by Leela Ash
“I truly don’t understand,” the underling said, shaking his head sadly. “Chaos makes far more sense. We do not have to try so hard for an end that does not serve everybody. At least if we are able to disrupt this negative outcome from happening, we will be spared countless years of torture and die with our pride still intact.”
“That’s what it’s all about,” Master Kin said. He gave an approving nod to his minion and then took a deep breath. “Now, I’m going to need you to undertake the greatest task today. I want you to be able to show me exactly where everybody who took the flyer lives. I know you were able to put a tracking spell on each paper. That is the first step in locating the Dragon born shifters and the potential descendants. We have to prevent any more Golden Children from being born. They are the anti-Chaos. We need to keep the Sun Dragons and the Loni descendants apart so they are not able to procreate. You know the child of such a union is a direct threat to our mission.”
“Yes, sir. Let’s do that right now. I have the first person’s location already mapped out.”
“Great,” Master Kin said, very pleased with himself for the foresight of utilizing the Jornel people for his task of stopping the Dragon shifters before they were able to achieve their aggravating idyllic goals. They were small and not very warrior-like, but they were exceptionally organized and made for brilliant strategists. Kin’s own people were powerful and densely muscled, made for war and spilling blood. That was why it was so hard for Kin to fathom how they had come to enter a peace treaty with the people of the planet Fiora. It made no sense to him.
“It may take some time, so if you have other things you would like to do with your day…”
“No,” Kin interrupted quickly. “That’s exactly how I was hoping to spend the afternoon. Come. We will go back to the base to retrieve some supplies and then locate each paper. In the name of Chaos, we will stop these good for nothing Dragon shifters once and for all, before it is too late.”
The Jornel nodded dutifully and soon, they were off, Master Kin leading the way back to the lair, where the other Jornel were hard at work in plotting the eventual downfall of the entire shifter species. Secretly, Kin’s war was a selfish one, waged against the people he perceived responsible for ousting him from his home planet. He would have preferred to die over exile of this sort, and he was going to make sure that the Dragon shifters suffered, if it was the last thing he ever did.
4.
“What do you mean you were in a car accident?” Gavin exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air dramatically. “Why is it so difficult for you guys to drive safely here? You can navigate space time, but you can’t follow a few simple road rules? What the hell is the matter with you?”
Norris had been anticipating just such a reaction from Gavin, although now that it was happening, he couldn’t help but feel a little bit put off by it. He had been asked to drive the moving van home. It hadn’t been his idea. He just wanted to help out; there was love in the air after all. And who was he to put a stop to that?
“But…”
“I swear, you guys are useless sometimes!” Gavin went on, taking his glasses off and wiping them furiously with the cloth he kept in his back pocket. “I can’t believe you would be so reckless!”
Norris inhaled sharply, agitated by the bombardment of negativity. Ken had asked him to drive the van home and out of the kindness of his heart, he had agreed to help out.
Little had he known, he was going to somehow (and quite literally) run into the strange, striking woman at the intersection where he had collided with her. The person he hadn’t been able to get out of his mind for more than three minutes at a time. It was actually very obnoxious, and he was almost relieved to hear Gavin lecturing him, all just so he wasn’t forced back into thinking about a woman who clearly detested him.
“I swear, I’m going to have you all take defensive driving courses. Again.”
“It’s not that big a deal, Gavin,” Norris grumbled, checking his watch. “We have really good insurance.”
“Not anymore!” Gavin exclaimed. “Do you know how much higher the premiums are going to go up? We are practically just working to pay off the damn insurance at this point!”
Norris scoffed. “What does it matter?” he asked, frowning. “This is just Earth currency. You know there is so much more to life than that. We are royalty! Dragon born shifters! This is all below our concerns. Petty troubles that really mean nothing in the grand scheme of things.”
“Um. It means something if we can’t make our rent,” Gavin said, doing his best to keep his tone even and failing miserably at it. “Just because you were royalty once doesn’t mean that everything on this planet is going to be handed to you.”
Norris scowled. He didn’t like this conversation. But Gavin continued.
“We have to work really hard to blend in here. We have to make sure that everything is by the books, or people are going to start asking questions. And I don’t know about you, but I am really not prepared to give them any answers yet. They’re just going to get in the way of us being able to find our fated mates and doing what is necessary to allow the shifter magic to remain in the universe.”
“All right, all right,” Norris said, holding his hands up in the air. “I’ll take the stupid driving course. But you know it wasn’t my idea. I was just trying to help the new guy out. He had a date.”
“Yeah, I know,” Gavin said, shaking his head in exasperation. “I just wish you guys would be more careful. Things aren’t as easy to fix on Earth as they are at home. And you guys keep acting as if we’re going to just magically be brought back and somehow, magically un-banished.”
“Won’t they let us back if we secure shifter magic in the universe? They will see how hard we worked and let us come home,” Norris pointed out.
“We hope so, but we can’t know that for sure! This isn’t just a field trip. The elders thought we were criminals and they kicked us out of our homes for good. We live on Earth. This is home now. We have to follow the rules and make sure we are doing everything in our power not to draw attention to ourselves. In the meantime, we really have to start buckling down about finding our fated mates. We are so close, but if we don’t then we might end up doomed.”
“I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure I have already found mine.”
Gavin frowned, quirking his brow at Norris. “You already found yours?”
“Well, I think so,” Norris said, thumbing at his chin thoughtfully. “The girl that I hit in the car accident. I can’t stop thinking about her. I think she’s the one.”
“You can’t be sure about that, Norris. Did you use the device?”
“You know I didn’t have it with me. And that is definitely for the best, considering we were in a car accident and the moving van had significant damage done to it. What if it had been harmed during the incident? Truly, the universe works in mysterious ways.”
“That’s true. I was trying to work out the rest of the bugs in it this afternoon. But how can you be sure she is your fated mate if you haven’t even run the test yet?”
“Isn’t that something you just feel?” Norris asked.
His mind wandered back to Lisa. The woman seemed incredibly perfect. She was blonde, tall, with deep blue eyes that seemed to look straight through his soul. Not only was he deeply attracted to her, although most men would probably find her looks to be fairly plain, but he was certain she had been interested in him as well. No matter how much she resented him, there was a definite spark that had been impossible to ignore. And he had noticed that more than once. It was obvious they were meant to be together in some form or another.
Gavin laughed and shrugged. “I guess that is the old-fashioned way to do it. It’s just that it’s hard to tell on Earth. Back on our home planet, it was never any question whether or not the person you were talking to actually had Dragon blood running through their veins. However, it was far more rare to find somebody who also carried the sacred Loni bloodline. You know
it is those women alone who are able to bear the sacred children.”
“Of course, I know that,” Norris said. “And I know it is far riskier to determine whether or not the person you are infatuated with is actually going to be the person you are meant to be with. But I trust my intuition and I always have. I know you are all from very noble families, but mine outranks yours by a long shot, and no offense, but my bloodline is far more discerning than that of many of the others. You know this to be fact. It is part of our ceremonial rights.”
Gavin nodded. “I do understand this. And I trust your judgment. However, if you do get a chance to test her for sure, I’ll be very curious indeed to find out if she bears Loni blood. This is not something to tamper with. Fate can be very strange that way. Maybe you are simply fated to be with a different sort of woman. But, in the off chance she is part Loni, it would be helpful to be prepared.”
“If I get the chance, I will,” Norris promised. “But hey, Gavin, please don’t tell anybody else about this. I don’t want to get their hopes up about anything. You know how it is. I probably shouldn’t have even told you.”
“Well, you know how I am about these things, so it isn’t going to disappoint me in any event.”
Norris nodded. “I knew I could count on you. Thanks.”
Gavin nodded grimly, his mind clearly still on the dangerously rising insurance premiums and the difficulty of keeping the household afloat. It was one thing to operate a successful moving company, and quite another to make sure all the bills were paid, and they were making a profit.
“Oh, that reminds me,” Gavin said. “I’m going to need you to do security for the hideout. I know it’s not going to be the funnest thing in the world, especially if you are starting to seek out your fated mate, but it’s extremely important that we make sure all the artifacts are secured. There have been a lot of concerning negative energy readings in the area lately, and I want to make sure that everything is safe and sound.”
“That’s fine,” Norris said, pulling the flyer out of his pocket. He had been holding onto it since Ken had given it to him at the restaurant. For some reason, it made him think of Lisa. A place to take her out on a date, perhaps. “Can you find somebody else for this day? I was really curious about what this place is like.”
Gavin barely glanced at the flyer, looking only long enough to check the date, and nodded with a small shrug. “I’m sure we can arrange something. Carter ought to be free that day.”
“Thanks,” Norris said, smiling broadly. Maybe he could go find Lisa and take her there for a date. Why not, right?
But then again, she had hardly wanted a thing to do with him. Why would it suddenly change? Why would she want to go out with him when he could tell it had taken everything she had not to bite his head off?
But that could have just been nerves from the accident. If he ran into her again, he would invite her to the grand opening of this place and they would figure out whether or not she was actually someone he could spend the rest of his life with. Dragon shifter with Loni blood or not, he wanted her. And he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
5.
“Are you kidding me? This is ridiculous!”
But the representatives had already hung up. Lisa slammed the phone down, sitting down heavily in her arm chair and inhaling deeply, close to tears. The insurance company had just called to let her know that the rental car that she had been promised was not actually going to be available until next week. But her new job was starting that morning. She couldn’t afford to take a taxi. She had already spent as much money as she could for the month without practically being homeless. What was she going to do?
Her eyes wandered to the refrigerator, where she had carelessly stuck Norris’s business card with a magnet after she had gotten home from that confusing day.
She had been tempted every day that week to tear it down and rip it to shreds, but for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to part with it. Whether it was because of this strange, overwhelming attraction that she felt for him, or the possibility that she might need to get in touch with him later, the card was still there in the same place as she had left it, and she felt bizarre surge of warmth course for her every time she looked at it. Of course, it quickly turned to rage, but still, there was an odd fondness she had for the stupid thing. That had to be attributed to the fact that it had come from such a ridiculously handsome man. A handsome man who was also an asshole.
“Well, he did say I should call if I needed anything, I guess…” she mumbled down to her cat, who was weaving between her legs affectionately. Apparently, the outburst had gotten his attention.
With a heavy sigh, she stood and took the card in her hand, holding it delicately as she gazed at her phone. The thought of speaking to Norris again made her suddenly nervous to punch in the number. What if he refused? She wasn’t sure she was even ready to see him again. Everything was so confusing.
But when she glanced at the clock, she realized with a start that she was going to be late for work if she didn’t figure out something soon. And so, she swallowed her pride and dialed the number as quickly as she could, holding her breath until somebody answered.
“Hello?”
Lisa’s heart thudded. She recognized his voice immediately. And she couldn’t have been made happier by the sound of it. Why was she reacting this way?
“Norris? This is Lisa.”
The line was quiet for a moment and then a small, exhale followed by a rumbling laugh reached her ears.
“Oh.”
His rich voice sent a small surge of excitement through her body, but she tried to bite back. She wasn’t calling him to chat. This wasn’t a social call. She needed help. She found herself frustrated again and cut him off.
“I don’t have a lot of time to talk.”
“Lisa. It’s good to hear from you,” Norris said. “How are you? Is everything all right?”
“Actually, everything is very much not all right. Your insurance company screwed me over. And now, if I can’t get to work today, I am going to lose my new job.” Her voice wavered, once again she was close to tears and her only outlet for her frustration was anger. She wished she could stop herself from having such a harsh tone with him, but she had never been more stressed. “I worked really hard to get it. And I don’t know what I’m going to do if I’m not able to maintain it. I really feel good in this line of work. And I need to make rent, you know?”
“Oh, I see. I’m so sorry,” Norris said, his voice changing from positive and optimistic to concerned. “Would you like me to give you a ride somewhere? Or maybe try to rent you a car myself? Though technically I have no idea how to do that…”
“Actually, either one of the possibilities would be great,” she said, mildly surprised by how willing he was to address the issue help her find a solution that worked for her immediately. Maybe he wasn’t really such a jerk after all. Why was she overreacting? More importantly, why was the situation so emotionally charged? He was just a stranger.
“What time do you need to get to work?” Norris asked. “I can come to pick you up the soonest possible. Or maybe send you a cab and pay ahead of time to get you where you’re going? Whatever you feel more comfortable with.”
“I don’t think I trust you sending me a cab. Not because of you, but… Maybe just come and take me. I’ll give you my address. There is really no telling what will happen if you just randomly give a taxi driver some money and hope for them to do what you ask them to.”
Norris sighed softly. “It’s really a shame. People just aren’t trustworthy here? What a terrible place. Things could so easily be so peaceful…”
Lisa was surprised to hear this. She had actually been pretty big fan of Brookside. The crime rate was relatively low (compared, at least, to the rest of the cities in the area). Maybe he was from a different place. It would certainly explain his quirky mannerisms and the way he dressed as if he were above everybody else.
“I mean, you can
find some trustworthy people sometimes. You can’t lump everybody together and generalize them, you know,” Lisa said quietly. She always tried to give everybody a chance before writing them off. And when she heard others doing it she defended them. For whatever reason. “But yeah, anyway, I have to be to work in like two hours. It would be really helpful if you could be there before then.”
“Yeah, absolutely. I will be there as soon as I can.”
Lisa gave him the address and soon, she found herself waiting anxiously on the edge of the seat for Norris to arrive.
She hadn’t realized just how much she was anticipating seeing Norris until she found herself waiting for a sign of him. She tried to tell herself that it was just because he was going to take her to work, and she was eager to get started in her new job and make sure that she arrived on time, but some small, secret part of her knew that there was far more to the story than that.
But she couldn’t let herself admit it. That would be too difficult to comprehend. She wouldn’t let him charm her into making her forgive and forget the incident. Especially since there was the real possibility that he was being insincere. She had been screwed over far too many times to count at this point. It was time for her to improve her life, not make it worse. And that meant being as careful as possible, no matter what she wanted. Tammy had told her she had to be a bitch to get what she wanted and that was that.
Once the insurance companies determined fault, she would be able to sue him and move on with her life if it turned out he had just been trying to worm his way into her good side. That was definitely the direction she had been leaning toward. She hated to do it if he was sincere, but if he was just another jerk then what was the harm? All her money troubles would be easily solved, and she would be able to forget this mess.
Who cared if she was attracted to him? Who wouldn’t be? If he was the kind of guy she feared, he probably used that to his advantage whenever possible. the thought made her sick to her stomach. She wasn’t just a pawn to help him get away with murder.