20. She’s a ferocious little thing, isn’t she?

TWENTY

She’s a ferocious little thing, isn’t she?

Sunday, May 13, 2057

The Shield Mountains

Cauldron City, Nebraska.

According to my phone, it had taken Miranda five hours to locate the cavern, and she’d infuriated herself straight to shapeshifting. She bounced around and chittered, her back arched. A rather bemused Paul caught her, defected her attempts to bite, and secured a good hold on her throat below her head.

The network of monitors near my lounging chair offered excellent footage and sound, and my partner did his best to mimic how I calmed him down, using soothing words, promises of good coffee, and as many hugs as she wanted if she stopped trying to kill him.

The cocktail bar Zenna had set up for us offered a little bit of everything, but after conferring with Red, we’d decided to be mimosa men for the rest of the afternoon.

Zenna would take advantage if we did get drunk, and we erred on the side of caution.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Paul said, dodging yet another of Miranda’s attempts to bite him.

Red chuckled. “She’s a ferocious little thing, isn’t she?”

“Right now? I wouldn’t give her a match. She’d try to burn people alive.” I took a sip of my drink and almost choked on it when Captain Farthan and the Black Dragon of New York entered the chamber. “They’re turning this into quite the party.”

Zenna, who had somehow gotten ahead of them, flopped on her chair, snagging the drink we’d made for her upon her arrival ten minutes ago. “I wasn’t expecting the black one to show up, but Captain Farthan sent a poor cop into my lair last night requesting permission to play peacekeeper. I felt it wise. My daughter is showing off some of her temper. Finally. How did your talk go, Red?”

“I’ve passed on my legacy,” the red dragon replied in a solemn voice.

“You haven’t pushed him into shifting yet, have you? If anything, he’s rather calm for a new red. All this space to fly around in and cause trouble.”

“Not yet. I’ve been feeding him the magic in a slow but steady stream, and he’s assimilating it like a champ. I was quite right about his inclinations. I don’t think he’s noticed the influx. Also, we’ll have a fear of heights issue with him, so I’m going to take my time. He can shift if he needs to, but I haven’t taught him the trick of it. ”

“I really haven’t noticed anything,” I admitted, and I lifted my drink to salute Miranda’s mother. “She’s really trying to take out an elephant shifter.”

“She’s upset because she isn’t allowed to tear this place apart stone by stone to rescue you.”

I loved everything about the ridiculous situation, including Miranda’s attempts to bite the shit out of our partner. “Did Captain Farthan inform her I don’t actually need to be rescued?”

“He said it was improbable the red dragon would eat you, which when I think about it, isn’t all that comforting but did a good job of motivating her. Your one partner is learning a great deal on the nature of patience, which will be good for you down the road. The other is too angry to be learning anything, but that’s what you need to see from her right now.” Zenna sipped her drink, and she picked up a radio, pressed the button, and said, “All right, my lovely children. Since you seem to think I’m a terrible kidnapper out for the life and liberty of your precious detective, I will release him should you navigate the obstacle course I’ve created. First, there is nothing lethal here. If you fall, you will land in a ball pit, and there is magic that will make certain you do no injury to yourselves. Every platform has a challenge, and should you overcome the challenge, the pathway to the next platform will open. As I’m a benevolent dictator, there is a prize for all participants for each success.”

Zenna released the button, grinned at me, and said, “Or they could just walk around the edge and come up the stairs like sensible beings, but we are talking about my daughter, an elephant, and two dragons. None of them will take the route of common sense. I’ll admit, I had to do some quick thinking to come up with some prizes for the black dragon, but I’d already accounted for the opal and the elephant.”

It pained me to acknowledge the woman was right; Captain Farthan was the only one of the lot who might think to take the route of least resistance, but he wouldn’t, not with a chance to have fun on the line. “Three of them are going to have a blast. Miranda is going to want to drink your blood by the time she gets over here.”

After giggling, Zenna nodded, pressed the button on the radio, and said, “Second, should you fail any challenge, my precious little daughter, you will owe me a weekend of your time. You will even be allowed and encouraged to bring your detective with you. Your companions will be forced to attend a dinner with me for every failure.”

Miranda squealed, and I bet she called her mother some unpleasant names.

Someone came up the staircase, and I twisted in my seat to discover an older man with dark brown hair, matching eyes, and a ready smile. “Please forgive my daughter. Once she finds out I’m here, she’ll probably become sunshine and rainbows. That girl is a daddy’s girl through and through, but she won’t admit that to anyone. Call me Peter. What’s this about letting the boy rename you to Red?”

“The shoe, upon close examination, fit. I decided to wear it. I’ll reclaim what is mine from my son’s bones.”

I hoped the red dragon didn’t mean that literally, but I feared I would find out. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Peter.”

“You are welcome to call us Dad and Mom as you see fit. Close observation has taught us both you have earned it. You, boy, have the patience of a saint. I do hope you’ll take us to meet your family, as I question why they named you Valor over Patience.”

I chuckled at that. “Apparently, in order to be valorous, you must have copious amounts of patience. I think they were trying to make sure I collected all the virtues as a hobby at this stage. There have been times I thought about changing my name, but I do love my parents, and I respect what they wanted for me. Fortunately, they learned from me, and my siblings have sensible names.”

“His family has bright souls, all of them, although some have damaged bodies,” Red announced.

I sighed at the mention of Kenny and Amalie. “Is it something we should be treating?”

Red glanced at Zenna, who in turn glanced at Peter. After a few moments of quiet, the three shrugged. “Some of the issues could be treated, I suppose,” Peter finally stated. “But I’m not suitable for such a treatment. Red?”

“I could give it a try. It’s not that there’s anything truly wrong with them, Valor. Their problems stem from what makes you such an excellent magicker. They just lack your natural inclinations. In short, you were born ready to spread your wings and fly. They were not. If I adjust that lack of inclination, the part of their brains that are being overwhelmed with magic they cannot use would be able to heal. But they would need an outlet for that magic. Shapeshifting would be an excellent solution, but not a magicker species. Do you know of anyone, Zenna?”

“I can look around and ask for anyone willing to do the work if you can make certain their aptitude for it is intact.”

“Easily done. We can address that in the next few days.” Red lifted his glass my way. “Perhaps a modern red dragon could do it? They’re less inclined, and Valor can become the head of their clan. The bloodline is still theirs, they’ll just present it in a safer fashion than my line.”

“Why not black?” Zenna said, and she pointed at the Black Dragon of New York. “They come from an impoverished household, and he knows how to deal with young blacks who have never seen gold before. They have the correct familial tendencies to fit well with them. Then that mean old dragon can make himself useful here—and be comfortable knowing his little grandson has more of his clan around. That can be his prize, a member of each of young Valor’s family as part of his clan. Once you tell them about the issue, he will cooperate. But red suits Valor’s spirit best, that I agree—and not modern reds. His love of magic is too great.”

“I’ll be curious to see if Grant will agree to that.”

“He will, especially if I let him make off with you as his new pet.” Zenna giggled, and she pressed the button on the radio before saying, “Your first challenge is simple. Convince my daughter to shift back to human, as she will need hands for the actual challenges. While she is adorable as she is, it’s no fun if she can’t properly participate. Grant, darling, do be a good sport. You have at least twelve prizes to gain, and you’ll love them all.”

“You’re a wicked woman, Zenna,” the Black Dragon of New York replied. “Can I have a preview so I know how hard I need to work at this?”

“Dr. Lerrans’s father could use some of your special brand of love and care. I’ve decided you can take him home with you and settle him. ”

“I will ruthlessly crush your course in my claws and leave nothing but powder,” he swore. “You have Lerran?”

“He goes by Red now, but yes. He’s greatly saddened by his son’s actions, and he needs a reminder of what a healthy and loving family looks like. He still grieves the loss of his mate.”

Miranda stilled, and she regarded the Black Dragon of New York with her fur standing up on end. With a tired smile, the old black dragon took her from Paul, scratched under her chin, and said, “Behind that great evil is a dragon I am honored to call a friend, Miranda. I know your mother has angered you, but if she is throwing that one at me, she has a plan, one meant to do us and him well. Lovell is likely enjoying himself. Having met your mother more than a few times, she only plays these games with those she likes. It’s a safe outlet for her, and it’s a safe outlet for us. Mostly, I’m here to keep Paul calm. Elephants are not beings of wisdom or sense.”

“We’re really not,” Paul agreed. “But Lovell is okay?”

Miranda’s mother laughed. “He’s fine, Paul. He’s just going to remain in my custody until my daughter gets off her laurels and claims him. I exercised him a little with a long walk, and he got to have a chat with Red along the way.”

“I feel like we’re prizes in a cage match. One of the contestants is enthusiastic. The other might try to kill us all,” I murmured to Red before sipping my drink. “I don’t know what sort of challenges Zenna has planned, but I think there are going to be four people entertained throughout, and that’s us. By the time they get to us, I fear we might be the targets of eradication. If Miranda doesn’t lose her temper, Captain Farthan will. ”

“Once he realizes I’ve been making some key adjustments to your general anatomy, he’ll focus on you. You’ll be fine. I will likely emerge unscathed, as I’m sure Grant will play peacekeeper until we’ve had a chance to talk. Miranda will fuss, but she really needs to hear that she’s encouraged to fraternize rather than being merely allowed. Zenna, did you have no luck at all tempering that?”

“She cried whenever we tried to get her to even bend the rules, Red. I encouraged her being ten minutes late for school once. She stood in the entry sobbing her heart out because it was my fault. Then I broke the speed limit getting her to school on time, and she did not handle that well.”

“She handles speeding just fine now,” I muttered.

“That’s the dragon in her waking up. And once she learns her true species, she’ll speed in the air. She’ll always like fast cars, though, but she’ll only like them when it’s questionably legal. Try her out on the interceptors. She’ll love it—and she’ll be one of the force’s best drivers.”

I would need all the help I could get if Miranda ended up as much of a speed demon as Paul. “They teach dragons to skate on cars here.”

I realized I’d have to learn the art, and I bowed my head and sighed.

While it took ten minutes of cajoling, Paul managed to get Miranda to change back to a human. I realized, rather quickly, why she’d hesitated.

The woman had picked a rather skimpy sundress as her choice of apparel. I whistled. “Damn, she’s a pretty woman.”

“She really is,” Red agreed. “Are your other daughters as beautiful?”

“They’re close but they’re not quite as gorgeous. Don’t get me wrong. I love my girls, but Miranda is the seductress of the lot—and she’s no good at actually seducing men.”

I raised a brow at that. “At risk of being beaten by a bunch of dragons, she would not have to do anything other than issue an invitation, ma’am.”

Zenna shrugged. “I can accept that, especially as I’m trying to convince her she should at least attempt to seduce you. I’m not having much luck with that so far, though. I should probably apologize for that. Do you think she’s resisting my excellent parental advice out of stubborn pride?”

Miranda’s father chuckled, went to the bar, and made himself a drink. “She doesn’t want to cause problems at work. I’m sure someone will convince her she can make use of the station’s fraternization rules. It just might take a while. And I’ll make sure her brothers don’t try to beat you for acknowledging she’s a beauty. They’ve been looking forward to posturing on her behalf. We’ll stage something for her benefit at some point.”

“I’m game.” I had no problems dealing with brotherly squabbles. Hell, I’d instigated more than a few of them, especially when Ruben had discovered Lily was to his liking.

We’d shocked both of our captains with the brawl, which we’d taken to a public park with a reputation of being used by brothers defending the honor of their sisters. I’d turned Ruben into a living pretzel, and our captains had arrived while I’d been sitting on him explaining precisely how he’d treat my precious little sister.

We’d been assigned community service, as we should have had the sense to bicker on private property rather than in a park .

“Why is she wearing a dress?” I asked.

“I believe she was trying to encourage a seduction,” Miranda’s father said, and he eyed the monitor with the best view of his daughter. “That is the only reason I can think of for a woman to pick a dress like that. Zenna?”

“She had changed into it after her guests had left but before I came calling, so I assume she intended to do some surprising of your person, Lovell.” Miranda’s mother shrugged. “I feel I have failed my daughter on so many levels. Sundresses are supposed to be innocent, but she somehow found one that’s remarkably indecent. Perhaps I should steal some of her sister’s clothes for a few of these challenges, else everyone is going to get a show.”

“You may as well start adapting me to being called Valor. It’s only a matter of time before Miranda slips at work and the rest of the station witnesses my lack of flouncing over it.” I shrugged at the rest of her commentary. “I mean, the rest of you could leave, and you could kick out the three who are supposed to be helping her. I can judge those challenges.”

“I’ll go get her a change of clothes,” Miranda’s father offered before he knocked back his drink, stepped off the platform, and transformed into a dark brown dragon the size of a large horse with a massive wingspan.

He glided down to join those waiting below, shifted back to human, captured his daughter in a headlock, and dragged her off, scolding her about her indecent attire the entire way.

“I don’t feel he’s helping my cause,” I complained.

“He’s encouraging disobedience, and with a little luck, she’ll put some pieces together. First, he flew down as a dragon . Second, he’s scolding her for dressing in a skimpy fashion. That’s a pretty good way to get her finding something even skimpier for next time.”

“I know of a boutique that sells things for women that involves less material than parents prefer.” I would even give her a gift certificate to the place if it encouraged her to go. “I have no problems with taking her there.”

Miranda’s mother snickered. “I bet you don’t.” Picking up the radio, she pressed the button and said, “Please pardon the delay, boys. That is Miranda’s father, and he is aware of the nature of some of the upcoming challenges. While he wouldn’t mind a certain detective observing the festivities, he’d have to gouge your eyes out if you looked at his little girl that way.”

That got the dragons snickering while Paul sighed.

“I’m fine with waiting,” Captain Farthan said. “It’s technically my day off today, so I’m just here because this sort of entertainment can’t be bought. However, I can’t help but notice he’s a brown dragon. I was unaware Cauldron City had a population of browns.”

“And we’re gifting you with one. We teach our littles to be shapeshifters of other varieties first, and she abandoned ship before we had a chance to teach her more of our secrets. She’s old enough she should be able to sprout scales. It just takes a motivator. I’ll help teach her, but you can keep an eye on her and do whatever training it is young dragons need while working in the force.”

Captain Farthan sighed. “I’ll get the exception for her age pushed through.”

“You’ll need to do the same for your poor detective. With the number of dragons he’s keeping company with, he’ll sprout scales eventually,” Zenna replied. “Grant, I do recommend you pay the Lovell family a visit or three and start bringing the whole lot of them into the clan. They’ve got ancestral genetics, and at least two of the children are not coping well. The younglings of the family. They’re well suited to be blacks of your clan, and that’d give your little grandson some Grimstone company, although they’ll technically be Lovells. You’ll want the detective I’ve stolen as the head of the specific branch, but he won’t be a black, not with his magicker inclinations.”

The Black Dragon of New York narrowed his eyes. “I see you’ve been doing your research, Zenna.”

“I began researching the instant I realized my daughter would likely ensnare herself a detective. I figured out the probable issue the first time I saw the little ones. They’re too sweet to be browns—and too sensible.”

“Nathan?” the Black Dragon of New York asked.

“I’m not going to get in the way of that sort of thing, although we may need to have a few words about meddling with my detective, Zenna!”

“I wasn’t the one to meddle. I just thought it would be a good idea. His magicker skills are too advanced for his humanity, and I don’t want to deal with my daughter crying when he inevitably flash-fries himself with his power. I’m just making certain he has the appropriate shape for his abilities. There is a good reason there aren’t many mundane humans with his skill level.”

My captain raised a hand and rubbed at his temple. “Why are you telling us this where Miranda can’t hear?”

“She needs to prove her determination. But as Lovell is that strong, his entire family is at risk. His parents are at less risk, but all of his siblings court disaster. And that there are two with… troubles… does not bode well,” Zenna admitted. “I was going to meddle in the background, but all things considered, doing it in the open is more efficient and less likely to result in someone being hurt. I’m sure you can handle an entire flock of baby dragons, Grant.”

“I’ll call in some of my family, including Alicia’s father. He’ll be the ideal one to help them, and it’ll let him spend a little more time with Alicia. Let me guess. You were going to give me the Lovell children as my prizes.”

“Good guess. You’re right. I’ll think of something else to reward you with. Just give me a break. I only had a day to throw this together. Just wait patiently there, boys. I’m sure Peter will be back with our daughter soon enough.”

The dragons laughed, and Paul shook his head.

“I feel like she’s chaos in the flesh,” I whispered to Red.

“She really is. She can be meticulous, ruthless, and organized, but this is a safe outlet for her, so she is allowing herself to throw caution and sense to the wind. In reality, the fun and games end once you head home, and the hunt for my son resumes—and it won’t be pretty. All we’ve done so far is slow him down.”

I nodded my agreement with that. “Was I really at risk of flash-frying myself?”

The red dragon made a thoughtful sound in his throat. “That part is unfortunately true. Humans were never meant to harness the level of magical forces you do. Honestly, you handle it a lot better than most, and I suspect that you’ve had a dragon under your skin the whole time waiting for a chance to come out. Your magic behaves more like a dragon using magic than a human magicker using magic, even down to your choice of focal stones, runes, and behavior. You just shape it as a human would because you were, until today, human. Or so we think. Neither of us were expecting you to be a sponge, though—especially taking it so well you are completely unaware of the process.”

As I hadn’t noticed a thing, I nodded. “That seems like a good thing, though. And my siblings?”

“You likely had all the right combination of genes that make you close to being a dragon without being one, while your siblings are just different enough they are showing the problems. You got lucky.”

“And my parents?”

“I’m sure the Black Dragon of New York can handle anything they throw at them, but I’ll admit, now I’m curious if you’ll be a red like me or another color.”

With my luck, I’d be something unusual. “Are there any other options I don’t know about?”

“Oh, there are. When I was but a hatchling, there were dragons of all sorts of colors. They just didn’t survive.” Red took a sip of his drink, set it aside, and got up. “I suppose it is for the best I show you my true nature. I am unlike the dragons you are used to.”

That I could believe. I finished my drink and joined him in getting up, delivering my empty glass to the bar.

Zenna smiled, hopped to her feet, and kissed my cheek. “Had I known you were at substantial risk using your magic, I would have found another way to get the antidote to the hospital quickly. But I wanted to talk to you about this so you could be taken care of. You deserve that much—and your unicorn doctors would not have realized the nature of the problem. I was not expecting Red to take the hands on approach. I was going to rely on that mean old black dragon. He likes you, and the instant he found out about your magic, he would have been holding you down until you consented to become a dragon. But it’s better this way. He’ll finally be able to rest, nestled within a clan and treasured as he should be. His sight makes my clan and family unsuitable for his spirit, where you and yours is perfect for him. You have the right kind of darkness to serve as a balm on his soul, as does the Grimstone clan. And knowing Grant? Red will be welcomed as a Grimstone without question—and it wouldn’t surprise me if Grant went on a quest to partner Red with one of his daughters or granddaughters, one of the ones uninterested in having huge clutches of children. However, in time, Red may change his mind. The Grimstone clan sticks together, and if there were to be a dark-souled child born, the clan would temper that child with as much love and light as possible to fight fate.”

Red went to the edge of the platform, sighed, and transformed. Unlike the dragons I’d seen, many of whom shared characteristics with horses, Red reminded me of a crimson winged iguana, and his sides and flanks were covered in darker spots, which matched the leathery membranes of his wings, which were longer and broader than any other dragon I’d seen. He took to the air, gave two strokes to gain height, and then dove, twirling with his wings tucked close. He swooped out of the dive, landed on a nearby platform, and roared.

The Black Dragon of New York jumped off the ledge, transformed, and beat his wings to join Red, landing with a grunt. Rather than roar, he crooned, nuzzled the other dragon, and snuggled close.

In terms of size, they were comparable .

The pair bumped their heads together, issuing low rumbles and purrs.

“And that is what I truly hoped for,” Zenna said, smiling down at the two dragons. “I wanted to make certain you were safe, but above all, I wanted Red to remember he is cherished and loved—and that is what the Black Dragon of New York excels at. And for Red’s sake, I hope you are more like him than anything else. That way, he won’t feel quite so alone in this world. It will be good for him to no longer be the last of his kind.”

“Do you think his granddaughter might become a dragon?”

Zenna shook her head. “That is part of why he went to visit her and Roger. For better or worse, she is incapable of becoming one of us. I think it is for the better, however much I hate seeing my friend in pain. She will have a mortal lifespan, but she will have a loving family. That Roger will be the core of that loving family is a wonder, but I suppose stranger things have happened.”

“Do you really think he did enough to make me a dragon ? I truly noticed nothing.”

Zenna laughed, walked to the ledge, and looked over, gesturing for me to follow. “I could feel what he was doing when I came up the staircase. You, without doubt, accepted the gift he wished to give you. When someone truly accepts the magic, it is a gentle and warm process. Your true acceptance of everything he is and was means the world to him, and that sort of thing has power, more power than any ritual.”

I joined her, peeking over the ledge. “And you dragons like flinging yourselves off high places? ”

“You have to learn how to fall before you can fly,” Miranda’s mother informed me before she spun, whipped her leg out, and took me out with a solid kick to the back of my knees. On her follow through, she snapped her arm out, caught me across the shoulders, and knocked me off the side. “Good luck, little one.”