Fianna the Gold

by Louisa Kelley

  “She is,” said Fianna with total confidence. “Everything adds up. Have faith, sisters.”

  The hands of fate and redemption had them locked into place, exactly where they were supposed to be.

  “We will win,” her sister-self said with arrogant confidence. “Go faster.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Dragon Held

  Miriam carried the tray of food all the way down the basement steps before she noticed her surly captive was asleep. Good. She didn’t know if she was ready for conversation yet.

  Hoping not to wake her, she eased the tray through a slot at the bottom of the cage door and sank into a folding chair. She needed to think, to make decisions about the next move, a hard thing to do while the woman she’d trapped in a cage eyed her with hate.

  Miriam knew she was committing a federal crime, and the sense of extreme danger felt perversely intoxicating. She was conscious she skated on a very dangerous, possibly delusional, edge…of what? Proof of magic? Proof that dragons existed? Her stomach churned in a mess of confused emotions, something she wasn’t accustomed to.

  She mentally reviewed the sequence of events. Abbie had tried to shift, and the chant thing that Marcus had done had somehow prevented it. Hard to believe this young girl had the astounding ability to change her shape. Marcus promised the cage would contain the dragon, and Miriam longed to see the change again, to experience the dragon in its full, roaring form.

  More than ever, she wanted to get her hands on those blue scales, and if she managed things right, Marcus would be none the wiser. Why not try and obtain some extras on her own? She already knew she couldn’t trust him, and even if he did deliver on his side of the deal, he was sure to be stingy. Best to grab as much as she could while she had the chance. She hadn’t figured out the logistics of harvesting from a living dragon, but she would. However, first things first. The girl needed to shift.

  Abbie lay sprawled on her back, her lanky form taking up most of the cot. Miriam felt a little bad about the state of her captive’s face. She had dark smudges under her eyes, blood smeared around her swollen nose, and her black hair was a mass of tangles. Abbie’s eyes snapped open and she sat up in an abrupt move that left her groaning.

  “Ow.” She grabbed her sides.

  “I’m sorry,” Miriam said, uneasily. “I can’t call a doctor.”

  Abbie scowled. “Let me out of here.”

  The sense of guilt twitched again. Miriam was used to being ruthless in business, but she’d never had to actually imprison someone to win. “I couldn’t even if I wanted to.” She gestured at the cage. “No lock, no key. Marcus is the only one who can open this.”

  Abbie slid off the bed. She leaned forward, as if to grip the black metal, then jumped as the dark magic hummed a warning. “This is a torture chamber,” she groused. “Get the goddamn green rope off my foot and we’ll see what I can do.”

  “I doubt that’s possible.”

  “Come on, Miriam. You and I both know he’s freaking crazy. What are you doing letting him have all the control? Do you even know what his deal is, or why he wants me?”

  Miriam refrained from saying she also wanted Abbie captured. A vulnerable, weary look passed over Abbie’s face, and Miriam hated the growing sense of wrongness.

  “Perhaps we can make a deal,” Miriam said.

  Abbie’s eyes narrowed in instant speculation. “A deal?”

  Miriam cleared her throat. “I’d like to see you as a…you know, in your other form. The dragon.” Her voice shook. The words sounded so outlandish. “I don’t want to wait for Marcus, I’d like to see you…privately.” She rose to her feet and took a few nervous paces.

  Abbie retrieved the food tray from the floor. She threw off the wrapped burger, then reseated herself and started shoveling french fries in her mouth. “Vegan,” she mumbled as she chewed. “You need to do better than this crap.” She kept her gaze down and offered no response to Miriam’s statement. She finished the fries with ravenous speed, chugged some water out of a plastic bottle, wiped her mouth, and gave a satisfied burp. “You understand I’ve been magically spelled not to shift. Like I said, get the rope off me. Then we’ll see what I can do.”

  Vegan? Did that mean her dragon form didn’t eat meat either? Miriam refrained from asking, admonishing herself to stick to the plan and not get sidetracked.

  Abbie seemed suspiciously calm, when just minutes before, she’d looked ready to kill her. Abbie’s eyes narrowed in speculation, and Miriam caught a whiff of cunning. Oh, the girl was good. Miriam crossed her arms and relaxed in familiar deal-making mode. This was more like it. Another round of negotiations with a shape-shifter, how fabulous. She’d much rather be wheeling and dealing with a desperate Abbie than an insane, power-mad Marcus.

  Miriam considered her first rule. “You can’t kill me.”

  “What about maim?”

  “No.”

  “Burn?”

  Miriam’s lips twitched. “No destruction to person or environment. You already toasted my men nicely.”

  “So those were your guys. They were assholes, by the way. They deserved whatever they got. You’ve been up to no good for some time, it appears.” Abbie waved at the bars.

  Miriam shrugged, her gaze running over the cage with distaste. “My partner insisted. I’d have tried conversation first.”

  “Should have thought of that before you sent your creeps to capture me.”

  Miriam stared at her, refusing to offer regrets or apologies. She needed to stand firm.

  “How about Marcus?” Abbie asked. “Can I toast him, too? Then we’d be rid of him and you and I could make our own deal.”

  Did she just wink at her? “That is definitely a no. Let’s stick toasting Marcus under the No Destruction clause.”

  “Uh-huh.” Abbie focused on Miriam with uncomfortable intensity. “What is it you really want, Miriam? What’s your end game here?”

  Miriam pressed her lips together. Multiple desires flared simultaneously. Which would she admit to? “I want more of your scales.”

  “Dragon scales? You mean, like samples or something?”

  “More than samples. A goodly amount. I had thought to have…you know, a rather permanent collection, but on better terms.” She indicated the jail and its contents.

  “Screw that!” Abbie threw the food tray at the bars, and Miriam jumped back. “This is a felony offense, don’t forget. I’ve got friends and family. They’ll be looking for me. So will the police.”

  “I don’t think they will. My investigators found out many things about you, including how few friends you have here.” Miriam played hardball back. “No one is going to miss you, Abbie. Not for a long time.”

  “My roommate will.”

  Miriam smiled. “Not when she’s already on my payroll.”

  “Oh, fuck me.” Abbie dropped back to the bed. “That explains a lot.” She raised her leg and slapped the green rope up and down in heavy, frustrated slaps. “Why the scales? Tell me the truth.”

  “Your scales have healing properties. Surely you know that. It’s quite remarkable actually. I need further tests, of course, but I suspect there’s elements at work never seen by science before.”

  “Such as?”

  “The studies I ordered found chemical elements in your powdered scales that appeared to act as restoratives at a cellular level. They seemed to actually reverse the aging process, rather than function as a temporary panacea.” Miriam surprised herself as the explanation fell smoothly out of her mouth. This was her secret. Her control was slipping and she didn’t like it.

  Abbie shuffled closer. “I’ve never heard of any such powers in dragon scales. How did you figure it out?”

  “From that time I saw you in the park.”

  “You mean when I shifted?”

  “Yes. You dropped a few scales and I found them.”

  “What did you do?” Abbie’s eyes narrowed.

  “Nothing. Nothing except make the discovery o
f a lifetime.” She reluctantly held up a hand to show Abbie. “See the skin? This is the way my skin looked when I was thirteen.”

  “Whoa.” Abbie whistled. “I wonder how much the Draca know about this.” She made Miriam squirm under her calculating gaze.

  “If I do manage to shift, how do I know you won’t kill me? If your intention is to destroy me in my dragon state to harvest my scales…well, I’m not exactly onboard with that plan.” Her sarcastic tone held traces of fear.

  All the talk about killing was unsettling. Was it really necessary? She’d already made a deal with the devil in Marcus. Was Abbie another devil? Or, in truth, perhaps Miriam was the devil—a not unfamiliar, nor comforting thought. Perhaps the entire situation could be handled in a more…agreeable manner.

  She and Abbie could go into business together, an exclusive contract. Plus, she had the video as insurance should anything go sideways, a fact she wasn’t about to mention. She gave Abbie an assessing glance. She had a sneaky, sharp intelligence that reminded Miriam of her younger self.

  “There will be no killing, period,” Miriam stated. “No harm on either side.”

  “How are you going to keep our little deal hidden from Marcus?”

  Miriam hadn’t thought that far. Everything had been so rushed. “There hasn’t been a lot of time to sort out the finer points,” she admitted. “But he’s not here now. You could try…to shift.” She barely restrained from begging.

  “You’ve got to understand the mind of dragons, Miriam. Marcus, from what I’ve heard, is one of the most devious dragons alive. Even if he seems crazy, he’s going to be hard to fool or get rid of. What was your deal with him, anyway?”

  “I provide…containment.” Miriam coughed and looked away from Abbie’s scowl. “And in return I would have access to your scales.”

  “Essentially the same deal you’re offering me?”

  “No. Our deal involves your possible freedom.”

  Abbie snapped her rope in a pissed-off swing, making Miriam jump. “If he’s betraying the Dracan Council, and we can be pretty sure he is, he’s an evil bastard. You can’t trust him.”

  “Dracan? Is that the name of your species?”

  “Draca,” Abbie said with exaggerated emphasis. “We are called Draca. And you have no idea how much trouble you’re in, by the way, with the entire group. I’m sure Fianna and the gang will be here soon. You’re not gonna want to face a clan of pissed-off dragons, believe me.” She kicked the rope. “So, tell me more about my possible freedom in your little plan.”

  Fianna? More of them were coming? Again, a fleeting crafty look passed over Abbie’s face. Miriam knew she couldn’t totally trust this dragon, either. She thought fast. “I am well aware Marcus is a problem.”

  Of course, the threats from an ancient, magical dragon must be considered. He wanted Abbie for his own nefarious purposes. The chances of betrayal were high, Miriam already knew that. He could rescind the deal anytime he wanted. Kill her anytime he wanted, especially if he thought she’d double-crossed him. These facts raced through Miriam’s head and yet, somehow, didn’t matter enough to stop her. “But he’s not here now. Will you consider shifting? Please?” Miriam heard her own words as if in a dream. “If you’re able to break out of the cage, then I’ll…I’ll let you go, after you sign contracts and promise on your honor, that you’ll keep our deal.”

  “And then what?”

  “You provide scales, I provide the production and distribution in a no-harm manner, and we both get very, very rich.” Miriam winced at the inadequacy of the plan. “I’ll take care of financing, marketing, distribution, all of it, one hundred percent. Better for you and…and the Draca”—even saying the word thrilled her—“to lay low on that respect.”

  Abbie laughed. “I’ll say. You have no idea. But really, Marcus will go batshit if he finds me out of the cage, so I hope you have a plan B, in case the rescue squad doesn’t get here fast enough.”

  How soon before the rest of them arrived? Heart pounding, she doggedly continued. “That’s a problem, because I don’t see how to get around Marcus,” she said.

  So, Abbie thought he was crazy, too. There had been several instances, in between Marcus’s ranting and threats, where Miriam had detected an empty vacuity in his eyes that reminded her of her Alzheimer’s-stricken mother. “Do dragons get Alzheimer’s?” she asked.

  Abbie gave a bark of laughter. “Are you kidding me?”

  “I wondered about Marcus.”

  “Seriously?” Abbie sounded shocked. “I know he’s crazy. But dementia? I don’t understand the Draca culture enough to answer that.” She slapped the rope up and down on the concrete again. “Get this thing off me. Come on, Miriam. Partner. Like you say, he’s not here now, so this is our only chance, let’s go. Rope off.”

  Miriam was pretty sure Abbie wouldn’t kill her, but now there was a chance the rest of them might. If she was seen as saving Abbie, would that help? Maybe this could be a win-win.

  “Won’t the others take care of the Marcus problem for us?”

  “Us?” Abbie raised an eyebrow. “But now that you mention it, the bastard probably doesn’t stand a chance.”

  “Would I still be in trouble with your friends, even if I let you out?”

  “What’s our deal, exactly?”

  Miriam looked up in time to see Abbie’s eyes turn from brown to gold, and the pupils narrow to black vertical slits. She shivered at the evidence of Abbie’s inner dragon. She wanted to see the real thing so badly.

  “How many more are coming?” she asked, nervous of the new development.

  “At least twenty.” Abbie’s eyes flickered away.

  Lie, Miriam thought. But not a lie that more were coming. “I want you under contract. Exclusive rights to anything and everything regarding the scales. Fifty-fifty split. There could be more to discuss about profit sharing.”

  “Fine. Now cut off the goddamn rope.” Abbie dropped to the floor and thrust her leg through one of the narrow spaces. The green rope stretched across the cement from where it attached at the back of the cage.

  “But…isn’t it magically attached?”

  “Hurry!” Abbie yelled, banging her leg up and down, the hated rope flopping on the cement in angry, fat thuds. “The window of opportunity is closing here, Miriam. We’re running out of time. Just do it for fuck’s sake! Get me out of here before Marcus comes back. Use a knife or something.”

  Miriam took a deep breath and considered the options one last time. No matter which way she turned, the narrative twisted out of her control. She wanted this to be about winning the golden jackpot. Instead, her bloody morals were being challenged and soon she’d be surrounded by angry dragons. Yet, she was still making a fantastic deal, right? This was the way to go, or was the master manipulator being manipulated? Could she trust Abbie any more than Marcus?

  “You know I’m going to shift the first chance I get,” Abbie added.

  Marcus had said the cage could contain a full dragon and any dragon fire. The desire to see such a creature again teased at her unbearably. Miriam thought fast, and decided she’d rather deal with a cooperating dragon, than fight with a crazy one. Besides, if she was on the good guy’s side, wouldn’t the good dragons protect her from the bad one?

  “When we’re done here, you’re signing a contract exactly as I say.”

  “I already said yes.” Abbie glared at her.

  “Say it again.”

  “Yes. Exclusive contract. No killing.”

  “One more thing. You and your…Draca will protect me from Marcus.”

  A sly grin split Abbie’s face. “Oh, taking sides, I see. Hoping the dragons will save you from the wrath of Marcus?”

  “Fine. I’ll go.” Miriam turned and pretended to leave.

  “No! Wait! Just kidding. Of course, we’ll protect you.”

  Miriam couldn’t help a twinge of approval over the girl’s plucky bravado. She had a startling image of gunslingers facing off at h
igh noon. Her fingers twitched, ready to go for the gun. “Don’t betray me,” she said.

  “Back at ya, bitch.”

  Miriam cast around for a cutting implement. Something big and hard for dual purpose—cut the rope and swing it at Marcus if needed. “How about this?” she muttered, and approached the cage with an ax.

  Abbie’s eyebrows shot up. “Just don’t take my leg off, okay?”

  Miriam eyed the thick rope dubiously. “If I get the rope off, are you really going to be able to shift inside there?”

  She aimed a hard look at Miriam with eyes more gold than before. “What do you think? Go ahead and try a few whacks. What can it hurt?” Abbie rattled the rope again.

  Miriam raised the ax, then hesitated. “By the way, does dragon blood have any special powers like scales do?” she asked as an afterthought.

  “What?”

  Miriam hid a smile. She felt unaccountably cheerful all of a sudden. “Just kidding,” she said. “Probably.”

  “Miriam! Just kill the freaking rope!”

  Miriam’s hands shook. She felt as if her entire life had led to this moment, a monumental decision based on gut instincts alone—whether to hack the magic containment rope off an angry shape-changing dragon—or not? What would she win and what could she lose? Miriam eyed the length of rope and brought down the ax with all her strength.

  Abbie screamed. Two strands broke loose, the rest held fast. “Do it again!” Abbie cried. “I don’t care if it hurts!”

  “It hurt you?” Miriam paused.

  “Fuck that. Again.”

  Miriam swung the ax again and again, each strike bringing agonized cries from Abbie. Sweat ran down Miriam’s face, getting in her eyes and blurring her vision. Her hands trembled, she could barely hold the ax. Abbie’s body shook with pain, yet she kept her leg out, gasping at each blow.

  Just as she readied another swing, Miriam noticed the glow coming off Abbie’s hand.

  “What is that?” she gasped, out of breath. “On your hand?”

  “The magic ring! I must have activated something.” Abbie waved her right hand back and forth like a wand, letting the blue light glow over the rope. Nothing happened. “I don’t know how it works,” she cried. “I stole it from Fianna.” She slumped in defeat, the feisty spirit gone out of her.