by Eden Robins
The years passed. Eric became aware of the fact that he wasn’t aging when he found himself back at the village that had been virtually burned to the ground. His village, where his family and friends had lived and died. He found the village rebuilt but didn’t recognize the inhabitants. When he asked what happened to the people who had survived the Great Dragon Fire, as he later learned it was called, everyone seemed perplexed by his question.
The question was passed around the village without answer until an elderly man from the village answered. He told Eric that the fire he spoke of had occurred more than sixty years earlier. Although the man was barely five then and one of only a few survivors, he had a vague memory of the incident.
At first, Eric had thought the man was crazed, out of touch with reality, but the respect and understanding that he was given by the other villagers made him realize that he was not insane. Eric asked the man’s name and was shocked to remember this same elder as the young son of a man and woman he’d known from his village. Sixty years had passed, but Eric hadn’t aged at all.
Magnus cleared his throat, bringing Eric’s attention back to the present.
“As you can see, I’ve caught my own dragon today, my boy. And she’s one I’m very interested in.”
Eric glanced down at Sabrina. Rage filled him, yet he showed nothing. “You’re mistaken, Magnus. This dragon is one I’ve been hunting for some time. She is mine. And as such, I will claim her.”
Magnus’ eyes narrowed dangerously. “What are you saying, boy?”
“I’m saying that this particular dragon is wanted by the police, and since my job now involves law enforcement, I need to bring her in to the proper authorities.”
Magnus scoffed.
“Human laws mean nothing to me. I follow the law of our lord. That is all the law I need.”
Magnus made a move toward Sabrina.
Eric closed the distance between them and blocked his path.
“I’m sorry, mentor, but in this case, the human law must be upheld.”
Keeping his eyes on Magnus, Eric slowly circled Sabrina’s still form. Kneeling down while keeping his eyes on his old mentor, he pulled the net off the creature.
“I can’t allow this, Eric. I have a mission that I must fulfill.”
“I understand. However, I also have a mission that must be fulfilled. And this dragon is the key to that.”
Eric bent over to pick up the dragon’s head. It was then that he noticed her form changing. She was trying to turn back to her human shape. But not like dragons usually do. Instead of one smooth transition, her body kept going back and forth between dragon and human, not quite changing into one or the other, until she was twitching and jerking like a puppet on a string.
Something was wrong, and he needed to get Sabrina to safety and figure out what was happening. As much as he wanted to confront Magnus and take him into custody as the stalker that Eric was almost positive he was, he needed to take care of Sabrina first.
“Eric, I’m warning you because you and I are brothers. You were once my student and I was your teacher. Do not take this creature. Her fate has been predetermined by the lord. Only through that fate will she be saved. Only through her destiny being fulfilled will mankind finally have its salvation.”
“Mankind’s salvation will have to wait for another day, mentor. This dragon and I must fulfill a different destiny at the moment.”
To his relief, Eric noticed that Sabrina had finally reached and remained in her human form. Unfortunately, he also noticed that she was completely naked. And she was still jerking and shaking as if her body were going through convulsions. Trying to focus on anything but the lush curves of her body, he picked her up and slowly backed away, keeping his eyes on Magnus.
The man’s eyes burned with insanity and fanatical zeal, but he didn’t try to stop Eric.
“Another day then, Eric. But know that she will meet her fate soon. It’s what the lord wants, and it’s what mankind needs. We’ll meet again, brother.”
And with that, Magnus turned and walked away into the night.
Eric was relieved he hadn’t had to resort to violence with his mentor, because he knew that if it came down to it he would have done anything necessary to keep Sabrina safe. And as he cradled her, helpless and vulnerable in his arms, Eric knew that his feelings for her were about so much more than protection. But that thought was for another night. It was one he didn’t want to face yet.
Carrying her upstairs to her bedroom, Eric laid Sabrina gently on her bed and pulled the light blanket over her. Her convulsions had stopped, but she was still shivering. He felt her head, but she didn’t feel hot. He racked his brain for a reason why she would be having this reaction, but nothing came to mind.
He would have to call her parents. As much as he and her father didn’t get along, it was necessary. If Sabrina was a dragon, then her parents were also. This heritage didn’t skip generations, it followed family lines directly. They would undoubtedly have more insight into what was happening than him.
Her parents were not happy to hear from him, and they were even unhappier about the events he told them about. Sabrina’s dad immediately blamed him for everything and he was still yelling Spanish curse words at him when Helaina grabbed the phone, said they would be right over and hung up.
Eric paced the floor at the end of her bed, and the reality of his situation finally set in. Sabrina was a dragon. She was one of them. One of those dangerous and sometimes malevolent creatures he was sworn to protect mankind against. Yet now, here he was, in the ironic position of protecting a dragon from a human.
He wasn’t sure he could do it. The pain these creatures had caused him and his family as well as his friends over the centuries burned bright in his mind. When Sabrina’s parents arrived he would have to ignore his fighting instincts and maintain his composure. At least long enough for them to get in the house and for him to get the hell out. Despite his feelings for Sabrina, sitting among a nest full of the creatures was not something he would do willingly.
He needed backup.
Chapter Ten
Malcolm made it to the house first. Eric explained everything as quickly as possible to his buddy. He wanted him to know the low-down on the situation before Sabrina’s parents arrived.
“She’s a dragon?” his buddy asked, eyes narrowed suspiciously. “No frickin’ way, man.”
“It’s true. And not only that. She’s one of those rare golden dragons that aren’t seen very often.”
“I don’t get this. Don’t you have some sort of dragon detector or something to tell you when someone’s a dragon? Isn’t that one of your special powers?”
“Special powers? What the hell are you talking about?” Eric asked in irritation. “Other than immortality, the only special ability I seem to have these days is getting into situations that are all wrong. This predicament would be a good case in point, my friend.”
“That’s no lie,” Malcolm said, nodding his head slowly. “So what do you want me to do?”
“I need you to babysit Sabrina and her family until someone else can be assigned to her case. I’m going to speak to Vlad now, in person, because I know if I try to do this over the phone it’s going to become crazy.”
“Gotcha. Okay. So I hang out here until you have a word with Mr. High and Vampy, then the reinforcements arrive,” Malcolm said with a nod.
“Exactly. Can you handle it?”
“But of course, my friend. Only thing I’m thinking is that more than likely Vlad is not going to agree to this easily, although I know exactly where and why you’re coming from.”
Eric nodded his head. “Don’t I know it? Vlad’s inflexible policy about who should protect whom regardless of their feelings or difficulties in the matter is starting to rub me the wrong way. Let’s face it. This isn’t just a little disagreement. This is one monster of an undeniable fact. I kill dragons. I can’t protect one. Sabrina is a dragon. It doesn’t get much simpler than that.”
Mal
colm clapped him on the arm.
“All right, man. I’m here as long as you need me. My case has taken a hiatus, if you know what I mean.”
“Thanks, buddy. I appreciate it. Vlad is going to come around on this one. I know it. He won’t say no.”
Malcolm looked doubtful, but the doorbell rang before he had the chance to say anything.
Sabrina’s parents walked in the front door with a third person close behind. Apparently the guy was known as the dragon doctor in town and had cared for Sabrina since she was young. The MD went immediately upstairs to take care of his patient.
Sabrina’s parents were not amused.
The minute he walked in the house, Manuel glared menacingly at Eric and stalked in his direction. Helaina grabbed her husband’s arm and pulled him back.
“Our daughter is the issue here, Manuel, not your problem with Eric.”
Eric stood his ground, glaring back at Sabrina’s father. They were dragons. All of them dragons. It was too much. Now that her parents were here with the doctor, he had to get out before he said or did something he might regret.
He reluctantly pulled his gaze from Manuel’s as Helaina cleared her throat loudly.
“Thank you for staying with our daughter, Eric.”
Eric nodded his head.
“No problem. Here’s my card,” he said, handing it to Helaina. “Please let me know how she’s doing.”
Helaina laid her hand on Eric’s arm as he started to turn away. “Wait, you’re leaving?”
Eric could hear the disbelief, the censure and the disappointment in the older woman’s voice. He liked Helaina, but that didn’t matter. None of it mattered. They were dragons. He was a dragon slayer. It had to be this way.
“Yeah, I need to go, but Malcolm is also a security specialist from Sundown. He’ll be staying here for your protection,” he said in a matter-of-fact voice, turning away from them and heading for the door.
Eric could feel Manuel’s glare burning into his back.
“I knew you were nothing more than a coward.”
Manuel’s harsh words stopped Eric in his tracks. He swung around, eyes narrowing on the older man. If he weren’t Sabrina’s father, if Eric hadn’t developed a certain respect for the man, he would have been in his face in a minute. He held himself in check, barely.
“You know nothing about me, old man. Be careful. You don’t understand who or what I am.”
And with that he stalked out the door, slamming it behind him.
Eric cursed himself in five different languages as he drove to Sundown. He needed to speak to Vlad. There was no way he was going to be able to handle this, handle Sabrina. Not with the way things stood now. He was a dragon slayer, Sabrina was a dragon.
Luckily, Vlad was in the office. After hearing what had happened Eric assumed his boss couldn’t possibly expect him to continue handling the case.
He was wrong.
“I expect you to continue with this case until the end, Eric.”
Vlad’s face was as unreadable as ever. Practically etched in stone.
Eric stood up abruptly, knocking his chair over in the process. He let his frustration get the better of him. “Did you hear anything I’ve been saying for the past fifteen minutes?”
Vlad’s expression remained calm and collected. “I heard each and every word you spoke, Eric.”
“I can’t be objective, Vlad. I can’t do my job the way I’m supposed to do it. Dragons are the enemy. My enemy. They killed my family, my friends, my village. And they ruined and completely altered my life, you do remember that, don’t you? Although I don’t kill them without reason, I won’t go out of my way to help them either. Many of them are despicable creatures, capable of killing a human at a moment’s notice, without an ounce of regret.”
Vlad raised one eyebrow in question.
“Is this something you feel about Sabrina? Would you say that she is despicable, evil and cruel?”
Eric hesitated. “No. She doesn’t seem like that.”
Vlad nodded his head. “And what of her parents? Do they seem capable of the horrors you speak about?”
“Of course not. But I can’t truthfully answer that question, Vlad. I haven’t seen them in their true forms. I’ve only seen them as humans, harmless and fairly normal,” Eric explained. “I don’t know what they’re capable of once in their dragon forms. And I don’t want to find out. Dragons and I aren’t supposed to live harmoniously together. I am a dragon slayer. They are dragons. How many more times do I have to repeat that fact? It isn’t in me to protect the creatures I swore to protect humans from. It just won’t work.”
“Are you sure about that? Absolutely positive that there’s not a part of you that wants to care for Sabrina and keep her safe?”
Eric struggled between the image of Sabrina weak and helpless and the sight of her as a powerful, beautiful golden dragon.
“Damn it, Vlad! You don’t know what you ask of me. I cannot betray my family. I cannot betray the vow I made so long ago,” he declared adamantly. “I’ve sworn my life to protecting the human race from dragons. I cannot let my personal weakness for a beautiful woman deter me from my course. There is no honor in it.”
Vlad thought about his words for a minute before speaking.
“And are those two values the most important things in life to you, Eric? Honor and duty? How long will this duty last? How much do you owe? When will your sentence end?”
Eric clenched his jaw and shut his eyes as the memory of his parents, family and friends dying at the hands of dragons came to mind.
“As long as it takes.” His voice was little more than a hoarse whisper.
“How long, Eric?” Vlad pushed him. “When will enough be enough?”
“Damn it!” Eric began pacing the room, his eyes narrow and dangerous as he glared at Vlad. “What do you want from me, vampire?”
Vlad calmly returned his stare.
“The truth, dragon slayer. Only the truth.”
“The truth?” Eric repeated with disgust in his voice. Disgust with himself, disgust with his pitiful life and disgust with what he had chosen to do with it. “The truth is this—I will continue this fight until I find my salvation. Until I am forgiven and released from this endless existence. I have to protect humans, to fight and kill dragons until that time comes. I have no other choice.”
“Sometimes our fights have to change,” Vlad responded quietly. “Sometimes our battles remain little more than what we hold on to inside us. Once you let that go, your battles cease and freedom is yours.”
Eric thought about his boss’s words. He considered them for a moment then shook his head.
“This battle is not pretend, Vlad. It’s not inside me, or all in my mind. This is going on out there in the world, all around us, with real people, real dragons and real situations. If I don’t handle it, who will?”
“That’s an interesting question, Eric. One I feel you need to think very seriously on.” Vlad stood up and opened his office door, indicating their meeting was now over. “Until then, I expect you to stay on this case. And I have every confidence that you will handle it well.”
Eric wanted to argue. He wanted to tell the other man how wrong he was, but the look on Vlad’s face said it all. He had shut down. Their discussion was over.
For now.
He left the office, but instead of heading directly back to Sabrina’s house, he made one stop on the way.
It was time for a visit to Twice Charmed.
Eric drove down Van Buren Street. As he got closer to Twenty-Fourth Street the area changed. Became seedier. Run-down shops lined the road. With the mental hospital nearby, it wasn’t the most desirable place to hang out. For humans. For immortals like himself, it was perfect. Down here people tended to ignore the strange and unusual. They minded their own business and just tried to survive.
Eric approached the entrance and allowed himself to be searched. No weapons of any kind, magical or otherwise, were allowed. The
large, well-muscled man who checked him with detached thoroughness was a gargoyle. Most people couldn’t tell what they were when they were in human form, but since Jason, Eric’s coworker at Sundown, was also a gargoyle, he knew just what to look for.
Gargoyles were in high demand for security jobs for a couple of reasons. One stood out above all the rest—an innate dislike and wariness of any creature other than their own kind. Caution and suspicion was their natural mode of operation.
The gargoyle let Eric pass with little more than a grunt and a wave of his hand. People often made the mistake of assuming gargoyles were stupid. In actuality, they were, on the whole, very well-spoken, intelligent creatures. They just didn’t like to talk to any but their own species.
While the outside of Twice Charmed looked like an old, run-down warehouse, the inside was opulent. That was the only word for it. Despite the dim lighting, the high-domed ceilings with art relief carved into them were remarkable. There were barstools and high tables, but there were also leather couches and beautifully scrolled wood tables. The floors looked like marble. And there was one large bar spanning the entire wall of one side of the club. Behind the bar there were shining brass dispensers that most humans would assume were espresso or cappuccino machines. But they weren’t. They were for a much more precious liquid. Human blood. Delivered fresh daily, it was a constant source of delight to vampires as it was served warm, just to human body temperature.
As usual at this late hour, the open-all-night place was packed. Even though it was the middle of the week, every kind of mortal and immortal preternatural being was probably there that night. This was due to the fact that there weren’t that many places that catered to this type of clientele. In fact, Twice Charmed was the only club of this kind in Phoenix.
Vampires, werewolves, demons and gargoyles were the typical customers. Throw in a mythical creature or two and the joint was a real mix of the paranormal crowd. But here these folks could be themselves. They were who they were, and no one judged them. Of course, house rules applied. And the owners made sure those rules were strictly enforced.
