by Riley Storm
As she closed, however, it became clear what the spokesperson was saying—and also exactly why the crowd was gathered.
“You have got to be kidding me,” she breathed, coming to the realization that the crowd was clumped up outside her store. “Why does this entire town hate me?”
A head rose above the crowd as the speaker found some sort of platform to stand upon. It wasn’t much but enough that most people who were gathered could see him now. Lilly’s shoulders sagged as he took up his fiery rhetoric once more.
“And ’ware, my friends, my brothers and sisters. For the signs of the end are upon us! When we dare to openly take the beasts into our bosom and to give them succor and solace, that day is when we shall well and truly be damned!”
“Give me a break,” she muttered, reaching the outer edges of the crowd.
“Look around you my friends!” The man in the dark red robe continued, his voice reedy and high. “Does this look like anything that would come to us from above? It is not created in the image of those above, no! Look at these horns. Tell me, brothers and sisters. What creature is possessed of horns?”
“The devil!” shouted someone from the crowd, another red-robed acolyte from the Church of the Anti-Wyrm.
“The devil!” the preacher agreed, raising one finger skyward. “Not from the heavens above, no. But from below. Come to our beautiful lands to take advantage of our people.”
This time, there was some shouted agreement from the crowd, about half of whom were wearing the red robes. The other half looked as if they wanted wear them as well. Wide-eyed believers who were trying to prove their worth.
And leaning bored against the wall on the far side of them, right next to the newly repaired window to Lilly’s shop, was a female sheriff’s deputy. Seeing the presence of the law there put Lilly at ease, and she started to worm her way through the crowd.
The people present this morning were certainly not the ones she had to be worried about. None of them looked hard-eyed and capable of holding a gun to her head. They were all wearing glassy looks, enthralled by the fiery rhetoric of the preacher, filling their heads with his delusional ideas.
“Having fun yet?” the deputy asked as Lilly got close, obviously recognizing her as a nonbeliever.
“How long have they been here, Deputy…Frazer,” she said, peering in closer to read the name on the badge.
“Nearly an hour,” the woman said, rolling her eyes. “Of course, I got assigned the job today. Someone has a sense of irony.”
“This is a regular thing?” Lilly asked, unsure what Deputy Frazer meant by the rest of her comment but letting it slide.
“Getting to be. They pick somewhere new and show up to harass anyone they feel isn’t properly anti-dragon. You shop owners who have dragon merchandise are going to swiftly become their favorites.”
“Great,” Lilly said. “Well, as long as they don’t break anything. I just had this window replaced, and I’m tired of people breaking into my store.”
“If anything happens while I’m here, they’ll be arrested. They know that,” Deputy Frazer said. “So that should help.”
Lilly eyed the crowd as it started to press in closer to her shop. “Yeah. I guess. Maybe.”
Reaching into her purse, she took out her keys, stepping right up against the front window as the followers shifted and the mass of flesh pressed in closer.
“Hey, watch it,” she growled, irritated at the complete ignorance from the middle-aged male with the beer belly and receding hair.
The man turned. “I’m trying to listen here.”
“Hey, buster,” Deputy Frazer snapped. “You walked right into that woman and basically body-slammed her aside because of your need to believe. Apologize, and be more mindful of your surroundings next time.”
“You can’t talk to me like that,” he snapped. “I’m here because the people need to know. They need to understand just how evil the dragons are. I didn’t do anything wrong. So unless I commit a crime, leave me alone, Deputy.”
Lilly saw Deputy Frazer’s eyes harden. She wasn’t sure what the other woman was about to do, but whatever it was, she doubted it was worth it.
“Don’t bother,” she said, putting an arm on the deputy’s shoulder to restrain her. “These idiots aren’t worth it. They’re just trying to provoke a reaction because they have nothing better going on in their lives.”
“What do we have here?”
Lilly turned to see the preacher approach. He was a tall, wiry, bald man with eyes so dark they were nearly black and filled with a feverish intensity. The glow that seemed to come from within their depths scared Lilly. She swallowed nervously as the weight of the entire crowd followed him towards her.
“Leave me alone,” Lilly said, still feeling safe with Deputy Frazer there.
“You are a nonbeliever?” the preacher asked, lowering his voice. “A heretic and sinner come to lecture the true followers? Those who know the evil that has come to this town?”
“How do you people believe this tripe?” Lilly said with a groan as others took up the soft chant of ‘nonbeliever’ in the crowd. “Are you so desperate to belong that you can’t see how ludicrous you look?”
“I see keys,” the preacher said. “Keys open things. They lock things. Are you locking your heart to us, to the true brotherhood? Or will you open yourself up and receive our blessing?”
“True brotherhood?” Lilly spat. “Yikes. Where’s your pointy white hats, huh? Get a grip on reality.”
The crowd muttered angrily.
“I think you annoyed them,” Deputy Frazer said, but her voice was tight.
Lilly didn’t blame her. There were a lot of the red-robed Church acolytes and only the two of them. The press of the crowd had the two women with their backs to the store.
“Well? What brings you to our gathering?” the preacher asked. “I know you aren’t with her. The devil did not send you, did he?”
“If that’s the only outfit I get to wear as a believer, then yeah, the devil definitely sent me,” Deputy Frazer said with an irritated sigh, reaching for her shoulder radio. “I’ve had enough of this. Back off.”
The preacher just grinned. “We’re not doing anything wrong. We’re allowed to gather in public spaces.”
“You’re obstructing a public space,” Deputy Frazer shot back. “Now back off.”
The red-robed group pressed in closer.
“I have been sent by the heavens,” the preacher said, his eyes glowing with the power of ‘belief’.
Lilly figured he was just insane.
“And if you don’t back off, you’re going to get sent straight to jail,” Deputy Frazer threatened.
“You hear that, my followers!” the preacher shouted abruptly. “The devil speaks through his vessel, attempting to put out our light! Will we allow that to happen?”
The thunderous shout of ‘No!’ that erupted from the crowd pushed both women back against the glass.
Lilly turned to fumble with her keys to try and open the door so that they could both go inside and escape the press of bodies.
“Oh, my,” the preacher said as the key slipped home in the lock. “What do we have here?”
Uh-oh.
“Witness!” he bellowed at the top of his lungs. “The follower of great evil herself! She unlocks the door, letting sin and darkness out into the world with her evil doings! But do not fear, my brothers and sisters. For I am here, and together we will not falter!”
The bodies pressed in closer. Some wormed their way between the two women, separating them.
“Deputy!” Lilly shouted as the other woman slipped away along the front of the shop and out of the press. She started yelling into her radio as more people closed in around Lilly.
“Heathen!”
“Sinner!”
“Heretic!”
“Demon!”
The shouts came in fast and furious. Lilly tried to stand her ground, but they were mere inches from her face, s
creaming hatred at her. Spittle ran down their faces, and their eyes bugged wide. Lilly just wanted to curl up into a ball and wait for it all to be over.
She almost did. Her knees were buckling. If she went down, she knew it would only get worse.
A monstrous bellow silenced the crowd. Lilly pulled herself up to her full height—which was still rather short—wondering if it was who she thought it was.
The crowd pressed in even closer to her as it shied away from this new presence, and Lilly was forced right up against the door to her shop. Then suddenly, the pressure was gone, and a tall, broad-shouldered behemoth was in front of her. He casually picked up one follower by the hood of his robe and tossed him like a bowling ball into a group of others.
Another who was too slow to back away received a booted foot to the chest, sending them crashing into others, clearing space around Lilly. A moment later, Deputy Frazer was at her side as well.
“Begone!” the figure roared.
The crowd hesitated.
The figure stepped forward, shirt ripping as he changed. Lilly gasped as deep blue scales the color of his eyes glittered across his skin. Giant wings sprouted from his back, shredding the last of his shirt. She didn’t see it at first, but as he stood tall, she noticed a pair of horns jutting from his head.
“I said begone!”
“The devil has come!” the preacher shouted, back away. “You see, my brothers and sisters! This is the power we must fight against. The evil we must not let into our bosoms. You must resist!”
“Begone!” Trent bellowed as the sky abruptly darkened, the morning sunlight blocked by an ominous thunderhead.
Lightning crackled down Trent’s body, little bolts bouncing between his horns and the tips of his wings.
The crowd melted away under the threat and the image in front of them.
“They’re pretty badass when they want to be, aren’t they?” Deputy Frazer said with a relaxed grin.
Lilly looked over at her to see the Deputy as calm as windless seas. “You aren’t scared or nervous at all?”
The deputy shrugged. “I was the first time my husband showed me what he could do. But now? Naw. I’ve seen them do some truly powerful stuff. This is just small time, to scare the crazies off.”
“Wait, you’re married to a dragon?” Lilly gaped.
“Carla Aterna,” the woman said, sticking out a hand. “The badge is out of date, but I prefer it that way. It’s easier.”
“Lilly Vickers,” she said, shaking hands with the woman.
“Vickers?” the deputy asked, glancing up at Trent.
“Vickers,” Lilly said emphatically. “That’s Trent Atrox. A…friend.”
Carla coughed, though Lilly thought she saw a smile before the officer covered her mouth.
“Of course. A friend,” the woman said once she’d recovered.
Trent turned. “The CAWs are easily scared, but they’ll soon be back, and in greater numbers. We should go inside.”
Lilly lifted her eyebrows. “Obi-dokey,” she muttered.
Deputy Frazer snickered at the oblique movie reference, but Trent—his features swiftly returning to normal except for his shirt, that was toast—looked blank.
Lilly stared at his face. He looked worse than black. His nose was a giant bruise, as was the area under his eyes.
“Are you okay?” she asked quietly.
The street around them was empty.
“You two okay?” Carla asked. “They’re gone now. I can stick around if you want.”
“We’re okay, I think,” Lilly said. “Thank you though.”
“I didn’t do much,” the deputy said. “But you’re welcome. Call us if you need us.”
Then she was gone, leaving the two alone. Lilly watched Trent’s face as he stood there impassively.
“You look like crap,” she said, standing out front of her store still, not moving to open it.
“Uh, well, you know. Sometimes learning experiences aren’t easy,” Trent said, shifting uncomfortably from side to side.
Lilly nodded. Was that his way of telling her he’d come around?
Only one way to find out.
Steeling herself, she decided to give him one last chance. One final attempt to prove that he could be the man she needed.
“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked softly.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Trent
“Yes,” he said, forcing the word out as fast as he could, despite his own inner doubts. “I don’t know how. But I want to. I…I want to talk to you, Lilly.”
“Come inside first,” she said, unlocking the door.
They both stepped inside, Trent pausing to lock up behind him while Lilly went and turned the alarm off and hit the lights.
“Back here,” she called upon seeing that he was still waiting at the front door with a stiffness to his posture that she’d never seen around her before.
He was nervous. Not just nervous, but terrified. But he was letting her see it.
What the heck happened to him? It’s only been two days.
They walked wordlessly into her office. Lilly went over to her chair and sat down. Trent, meanwhile, continued to stand awkwardly, shifting his weight slightly from side to side. It was almost comical how uneasy he was at the situation.
“Sit, please,” she said in as gentle a tone as she could manage.
Trent was clearly at war with himself. Years of conditioning was warring with a newfound desire to talk. It flattered Lilly to know that she was important enough to him that he would even fight that battle, but she wondered if he could win it. Was he strong enough to break through? To find a way to utter words he’d never said before?
I guess we’ll find out.
“What happened to you?” she asked when he didn’t speak.
He was here and making an effort. She could help him get the ball rolling. It was the least she could do. To her, Trent was worth the effort.
“I got punched in the face. Hard,” he muttered as if that explained everything. His face was unshaven, his hair cropped to the skull now. It was so unlike him, she was still getting used to it.
“Ah,” she said. “Just because someone felt like it?”
Trent was quiet for a moment. “More like because I deserved it.”
Lilly’s eyebrows rose another notch. Admitting that he’d done something wrong was definitely a big first step.
“Lilly, I’m sorry,” Trent said, shaking his head, running a hand over it at the same time, being careful not to bump his nose. “I’m no good at this stuff. I…I want you back. I just don’t know what to say.”
“This is a good start,” she said quietly, reaching out to place a hand on the table halfway between them. “I know you aren’t used to this. I don’t mind helping guide you, Trent. I never did. As long as you’re willing to talk, then we’ll be okay.”
“I want to,” he said quietly. “It just...”
“Hurts?” she supplied.
“Yes. And.” He stopped, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “And I’m afraid.”
Lilly’s heart stopped beating for a moment at that admission. It couldn’t be easy for someone like Trent, a strong, powerful dragon shifter, to admit that he was afraid of something as little as words. Lilly wasn’t sure what it had cost him to say that, but she knew it mustn’t have been easy.
“It’s okay to be afraid,” she said with a smile. “It’s a perfectly natural human emotion.”
“But I’m also part dragon. I should be without fear.”
“No,” she said quietly, shaking her head. “Nobody is ever without fear. It resides in anyone. It’s one of the things that makes us human. Being afraid isn’t the problem, Trent. It’s refusing to acknowledge it. Being brave isn’t being without fear. It’s not allowing that fear to control us. It’s acknowledging it, and in doing so, removing its power.”
Trent was silent. “I’ve been denying it. Among other things. Pretending like I wasn’t scared.�
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“What are you scared of?” she asked.
Sitting among the ruins of his shredded shirt, only a few threads keeping it around his neck and a piece stuck around his arm, Trent didn’t look like someone who was scared of much. His face was set in stone, his back straight, thick arms resting on the edges of the chair, biceps prominently on display, reminding everyone of his strength.
It was his eyes that betrayed him. Storm clouds flickered and spun in their depths as troubled emotions and thoughts whirled within him. Lilly sat back and waited for him to arrive at the answer.
“Right now, I’m most afraid of losing you,” he said, looking up suddenly, his gaze stealing her breath away as it locked on hers.
Lilly gave him a tiny smile. “You’re making a good effort to keep me right now,” she told him, wanting to encourage him, without giving in already.
There was more that needed to come out.
“I know I messed up earlier,” he said. “You were right. You told me everything, and I refused to give. That’s not good for a relationship, is it?”
She shook her head, staying silent, letting him talk.
“I want a good relationship. I want you,” he said.
Lilly worked hard to keep herself calm as her heart leapt up to him. He was doing so well! She couldn’t begin to believe the change that had come over him. She made a mental note to thank whoever it was that had punched Trent. They had done some good work!
“That makes me happy to hear,” she said, unable to restrain a larger smile this time.
Trent nodded. Then, he surprised her by proceeding unprompted.
“Before, you asked me a question,” he said, relaxing into the chair a little. “About why I had acted out the way I did. With your store. You said my excuse about not wanting to see my people exploited was weak and flimsy for the action I’d taken. You were right.”
Lilly covered her shock with a hand over her mouth, motioning for him to continue.
“You were right, of course.” He smiled at her then, and she returned the look. “I lashed out at you because of something deeper. Something I harbor within. About myself. Your store was just a convenient place for me to manifest that internal hatred that I was carrying.”
