Dragon Protectors

by Kristin D. Van Risseghem

  I’m not sure why we’re doing this since most of the time, slayers won’t be in hand to hand combat against dragons. And since they don’t know who the dragons are in human form, it doesn’t matter. But I don’t voice my opinions. McQueen probably has a reason. Besides, it is a good idea to know some moves just in case. After all, this is the big city, and walking down the street could find you in a not-so-nice situation.

  I may be thin and lanky, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not fit. During my whole first year, I trained every day. Then the boys came into my life and turned it upside down. Workouts seemed to halt for a while. It’s nice being back into a routine.

  McQueen holds me from behind. I try to focus on his voice and not the fact that his body is pressed against mine. The heat can be felt through our clothes. “If you find yourself in this position, the easiest way to get out of it is to stomp on the assailant’s foot,” he says. “All you need is a second to wiggle free, turn, and then slam your palm into the neck.” He spins me around so that I’m behind him and then shows me the move. “Now you try.”

  I stand in front of him again, stomping my foot on his shoes. It’s not hard because I don’t want to hurt him. His grip around my arms and chest loosen. I twist to face him and then ram the base of my palm into his neck. It doesn’t even connect because I pull the punch. I only want to show McQueen I’m doing it correctly.

  “Good. Again. These actions need to become second nature.”

  “Why are we learning this?” I ask. Apparently, I can’t hold my tongue about it.

  “Because we are going out to find dragons in other Prides. Some aren’t going to take lightly about us prying into their leaders’ lives. They protect their own. While we will fight some in dragon forms, they might also be in their human bodies. We, of course, will protect you as much as we can, but this is just a precaution. We need to know that you can hold your own until one of us can help you.”

  “I’m not defenseless. I can—”

  “We’d feel better if you just allow us to do this for you. For our peace of our minds.”

  “Fine. But don’t treat me like some damsel in distress. You guys might have more muscles and training, but I can hold my own.” I think. “I know when to ask for help or guidance.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of calling you that, ever.”

  He shows me more ways to escape a hold, and what would happen if there were two assailants. We break and then get on the treadmills, running for miles.

  It’s early afternoon by the time we’ve emerged from our showers. McQueen is leaning against the counter making us some lunch. I’ve already told him that I need to practice magic before the Council meeting, and if we can squeeze it in, more shifter training. Since it’s so nice outside, I suggest that we eat on the deck and then use the backyard for magic.

  After we eat our sandwiches, I lead him onto the grass and position myself exactly the way I sat with Staten, only McQueen sits beside me. “It’s safer this way,” I say.

  He nods and doesn’t say anything more.

  Immediately, the flames of my magic are floating on my opened palm. My brain empties and my body relaxes. I don’t tell McQueen what I’m doing. Maybe he’ll figure it out, or maybe he doesn’t care.

  His eyes are closed, letting me do what needs to be done. I wonder if he can feel my magic swirling around us?

  My hands hum, itching for the magic to be released, to do my bidding. I focus my thoughts only on creating a shield in front of me. The flame flickers and hovers, gradually growing larger. I coax it to become more powerful but not too much. I don’t need to be killing the grass, nor the buildings on the other side of the bay. Could my stun reach that far? I don’t need to try that. Yet.

  All I want to do is to fling my magic shield away from us, using enough force to stun. Not destroy.

  “The forcefield around the backyard will hold, right?” I ask.

  McQueen’s eyes open and land on mine. He nods. “I saw what you did in the basement. Don’t worry about it. We’ll get the wall fixed. Do your best damage out here.” He grins. “In fact, do your worst. I want to see how potent you really are. Maybe we don’t have to worry so much about you if your magic is where I think it is.”

  Maybe he’s right. I should try his way and then once I get the feeling of how much power I’m supposed to use, I’ll reign it in.

  Closing my eyes, I let myself build magic. Flames engulf my mind and body. I can feel McQueen’s intense gaze still on me. He knows I can do this. It’s that assuredness that I use to continue growing my magic. My face flushes. My body starts to sweat.

  Bright green light streams from every pore of my skin. I’m tossed backward. I turn my head and see that McQueen is also on his back. A smile creeps on his face as he looks at me. For a split second, his gaze darts down to my lips. I swallow. Hard.

  Whatever magic force is used in the backyard, it absorbs my flames. The outer walls crackle with power. But not before the trees are leveled, the grass smokes, and the potted plants are destroyed.

  “I think if you can use that, no one will decide to mess with you.” McQueen winks. “That is more powerful than Staten’s, well, anything he’s let us see.” He helps me sit up. “Dang, Brooklyn. Remind me never to really piss you off.”

  His warm hand still holds mine as we survey our surroundings. Thinking I could fix the yard, I summon my flames and gently push it outwards, concentrating of healing the grass. Turning it back to lush green. Having the tree upright and standing tall again. Adhering the shattered flower pots. Everything rights itself. Good. I feel bad enough that part of their house was destroyed by me.

  McQueen’s eyes meet mine again. He swallows this time. Ever since the first night in the woods when he kissed me without my permission, he’s never attempted it again. Granted, I did yell at him never to kiss me again unless I tell him it’s what I want.

  From the heat in his eyes, I can tell he desperately wants to. But he won’t ask. He’s waiting for me to let him know it’s okay. Is it, though? Do I want to kiss him? I think I can handle another relationship with the last brother. There is definitely an attraction I feel toward him.

  McQueen suggests that we get ready for the Council meeting. I use that time to text Noelle.

  Me: Hey, there. What’s going on? Miss me yet? You want to meet tomorrow morning?

  I’m digging in my closet when I hear the ping from my phone.

  Noelle: OF COURSE I MISS YOU LIKE CRAZY!!!

  Me: Coffee tomorrow?

  Noelle: Sure. When and where?

  Me: Off campus. There’s a bistro about three miles away. Do you know the unmarked path behind the girls’ dorm? There is a gate at the end of the property. Use that to leave the school then catch an Uber.

  Noelle: Okay. Why so secretive?

  Me: I’ll tell you more tomorrow.

  Now that I’ve locked in plans with Noelle, I select dark jeans and a blue knit sweater. Laying them on the bed, I walk toward the bathroom and get ready. While the Slayers meeting was informal, I don’t know how this meeting will be. Then again, that meeting was an impromptu gathering right after a deadly battle.

  The dragons are meeting in a lovely home, and I suspect the entire Council will be here tonight. Especially, since so many of my Pride are curious about me. I met Manny’s and Bronx’s parents the other week, but there’ll be more members I don’t know.

  I’d rather dress nice than give off the wrong impression. I’m done styling my hair when a knock on the door sounds. I pull it open, and McQueen stands on the threshold. He scans me up and down. My stomach flips seeing him in black pants and a fitted knit shirt. Backing up, I let him into the room.

  The room is suddenly smaller with him in it. Or perhaps he’s overwhelming my senses. The spark of magic that ping pongs between us is fleeting.

  “You ready?” he asks. I nod. It’s the only thing I can do. “Good.” He holds out his hand. I tentatively step to his side, glancing up to meet his jade eyes. He in
hales and squeezes my fingers.

  Gently placing his hand at the small of my back, he leads me up the stairs to the formal dining room. He opens the double doors. There seated at the head of a long, mahogany table is his father, Danzel. To his right is Manny’s father, Daniel, and to Danzel’s left is Bronx’s dad, David. They have first names that start with D, and I briefly wonder if they grew up together as children, too.

  All eyes glance at the newcomers in the room, and then a hush falls on everyone’s lips. There are about a dozen men, not including McQueen, spanning between the ages of what I think is from the low forties to upper sixties.

  I feel self-conscious that everyone is staring at me, but then I think that maybe no female has ever attended these meetings. They’re curious why McQueen and I are both there. I wring my hands, but then McQueen threads his fingers through mine, stopping my nervous habit. He pulls out a chair for me directly opposite to his father, taking the seat next to me.

  “Welcome, Brooklyn,” Danzel says as he stands. He turns to face his council. “This is Brooklyn Bryer. And she’s the only female dragon alive.”

  A gasp fills the room. Some try to cover their response with hands, while most others can only stare. A few flares of magic burst through and I know that they can’t control it when they’re around me.

  “How do you know?” someone to my right asks. “I mean, I can see that she’s a female, but how do you know she’s a dragon?”

  “Can you not feel the pull toward her? I saw a few of your magic flare up when she stepped into the room,” Danzel says. “Plus, my sons have been training with her these last couple of weeks. Once she was brought here, I confirmed it with my own eyes.” He motions to me. “Brooklyn, would you like to tell your story?”

  Oh, my gosh. I should’ve prepared something ahead of time. Now, my face is burning and whatever comes out of my mouth is probably going to be a garbled mess. My heart rate pulses, and a tiny bead of sweat forms on my forehead.

  The boys must be able to feel my sudden spike in emotions. I hear McQueen tell them that everything is okay, and we’re at the Council meeting. Their voices float into my mind, caressing it to calm down and relax. Before any other dragon voices can break through the mental barrier, I erect the mental wall once again.

  McQueen’s warm hand grips my knee from under the table, shaking me to remember that everyone is waiting on me.

  I nod to Danzel and stand. “Hello.” I suck in a deep breath. “I enrolled into York Academy after I turned seventeen and met Manny Lauren. During graduation into Level Two, I became the Kill Shot.” Muffle cries escape from some members. “After that night, Manny introduced me to Bronx and Staten. Then as my magic manifested, John Lorimer told me that I should take personal sessions with Staten since he’d never seen anyone do what I was doing at my age. I started having dreams of myself being a dragon, and I didn’t know what it meant, nor that Staten was giving me those dreams. Eventually, I met McQueen here. All four boys helped me change into my dragon form.”

  “So my son has seen you, too?” David asks. “As a dragon.” Bronx looks exactly like his father. I remember when we met at the Rangers game.

  I nod.

  “And you’re the reason why there are more dragons out in the city?” Manny’s father, Daniel, asks. “We keep advising them to stay hidden, but some are not listening to us. Now that Regan is no longer Pride Leader, more and more dragons are doing their own thing. They are drawn to you and your magic.”

  “Yeah, about that,” I say. “I was there when Regan died. It was on a Year Three mission. He told me that he knew the risks but needed to see for himself before he died. I think he knew he would be dying that night. When he was killed, I heard his voice in my head, and some of his magic absorbed into me.”

  “What did he say exactly?” Danzel asks.

  “He said he needed to know if I was strong enough to take his place. He died knowing that someday I would be, and the Pride would be in good hands.”

  “So, she’s really not the Leader yet?” An older man with horn-rimmed glasses asks.

  “She and the boys will be leaving tomorrow to find another PL to get training,” Danzel says.

  “I can hear the voices of the Pride, though,” I say. “Ever since the night I was at the Slayers Council, I could hear them. Staten showed me how to block them out.”

  “It sounds like Regan wanted her to be Leader, and he gave her the connection.”

  “But she needs more,” Daniel says. “She must have the magic, too.”

  “Maybe she does but can’t unlock it?” David asks.

  “That could be,” Danzel says. “Staten has been working with her on her magic but hasn’t indicated she has any barriers around her mind. It could the reason she’s really gifted for her age.”

  “Unlock my magic?” I ask. “Is there something special about mine?”

  “Brooklyn, Pride Leaders usually have very powerful magic running through them. It’s what might allow them to hear the voices of their dragons, be able to protect them, call them when needed, and so much more. Which is why you need to find another PL.”

  “Danzel,” David says. “Tell us more about the mission you’re sending her on.”

  “Staten came across a book that showed a dragon who has four companions, all seemingly connected to it. When he showed Brooklyn the image, she touched it and the picture came alive. He told me about it, and we think that Brooklyn is the one in the picture. The story behind it foretells of her coming and with her protectors, she will succeed in her mission.”

  “What is the mission it refers to?”

  “That’s the thing. It doesn’t elaborate. I don’t recall ever hearing any stories where a female dragon was prophesized, or what she’s supposed to stop or save us or humans from.”

  More of the men shake their heads, also confirming that they don’t know anything about the prophecy.

  So my boys and I are going out on this mission blind? I thought it was just to become the Pride Leader. What else is going on here?

  The rest of the meeting is uneventful. Danzel recaps the Slayers Meeting information and while it is a very heated discussion, it is just that. They discuss options, and everyone seems to agree that they don’t think the Slayers will hold the terms. Myself included. Allister agreed way too quickly on terms. He’s planning something. Now to figure out what that is.

  McQueen and I leave early as it doesn’t seem that they need me there any longer. Danzel says it is just going to be boring administrative stuff that, as Leader, I won’t be apprised of anyway. Those are the duties of a Second. It would have been nice to learn some of the goings on, but McQueen tugs me out the door. Danzel askes that we stay around the house just in case others wants to formally meet me or ask me more questions. So McQueen and I are lounging in the living room when the dining room doors open about fifteen minutes later.

  “Excuse me.” Someone taps my shoulder. I turn around and see the older gentleman with the horn-rimmed glasses speaking. “I’m Thom Fellows.”

  I stand from the chair and extend my hand. “Hello. I’m Brooklyn.”

  “It’s a real pleasure to meet you, Miss. I didn’t think in my lifetime I would ever meet a female dragon. It truly is an honor.” He can’t stop shaking my hand. I suppress a smile. He’s super sweet and reminds me of my grandpa. “I was wondering something, though?”

  “Yes?”

  “It’s not that I don’t believe you. Especially, since the boys have vouched for you. But ...” He can’t look at me.

  “No. It’s okay. I wouldn’t believe it either if I hadn’t actually shifted into a dragon. They told me I was one, and I didn’t believe them.” I bring forth my flames into an open palm and feel my magic slither across my arm. Green scales appear on my skin.

  I watch as Mr. Fellows’s eyes widen and then he gasps. The noise catches others in the room departing for the evening and they halt. They turn their gaze in my direction. Once they see the scales now running up
my elbow and my claws, they press around me, hoping for a better view.

  “Hey now,” McQueen says. “Let’s back up and give Brooklyn some space. She’s not going anywhere, and you all can ask questions. But please step back. Remember, she’s still new to magic and her dragon form. She doesn’t always have control, and we don’t want to see anyone get hurt tonight.”

  I nod my appreciation to him.

  People allow me my personal space. Some want to touch my scales. Still others graze their fingers along my talons, as if to confirm that they are, indeed, real.

  “Thank you, Brooklyn,” Mr. Fellows says. “It’s not that I didn’t believe, but seeing it with my owns eyes banishes that slim doubt in my brain. Thank you for showing us.”

  A few more have questions about my parents, and I tell them they are not dragons, but they will help us if there is anything they can do. We think Allister won’t trust them and won’t include them on many items anymore. John Lorimer was also booted from meetings, so we lost our eyes and ears. But I tell them I’m working on something and will let them know by tomorrow evening one way or another.

  Eventually, everyone clears the house except for Danzel and McQueen, leaving us to the living room again. “That went better than expected,” Danzel says. “I was thinking that we’d never get anything said besides the proof.”

  “I think they’ve been waiting to see for themselves,” McQueen says. “They’ve heard enough rumors, so many that they’d have to be true. Enough so that Regan died to see her.”

  “Yes, as sad as his death is for the Pride, I think you’re correct, son.” He turns to leave us. “Do you have everything ready for your trip?”

  “We’ll pack later tonight after we get back from flying.” McQueen nods, asking me if that’s still what I want to do this evening. I grin. “We’ll be taking off here shortly, that is, if you don’t need anything else from us, Dad?”