Wounded Wings

by Ariana Hawkes

  “My daughter has been living with me since her mother passed away, just over ten years ago,” Todd continued. “She doesn’t like it. I can understand that. I’m not an easy person to live with, especially for someone as disorganized and scattered like Eden. She’s just like her mother—creative, ditzy, and flaky. Utterly unable to take care of her life.” His forehead wrinkled and there was irritation in his voice, which was the first emotion he’d displayed. It seemed that he didn’t like living with his daughter either.

  Notus took in Todd’s immaculate appearance. Tailored suit, fresh haircut, polished shoes, smoothly shaven. He was sitting on the sofa, his back perfectly straight, his manicured hands resting on his knees. His speech was slow and calculated, and there was something almost regimented about him—something curated, with a lot of thought and attention. He reminded Notus of his uncle, Nixon, who was a perfectionist who despised anyone who didn’t subscribe to his impossibly high standards. Notus got a twinge of sympathy for Todd’s daughter.

  “Anyways,” Todd said, “When Eden first moved in, I promised her she would have her own apartment before she turns twenty-five. Which is in two days’ time. It’s terrible timing, but I never break a promise.”

  Notus nodded, pretending that he understood. It was nice that Todd had principles, even if he followed them slavishly, but Notus wouldn’t be the one defending them.

  “You understand the seriousness of the situation, I’m sure. My work has often attracted criticism in the past, and threats and demands are not new to me. But I’ve never been scared before, and I am now, to be perfectly honest with you.

  “I wanted to hire the absolute best, and Megan’s father, a colleague of mine, has assured me you guys are the ones to hire. I’ll admit I found it difficult to believe at first because you don’t have much experience, but once I signed the NDA and Xephyr let me in on the secret of your true nature, I could see how your abilities as dragons give you a lot of advantages.” Todd stood up and buttoned his suit jacket. “My daughter is my most precious gift, Mr. Colburn. Xephyr has assured me there is no one better suited than you to look after her. And I sure hope he’s right.” He shook Notus’s hand, they said goodbye to each other, and he walked out of the office.

  “What the hell is going on?” Notus bawled at Xephyr once they were alone in the office. He could barely see straight for the anger pouring out of him like a cauldron on the boil.

  “You’re the best person for the job,” Xephyr said calmly.

  “Have you lost your mind? That guy is some important hot shit, doing some top secret, national security defining thing. How could I be the best person to defend his daughter when I can’t even fly?!” He banged a fist on the table and got to his feet. “Did you not hear what he said? He’s hired us because we’re dragons.” He leaned over Xephyr. “I’m barely half a dragon without my ability to fly, Xephyr.”

  “Nonsense!” Xephyr shouted back. “You have the fastest instincts out of all of us, and your psychic skills are extremely valuable here. Your ability to tell if someone is trustworthy or not is going to be a massive advantage to this job.”

  “You don’t need a crippled dragon for that,” Notus said. “Just get a fortune-teller.”

  “Notus, calm down.” Xephyr stood up too, raising his hands in what was intended to be a soothing gesture.

  “Stop telling me to calm down. I’m sick of all of you tiptoeing around me and telling me to calm down all the time.”

  “Then control your explosive temper!”

  “How can I control my temper when you’re creating all this bullshit for me, Xephyr? Call the client and tell him we’re assigning someone else to his case. I’m not doing it.”

  “You’re the best person for it.”

  “To hell with that! If they knew I couldn’t fly, they’d fire my ass in a second.

  “They know,” Xephyr said quietly.

  Notus reeled back. This Blackwood guy must be as deranged as Xephyr.

  “Give me your last target paper from the range,” Xephyr demanded.

  Notus yanked the piece of paper out of his back pocket. “Here.” He slammed it against Xephyr’s chest.

  Xephyr spread the paper on the desk. “Look at that.” He waved at it. “Immaculate. Half of the bullets are center mass. The other half are right in the bull’s-eye.” He turned to face Notus who had stood behind him, arms crossed in front of his chest. “None of us can shoot with such accuracy. We aren’t even half as good as you are.”

  “And what do you care?” Notus spat. “You can fly. I’d have that over the ability to shoot any given day of the week. Bullets are useless. Nothing can compare with the power of flight.”

  “Bullets are useful in this world. There are situations when they could be quicker than our offensive skills. And far more discreet in a public place than having a fire-breathing dragon bursting out of you.”

  “I’m not doing this job, Xephyr.”

  “Stop defying my orders!” Xephyr bellowed, his golden eyes full of fury now. “You are doing the job, and you better get yourself ready because you have to meet the client in less than two hours’ time.”

  “Then don’t blame me if it all comes crashing down on our heads!” Notus roared, storming out of the office. He slammed the door behind him.

  He ran down the stairs, so angry and frustrated that he wanted to punch the wall. His injury was ruining his life. A year ago, he would have never acted like that. He used to be a fun and easygoing guy, who was sensitive—too sensitive—and pleasant to be around. But his injury and his growing despair that he’d ever fly again had turned him into an angry and embittered half dragon, who was quick to aggravate and quicker to explode.

  The others walked on eggshells around him and treated him as if he was about to break. But it was the pity in their eyes that hurt the most, because it made him realize that he was forever doomed to live without wings. He knew that they were trying to do what was best for him, and he couldn’t ask for a better clan. He just wished that he wasn’t so damn furious all the time and that he had better control over the monster that he was slowly becoming.

  Chapter 2

  Eden

  Eden’s phone chimed with a new message as she was parking in the driveway of her new apartment. She killed the engine and swiped a manicured fingertip across the notification on the phone screen, opening a message from Jodi.

  Thank you sooo much for all your help today, and for your amazing support lately! You’ve been so good to me and I wouldn’t have been able to do any of it without you! You’re the best, seriously!! Love you xoxo

  Eden smiled to herself, her stomach warming with affection. She’d spent most of the day helping her friend arrange the furniture of her new apartment. Jodi had just moved out of the place she’d shared with her ex-boyfriend, after finding out that the douchebag had been cheating on her. She’d been with Colbert for seven years, and she’d thought she’d spent her life with him, so when she’d discovered his betrayal she’d been beyond broken. Eden read her friend’s message again, and typed a reply.

  It was so great to spend the morning with you, and I hope that the new place will quickly start feeling like home. There’s nothing to thank me for. You are an awesome person and things will get better very soon, I promise. I’m here for you whenever you need me. xoxo

  Eden sighed and clasped the phone against her chest. Her heart was breaking for her friend, and she’d tried to be there for her and give her what little comfort she could during such a devastating time. She’d heard that Colbert had already moved in with the new girl he was seeing, and she was really hoping that Jodi wouldn’t find out any time soon.

  Eden took her purse and got out of her car. Her body was a little sore from dragging the furniture around and she was looking forward to a relaxing evening in her new apartment. She was so glad to finally have her own place. She loved her father but he really liked his order and neatness, to put it mildly, and living with him was like a never-ending exam—co
nstant pressure; one test after the other; then inevitable failure. It was taxing at best, demoralizing at worst.

  She unlocked the front door of her apartment, and was just about to key in the alarm system code, when she realized the alarm was actually off. Her stomach tightened. Had she forgotten to activate it when she’d left that morning? Her father often chided her for her forgetfulness, but when it came to security, she always tried to be extra careful.

  “Where have you been? I’ve been trying to call you,” her father’s voice came from behind her. She turned abruptly, dropping her keys.

  “Dad, what are you doing here?” Eden asked. “How did you get in?”

  “I have a key of course.”

  “And you also know the code to my alarm system?”

  “Of course I do, Eden. It’s only normal that I should have access to my daughter’s place. Plus, how are you planning to get in when you forget the code to your alarm system.”

  She didn’t know what was more upsetting—the fact that her father had access to her apartment, or his certainty that she’d lock herself out. It was so inconceivable that he found it acceptable to have a key to her flat that she didn’t even know how to argue such a conspicuous point, so she chose the easier fight.

  “I’m not going to forget the code to my own alarm system!” she protested.

  He snorted dismissively. “Yes, you will. It’s just a matter of time.”

  Maybe that wasn’t the easier fight after all.

  “Okay, dad.” She muttered in resignation, walking into the open-plan living room. She put the kettle on and stared blankly out of the window while waiting for the water to boil. Her father had always treated her like an irresponsible, infantile person, who was barely capable of breathing without his support. Sure, she wasn’t as organized as he was, and she might be flaky sometimes—but that didn’t mean that she was unable to take care of herself.

  It also didn’t justify him treating her as if she was some incorrigible moron, but he always had, and so much so that she’d started doubting herself and feeling incapable of doing things she used to be good at. There was no point in reasoning with him though—she’d been there many times, and she knew there was nothing she could say that would overcome his stubbornness.

  “Where have you been?” he asked again, settling onto her sofa.

  Eden sighed. “I was at Jodi’s, helping her arrange her new flat.”

  “And that’s taken you almost a whole day? You should have been able to do that in less than four hours! Let me see your phone.” He extended a hand.

  Eden stifled a roar of pure outrage. She couldn’t believe that this was her new “freedom”. Every fiber in her body told her to refuse, but she wanted to see the back of him as soon as possible, so she had to cooperate. She took her phone out of her bag and placed it silently in her father’s palm.

  He keyed in the passcode to unlock the phone, and as she’d expected opened the app which he’d installed to record her movements.

  “Hm, yes,” he mumbled. “You did spend most of the day there.” He curled his lip in disgust. “What a waste of time! Doing things so inefficiently!” He waved a hand dismissively and gave her phone back.

  “Dad—”

  “Anyways, Eden, I’ve come to tell you that I’ve hired a bodyguard for you.”

  “You’ve what?” Eden put her hands on her hips, chin jutting forward.

  “I’m being threatened,” he said in a monotone without raising his eyes from the newspaper on his lap. One of his ankles was resting on the opposite knee, and he was slowly leafing through the paper, looking like a person who didn’t have a single care in the world.

  “You’re always being threatened, dad.” Her throat was convulsing violently. “That’s why I’ve spent the last ten years living like a prisoner.”

  There was always someone after her father—pressure groups, journalists, concerned citizens. It all had something to do with his work, apparently, but she had no idea what, because there were only two things he’d told her about his job: that he was a research scientist for the government and that she couldn’t know anything else because it was all classified.

  When she’d moved in with him, he’d sat her down and told her all this, explaining that he’d have to take certain precautions and impose certain rules. She was allowed to ask three questions about his job, which he’d answer honestly, then they’d never speak of it again. Is it dangerous? Sometimes. Are you one of the good guys? Yes. Do you like what you do? Yes.

  “It’s more serious this time, Eden,” her father said.

  She took three angry steps toward him. “Why do you always have to take things away from me, dad? Every time you give something to me, you take something away.” She finally had her own apartment, which it seemed wasn’t so much her own as she’d imagined, with her father having keys and all, and now she was also going to have an around-the-clock bodyguard. She’d been longing for her own space for such a long time, so she could get on with her life in peace, but now she felt more like a caged animal than ever.

  “It is for your protection, Eden,” he said calmly, still leafing through the pages of the newspaper. He wasn’t even looking at her.

  Her face felt hot, and she clenched her jaw as she turned abruptly and stormed over to the open-plan kitchen at the far end of the room. She should cook something to distract herself from her anger. It was too early for dinner but she could just prepare everything and put the oven on later.

  “I’m a grown-up, independent woman, and I’m more than capable of taking care of myself. I don’t need a babysitter,” she said over her shoulder as she took the chicken out of the fridge, removed the packaging, and placed it on a baking tray. She grabbed some carrots and chopped them viciously into large pieces with the biggest knife she had. It felt good to cut things. She laid the carrots around the chicken, sprinkled some olive oil and water on top, and shoved the tray in the oven, making a mental note to switch it on later.

  “It won’t be for long,” he said in a neutral voice.

  She clenched her teeth together. She hated how he was always so composed. She could never evoke any emotion in him. And she wanted to scream from frustration, but she knew he’d tell her she was being immature, as he always did when she was emotional, and then she’d end up feeling even worse. Her father was a man of logic, not of emotion. A scientist by head and heart.

  “You’re always restricting my freedom and controlling every single aspect of my life,” Eden said, trying to keep her voice under control. “I’m so sick of it!”

  “Eden, this is different,” her father said, fixing his eyes on hers. He walked over to the kitchen area and sat on one of the stools along the kitchen counter. “It’s not just a protest on the street, or a journalist that’s been following me for a comment. Someone broke into my apartment.”

  “What! Are you serious? You weren’t there at the time, were you?” Eden sat on the stool next to her father and put a hand on his forearm.

  “No, I wasn’t, fortunately. But my point is, these people are professionals, Eden. That’s why we need the help of professionals ourselves. And as I said, it’s only a temporary arrangement. The agency I hired are the best in their field. Oh, I almost forgot, you have to sign something and then I can tell you some exciting news.”

  He pulled a folded piece of paper from the inner pocket of his jacket and laid it on the table. Eden wondered what the exciting news could be, while her father was smoothing out the creases in the paper. That she had to go live on a remote island? That she needed to change her identity?

  “Here,” he said, pushing the document in front of her.

  “An NDA?” Eden asked, scanning the paper.

  “A non-disclosure agreement.”

  “I know what it means, father.” The document stipulated that all information Eden received about the detective agency and its members was confidential.

  “Please sign it.” Her father extended a pen toward her, as his eyes met h
ers.

  She took a deep breath. Her signature would mean much more than just accepting the terms of the document in front of her. It would mean that she’d agreed to the whole bodyguard thing. But she didn’t have a choice either way. She took the pen from her father’s hand and scribbled her signature at the bottom of the paper.

  Eden sank onto the sofa and sipped her glass of white wine, trying to distract herself from her misery. Her father was in her study, taking an important work call, and the bodyguard was due to arrive at her place any moment now. She couldn’t believe any of it. She was so sick of living her life like this; of existing in her father’s shadow.

  The only silver lining in the whole thing was that the bodyguard was a dragon. A real, live dragon. This was the exciting news that had necessitated the NDA. She used to be fascinated with dragons as a child, and she’d read a lot of stories about them. Apparently, he was also a shape shifter and could change between his human and animal forms at will. Her father had explained that since most humans didn’t know about shifters, she had to keep it a secret. Her curiosity was roused, but she’d still prefer to not have a bodyguard, dragon or no dragon.

  Her father emerged from the study and joined her on the sofa.

  “You want some wine?” Eden lifted her chin toward the bottle on the table.

  “I have to go now. I have a meeting shortly,” he said, laying his long-fingered hands on her shoulders. “Notus should be here in about fifteen minutes. I’m sorry I can’t stay longer to introduce you to each other.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Be good to him. I’m sure you’ll like him.” He patted her on the shoulder, then strode out of the room.