by Viola Grace
Trin tapped the base of her throat. “This mark says I am human. That is the part that the law refers to. Not that I am a human but that I am marked as one.”
Sosa blinked and smiled slowly. “In that case, good evening, miss. I look forward to your adventures tomorrow.”
Trin inclined her head. “I look forward to providing them. Good night, Sosa.”
Her companion left to go to her own room for the night, so Trin finished the last book on dragon mating behaviours. Her dragon was simmering behind her eyes when she read the dangers of mating in dragon form. Her dragon didn’t see anything wrong with the idea of remaining in her winged form until the egg was laid two years after the mating.
The logistics of the aerial mating were still running through her head when she let herself sleep. Tomorrow was her test on what she had absorbed so far and if she knew as much as someone who had been born dragon. She had had more stressful grand openings.
Chapter Nine
Trin filled out and flipped over every page as quickly as she could. Brommin was monitoring a timer, and Sosa was nearby, biting her nails. Vasic was in the room and watching the test.
The stack of completed paper grew as she finished the question and answer portion and went on to the written essay. She wrote a history of dragons from the point of the crystal dragons. After reading all the books, she finally learned what made her kind of dragon special. They held invisibility in the air. Crystal dragons could fly over a village or city, day or night, and no one could see them. No technology and no living being could look skyward and see a crystal dragon. Bending light was a weird skill to have, but it meant that those with a crystal dragon on their side had a distinct advantage.
Trin finished the essay, made sure that she had completed all of the questions, and she set her pen down. “Done.”
Vasic nodded and collected the paperwork. “Remain here; I will have an answer for you in a few minutes.”
Brommin stiffened up. “She’s here?”
Vasic gave him a grin, and he walked off with the exam.
To see Brommin nervous made Trin guess. “Your mother?”
Brommin’s focus was suddenly on her. “How did you know?”
“You look like you are a five-year-old caught grabbing a snack after their mum said no.” She had experienced enough of that at the coffee shop. That was Mom face.
He sighed. “She has a single-minded intensity when it comes to my future.”
“Ah. Matchmaking. Got it.” Trin had to hold her dragon back as it bellowed an internal rejection of that idea.
“She and my father mated when he was in his early forties, so she should ease up.”
Trin shrugged. “Parents always want more for their children. Well, they do if they are good parents.”
He looked at her, and as she glanced over at Sosa, she saw a sad expression. She wrinkled her nose. “I learned by observation.”
Sosa cleared her throat. “How did you manage to stay so friendly, being raised in federal care?”
Brommin nodded. “I have wondered that myself.”
Trin pursed her lips and got up to get herself some tea. “It starts with good caregivers and teachers, and it then extends to friends and what happened to them.”
Sosa blinked. “What happened?”
“Well, not every child at the Home for the Unknown is an orphan. Many are but not all. My friend Brenner lost both of his parents in a car accident, but his family was on the other side of the world. He was stuck there for six months, and he was only five years old. We made friends, and when his family returned to the area, he insisted that they take me on family events with them at holidays, and he chose to stay at the home when they had to travel on business. It was a strange arrangement, but it worked and let me see what a family should look like.”
Sosa’s eyes welled up.
Trin laughed. “Do you know what he and I got up to? He is a fox, and he can get into very small spaces. We explored every inch of every resort that his family stayed at. When we were twelve, we had our business plans all laid out.”
Brommin smiled. “When did you meet Vasic’s wife?”
“Her case was unusual. Her father had died, and her mother was being pushed into a new relationship. It was not safe for a fourteen-year-old to be around a mate in rut, so she was placed at the home until she was eighteen.”
Sosa’s eyes widened, and Brommin informed her, “Lionesses of childbearing age must find a new male the moment that their husband passes if they don’t have an elder female to protect them.”
Trin added. “The lions live by the impulse of their beast a little more closely to the surface than dragons do. Dragons have rationalized with their beasts throughout history.”
She chuckled. “It doesn’t always work, but while the human part is talking, the target can escape. Fortunately, dragons love a good debate.”
Brommin and Sosa laughed.
“Creata is an amazing woman. She laughs as easily as she cries and gives her loyalty to those who earn it. She and I bonded over some of her university textbooks. She dropped some, and I admired the statistics text. She said I could take it to my room until I finished with it, and so I brought it back to her two days later. We were friends after that. I helped her study for her courses, and she let me share her books. When it came time for her to start going to socials, her mother hired me as her companion. I kept away the undesirables and let Vasic through the throng of men who saw Creata as a vulnerable young woman. She had a mouth like a sailor and the will of a dragon. Her mother had taught her all she needed to know to be successful in society, and she did the rest.”
Sosa’s eyes were wide. “I had no idea.”
“There is no reason for you to know. That is the weird point of our societies. Separating everyone into what kind of beast they are means we miss the happy moments. The laughter, the first children, the courtships, the dances. Yes, cross-blood relationships might not produce a shifter, but if enough time passes, who knows what could come of all those instincts, powers, and energies.”
Brommin’s eyes went wide. “Wow. You have fairly extreme politics.”
She wrinkled her nose. “They are not politics, they are practicalities. Having separate social cities might be entertaining, but if folk think it is a long-term solution, they are kidding themselves. The wheel should be in every city. People need to have exposure to other types of beings, shifter or not. It broadens the mind and increases understanding.”
The other two were looking at her in surprise.
Brommin cocked his head. “You agree with that, even after all the histories?”
“The histories are written by the winners. You should read what the wolves say about the dragons or the lions or the foxes. All have different opinions shaped by their own societies and customs. What the dragons saw as benevolent intervention was seen as butting in. When the dragons waited to be called in, it was seen as arrogant or ignoring allies. No one’s point of view is ever all there is to see.”
She sipped at her tea and paced slowly up and down the stacks of books. The others hadn’t said anything since her last comment. It was a heavy topic, and it shouldn’t have been brought up today. Trin couldn’t help it. Her mind was filled with thousands of years of history, all pared down to make the dragons look noble, majestic, and wise.
Trin sighed. At least the dragons made a good cup of tea.
* * * *
Orisa looked at the papers, and she looked at her husband. “That is the only perfect paper I have ever seen. Even her essay is correct in every detail. Was she watched?”
Makros smiled. “She was watched. Vasic, Sosa, and Brommin were in the room with her at all times.”
Orisa nodded. “So, she is a true crystal dragon. It is a good thing for her that we live in the modern era. In another age, she would have been chained in the council stronghold and only released when there was an enemy to fight.”
Makros sighed. “I don’t think that I would try to co
nfine Trin. She would raze the tower and tear herself loose, only to perch on the council hall and snap birds out of the air and then she would transform into her dragon form.”
Orisa blinked. “You would put Brommin on her list?”
“Her dragon has put him there. I don’t think I had much choice.” Makros leaned over his wife’s shoulder and watched as she marked the page, sealed it and pressed the council seal into the ribbons.
Orisa turned her head to his and kissed him lightly. “She is good to transform. Flying will be determined from there.”
“Will you do the assessment?”
“I can. I have a light schedule right now.” Orisa got up and wrapped her arms around him. “Does this mean you will have time for dinner tonight?”
He chuckled. “Yes. I always have time for you.”
“So says the popular senator.” She wrinkled her nose. “Some days I barely see you.”
“But I am always with you at night.”
Orisa backed him into the desk. “You had better be. I didn’t spend my early life as a hunter just to let you get away.”
She pulled his head down to hers for a kiss that reminded him who he belonged to. When she released him, she snorted a cloud of vapour.
“Oh, my dearest, I am going to be distracted for the rest of the day.”
“That was my intent. I will see you for dinner.” She gave him a wink and ran her hand down the front of his formal tunic before she walked away with her skirts swishing.
She left the office and paused at Vasic’s desk. “She passed. Perfect paper. I am on my way down to let my son know.”
Vasic got to his feet. “Please, madam, allow me.”
“Oh, no. I am going to meet the woman who had the nerve to put him on her list.”
Orisa Lefarge could feel the lion shifter’s frustration boiling inside him, but she continued with a determined stride to the lift that would take her down to her son’s domain. She wanted to meet this woman and let her dragon take a look.
* * * *
The sound of the lift got their attention. Trin walked toward the others, and she set her teacup down on the table.
Brommin was straightening the edges of his vest and working on his posture when the doors opened.
Bronze and rubies. Trin watched the woman walk toward them, and her skin was so polished that it had a metallic look. Her hair was a rich ruby red, as was the heavy expanse of her gown.
Brommin walked to greet her, and she held out her hands. “Good day, my son. So, where is the newcomer?”
Trin fought a smirk.
Brommin turned to Trin, and he walked his mother toward her. “Lady Orisa Featherwell Lefarge, allow me to introduce you to Miss Trin Lem.”
Trin made a deep curtsey but kept her gaze fixed with that of Lady Lefarge. Her dragon was rising behind her eyes, and it met the elder dragoness in a manner that Trin didn’t understand.
She rose to her feet and found herself looking down at the older woman who wore her hair in an elegant twist. “It is lovely to meet you.”
The lady extended her hand, and Trin reached out. The moment that their fingers connected, there was a visceral response. Trin didn’t pull her hand back, but Lady Lefarge did.
“My, my. There is quite a bit of power in you, but I suppose it has been bottled up for quite some time.” She flexed her fingers.
“All my life until this week. I hope to be able to give her a chance to stretch her wings. Are you here to tell me how I did?”
She inclined her head. “I am. May I have a cup of tea?”
Brommin nodded. “I will get it for you.”
The lady walked around the area and took a look at the huge pile of books. She glanced back at Trin. “Your homework?”
Brommin chuckled. “Actually, Mother, she has already read them. She is ready to move on.”
His mother took a seat in a froth of ruby skirts. “Good. Come and sit with me, Trin. Oh, hello, Sosa.”
Sosa bobbed her head. “Good day, Lady Lefarge.”
“Are you keeping track of your charge?”
“I am trying to keep up with her. It is a challenge.” Sosa smiled.
Trin looked up with a smile when Brommin put a cup of tea in front of her a moment before he set one down in front of his mother. His mother noticed as well.
Trin took a seat and lifted the teacup. “Thank you, Brommin.”
Lady Lefarge sipped at her tea and gave Trin a hard look. “What are your intentions toward my son?”
Trin blinked and glanced at the man in question, who was stunned, and then at his mother. “Personally, I don’t know. I think he fills out his suit rather well.”
Sosa choked lightly on her cup of tea.
“Mother, I don’t think—”
“However, my dragon picked him out at Creata’s, and she hasn’t changed her mind yet. She hasn’t seen his dragon, but she knows that it is hers. Is that what you mean?”
Lady Lefarge set her cup down with a firm click. “How strong is she in your head?”
“She is louder than my own thoughts when she wants to be. She can even control my body if she has to. That is not comfortable for either of us.”
“Right. Finish your tea. You are going to shift. Can that dress take it?”
Trin, bemused, looked to Sosa.
“Yes, Lady. The dress can shift with her.”
“Good. Instead of waiting for a matron, we will do this now.”
Sosa scrambled to her feet. “Now?”
Lady Lefarge got to her feet. “Now. I will send a message and clear an area.”
As if she had been there dozens of times, the lady went to the wall and pulled out the communicator. She spoke softly for a few moments and then looked at Brommin. “Bring your kit. She might get a little grabby.”
He nodded and opened a cupboard, withdrawing a long flat box. “Ready.”
Trin finished her tea and set the cup down. She got to her feet and shook her skirts out.
She and the lady locked eyes from across the room, and the ruby dragon grinned. “Shall we fly?”
Trin grinned in return. “Lead the way.”
Chapter Ten
The attempt to clear a transformation arena on short notice was only partially successful. The upper archways were dotted with folk who wanted to see what the excitement was.
Trin followed Lady Lefarge into the centre of the space while Brommin and Sosa kept to a safe area on the edge.
“Now, during this exercise, I will call you Trin, and you may call me Rish.”
“Yes, Rish.” Trin was excited.
“Right. Your first emergence was when you were having an argument. That is a dangerous situation.”
“Understandable.” She nodded.
“You need to be able to make the shift when you are happy, sad, or nervous. What are you now?”
“Excited, nervous.”
“Good. That is a normal start. Now, I want you to pull your dragon up around you, and I want you to wear her.”
“How?”
“Just get in touch with her and tell her that it is her turn.”
“That simple?”
“That simple. Go ahead, Trin. I am here.”
It was strangely comforting, but it was Brommin’s encouraging smile from across the yard that made her close her eyes and release her beast.
She opened her eyes, and Rish was much smaller. She was tiny. Across the exercise space, she saw Brommin, and her mind purred happily, My pretty one.
“Holy wings, Trin. You are huge.” Rish walked around her and touched her claws and legs. “May I examine you?”
It took some concentration, but she was able to make her throat say, “Yessss.”
Rish paused. “Excellent. You can speak. Did it hurt?”
Trin nodded slowly.
Rish ran her hands over the faceted skin and lifted and dropped the tail with exquisite care.
“Extend your wings, please, dear.”
Trin flexe
d her wings and extended them then had to sidle off to one side in order to not make contact with the surrounding buildings.
“Long-range wingspan. Very nice.”
Trin lifted her head and raised her wings upward, sweeping them down in a fast motion. To her surprise, she lifted up off the ground with that one swing.
“Trin! Stop that!”
She dropped back to the ground with a thud. “Sssorry.”
Rish grinned and shook her head. “I do not blame you. Your body has been waiting for this for a long time.”
Trin nodded.
“Well, since your physical is fine, would you like to take flight?”
Trin nodded again. Speaking was painful.
“Good. I will change and then you will follow me. Do as I do and no variations. Got it?”
Trin nodded and glanced at Brommin. Her pretty one wasn’t coming along. She sighed, and the exhale flipped a spectator off their feet.
Rish stood next to her, and she chuckled. “That was fine. Now, I will be right with you. I am smaller, so there is room for both of us here. All right?”
Trin cocked her head, and Rish must have taken it as agreement. She stepped back a few metres, and then, the red of her hair and dress spread and became a glowing and translucent ruby. The dragon was small and compact. Her claws were huge, and there was a curl of smoke coming from her nostrils.
Rish nodded skyward, and she launched herself with heavy strokes of her wings.
Trin’s dragon didn’t hesitate. The moment that the area was clear, she centred her body and began to fly upward.
Her dragon had to take over because Trin panicked at the height that they were achieving. Rish kept climbing, and Trin followed.
When they were so high that the wind itself was keeping them aloft, Rish began to fly across the horizon with strong flaps of her wings. Trin followed and found herself in the weird position of overtaking her tutor.
Her dragon shot past Rish, and she looked around at the sky and the land far below.
