Never Dare a Dragon

by Ashlyn Chase

  “Yes, er, excuse me, I have to, um…” Kristine headed toward the downstairs bathroom.

  Drake smirked. “I guess we’re done here. I’ll go home to my beautiful wife and son and count my blessings on the way.”

  * * *

  Amy and Kristine rode the train back to New York. With three and a half hours to sit and talk, they processed a lot of what they had learned not only about their species but also about their extended family.

  “So, are you okay with possibly being related to Conlan?” Kristine whispered, hoping no one would overhear their bizarre conversation.

  Amy leaned back and sighed. “You’d think I’d be extra sensitive to that, but to be honest, I really don’t care. If we are related, it’s not that close. They have an orange marking in their widow’s peaks, and ours are yellow.”

  “So, if you have children, will they have orange streaks or yellow streaks or orange-yellow?”

  Amy chuckled. “I don’t know. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”

  Kristine gazed at her lap. “So, I guess my father’s marking was yellow like ours, right?”

  “I never saw it. He probably dyed his hair regularly. It was quite dark, and I don’t think that was natural. His complexion was like ours. Peaches and cream.” Amy rolled her eyes. “He used to refer to himself as tall, dark, handsome, and humble.”

  “Geez, I’m kind of glad I never got to know him.”

  “You and me both.”

  The two of them laughed. What a difference, Kristine thought. Her mother guarded that secret so carefully for so long. It was freeing to have it out in the open now.

  “So, Mom, do you really love Conlan?”

  Amy smiled with a glow in her eyes. “I really do. He’s the one I’ve been waiting for. He’s thoughtful, generous, intelligent, and handsome, and he has a sexy accent to boot.”

  Kristine believed her. “I’m really happy for you, Mom.”

  “And how about you? Are you really in love with Jayce?”

  Kristine thought about the night on the boat. He was exactly as her mother described. Thoughtful, generous, intelligent, and handsome, and even though his Boston accent wasn’t sexy, the rest of him certainly was. His temporary immaturity could be forgiven. It was the result of sacrificing himself for the good of others. All because she was determined to go through with her plan, and he wouldn’t let her do it alone. What an idiot I was.

  “Without a doubt. I found the right man for me too.”

  Amy hugged her, and she returned the loving gesture.

  “So, why don’t the two of you share our wedding date?”

  Kristine laughed. “Isn’t it enough that you’re sharing it already with Rory and Amber?”

  “The more the merrier,” Amy said with an animated grin.

  Kristine smirked. “We’re still getting to know each other and have a lot of things to work out. But I appreciate your holding off until August so Jayce can at least attend as a guest. A human guest.”

  “Well, the invitation is there. You two can decide what to do about it later.”

  Kristine remained quiet. Even if Jayce agreed, at this point he was still a little kid and didn’t really know what he was agreeing to. She’d have to wait until he had his adult brain and power of speech so they could discuss it rationally as a couple.

  “Let’s not count on that. I’d rather focus on you and your special day. What are you going to wear?”

  With a wistful, faraway look in her eyes, Amy described the designer gown she had seen in the Vera Wang window. It was long, silky, and sleek. It would hug her curves and, hopefully, not upstage Amber. “I think I’ll have it made in aqua. Conlan loves the color of my eyes.”

  “That sounds perfect. And where are you planning to live?”

  Amy turned to her with enthusiasm. “Didn’t I tell you? We found out the baseball player and his wife who own the apartment building next door to the B and B are expecting baby number two. They’re moving to the suburbs, and since everyone in the building is paranormal, we’d fit right in!”

  Kristine’s brows shot up. “You’re renting the penthouse? Can you and Conlan afford that?”

  She laughed. “With ease. Conlan will be importing Arish whiskey to sell on this side of the pond, and I’ll be teaching acting at Emerson College. The drama department is right down the street!”

  “Really? When did you apply?”

  “Yesterday. They just had an instructor quit at the end of last semester, and they jumped at the chance to have a real Broadway actress and professional coach take her place.”

  “That’s fabulous! I had no idea!”

  After another hug, she wondered what the penthouse looked like on the inside. Outside, a lot of floor-to-ceiling glass was visible, and it looked very modern. In fact, it stood out in the old Boston area as if a spaceship had landed on one of the roofs. “Are you going to bring all your Hummel figurines to the fancy new place?”

  “Maybe not. I doubt they’ll fit in with the decor. But there is some storage in the basement.”

  Amy looped her arm through her daughter’s. “We haven’t had a lot of time for just the two of us to sit and talk. I’m glad we have this long train ride in order to catch up.”

  Kristine could have done without the commuter train stopping at every Connecticut town of any size along the way, but it was nice to have her concerns for her mother’s well-being put to rest. Now if she could just figure out an amenable arrangement with Jayce. Sadly, she doubted their cards would fall into place as easily as that. One of them was going to have to sacrifice everything.

  Chapter 16

  It was the end of June, and Jayce’s little brother, Luca, was graduating from high school. Mrs. Fierro had invited Kristine to attend, and it did happen to fall on her latest three days off. As kind as it was for her to be included in their family event, Kristine just didn’t feel right attending without Jayce.

  She supposed she could go with him, letting him ride like a parrot on her shoulder, but looking like a pirate wouldn’t exactly blend in. Instead she suggested that she visit with Jayce at their home, keeping him company while everyone else was gone. Jayce must be about fourteen years old mentally by now, so they might be able to have a decent conversation.

  Before the family left for Boston Latin High School, Mr. Fierro took the front-door key off his key ring and handed it to Kristine. “If you need anything or just feel like going out for a walk, please lock the front door.”

  “Wow,” Luca said. “You must really trust her, Dad.”

  “I trust her just fine. It’s the rest of Boston I worry about walking in and helping themselves to our priceless treasures.” He laughed.

  “Come on, Antonio,” Gabriella said. “We’re going to make Luca late for his lineup. We need to leave now.” She surprised Kristine by walking over to her and kissing her on both cheeks. “Thank you for staying with Jayce. I know he appreciates it.”

  Kristine thought if he appreciated it so much, he’d probably show up. He was nowhere to be found. “Where is he?”

  “In the basement, dear. He tries to fly outside sometimes. So we close the door when he goes down there to eat.”

  That seemed odd to Kristine. “Isn’t he old enough to understand that you want him to stay in?”

  Gabriella sighed. “Jayce was always the rebel.”

  Antonio snorted and said, “And how. Where’s Luca?”

  “Already outside. I saw him leave while your backs were turned,” Kristine said.

  “Come on, Gabriella. You’re the one who wanted to get going, remember?”

  “Yes, yes. We’ll see you in a couple of hours, Kristine, dear.” And with that, she hurried after her husband and closed the door behind them.

  Kristine had better let Jayce out. She strode over to the basement door and opened it.

&n
bsp; Jayce must have been waiting at the top of the stairs because he flew out immediately and landed on her head.

  She giggled. “I’m glad to see you too.”

  He hopped onto her shoulder and leaned in, laying his cheek against hers.

  Encouraged, she looked forward to a conversation with him. A real conversation.

  “Let’s find your board so we can talk.”

  They started in the living room, looking all around for the thing. “Damn. They must’ve put it away,” Kristine said when she couldn’t find it. “Do you know where it is?”

  Jayce did his best to shake his head. Basically, he looked at her with his right eye, then his left, and then his right again.

  “I’m sure it’s around here somewhere.” She moved to the dining room and tried opening the drawers at the bottom of the hutch. All she found was silverware napkins and tablecloths. “Not here.” She moved on to the kitchen and began looking in drawers and cabinets there. No luck. “Well, without going through every room in your house, I guess we just better enjoy being in each other’s company.”

  He hung his head.

  “What, you don’t like my company?”

  He squawked and took off, flying in a circle around her. Then he landed on her shoulder again and leaned in to touch her cheek.

  “I love you too.”

  She stroked his feathers. He made a different sound this time. Almost like a coo. Perhaps they could communicate a little bit if she learned some bird-speak.

  “I’ve been thinking… One of us is going to have to compromise if we’re to be together.”

  He squawked.

  She wished she knew what he meant by that, but for now she’d just elaborate on what she said and perhaps that would give her more of a clue.

  “If we want to stay with the fire service and each other, one of us will have to start completely over. I was thinking, since you’re already a lieutenant, and I just took the lieutenant’s exam in New York…”

  She didn’t have a chance to finish her thought. Jayce took off and squawked, squawked, squawked as he flew around the room.

  “Are you upset because I took the lieutenant’s exam? Or that I think I should be the one to make the sacrifice?”

  He must’ve been totally frustrated and distracted because she hadn’t really given him a way to answer both questions at once. He flew into the wall.

  Kristine gasped and jumped up. By the time she reached him, he was already on his feet.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t phrase that correctly. Are you upset because I took the lieutenant’s exam in case I stay in New York?”

  He took off again and squawked as he circled the room and then slammed into a different wall.

  “Jayce! Are you doing this on purpose? Or do you just not know where the walls are?”

  He righted himself and turned his head to stare at her with his right eye. She slapped herself upside the head. “Oh crap. I did it again. We need to come up with a code. How about if you look at me with your right eye for yes and your left eye for no? I’ll try to remember to ask one question at a time.”

  Jayce just stood there, not looking left or right. Sheesh. What did that mean?

  “This isn’t going very well, is it?”

  He looked at her with his right eye.

  “Okay. Maybe we can do this. First, I should tell you everything that’s been going on. Then we can make some decisions, if you feel you’re ready to do that.”

  She waited for him to look left or right. He took the neutral position, facing her head-on. Well, she hadn’t really asked a question.

  “Okay, here goes. First off, my mother is engaged to a dragon she met here in Boston. She’ll be living with him in the apartment building next door to the B and B. If she were returning to New York, I wouldn’t be able to leave her. It’s hard enough to trust this man she just met—correction, this dragon she just met. So, that means I would either live alone in New York and visit you periodically, or—”

  Again, he didn’t give her a chance to finish her thought. He squawked his head off and flew around the room, this time smashing into a window.

  “Damn it, Jayce! Knock it off.” She thought about what she just said, and before he knocked his head off, she quickly amended, “I mean, stop it! Sheesh!” If a teenage human brain hasn’t fully developed, a teenage birdbrain must really be a problem!

  He took off again, but she was having none of it. She grabbed the afghan off the couch and tossed it over him like a fisherman tossing his net, trapping him and letting gravity take him to the ground. He squawked once as if surprised.

  What now? She couldn’t just leave him there. But it was for his own good. Before he knocked himself out or did some serious damage. “I did this because I can’t let you hurt yourself.”

  He just resumed squawking and thrashed under the afghan.

  How could she make him more comfortable and yet not let him out completely? She wondered if she crawled under there with him whether he would welcome her presence or peck her eyes out. “Jayce would never hurt me,” she muttered. With that hope, she crawled under the afghan, making sure she didn’t create any spaces big enough for him to get out.

  When she finally managed to wiggle her whole body under it, she sat up and let her head be a tent pole. Jayce stepped toward her and opened his wings once, as if stretching his arms. Then he waited quietly.

  Kristine was afraid to say anything at all. At least anything that might set him off. He must’ve been a rough teenager. She wondered if he had smashed his fist into a wall when he was really pissed.

  “Are you all right?”

  He looked at her with his right eye.

  “I imagine a normal—I mean, ordinary bird could have broken a bone or suffered head trauma…or worse.”

  He just sat there in the neutral position.

  “You scared me.”

  He hung his head.

  After a brief silence, she said, “I’m so sorry. You wouldn’t be in this situation if it hadn’t been for me and my vigilante justice.”

  He looked at her with his right eye, then the left.

  She chuckled. “Yes and no. I get it.”

  He hopped over, jumped up onto her leg, and then he cocked his head.

  “Ah. You want to know if I’ll lift the blanket now?”

  He turned his head to look at her with his right eye.

  “I will if you promise not to lose your cool again—no matter what. Got it?”

  He bobbed his head.

  “Okay.” Here goes. She gathered the afghan and threw it off. Thank goodness he stayed where he was.

  She thought of a way to pass the time without letting her big mouth get her into any more trouble. “Would you like me to read to you?”

  He bobbed his head and then used his right eye to signal yes. Lucky for her, she’d loaded up her phone with some great books.

  “I’ll be right back. I just have to get my phone out of my backpack.”

  What would a teenage boy want to read? She had a great variety of books from breezy chick lit to dark thrillers. Maybe he’d like a young adult novel?

  They spent the next three hours engrossed in the start of a wonderful series. Before she realized how much time had passed, the Fierros—all of them—arrived back at the house.

  Dante greeted her first with a saucy, “Hey, beautiful!”

  Jayce flew onto her shoulder as if to stake his claim. The other brothers said hello but didn’t try to goad Jayce. There’s a smart-ass in every bunch. “Don’t worry,” she whispered to Jayce. “I’m all yours.”

  When Mr. Fierro Senior stomped into the house, she knew something was wrong.

  Gabriella had to run to keep up with him. “Calm down, Antonio. Luca’s young. He doesn’t know what he wants yet.”

  Antonio whirled
on his youngest son, who entered the house last, and practically roared. “Oh, he knows what he wants all right. He wants to be a cop!”

  “For Chrissake, Dad. You’d think I want to sell drugs or guns without background checks. I want to be a peace officer. At least I’d get to go home every day.”

  Antonio mumbled under his breath, “Not to my home, you don’t.”

  Luca tipped up his chin. “Fine. I’ll move out.”

  Gabriella intervened by inserting herself between the two of them. “Now, stop it. Both of you, before things are said that can’t be taken back.”

  The wind went out of Antonio’s sails. “You’re right, hon.” He glared at his son. “We’ll discuss this later.”

  Luca breezed by them and disappeared into another room. Jayce flew off after him.

  “If you’re worried about a little family drama scaring me off, don’t be,” Kristine said. “Jayce and I had our own little drama, and I’m still here.”

  “Oh?” Gabriella said, wringing her hands. “What happened?”

  “It’s nothing we can’t work out in a few more weeks. Let’s just say that teenage Jayce wasn’t much easier to deal with than four-year-old Jayce.”

  Gabriella burst out laughing and left the room. Her laughter followed her all the way to the kitchen.

  Antonio smirked. “You got that right.”

  * * *

  Kristine and the elder Fierros had agreed that waiting until Jayce shifted to human again before the two reunited would be a smart idea. So she had returned to New York and worked her shifts. Since Jayce had to wait in phoenix form for another six weeks, Kristine arranged to take summer classes and finish her degree early. She missed Jayce terribly and was ninety-nine percent sure she’d be moving to Boston—even if it meant giving up her firefighting career. It wouldn’t hurt to have the degree, no matter what she did.

  She spent her off hours sorting through her belongings and donating what she didn’t want. If anyone was going to make the sacrifice, she wanted it to be her. His family obligations were important to him, and now her only family would be in Boston too. She just had to be sure Jayce could get his job back—and that he still wanted her.