by Starla Night
"But ... my company... How can I wrench it back from you if you have married a human?"
"Please remember that Pyro's wife will own Carnelian Clothiers before I would, Chrysoberyl, and don't waste too much time lamenting a loss that does not affect you."
"Pyro's female is a mere human and you would just eat her," he dismissed, still focused on the problem of her marriage.
Her anger crackled and her hair snapped. "I would never. And you will never say such a horrible phrase ever again."
Chrysoberyl's eyes widened in fear.
Mal strode to the wall and severed the connection. Chrysoberyl disappeared off the fractured screen.
"You can't do that." Serpentine groaned as Ulexite helped him to a sitting position. "Chrysoberyl is ... he is an aristocrat... Oh, my head..."
Mal growled at the dragon inspectors. "Leave before she eats you."
She glared at him. "Mal."
"Oh, please, Amber." Pyro wiped blood off his mouth. "All of us would be grateful if you chewed on them a little."
"Pyro!"
Alex and Jasper both side-eyed her as if they wanted to voice their approval but were more afraid of her anger.
"Just one bite," Pyro suggested. "Right across their irritating vocal cords."
The trio flew out while she composed herself. Her own family stuck around. But not to beg her to violence. No, to dress once more and then, after everyone achieved a calmer frame of mind, to sit around the broken halves of the conference table in what was left of the chairs and chew her out.
Pyro started.
"You got engaged to Darcy?" he demanded. "In the dragon way? After what we talked about? How could you!"
"We just talked in my office, and I got engaged to Darcy last night." She folded her fingers in her lap to stop them trembling. "Yesterday, you agreed getting engaged to him was a good idea."
"I didn't think you would get engaged so fast," Mal said.
"That's rich coming from you."
Mal blinked. Then, he frowned. "What happened with me and Cheryl was different. She was here for months right under my nose. I had to snatch her up before our competition."
"Darcy was here for months."
"But he is not being romanced by our greatest competition!"
"You don't know. Maybe Chrysoberyl is reaching out to him right now."
Mal blinked again. Her calm, determined answers stunned her brothers.
"Be careful with a human," Jasper murmured into the quiet. "He could get hurt."
That stung. "You're the one who started this 'marriage to humans' stuff, Jasper. If you hadn't stood up to Mother in our first meeting and said you were courting a human — who none of us have ever seen, by the way — then right now Mal would be on Draconis, married to the Empress, and the rest of us would be scattered across the galaxy. You would be married to Advisor Wrathmoda."
"I know," he said. "And I also worry about my effect on the female I'm pursuing. Dragons are so different. We forget that humans are fragile."
A short silence quieted the group as everyone took a calming breath and let it out. Soothing tempers by smart compromising was Jasper's power.
Alex quizzed Jasper. "Does your female exist?"
Jasper frowned in response. "Of course."
"And you are pursuing her?"
"Every day."
"Every day!"
"Like Darcy and Cheryl, she is here every day, and I do my best to pursue her."
Amber searched her memory of the roster of human hires. Jasper managed the local employees. He had the patience to greet and remember details about each one. But he showed no one special attention. Most didn't work on the executive floor.
Perhaps it was a delivery person? Yes, a female driver for a supply company—
"Jeanine?" Pyro asked, shock mixed with incredulity.
Jasper tilted his head. "Jeanine? No. She is a fine human but not the one I am pursuing."
"So, who is it?"
"I would rather not tell you until she has accepted my claim."
"We'll help you pursue her," Pyro promised. "I'll teach you how to pick up women."
"I would rather not. I only want to pick up her. And when we tried to make Cheryl feel comfortable, our efforts had the opposite effect. No, I would rather court my female on my own."
Several long seconds of silence followed.
Then everyone returned to Amber.
"Be careful with Darcy," Mal told Amber, parroting Jasper. "He's a genius who already saved this company and Earth once this week. I won't have you getting him hurt by Chrysoberyl or those lizard-cultist thugs."
"That will never happen. I'll protect him."
"So protect him." Mal's growl centered them. "Amber, show Jasper how to calculate the figures and take the rest of the week off."
"But Mal—"
"We'll show the inspectors we can run the company just fine when you're not around."
"Like you showed Chrysoberyl the wrong reports."
"That's why you show Jasper those figures first." He ended the meeting with a roar. "And call the construction crew to rebuild my office!"
Amber stalked to her office, ate her lunch, made herself an espresso with her sadly depleted bag, and shoved herself into the office seat. At least this harsh, charred, acidic and yet addictive brew of coffee made everything better. The beans made her scales shiver under her skin and clenched her teeth. If normal coffee nipped, this coffee sank in its teeth.
Delicious.
Jasper entered affixing his final buttons on his new suit. The brothers didn't go dragon in every meeting but it happened frequently enough that everyone kept a closet of clothes at the office except Amber.
He took her most prominent guest seat.
She displayed the budgets on her wall screen. "You don't have to memorize the codes because there's a key, but you will need to take notes."
Jasper smiled steadily. "I have managed all purchase orders from all suppliers for the entire company since its inception. Your budget codes are more than familiar to me. I will not need notes."
"Very well." She showed Jasper everything, but inside, she seethed.
It just wasn't fair. She was the CFO. She had something valuable to offer, and because of these dragon inspectors, she got pushed out of her family company. All because she couldn't prove to them that she wasn't in charge.
They reached the end of her long explanation in the late afternoon and she stopped. "Any questions?"
He blinked in silence. "Ah...no..."
Yes. That made sense. Her budgets were logical. Any reasonable dragon would understand by looking. Mal was an idiot who only cared about the bottom line. A detail-oriented dragon like Jasper could easily comprehend her brilliance.
She closed the budgets and checked the time. The workday for humans had ended. Soon she must leave for Taco Tuesday. And she still hadn't completed her own financial portfolio for Darcy's father to review.
Jasper leaned forward. "I have a question about you and Darcy."
She bristled. "What now?"
"How did you get him to invite you to his house?"
"Oh. He just invited me."
"Why?"
"I don't know. He wanted to marry me all along and misrepresented his desires."
"Yes, Darcy always speaks the most outrageous lies around you. It's funny that his insults were intended to draw your interest."
"He made a silly mistake," she agreed.
"Repeatedly and for some time."
"Yes."
"So it's possible the female I'm pursuing is also speaking outrageous lies... When she says to stay away from her and not to compliment her, perhaps she actually desires marriage..."
Amber shrugged. "Humans say the opposite of what they mean. It's called 'sarcasm.'"
"I am familiar with sarcasm. I'm good at picking it out."
"Mm." She remained noncommittal because she wasn't sure any dragons were good at that kind of thing.
"So if she invites me into her h
ome then she will say the truth and we can get married?" He looked up hopefully.
"That makes sense to me."
He smiled with a touch of anxiety. "The trick is to get her to invite me inside her home..."
Questions bubbled into her mind.
Jasper was the steadiest, calmest and most rational dragon. Unlike brash Mal, violent Pyro, or deadly Kyan, Jasper was friendly and outgoing. He should have married first. What was wrong with his female? She should have pounced on him at the first sign of his attention.
Oh. Maybe his female really had missed his indication. Male dragons could be overly cautious.
"Have you presented your interest?" she asked.
"Yes." His hopeful demeanor plummeted to discomfort. "Many times."
"Does she not take you seriously? I had that problem with Darcy."
"Perhaps I should go to her house myself," he mused. "Although she's told me many times not to approach her outside of work."
"Oh, I told Darcy many times not to tease but he continued to do so because he thought it was showing his interest. When it comes to dragons and humans. Jasper, it's easy for us to misunderstand each other because we think we're clear, but we're not."
"So, when she screamed that she was calling the police to remove me, you think it was a misunderstanding?"
"Yes, most likely."
He nodded sagely.
"Be bold. Tell her you like her very much."
"Won't she be angry if I approach after she tells me not to?"
"She hasn't attacked you yet, right? If she truly dislikes you, she'll light you on fire or scar you with her claws."
"But she's a human."
"Oh, that's right. But humans have flamethrowers and machetes. Those could hurt a male dragon."
"Yes, that's true." He sighed and then smiled. "I'm very relieved. For some time now I've worried that she doesn't like me and my feelings are in vain, but your perspective has eased my mind. I will follow her home as soon as I can."
"Jasper, don't go defenseless. Take a weapon. Something small that won't do much damage, like a rifle or a meat cleaver. I would feel terrible if I gave you this advice and then your female chopped your arms off."
"That is good advice," he agreed. "Okay. I'll take a knife when I go to her house, and I will insist she let me in so I can propose. I won't go away until she attacks me or accepts my proposal."
"Good." Amber felt very helpful. "It's funny you haven't thought of this before. You're the clearheaded brother."
"I know." Jasper stood and stretched. "I've stayed away all this time. My dragon instincts have been failing."
"Human instincts too," she said. "In those movies you used to show us, human 'rom coms,' the hero always follows the angry heroine and insists she kiss him."
"I don't recall a hero insisting on a kiss while holding a knife."
"Well, actors aren't real life."
"True."
She wrapped up the day, sealed her office, and headed out her window tube. She'd started the afternoon budget meeting with mixed feelings, wondering if she should rethink her engagement to Darcy, but Jasper's conversation reassured her. She was being smart, cautious, and reasonable.
Look at how she patiently waited until the end of the week to marry Darcy in the human way. Anyone would celebrate her restraint.
She was embracing selfless acts of kindness with both arms and legs and wings.
Tonight, at Taco Tuesday, she would settle the dowry with Darcy's father.
And she would face Darcy's mother once more and learn what new challenge awaited.
She couldn't wait to be treated like a member of his family again.
Chapter Nineteen
Darcy parked in his usual spot in front of his parents' house next to his mom's minivan. He shut off the car and leaned into the last of the air conditioning.
Nerves squeezed his stomach.
He'd thought about his mom locking out Amber all day. Even though Amber thought his mom was being kind, Darcy didn't think the root of his mom's comments was kindness.
As much as it pained him, he would not be a man if he didn't confront her.
He was engaged to Amber. Amber deserved his loyalty and his protection.
She thought she was invulnerable, but that was because she didn't see her own face fall when she talked about the hurt of being excluded by her brothers. Or the desperate eagerness she displayed when talking about belonging to a family. If she knew his mom meant to exclude her too, the sadness would break them.
Darcy exited his car and headed to the front door.
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe Mom would see reason. Maybe his fears were all in his head.
A commotion shook the rhododendrons.
He passed the long wrap-around porch and followed the motion to the side of the house. The first-floor bathroom window hung open. Tara's jeans-clad legs wiggled over the ledge and she scooted out.
He looked up at her. "Sneaking out is so last decade."
"Darcy!" She flailed several feet off the ground. "Help."
He grabbed her around the waist and helped her down. She hugged him and then pulled her disheveled hair out of her mouth and fixed her lipstick. "Thanks. I owe you one."
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, of course." Her smile brightened and she waved at Kris's dinged van pulling in. "Ed's got family flying in and Mom would rather lock me in the bathroom than listen."
Nerves vibrated in his stomach. "You should talk to Mom."
Tara rolled her eyes. "You know how she is on Taco Tuesday."
"Don't you think she's been overprotective lately?"
"No, this is normal."
"Really, Tara?"
"More or less." Tara hugged him again and hurried to the van. She strapped into the passenger's seat and waved out the window. "Good luck!"
He waved in return, the van disappeared out of sight, and he strode into the house like he had a plan.
Then, he tugged the tight collar on his worn suit. It had been a hot day. Before he made it any hotter, he should go upstairs and change—
Mom hurried into the living room and stopped. "She left, didn't she?"
His stomach squeezed. "Yeah."
"Oh." His mom collapsed into the overstuffed chair and covered her face. "All because of one stupid argument. What if she crashed in a car accident? She shouldn't leave when we're angry."
"Tara's not angry."
"Well, I'm furious!" His mom jumped to her feet and stormed to the dining room, grabbed a fistful of sunflowers, and threw them across the polished table. "Our family business is failing, and your father is working himself to the bone to save our legacy. I spent this money on flowers, and she's just going to waste it! Whoever heard of a silly broach bouquet? This is the most ridiculous trend. It's Ed's fault."
Nicole spooned chocolate-hazelnut Nutella out of its container. "How dare Tara personalize her own wedding?"
Mom whipped her gaze to Nicole. "Don't ruin your appetite."
"This is the first food I've eaten today."
Mom's face reddened.
"Nicole," Darcy pleaded. The last thing he needed was his rebel youngest sister riling up their mom right before he had a serious, painful discussion about her mental health.
Mom took a deep breath and let it out. "Nicole, go warm the tortillas."
"The tortillas are in the oven."
"Then go check they're warm enough."
"Jackie's out there."
"Nicole! Dinner's starting soon."
Nicole's gaze darted to Darcy. She'd risen early this morning to see if he would confront their mom before he left, but he didn't want to increase Mom's discomfort with spectators.
"Fine." Nicole left them to work on the tacos.
"I don't know what to do with my daughters." Mom brushed the broken petals into a heap in the middle of the table. "At least you still love me, Darcy."
His guts squeezed.
"I will always advocate for my children.
Tara's letting Ed walk over her just like Michael did with Jackie. Whenever I try to stop and remind her it's not what we always wanted, that tyrant Kris is there telling me to butt out. Know my place." She rested her hand on her chest. "But my place is defending Tara when she won't stand up for herself."
He flexed his sweaty fingers around the back of his dining chair. "Maybe Tara's tastes have—"
"Do you remember when you were in T-ball you got chickenpox so you couldn't attend your end-of-season award ceremony? We recreated the whole thing here when you got well."
Warm fuzzy feelings invaded his heart. "You convinced the same pizza place to cater."
"They didn't want to, but I dangled the next season's sponsorship over their heads, and then they listened. And do you remember when the girl you asked to Winter Pajama Jam moved to Australia, and I become your Pajama Jam date?"
"You were more of a chaperone..."
"Because I didn't want you to suffer alone at your first-ever middle school dance. And when you kept losing your chastity rings in high school, who replaced every single one without complaining even once?"
He pasted on his smile because he'd gifted those rings to friends, crushes, and strangers who'd needed a pick-me-up. "You did."
"All I ask is that you tell me when you have sex for the first time so I know to stop buying them."
He kept his grin fixed in place.
She waved the sunflower at the stairs. "You still have one on your nightstand. It's the symbol you've kept your body pure, like a child. I made my children promise never to have sex."
"Until after marriage." Since his experience with Amber the other night had counted as dragon marriage, he'd upheld his vow.
"Why don't you wear it?"
"I don't want anyone to mistake it for a wedding ring."
"Why not? Darcy, women who find attractive unmarried men are ruthless. Especially women about to get married. They're desperate for one last whorish fling—"
"Mom—"
"The point is, I have always, always been there for your most important events. You and Tara don't realize that. I have devoted my whole life to my children." She waved one of the broken sunflowers, sucked in a deep breath, and let it out on a sob. "I will never stop caring for you."
Darcy took her hand. She turned for a familiar hug. Her bones felt thinner and she seemed smaller. Funny that he lived here and hadn't noticed that she was aging. "You care about our happiness."
