by Viola Grace
Kabyl nodded. “If you know where my home is, that is where I will be. I am just going for the mining records, and I am keeping my area under guard tonight.”
Trin nodded. “Fair enough. I will know how to find you, and my dragon will keep an ear out. If you need us, just call.”
Eltrinia nodded. “I will give you all of the numbers. Now, come on, I will get you home.”
Kabyl smiled. “Thanks for the help and the food, Aeli. You have put me on the right path. Trin, I will see you later.”
Eltrinia held out her hand and smiled. “Back to the hospital. I would take you home, but I haven’t been there.”
“Not a problem. I need to talk to my parents.”
She took the woman’s hand, and smoke wrapped around them. It was time to head home and put things into action, but first, she had to bring her family up to speed.
Chapter Nine
Eltrinia wrote down all the com numbers that she could think of.
“Who’s Zzara?”
“Blood dragon, also an excellent mage. She’s adept at both and loves books above all things.” She smiled brightly. “She’s fun.”
Kabyl smiled. “It sounds like it. Thank you for the transports. Are you really... young?”
“Yeah, but I will get older. It happens to the best of us.” She winked and disappeared in that swirl of black.
Kabyl licked her lips, smiled at the taste of sugar in her mouth, and went to her dad’s room to give him an update.
He was sitting up, and his skin had nearly knit completely, if in a set of crimson lines on his face. His stitches should be removed in the next few hours.
“Kabyl! Are you all right?” Mander tried to reach for her, but she came to him.
“I am fine. Apparently, our food budget is about to explode. When I shift, it burns a lot of calories.”
He chuckled.
“You are looking better. Less like a carved-up roast.”
He sighed. “Yeah. I didn’t even hear it. Suddenly, it was next to me, and another one was on the other side. They grabbed at me, but there were trees in the way. It was how I managed to stay alive. I ran for it, and when I collapsed at the peacekeeper station, Dexter took care of me. Then you came. Aw, baby. You are living frost.”
“I know. I have even met the diamond dragon. She is the one that gave Mom a lift.”
“Yeah, your mom said something like that. I thought she was delirious with worry about me.”
Kabyl laughed and squeezed his hand. “I am very glad you made it, and the new scars will make you look like a pirate.”
He smiled. “I think so, too, but Morningwell is going to need some convincing.”
“Well, you are going to be off duty for a week, at least. You can do it then.”
He grinned and then sobered. “So, what have you learned?”
“This isn’t going to stop naturally. I have to go to the mining records office, but this is what we learned.” She took a deep breath and explained it. “Someone has been creating hunters to seek out mineral deposits, but they fucked up, and now, they are hunting anything alive.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah. We have destroyed six of them, but since they are easy to make, they are going to be replaced.”
He frowned. “What mineral?”
“If the mineral is related to the charm, they are after gold.”
“Fvald.”
“I don’t think so. I think he was one of the victims.”
Her father was surprised. “You think so?”
“There were six charms of gold, weighing half a pound each and cast with a strange ancient glyph. That doesn’t sound like a guy who trades nuggets for whores.”
Her father nodded, and her mother returned with a tray of food that looked like it wouldn’t suit an invalid.
“Kabyl! Did things get sorted?” Her mother kissed her cheek and put the junk food down on the tray that swung over the bed. Kabyl shook her head with a smirk.
“Things did partially get sorted, but there are a few final touches that have to be dealt with. I am really glad you guys are here, now I have to make sure that the town stays safe until my backup arrives.”
Her father perked up. “Backup?”
“Yeah, the diamond dragon, and she was looking for some other specialists to help.” Kabyl repeated what she had been told. “I am not allowed to start anything until she arrives, but I can do all the research that I have planned. Can I use your keys to the records office?”
He nodded and said. “Officially, no.”
She gave him a thumbs-up and leaned in to kiss his cheek. “I am really glad that Mom picked a shifter.”
He grinned. “Me too.”
Her mom blushed, careful hugs were handed around, and Kabyl smiled before she left.
Brommin met her in the hall. He inclined his head. “I am keeping an eye on your parents.”
“Thank you. Your wife is a charming woman.”
He gave her a long look, and then, he grinned. “She can be. She can also be a train on a track only she can see.”
“Right. It does feel like she can see further than the moment.”
Brommin smiled. “She and her dragon are twined tightly. Her dragon bleeds into her consciousness frequently.”
Kabyl remembered Trin’s expression. “Did you two... she... you don’t have children?”
“Not yet. We thought that... but it didn’t come to fruition.”
“Oh. I am sorry. That must be difficult.”
He shrugged. “Diamond dragons are made to rule, not reproduce. We are trying to relax and just enjoy being together, but when all is quiet, we feel a little empty.”
He paused. “Why am I telling you this?”
She smiled. “Don’t worry. My dad has always told me I have the gift of confession. Everybody tells me everything. I just have to ask.”
Brommin frowned. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. It gets awkward when a guy is flirting and I ask him what his intentions are.” She chuckled. “I usually don’t like the answer, and that is enough of that.”
“Oh. That would be a little off-putting. No one really needs to know.”
“Well, I did catch a serial killer that way, so it isn’t all bad.” She shrugged.
“That sounds like a story.”
She inhaled and exhaled. “A story for another day. I have to do some research and get home to feed the dogs.”
He brightened. “You have dogs?”
“Four. They pull the sled that I use as winter transport.”
“Nice. I wish I could meet them. I love dogs.” Brommin sighed. “But I do travel a lot with Trin’s duties.”
“Maybe when things slow down...”
He smiled. “That won’t happen, but it is a nice thought.”
“If you want to come and play with the dogs, you are welcome.”
He gave her a sober glance. “Do you have a com system and a data machine?”
“I do.”
“Excellent. I will accompany you. Just give me a moment to alert Trin.” He paused. “Your father is recovering and does not require my guardianship.”
Kabyl nearly laughed, but he quickly picked up his com and pressed a single button. He turned and started speaking to Trin, his voice low and sweet. When he finished his chat, he returned to her side. “Shall we go?”
She shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”
She headed for the main doors of the hospital, and once outside, she made sure to clear it before she transformed into her winged form.
Brommin walked calmly, and he soon shifted into an onyx dragon. He waited for her to take flight and then joined her on the trip home.
Kabyl focused on the records building, and she landed in front of it. Barefoot, she walked up the steps and looked at the now-transformed Brommin. She tried the door, and it was locked. She grinned. “My dad said I could use his key.”
She whirled and kicked the door, right under the lock. The door swung open with a snap.
Brommin raised his brows. “Your father’s key?”
“He always said a precise kick was better than waiting for a hesitant criminal to open the door. He’s a very calm man, and this is about the only flash of irritation that he shows.”
The building was empty, as it should be in the dark of night. She went over to the mine records and started flipping. She pulled out several applications along with denied files.
She flicked through four different sections that were scattered in the valley and pulled the complete files for each.
Brommin asked, “How are you seeing all of that? It is dark as night in here.”
She looked over at him, and he nodded. “Ah. That explains it.”
“What?”
“Do you normally walk around at night?”
“Sure. Night takes up a lot of time around here.”
“Your eyes illuminate.”
“Oh. Neat.” She grabbed the armload of files and said, “Back to my place. I can put on some light and some tea, and then, we can make a plan to search the area.”
“You really want to wait?”
“No, but I have to check on our dogs. I know that my neighbors would have fed them, but I still worry.”
She walked through the empty streets, and there was no one visible. Lights were on in some homes, but the freshly fallen snow didn’t have any prints in it.
It didn’t take them long to get to the store, and she walked around to enter via the family entrance.
She put the documents on a table, and then, she went outside to check on her furry buddies.
Brommin followed her. “Can I meet them?”
He seemed rather eager, so she nodded.
She went to the meat that was stored for this purpose, and she chopped it up and put it in their respective bowls.
She stacked the bowls together and walked out to her team. Piles of snow got up and shook themselves, paws dancing happily as they started to yip at her presence.
“Team, this is Brommin. You have met his wife. She’s the scary big dragon who can cut through stone with her fingertips.” She fed them and gave them pats while they smacked and chomped their way through the food.
She dug her fingers into their thick fur and gave them a solid massage, checking their condition and making tails wag. Everybody was great, and that meant that Mrs. Eberhart had been feeding them. She always snuck in extra portions for the team.
Brommin was crouched next to Tailor and was getting his face scrubbed by the slobbery tongue of the wiggling boy.
Once she was sure that everybody was good, she smiled. “You can stay here as long as you want. I will get the fire going and put the kettle on.”
He grinned, she scrubbed her hands off in the snow and went inside. The power had been on long enough to keep the house warm, but they only kept it on minimal temperature to just take the chill off. She started the fire and put the kettle on. She activated the lights and sat at the dining table and opened the files.
It took ten minutes before Brommin came in, a huge grin on his face. “That was fun.”
She smiled and nodded. “Good. We are going to have tea and snacks, and then, we are going to do a sweep of the area. I think I know who the asshole is.”
Chapter Ten
“How did you figure it out?” Brommin sat and ate a cookie with his tea.
“The same guy has been turned down for mining rights in all four areas. The second area, he tried to file the documents four times. There was an existing claim on the site, so he tried to buy it, but the original owner wasn’t selling.”
“Who was the original owner?”
She inhaled and exhaled slowly. “One of the men who stayed in the camps. There are no traces of the camps right now. Whatever these things were, they killed them all.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah. It sucks. How long do you think it will be before your mate shows up?”
“I don’t know, but I do know that we can take a few tours around the area, looking for trouble. We just can’t do much about it.”
“Well, if there is anything threatening any of the citizens, they are getting a blasting.” She gave him a frank look.
Brommin grinned. “I am keeping you safe, so my mate doesn’t kill me. Let’s go.”
“Is that something you worry about? Trin’s state of mind?”
“Of course, I am her mate, but she is the diamond dragon. She has a lot on her plate, and her arrival has woken dragons across the world. Women who should never have been capable of transformation are cropping up all over.”
She grinned. “Like me.”
“Correct. Your grandmother is a dragon, and your parents are not. You shouldn’t have been able to manage it.”
She didn’t explain her biological father. It wasn’t any of Brommin’s business if he didn’t know already.
She headed outside and waited for her new buddy.
They headed into the woods until they were in an area large enough for the shift. She transformed and took flight then waited at a height of a few hundred feet and circled the area slowly, looking for heat signatures and panic signatures. Nothing was in her small town, so at least they were safe for now.
When Brommin was up, they spiraled out from the center. Kabyl kept her focus on the ground, and when she saw some of the dark things moving toward a farmhouse, she dropped altitude and started blasting. Three more of the beasts were moving in search of life.
She darted in and hosed them all before swooping upward. Brommin let loose with a concussive blast, and the pieces of the beasts flew everywhere.
She landed and started digging in their remains when she heard the wingbeats. Brommin was coming in for a landing. She shifted to human and found the three chunks of gold in short order. She stuffed them in the amazing pockets that seemed to hold whatever she stuck in them.
Brommin turned his head skyward, and the glittering bulk of Trin glided in, settling in the meadow. There was a dark figure on her neck, and it disembarked before she shifted into a more conversational form, with huge wings sprouting from her back.
Kabyl was stunned and walked up to her, gesturing to her wings. “We can do that?”
Brommin was walking toward them, and he had the same wing arrangement on his back. “You too?”
He shrugged. “The upper warrior classes of dragons can usually manage wings in human form. You are one of us and should be able to master this trick soon.”
Kabyl was frowning when Trin brought up her passenger.
“Kabyl, this is Elioth. He’s your tutor. One of the other dragons has family who are non-humans, and he is a distant relative of hers. He is here to teach you how to manage your attacks in either form.”
Kabyl looked at the man who was wearing a cloak lined with fur, was wearing green and brown, and was peculiarly tall. She smiled tightly. “Hello. I am sure that you will be very informative, but there were just three more of the beasts on the way to a farm, and we need to stop it before they make another.”
Trin smiled. “Do you know where?”
She nodded. “I do.”
“Let’s go.”
Kabyl nodded and asked, “Are you going to shift? Is Elioth coming with us?”
He inclined his head. “I will be fine on my own. I need to familiarize myself with the local trees and rhythms.”
Trin smiled. “Go ahead, Kabyl, we will keep up.”
Kabyl shrugged, shifted, and took off. She knew where the creatures were being built and why. The idiot had filed for a patent.
She stood next to the mine entrance and waited for Trin and Brommin to join her. She didn’t actually have the authority to arrest anyone, but Trin and Brommin represented the senate. If anyone could take someone into custody, they could.
The couple landed behind her, and Trin said, “We will follow your lead.”
Kabyl nodded and swallowed, being frank. “Don’t let me kill anyone. I still want to be a peacekeeper.”
Trin’s e
yes widened. “Of course.”
Brommin nodded. “We won’t let you get a record.”
She nodded, straightened her shoulders, and tugged at the sleeves of the shirt that had seemed so pretty a few days earlier.
She walked into the cavern, and the deeper they went, the easier it was to see the light up ahead. There was the sound of chanting, and Kabyl exhaled a stream of cold that would cause a disruption in the work that Dennis Rygar was engaged in.
The chant paused. “Is someone there?”
“Yes, Dennis. You have been really busy. Been working here long?” She walked forward and smiled at him. They had been in school together, and she knew he recognized her the moment that his gaze hit her.
“Kabyl. What are you doing here?” He moved to protect the objects on the table behind him.
“Oh, you know. Fighting monsters, air flighting my dad to the hospital, checking into the countless dead miners and outer villagers.”
He frowned. “What?”
She reached into her pocket and pulled out one of the charms. “How many of these have you set loose?”
He blinked. “Where did you get that?”
She swung the charm back and forth. “This one? Oh, I found it in a field, outside the Miller’s farm.”
She walked up to him and showed him the object. “How many, Dennis?”
“Eleven. There are eleven of them out there. But... you don’t understand, they claw through the stone and excrete clean precious metals.”
“And do you know where they are?”
He frowned. “No. I assumed they went too deep for me to recall.”
“Where did you get the glyphs that you used?”
He looked wary. “Why?”
She leaned in and said softly. “Because you got them wrong.”
She reached past him and held up the charm he had been working on for his twelfth monster. “See this? It says life. Not enrichment, not whatever you wanted it to look for, it says life. They are seeking out living things. There are no rabbits, no bears, no wolves, nothing in the woods. Your creatures have consumed them all.”
