Henrik was furious, even while he tried his best to hide it. When they were back in headquarters, the fury was reaching a level that was just on the verge of being unleashed. Then Robbie—Sophia’s husband and their fellow dragon shifter—arrived, sauntering with a whistle and a joyful gait.
“Good job, Chuck. I’m mighty impressed.”
Robbie still had his sunglasses on, which he removed when he approached Henrik. Green eyes astutely observed the other before nodding his head. “Henrik Mikhailov, you need a drink. If you explode here and now, you’re going to cause quite a riot. I don’t think Masters would appreciate that, now, would he?”
Henrik glared at the other, but didn’t offer any comment. The snap in his golden eyes faded bit by bit, obviously wrestled internally until he could gain control of his emotions. Bluntly, their dragon leader nodded his head back. “Fine.”
“Well, Finn’s been feeling very antsy lately. Considering he can’t very well step here, I was thinking we should hang out somewhere neutral. A pub somewhere, perhaps?”
Because of Finn’s relationship with the vampire leader, a lot of the shifter clan leaders felt he was a threat to their community and would probably lead the vampires to war with them someday. This made them ban him from shifter headquarters for life, a decision that obviously still stung.
The suggestion had Henrik looking interested. “Or we can always go to my house in Africa.”
Robbie rolled his eyes. “Your house is freaky. How about Finn’s castle in Ireland?”
“Deal. As long as no women will be there.”
He meant Lucinda and Sophia, of course. Robbie explained that Lucinda had some sort of vampire meeting to attend and Sophia didn’t want to watch dragon shifters getting themselves wasted, which seemed to satisfy Henrik. Obviously pleased, Robbie turned to Charlie. “How about you, Chuck? What do you want?”
Francesca. It was the only word running around Charlie’s mind. He restrained himself from saying her name and nodded his head instead. “I’ll catch up.”
The silence that followed told Charlie that wasn’t the answer they were expecting. He turned to Robbie and saw the guy raising a brow. Henrik, for his part, had no expression whatsoever on his face.
“You’re here now,” Robbie said easily, almost lazily. “And we’re going now. Why again are you gonna...catch up?”
“I have some things to take care of,” Charlie said evenly.
The two shifters with him exchanged a glance. Henrik sent him a thoughtful look, scratching his non-existent beard. “I hope it’s nothing as important as my supposed interrogation with Red…which can wait.”
But Francesca couldn’t wait. And every second she was asleep and in danger of forgetting more memories made something tick inside Charlie.
Restless, he opened his mouth to explain that he just needed to take care of something real fast, and leave it at that. But he was interrupted before he could speak as Sophia approached them with a smile on her face. Robbie’s eyes visibly softened at the sight of her, and she sidled up beside him and squeezed his arm. Then she turned to the whole group.
“Good news. Francesca is awake and her father is coming to headquarters to take her home.”
The news jolted Charlie, even while he tried to keep his expression neutral. He was aware of Robbie eyeing him as Robbie voiced out a question.
“Any more problems with her memory?”
Sophia shook her head. “Snippets. She’s too tired to remember everything, but maybe it will all come back soon.”
Henrik frowned. “And your professional opinion?”
There was a pause before Sophia sighed. “It’s…not looking good. I don’t know how Red did it. That potion trumped every other potion we have ever known, which just proves how powerful she is.”
And how dangerous.
“Where is Francesca?” Robbie asked.
“In the infirmary with Annie,” Sophia replied, referring to the resident doctor. “She’s awake and waiting for her family.”
“And did she say anything about…anything?” Robbie probed further, shooting a subtle glance at Charlie—which Charlie ignored.
“None that I know. Is there anything I should know?”
Silence. Then all three men shook their heads, and Robbie diverted the topic by convincing his mate that a boy’s night out was all the three (plus Finn) needed to destress. Sophia ribbed them fondly, then bid them goodbye with a particularly fancy kiss that put Robbie in an even better mood than he’d been in earlier.
Charlie stubbornly repeated that he would catch up, intent on seeing Francesca before she left.
After fifteen minutes of trying to find the infirmary, Charlie bumped into a boy that had eyes the same shade as the person he was looking for. The boy gave him a sullen look before running straight off, where a door opened and voices trailed off.
The sight of Francesca stopped him in his tracks, and he looked at her from his spot, just a few meters away. There was a middle-aged man with her, robust and concerned, telling her that everything was going to be better and they were going to take good care of her. The boy seconded the motion, albeit a not-so-enthusiastic tone. Francesca gave them both a bright smile and told them she was glad to be going home.
It was picture perfect, and something inside Charlie ached to touch her one more time. He could have called out her name, but he kept silent, instead watching her back as the three of them walked away, then turned the corner of the hallway.
He stayed there for a few seconds, absorbing everything. Then he turned to the other direction and decided that Robbie was right.
A good, long drink was exactly what he needed right now.
*****
They settled for Finn’s place, taking the portal that automatically transported them to a lavish field filled with flowers, where a grand castle was situated. While the castle looked ancient on the outside, it was quite modern on the inside, with Finn’s painting and vase collection displayed lavishly. The newly mated dragon shifter greeted them loudly, his red hair bouncing as he ushered them in and threw out a few insults on the way—typical Finn behavior, of course.
They ate dinner in the huge dining area, then drank. They drank and drank and talked about their adventures. Finn apparently had a hell of a time in the demon realm, trying to escape over and over and getting too many bruises in the process. Robbie had joined in on the rescue during their second venture in, taking the kidnapped Lucinda with them. Based on their testament, the bargain demon Mico was ten times better than the old one, Belvar, though one could never fully trust demons and should never, ever make any bargains with them. Henrik had been busy, too—trying to learn more about the witches and where to find Red, though Charlie obviously beat him to that.
They then asked Charlie to tell him more about his adventures, but he was tight-lipped and politely said there was nothing to tell. Because of his vague answer, the three shifters in the room ganged up on him by plowing him with more drinks than he’d drunk in his lifetime. He challenged that and told them that they had to drink the same amount as he did—and of course, they took the bait, because they were not exactly the kind of men to back down from a challenge.
A couple of hours later, the four of them were pleasantly drunk. Finn had started mooning over his ruthless vampire mate, telling them over and over that she was the best thing to ever happen to him. Robbie insisted that Sophia was the best thing ever, and the two began arguing about their mates and said mates’ accomplishments. Henrik merely huffed and said they were both idiots, because Charlie’s future mate was going to trump them all, like Charlie’s own accomplishments and ace missions usually did. Charlie was, after all, an overachiever, one who didn’t believe in doing things half-assed. They all teased him about his future mate, some boring woman that would probably be just as well-accomplished as he was and quietly kick everyone’s ass. That was the keyword, anyway: quiet.
As they continued ribbing each other, he drank some more, thinking of
the future life he intended to have since he had been a kid with an ache to succeed in everything. There was his home in Japan, perfectly tidy and just waiting for the right partner—someone who was the personification of grace and beauty and would support him in his every endeavor. That had been the plan all along.
Charlie took another sip of his drink, wishing to drown in it.
Never had a future seemed so bleak and miserable.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Simon Alison was a very intelligent boy under all the rebellion, which made excuses that much harder to maintain. When Francesca had gotten home, he was the first to interrogate her about her whereabouts, her adventures and everything she went through—which was kind of hard, considering she didn't exactly remember everything.
“Think of it as an exercise,” he reasoned out slyly when Francesca finally complained about all the grilling. They were hanging out in his room, the one area in the house that didn't feel lonely and empty. Her younger brother was reading the comic book she'd gotten him from the money she had left, a vintage piece that was still in mint condition. Francesca had basically treated him to too many things since her return—a product of guilt for her not being there for him when he needed her the most.
“I'm sorry you got beat up,” she said, indicating his now-gone bruises.
“Don't be,” he replied confidently. “This guy at headquarters has been teaching me some cool stuff about self-defense, and he said I'm a very fast learner.” Intrigued, Francesca perked up, asking him to show her the moves.
Which was how they ended up wrestling in the backyard, and how their father found them later. There was a very heavy frown on his face as he looked at their clothes, which had mud and grass stains all over them.
“I entrust you will both stop whatever that is you're doing and go clean up. We are a very important family in this community, and I don't want to hear people whispering about my children being so...rowdy. Francesca, am I making myself clear?”
The tone of her father's voice implied he was disgusted by them, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Simon hang his head and look down in what might have been shame. Normally, she would have done the same. But years of being in a world full of creatures wanting to manipulate her and keep her head permanently down had taught her one very clear thing: her father was just like them, although he was more subtle about it.
Anger slid out of her like a spark, defiance following. She lifted her chin and looked him in the eye, something she had never done before.
“Thank you for your insight, father,” she clipped. The gasp of surprise beside her had her father's eyes flicking, though he didn't take his gaze off her.
Then, as if she said nothing, he ignored her and walked past them both, pretending they didn't exist.
The contrast of his treatment to her at headquarters and his treatment to her now was something that jolted her to the reality of her old life. Emotions rose to the surface, and before she knew it, Francesca was already striding towards his office, where he usually locked himself up when he wasn't out socializing. Lance Alison looked up at her entrance.
“You've been bullying us this whole time, haven't you?” she asked without preamble, closing the door behind her.
The man's brows raised. “Whatever do you mean?”
“Have you even seen Simon's bruises?”
Lance's mouth thinned. “He deserves a beating or two for being such a weakling. It will teach him a lesson in the long run.”
The statement, said so matter-of-factly, made Francesca's blood run cold. But instead of running away, she continued facing her father and asked the one question that had been bothering her since she'd returned, even when she tried not to make it an issue.
“Why have you been vocal about rescuing me?”
Her father looked confused for a moment. “You're my daughter.”
She hesitated. Then, “Does it also help that asking for the council's help raises your status in the community?”
She expected him to say no, perhaps even to refuse to answer such a question. Instead, he eyed her levelly. “You're my daughter, and you were ruining my standing in society. I had to get you back and get you under control. Now things are back to normal.”
“And what does mother think of this?” she whispered.
“She has always been in line with me on everything. We need great children.”
The invisible message was clear: they weren't up to par.
She absorbed it all, taking her time as she stood still in her father's favorite place and remembered her growing up years. Her parents had always been non-demonstrative of their affection, and had hidden her when her condition had gotten worse. She took it all in, making sure her father's words were embedded in every pore of her being. Then she nodded her head and replied to him in a very calm manner.
“I apologize for wasting your time, then.”
Her father frowned. “Accepted. Close the door when you leave.” Then he went back to his papers, as if nothing particularly interesting had happened.
With as much calm as she could still muster, Francesca left his office and walked. She kept walking, bypassing her room and Simon's—walking until she was out of the house, out of the gate, and out of the place that had confirmed her suspicions about her brother's and her future there. There was a big tree on the side of the road, and Francesca hid herself behind it, away from the public eye. Only then did she let her shoulders slump, tired all of a sudden.
A tear fell out of her eye, which she wiped off. Another tear fell, then more, and she found she couldn't wipe them anymore.
Francesca closed her eyes as her heart quietly broke.
*****
Days passed. Things happened—including her decision to find a job and an apartment so she could live on her own. Assistant librarian didn't seem like the most glamorous or adventurous thing, but it involved research, and she had always loved that.
Her father protested a lot, of course—but in the end, even he couldn't contradict her newfound sense of independence.
One day, Charlie visited her. Her heart jolted so much at the shocking sight of him that she upended the books she was carrying to rearrange in another area.
The man had a box in his hands, and he handed it to her when she managed to get all the books on a table. A quick open of the box revealed chocolates, in such cute baby wolf shapes that she couldn't help grinning.
“I heard about your newfound sense of independence,” he started, voicing her exact thought. “I wanted to check how things are going.”
Francesca shrugged. “I'm wonderful. Crappy pay and all, but getting by. You?”
He said something about a desk mission given to him by Henrik, but she couldn't really concentrate on a word as his intense gray gaze focused on her the whole time. It did acrobatic things to her belly, so it was probably a good thing Simon came early to interrupt the conversation.
“Hey,” Simon greeted her, particularly sweaty. She knew he had just been practicing some defense sessions with his new friend.
“Hey, Si.”
His coffee eyes finally saw Charlie and settled on him. Francesca watched in fascinated as two pairs of eyes didn't break away from each other, almost like a challenge. Finally, Charlie spoke.
“You've been practicing with my friend, Finn.”
A look of surprise came to Simon. “Yeah. What of it?”
Quietly, Charlie gave him some tips on how to beat the red dragon shifter on some defense move. Francesca watched delight and mischief bloom in Simon's eyes, even when he still tried to act cool. He settled for shrugging somewhat enthusiastically, then eyeing Charlie some more.
“Wanna come have pizza with us? We can discuss what you have in mind,” her teenage brother said boldly.
Charlie nodded and accepted.
It was perhaps the most bizarre dinner ever, with Charlie getting salad in a pizza place and Simon transforming from a wary kid to one who enthusiastically shared his misadventures
and awesome moves. He warmed to Charlie like ice warming to the sun, and by the end of the day didn't even mind that he had to go home to the mansion, where they walked him. Simon promised Francesca that he would see her tomorrow, like some little warrior intent on protecting his big sister. It made her heart swell.
Once Simon had safely entered the house, Francesca turned towards Charlie. Their kiss in the cave had been on her mind this whole time, and she intended to clear things up. She opened her mouth to speak.
But Charlie stopped her by pulling her towards him and slanting his mouth over hers in a slow, sensual kiss.
It left her breathless, so to speak. It also made speaking difficult the rest of the way home, where he kissed her a second time and formally asked her for a second date. She floated on her way up to her apartment, wondering if she was doing the right thing.
In the end, she decided to hell with it and threw caution to the wind with another newfound sense—that of discovering the joys of a woman developing feelings for a very beautiful man.
*****
A month after she'd last taken her potion, her birthday arrived—and no pain came. But a few scars still appeared on the left side of her face. It wasn't as extreme as before, but it was still very visible, webs of darkness embedded on her cheeks and forehead. She took a leave from the library that day, deciding there was one thing that needed testing.
In a quiet area in a New York park, Francesca tried shifting—and was absolutely delighted when her feet and hands turned to paws, allowing her to run faster than her human self. She rejoiced in the knowledge, calling Charlie to tell him the news.
“I'll be right over,” he promised.
She practically skipped on her way home, turning the corner with a jump—
And bumped straight into a hard object.
Or rather, person.
She didn’t know the man personally, but any idiot would recognize the red-haired and blue-eyed person well enough, considering how much Charlie talked about him. Francesca’s eyes lit up as she smiled. Then her smile dimmed when she realized her scar was in full view.
Dragon: The Clan Legacy Series Page 38
