling. Yes, he was human and seemed outwardly nice, inside his aura she found a depth of evil that she hadn't seen before in a human. Maybe this was where Dub found his acolytes, among the darkest people.

  She tried to remove some of the dark parts of the stain that she saw on Kevin's soul, but they wouldn’t budge. Confused, she tried again without touching him, as it would have been very strange if she stayed there, trying to hold his hand. Still nothing. It was as if his soul was just plain dark and there was nothing to remove or regrow. It was just like that. Cat then realized that as much as there were auras that were silver, gold, red, or blue, there must also be black as well, if only as part of the natural order and light spectrum.

  Resigned to the idea that Kevin wasn't salvageable and determined to let Vanessa know that she needed to be really careful around him in the future, human or not, Cat thanked him for the drink and asked where the bathroom was. He happily pointed her in the right direction and she smiled and left. Vanessa, curious by her abrupt departure, excused herself and followed Cat out of the room.