Chase_The Sons of Crosby

by Kathi S. Barton

  “They’re all just jealous.” Chase asked him of what. “I am a great dragon. I have been around for a very long time. And I don’t have to do what others do.”

  “I think you have that all wrong. And you will do what the others do, as well as what I tell you, or die.” The dragon looked at Emerald. “Don’t look to her for guidance. I’m speaking now. If she had come here before me, I think you’d get off worse than you are now.”

  Emerald nodded and stood up. After kissing him on the cheek, she said she’d see him at the house. Then she asked Soto to stay in the event that he might need to learn how to destroy a dragon. When she was out of sight, Chase looked at the dragon.

  “Do you agree to the punishment set before you?” The dragon looked around, then back at him. “I’ve asked you a question. I demand an answer.”

  The word demand…he’d known that it would have effects on the dragon, the same as it did on inferior or younger vampires. How much he had no idea, but it held a lot of force. Magic that would make a full-grown dragon whimper. Tears of blood, not gems, would fall from his eyes. When the dragon fell to the ground, crying out with pain, Chase watched him and said not a word.

  “Yes. Yes, I’ll do it. Take it back.” He wasn’t sure how to do that, but thought he didn’t really want to take it back. Power…he needed to show them all that he was the one in charge and with the most power. Chase walked in the direction that Emerald had taken, with Soto telling him what a fine job he’d done the entire way.

  Before he made it to the tree line, he knew that he was going to be sick. Even as he bent over behind the largest tree, he saw Emerald waiting. Puking up his dinner, Chase sat against the tree and tried to calm his nerves. He’d just stood up to a dragon and lived.

  ~~~

  Harold wasn’t sure where he had picked up the little bug that was forever in front of him. It spoke to him, telling him about her day, what she was used for, and when she went into hibernation. Which to him seemed a very long time, but he didn’t speak to the faerie, what she called herself. The last time he had, she’d gotten him tossed out of the library when nobody but him could see or hear her. That was why he was sitting here, on the bench in front of it, trying to figure out what he had to do.

  The computer that he’d been using in the library was free, but it had been old. Most of the people in there using them with him had been old too. But he needed to contact someone in his department to see when he was going to be reinstated. He had to get his job back. Harold was bored, and he had a great many things that he needed to do. Like find out about the woman and her supposed magical abilities. Not to mention, get his department back together once more.

  He was no longer worried about the warrants out for his arrest. Harold was sure, once he talked to Lindsey, they’d be taken care of as well. But getting things done was much harder than he had anticipated. And much more complicated.

  He knew that his men were all just sitting around, not doing anything. He’d seen it before. That was why he ran such a tight ship. Also, it was why, in the beginning, his teams had the record of having the most closed cases. Not anymore. People were lazy, he’d begun to see,. Lazy and not committed to anything but their stupid phones.

  The faerie sat on his leg and he tried his best to ignore it.

  “You know that the queen picked me alone to come and hang out with you. I wasn’t sure what that term was, but after Lord Chase explained to me, I was very excited. Are you happy to be hanging out with me?” She paused in her speaking, and he could swear his ears sighed in relief, but it was short-lived. “You didn’t answer me. Are you happy with being with me?”

  “No, I am not. I wish for you to return to where you came from. Leave me alone. I don’t even think that you’re real.” She grinned at him, her tiny little teeth sparkled in the morning light. “Go away. Shoo.”

  “Nay, I cannot. We are hanging together.” He drew back his hand to swat at her again and she laughed. “You do that again and I will not be so nice to you the next time. You could have harmed me.”

  “That was the point.” He put his hand down. If he was honest with himself, he was terrified of the little thing. She might be no bigger than his finger, but she surely did have a powerful punch to herself. “I wish to be left alone. And if you can’t leave me alone, then stop talking all the time. I’m exhausted.”

  “You should sleep better. I noticed that every time that I woke you to ask you a question, you were very rude. Is it because you are not getting what you want?” Harold told her it was because she woke him all the time. “No, that cannot be it. I wake everyone every few hours. It is so that we can work. You will get used to my ways, then I will go to a normal schedule for you. Every hour you must be awakened to work for two. It is how we are able to get all the flowers ready for spring. I have been easy on you because you are not used to the way we do things.”

  “Why would I want to do things the way that you do?” She told him he was being silly again. He’d noticed that, when she didn’t have an answer that he wanted to hear, she called him silly. Whatever that meant. “I would like to talk to the person who assigned you to me. To be waking me all the time, and who told you to annoy me. I want to talk to that person.”

  “She is the queen of the faeries. There is also the king and queen of the dragons. They have set me upon this task to make sure that you are going to be able to withstand the hours we have. It is such an honor for me to be with you all the time. You have no idea.” He wanted to scream. And had he his gun, he thought he might well have shot her. There could not be a more annoying person in the world than her. “You must be very happy to be here with me. You have done nothing but talk-talk-talk to me. You’ll see, when you are rested and on the faerie schedule, you’ll be so much more productive.”

  “I want to take that woman, the one you call Emerald, back to my job so that she can tell them what she told me. That she is magical and has been around forever.” She laughed and told him that wasn’t going to happen. “Why not? I’m sure that there will be a lot of people who would like to get to know her, and what she can do. She’ll be famous. Everyone likes to be celebrated. And I would be too. Famous, I mean.”

  “They will destroy her.” He shook his head. “One of my kind, they were taken to a lab, such as the one you have in your mind. They tore off his wings and then put him in a dark cage. Faeries need light. All the time. Even when we are sleeping, we still like the lights. They cut him off from his light and he withered and died.”

  “That won’t happen to her. I’ll make sure of it.” Harold needed this to happen. He’d say anything, promise whatever she wanted, to make sure that he got her to the building so that he could have his job back. “I need for her to cooperate. She’s the only one that can fix this.”

  He noticed that people were staring at him. Again. Harold turned away from the faerie to look around. There were a lot of people around now, and some of them were actually pointing their phones at him. He had no doubt they were thinking him insane, but he did have a hope that one of them would be able to see the little person on his leg and speculate that was who he was conversing with.

  And twice now, when he’d gone to have a meal, those men had come to join him. Well, join was overstated as to what they did. All they did was take his food then order more pie, and then foot him with the bill. He was tremendously tired of that as well.

  “You are talking to no one again.” She had pointed that out to him several times over the last few days. He glanced in her direction and said nothing. “You have a friend that I cannot see? I should like to meet them. Perhaps they could be my friend as well.”

  “I don’t have a friend. And you’re not my friend either. You’re annoying. And a pain in my ass.” He looked at her again. “Why did someone assign you to me? To drive me nuts? I think that’s it. Well, it won’t work. I’m smarter than that. I am not insane.”

  “I do not think that you are.” She flittered—no other word for the way that she fl
ew around his head—she flittered up to be in front of his face and smiled. “And I am too your friend. You may not think so, but you say my name in that tone all the time. I have asked, it means you are endeared to me.”

  “Who told you that? Emerald? The faerie queen? I’m betting that they have all kinds of sayings about how I feel about you.” She smiled bigger, and he had to blink several times when the glint off her teeth hurt his eyes. “Why are you so shiny? Is it because of what you are, or are you covered in some kind of dust?”

  He had no idea why he asked her that. She’d talk about it for hours now. But perhaps that was a good way for him to think. Having her prattle on about nothing might make it so he could tune her out.

  “I have gems over my body. It is to make me shine better for the flowers. My shine is good, you see. When the sun hits me just right, the flowers can have more light. It is why some of us are covered in what you call diamonds.” She went on about other gems, but it was what she had on her body that startled him. Diamonds? She was covered in diamonds. When he put out his hand for her to land on, he pulled her almost to his nose. “You wish to see me better?”

  “Yes. I want to see how many diamonds are on you. I see none.” She moved her wings then, and he could see how they gleamed, but no diamonds. Another bust, he thought. No one in their right mind would believe she had any on her if he were to tell them. Putting his hand on his lap, he decided he’d had enough of her for one day and stood up.

  “I’m going to lie down for a bit. I do not want you to disturb me. I’ve a headache and I’d like to be alone.” Of course she didn’t leave, nor did she shut up. Harold had a feeling that he was going to be stuck with this thing all through his afterlife. If there was even that. He wasn’t sure of a great many things any longer.

  Chapter 13

  The fields were ready for the coming spring. Chase noticed that his dragon, the one that he’d had to discipline, had been working, but not all that hard. He was going to have to take care of him soon. If not, then the others would come to him about his misdeeds again.

  “The list, the one that I gave you days ago, do you still have it?” He looked at his brother Grayson and nodded. He’d been working with him all day, and it was the first time he’d spoken to him. He asked him what was wrong. “I have a lot on my mind right now. There is some major shit going on with the two companies that I have.”

  “I have nothing but time to help you with it if you want. Since we’ve hired a staff and a cook, I’m pretty much a free man a lot of the time.” Grayson asked him about the dragons. “Just one is giving me a hard time, but soon enough, I think he’s going to have to either pull his weight or be dealt with. I don’t want to think about that right now.”

  “Yeah, I spoke to Emerald the other day. She said that you did a bang up job out in the field. I’m proud of you.” He thanked him and wondered if he’d heard that he’d been so sick after that he’d had to lay down. And every time he thought of what he’d threatened a large dragon with, he had the shakes. “Maybe you can help me. It’s the winery that we own. The one that also makes the labels as well?”

  “Yes, you said that it would not only save you time in having them printed there, but also you could make changes without extra cost.” Grayson nodded. “So, what can I help you with?”

  “Three days ago, we got a shipment returned. There was, as far as I can tell, nothing wrong with it. And when I called the company, all I got was, they were going with another brand. I didn’t think much of it until this morning, when I got a second call. This one said he was returning the wine and that he’d not be doing business with me again. I have a feeling that I know what it is, but I don’t know who to call about it.” He asked him to explain. “I think it’s the Fed guy. I don’t know why, but these people that are making the returns, they’re hostile to me. Pissed off royally, but won’t say why.”

  “Did you ask Jamie to look into it?” He said that he hadn’t, he was worried the guy would get stressed again. “I can see that, but he won’t. And if he were to get even a little bit stressed, I’d feel it and could calm him. I’ll go with you, if you’d like.”

  “Yes, I’d very much like that. To be honest, while I don’t need the income, it’s one of those things that is nagging at me. And it’s worrying the people that work there.” Chase asked him what the second thing was. “That is more personal. And if I tell you, will you promise not to share it with anyone?”

  “Of course.” Grayson hopped into his truck while Chase got in the passenger side. “Do you need to show me something? Or are we headed to Jamie’s place?”

  “Both.” He laughed. “Okay, I bought myself a bigger house. One that I’m anticipating a mate to come to me in. With you and Jason having found yours, I figure it’s only a matter of time before the rest of us do. I mean, Dad even found himself a second chance at love. While I’m not sure I know how to woo or love someone like a mate, I want to be as prepared as I can.”

  They drove to the other side of town and pulled up in front of a gated driveway. Once they were back in the truck after unlocking the gate, Chase noticed how much work was being done on the yards and trees. He commented on it as they drove up the snow-covered drive.

  “It’s big, the house, and there is a lot of acreage. About a thousand. I wanted big enough to expand, should I ever need to, and enough land that I didn’t have to worry about neighbors. Not that I’m anti-social, I just like my privacy.” As they rounded the trees that were bare right now, Chase got his first look at the house. Whistling, he looked over when Grayson laughed. “Yeah, that was my first reaction when I saw it too.”

  “This used to be the governor’s house, didn’t it?” Grayson said it had been, but it had fallen on hard times a while back. “I love the grand old entrance, Grayson, and the gables on the roof. This is beautiful.”

  “Yes, but it needs a lot of updating. That’s where you can help me too. I cook, but maybe my mate will as well. Anyway, come inside, but watch your step, the floors are being replaced in places too.” He and his brother entered the house, and all Chase could do was stare. It was in bad shape, but he could see the coming beauty in it too. “The window at the top of the stairs had all but been broken out. I’m having someone make a replacement, but more to my tastes. The one that had been in there before, I don’t think it reflected anything but glass put together, if I remember correctly.”

  They had come here, decades ago, when the house had been new. There had been no electricity in the house, not even a bathroom back then. But even then, it had been a spectacular place. Grand. As they made their way to the kitchen, where it looked as if the most work was being done right now, he could see why Grayson needed help.

  “It’s too small. And you need a pantry too.” Grayson pulled out his tablet and started writing things down on it. “I’d take out the windows here and put in a single large one. These tiny ones are not going to let in much light.”

  “I thought that too, but I didn’t know if it stemmed from me loving the outdoors or simply that’s what it needed.” Grayson walked out the kitchen door that seemed to go right into another building. This door was thick, solid, and covered on the inside with hooks, which were all around the room. “This is a building I have no idea what it might have been used for. I thought a smokehouse, but there isn’t that sort of smell to it. You know, woodsy. And these strange hooks? What do you suppose they might have held?”

  Chase walked to them and had no idea either, but when he reached up to touch one of them, a flood of information and images flashed though his mind. Once he was able to let the hook go, he staggered a little then fell to the floor. It took him several minutes to answer his brother as he was saying his name.

  “I’m all right. I just…. I know what they were used for. And trust me when I tell you, you need to take them out. In fact, this entire building needs to go.” Grayson said that he would, but needed to know what he saw. “This place was for the slaves. They would be hung here, sometime
s for days at a time, and the cook would come in and throw the slop jars on them. The thickness of the doors was to keep out the smell as well as any noises that were made. Christ, Grayson, this building was put here just for that. Close enough to beat them, and they could smell the food coming from the kitchen while they starved out here.”

  “It’s coming down. Today.” Chase nodded and let Grayson help him stand up. “How did you see that, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “I have no idea. More stuff from Emerald, perhaps? I don’t know. I’ll see what I can find out from her when I see her the next time.” He would too. While this sort of thing might be helpful, a little heads up would keep him from touching something that he shouldn’t.

  They went through the rest of the house, but now, Chase was careful not to touch anything. He didn’t want to see what the rooms might hold. What some of the pieces of furniture might tell him. As soon as they were back to the truck, Chase saw that the building as well as a part of the kitchen was already torn out. He’d bet anything by this time tomorrow, not only would no one know there had been that building, but the windows for the kitchen would be ready to install.

  Their next stop was at the Nash home. Jamie was in the kitchen with Kristie, and they were having a nice lunch. Kristie insisted they join them, and both him and his brother were handed a large sub as well as a glass of tea. Chase was halfway through his while Grayson told Jamie what was going on.

  “That sounds like something that Bates would do. Let me make a few calls and I’ll let you know.” Jamie got up and left them there, and Grayson told Kristie he was sorry. He’d not meant now.