The Dragon and the Singer

by Renee Carr

  Her skin turned to scales first, and her eyes flew open, turning yellow as the transformation began. He briefly wondered if he should lift her off the bed, but there wasn’t time.

  Sarah yelped, not in control of the transformation. Her arms flew open and her fingers webbed.

  “That’s alright,” Nathan said. “It’s alright.”

  Her breathing came more regular and she rolled onto her stomach, trying to stand up. Nathan locked eyes with her, trying to communicate that he was in control. Sarah settled immediately, upon seeing him, looking a little bit annoyed that she had been forced into it. But as soon as his dragon ears heard her heart rate return to normal, he relaxed.

  As soon as he felt her vitals were strong, he released the magic and the transformation reversed itself. Sarah was left a bit breathless, but there was color in her cheeks again, and her eyes were clear.

  “Oh,” Ivy’s voice was suddenly clear behind him, and Nathan turned around. “That’s why you didn’t want me to call 9-1-1.”

  “I...can explain,” he managed, as Sarah’s eyes widened, realizing that they had revealed themselves to a human.

  “I don’t really know what you need to explain,” Ivy said, reasonably calmly. “Clearly, all the fairytale books I read are real.”

  “Not all of them,” Nathan said, weakly. “We can talk if you need.”

  “Well, probably,” Ivy ran a hand through her hair. “But first of all, are you alright?”

  Sarah nodded, although she coughed as she did it.

  “Why don’t I leave you to get settled,” Ivy indicated Nathan’s suite. “Give you some privacy. Whenever you are done, I’ll be right over here and we can talk.”

  She calmly let herself into the other room, but Nathan could hear that she didn’t go farther than that. She settled onto the bed, and from his sensitive hearing, he thought that she was lying on his bed.

  Sarah turned to him.

  “Um,” she said, and he reached to try and clean up her mess. From what he could see, the IV line could be salvaged if he cleaned it, which was probably a good idea considering it led straight to her heart.

  “Did you do this on purpose?” he asked her, gently. Her eyes widened.

  “No,” she said. “No, of course not.”

  He met her eyes, and he saw the truth in them.

  “Alright,” he said, with a sigh. “Just tell me what to do.”

  She ran a hand through her hair, glancing around.

  “What are you going to do if she reacts badly?” she asked.

  “She seems to be taking it in stride,” Nathan said, as he picked up the spilled bottle and looked around for more supplies.

  “So far,” she said. “But...”

  “Sarah, she needed to know,” he said. “She’s my mate.”

  “Have you told her that part?” Sarah asked as Nathan found the spare supplies.

  “Not yet,” he said. “I think I’ll give her a moment before that part.”

  “That’s probably a good idea,” Sarah said, and then reached for the line. “I’m alright, I can do it.”

  “You should have called me for help,” he said. “I would have come.”

  “You would have,” she said. “But I thought...I thought I had it.”

  Her hands were shaking, and he wanted to intervene, but he saw a flash of the old Sarah, the one who was Queen, regal and strong and determined.

  “Just call me if you need me,” he said, at last, making sure to leave the adjoining door open a crack so he could hear if she needed anything.

  In the other room, Ivy was sitting on the bed, idly flickering through the tv channels. She looked up when he came in.

  “Is she alright?” she asked.

  “Um...yes, for now,” Nathan said. “But we probably shouldn’t go out again tonight, if that’s alright.”

  “Sure,” she said, jumping off the bed. “I already checked out your minibar and I think we can demolish that pretty easily. Have you seen these adorable bottles?”

  He watched as she pulled three out of the fridge, holding them up.

  “Can we have these?”

  “Well...yes,” he said. “But we should talk.”

  She looked around for glasses and poured the bottles into them.

  “Sure, if you need to talk,” she said.

  “Don’t you...need to talk?” He asked.

  “I mean...” she paused. “What else is real?”

  “Dragons shifters, wolves, bears and lions,” he said. “Dragons rule the shifters though, so we are on top.”

  “Oh,” she said. “Well, that’s a perk for you.”

  “I would say,” he replied, leaning against the windowsill and accepting the drink he was handed. “At times.”

  “Well...are ghosts real?” she asked.

  “No,” he said. “I wish.”

  “Because of your brother?” she asked and he shrugged.

  “That’s one reason,” he said. “But...”

  “Wait, you don’t live here,” she put some pieces together. “Do you live on a different part of Earth?”

  “No,” he said.

  “Do....you live in a different universe?”

  “No,” he said. “Just a different planet. More advanced than here. It’s called Knorpp.”

  “Cool,” she said, as she took a sip and plopped herself into a comfy chair in the corner of the suite. “And what do you do there?”

  “I’m the King,” he said.

  She didn’t say anything for a long moment, and a million thoughts raced through his mind. He was afraid that this was the moment that she would leave, and he would have to do something about her memory, or worse. And then, she shrugged.

  “Well, no wonder you’re so stressed all the time,” she said. “Drink up.”

  He didn’t really know what to say to that, so he did as she said.

  “You’re...alright?” he asked.

  “Well, I think I’m going to have more questions at some point,” she said. “But at this point, I’m fine.”

  “You can’t tell anyone,” he said. “We work incredibly hard to keep our existence a secret from humans. What you saw, what I tell you tonight....it can’t leave this room.”

  “Nathan,” she gave him a look. “Even if I filmed it and put in on youtube, people will accuse me of photoshopping it. No one is going to believe me, even if I tell them. And I’m not going to tell them because it’s none of their business. It’s your thing, and I’m sure Sarah would not appreciate me blabbing her horror story everywhere. Does that make her a Princess, then?”

  “Yes,” he said. “She was the Queen, actually. John was my older brother.”

  “Oh, man,” Ivy said, fiddling with her hair. “That’s rougher than I thought.”

  “Yeah,” he said. “It’s not been the easiest for her.”

  “Well, it’s pretty cool,” Ivy said. “Even if it’s not easy.”

  “You’re really alright with this?” he asked her and she shrugged.

  “I don’t know what you want me to say,” she said. “I knew there was something different about you.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment,” he said, and she grinned.

  “I feel like you want to talk about this,” she said.

  “I just...I imagine it’s a big thing to drop on someone,” he replied. Her reaction was stunning him, and yet, at the same time, was why he loved her.

  “I think I’ve watched too many movies,” she answered. “Because it really isn’t that big of a deal. I don’t know, I guess I’ve always accepted the possibility that there were ...different people out there. That we weren’t alone. Plus, you know me. I don’t judge.”

  “I’d like to know you better,” he answered. “Because you are the first...being, I can be myself around.”

  “Surely there’s someone back on Knorpp you can be yourself around,” she said.

  “No,” he replied. “Not since my brother died. The only thing I can be grateful for is that
this hotel isn’t a void.”

  “What’s a void?” she asked, and he clearly fought an internal war about whether to answer her.

  “Voids are buildings that are spelled to block out magic. There’s several more on Earth than there should be.”

  “Oh,” she said. “And hotels are commonly voids?”

  “No,” he said. “But...I sometimes seek them out.”

  “Why?” she asked, confused. “Why would you not want to be what you are?”

  “It’s not that I don’t want to be a dragon,” he answered. “I just enjoy a night off once in a while. Voids are illegal, cast with dark magic, and used for nefarious purposes. Witches who create them are prosecuted, mostly by their own people. I’ve never seen a void used for good things.”

  “I get it,” she said. “You have super senses, so you want to dull them once in a while.”

  “Exactly,” he replied.

  “Isn’t it dangerous though?” she asked. “If you have your powers removed?”

  “I—-” he realized that if he was going to tell her the truth, he might as well tell her everything. If she was going to be his mate, then she would need to know everything strange about him. “It can be. If you aren’t prepared.”

  “How do you prepare?” she asked. “You keep a back pocket of power?”

  He smiled, ruefully.

  “I do,” he said. “But...it’s a little odd.”

  “Try me,” Ivy said, with a grin.

  “When my brother died, I needed to know that he was always with me,” Nathan said. “And I needed to know there was a chance, if I dived into enough dark magic, that he could be returned to me. So I had his magic sealed, with Sarah’s blessing.”

  “Sealed?” Ivy asked. “Like into a container?”

  “Into a cufflink,” he replied and she laughed, before realizing he was serious.

  “Really?” she said, as he held up his left arm. “Well, that explains why you are always so buttoned down.”

  “Voids always have a weakness, a compromised area,” he said. “And I can enjoy the human form more easily while still have access to magic, as long as John’s magic is near enough to that weakness to not be compromised.”

  “So someone can like...shoot you in the face, and his dragon healing magic can save you, as long as you wave your arm by a window?” she grinned. “That’s pretty cool.”

  “Something like that,” he said.

  “Well, relax,” she got up from the chair and went to sit on the bed. “Drop your walls, drop your attitude. Whoever you are is fine with me.”

  She looked so enticing, just sitting there, with her long legs and her stunning eyes. It took every fiber of his being not to kiss her as he came to sit beside her.

  It turned out that he didn’t need to reign himself in, because she leaned in and kissed him, passionately and with a force he didn’t expect.

  Her lips were soft and yet strong and supple. She felt like she had met her match in his strength and passion, bringing her hands to his face.

  When they finally broke apart, both of them were breathless, gazing into each other’s eyes.

  “I have wanted to do that for a while,” she said. “I just wasn’t sure whether you were the type to kiss a girl before you married her.”

  He chuckled at that.

  “Is that the impression I give off?”

  “Yes,” she said. “It’s almost like you’re from another planet. Are the women all buttoned-up and conservative up there?”

  “More so than here,” he replied, and she kissed him again, forcefully.

  He didn’t resist, but he pushed back until both of them were gripping each other, fighting the waves of passion that were running through their bodies. She wiggled her eyebrows at him when they finally broke apart.

  “Well,” she said. “Perhaps you should get used to it.”

  Both of them were interrupted by Sarah coughing in the other room. Remembering they weren’t quite alone, Ivy leaned back a bit, resetting the pillows.

  “Should we pick a movie?” she asked, picking up the TV remote again. “Unless you want me to go?”

  “I don’t ever want you to go,” he said, and she leaned on his shoulder.

  “You sound like a romance novel,” she teased him. “Which I am sometimes alright with. I do have one question, though. Are you one of those Kings who escape their overbearing Queen and finds some time with random mistresses?”

  “No,” he said. “I don’t have a Queen.”

  “Good,” she said. “Because I don’t particularly want to die in Dragon fire randomly. Wait, can you do that?”

  “I can,” he said. “But you are in no danger of that.”

  “Good,” she said. “Although I’d probably love to see you as a Dragon one day. Can you do it now?”

  “Can you wait?” he teased her lightly. “Because I’m rather tired.”

  “Fine,” she said, snuggling into his side. “But tomorrow morning, you owe me.”

  “Pick a movie,” he said, enjoying the moment of normalcy. To him, the world shrunk to the confines of their room, and it was perfect, right then and there.

  If this was his future, he could handle it, as long as she was by his side.

  Chapter 9

  “Ivy, who is the babe you keep showing up with?”

  She spun around from finishing her makeup, eyeing up her new co-star. It was a step up from being a club singer, but being a chorus dancer at an established theatre came with the same amount of fame as a small club. However, Inferno talent was working for her, and she was enjoying the steady paycheck that came with a long-running show.

  What she didn’t enjoy, however, was the fact that her colleagues acted like they were her closest friends.

  “Is that your boyfriend waiting for you?” another chorus girl asked. “He’s hot.”

  “He’s...I dunno, he’s my something,” she said.

  “Is he from here?” someone asked. “Because he seems...weird.”

  “Does it matter?” Ivy asked. “He’s my ...person, ok?”

  “Your person?” the girls teased her. “That sounds like a boyfriend.”

  “It’s not like I’m seeing him exclusively,” she said. “There are other people in my life. He’s just the hottest.”

  “Look, if you’re not interested...”

  “I didn’t say that I wasn’t interested,” she said. “I just said I’m not marrying him, geez.”

  “Oh Ivy,” one of them said. “You are clearly in deep.”

  “Am I?” Ivy asked. “Or am I just being realistic? Anyways, it’s none of your business.”

  “Ice queen,” one of them said, and Ivy sighed, as she pulled on her jacket.

  “I think Ivy is full out aware of what kind of danger she’s skirting,” James said, as he entered the room to put a few things away. Ivy quirked an eyebrow at him.

  “Yes, the dangers of dating someone who keeps his suit jacket buttoned up,” Ivy replied, as the rest of the performers started to trickle out.

  “You told me that your dates have been pretty boring,” James replied. “Dinner and drinks in a hotel room?

  “I mean... fancy places, though,” Ivy said and James winked at her.

  “Look, I’m just saying, if you ever want something more...fun, I’m your guy.”

  “Are you?” Ivy answered. “And what would we do on a date?”

  “You into urban exploring?” he answered. “I am. Every day off, I check out a new abandoned place. So much fun.”

  “That actually sounds kind of neat,” Ivy said.

  “So, we could do it sometime?” he asked.

  “I uh...” Ivy paused. James was handsome, and with tattoos and piercing rings, he was more her style. But her heart was beating for Nathan at this moment. “Maybe another time.”

  “Sure, just call me when you’re ready,” he said.

  “Yep,” Ivy said. It was getting cold outside, and she smiled as she zipped up the jacket, thinking abou
t how Nathan was constantly on her about covering up. It was endearing at times, but mostly, she only smiled at those memories when she wasn’t with him. When he said it to her face, she was mildly annoyed. However, she was a bit more lenient lately, given that he was from a different planet.

  This was going to be a different date than their normal after-show drinks. It was Sunday afternoon, and she didn’t have another show until Wednesday. Nathan had offered to whisk her away on a short trip, and she was excited to find out his plans. He had offered to take care of everything, and she agreed, as long as he told her what kind of climate they were going into. He said that they were going into a similar climate, so she packed an overnight bag full of warmer clothes. By his standards, she didn’t pack anything warm, which made her smirk as she walked towards where he was waiting. Her version of warm was a short skirt and bright red tights, with a tank top on under her jacket. He immediately reached for her bag, offering to carry it.

  “I got it,” she said, as she stood up higher on her stiletto heels to kiss him. “How are you?”

  “I’m fine,” he said, as he sank into her kiss. “Now that I’m with you.”

  “Oh,” she teased him, throwing her arms over his neck. “Is running a Kingdom stressful?”

  “Just tiring,” he said. “But where we are going will hopefully result in a lot of rest.”

  “Will you tell me where we are going?”

  “Not yet,” he said, with a smile. “But we’ll be there in a couple of hours.”

  “My whole life,” she said, as they walked towards the car. “They told me not to get into cars with strange men.”

  “Is that what you think of me?” he asked her, as he held open the door.

  “Well, there’s no doubt that you are strange,” she replied. “It’s just a matter of whether you qualify for a man or whether I refer to you as a...”

  “Hush,” he said, glancing at the driver. There was a shield between them, so it seemed like their conversation was private, but Ivy realized she really should take more precautions.

  “Right,” she said. “Sorry.”

  “It’s fine,” he replied. “You can do no wrong when you look at me that way.”

  “Oh, make no mistake,” she replied. “I can do wrong and I’m quite good at it.”