The Queen's Wings

by Jamie K. Schmidt

  “You don’t have to,” Joachim said to me and pushed me behind him.

  “Yes, she does.” Reed grabbed Joachim’s shoulders.

  Joachim gave an exaggerated shrug, which knocked Reed’s hands away, and then he struck the heel of his hand into the center of Reed’s chest. It propelled him back a foot and before Reed could come back in his face, Joachim pulled out a short rod. With a few flicks of his wrists it elongated into a segmented baton. He pressed a button, and three blades resembling a trident topped it.

  What the hell? Reed held his own against two drakes, but a human was standing toe-to-toe with him? I had to find a book on The Order of Dragon Slayers. These guys were awesome.

  “Do you want to do this on a crowded street?” Joachim asked.

  In answer, Reed exploded into his dragon form, knocking over tables and chairs that had been set up on the sidewalk and sending some patrons flying or staggering away from his bulk. He spit black poison at Joachim, but Joachim was quicker than most humans, which meant I took the blast in the face.

  Pain. Burning. Someone is screaming. It’s me. It’s in my eyes. In my mouth. Reed is roaring. Joachim is calling for an ambulance. I can’t see. Did he blind me? Will I be a blind dragon? Ow. Ow. Ow.

  “Carolyn, I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

  I’m in Reed’s arms, but I’m so cold. I’m floating over the city, watching. I wonder if I’m dying. I wonder if Arianna will take over if I’m gone. Black darkness eating me from the roots of my hair to my toes and then I feel nothing.

  Chapter Twelve

  Twelfth Rule of Dragons: Humans are easily led. Some need gold, some need power. Find their price and the human will be yours

  English voices and hospital sounds woke me up. I panicked when I couldn’t see, but my frantic hands found thick bandages around my head. I tried to speak, but nothing came out.

  “Carolyn, you’re going to be all right,” Jane said. Her footsteps come closer, and she enveloped me in a hug. “Reed said his poison wasn’t a deadly stream. It was meant to cause paralysis. The doctors think you swallowed some. So you’re not going to be able to speak.”

  I pulled away and tapped on the bandages. What about my eyes? I was hoping Jane could understand what I wanted.

  “They should be fine by now. But let’s wait for the doctor.”

  I had a thousand questions and no way to answer them. Arianna was silent. I sensed she was scared and was hiding inside me. I pantomimed writing and Jane put a pad in my left hand and a pen in my right.

  “Reed?” I wrote.

  “He’s been punished.”

  I drew a bunch of question marks and exclamation points.

  “He turned himself into Zhang once you were safe. You’re at Yale New Haven.”

  “Niall?”

  “I don’t know where he is.”

  “Jack?”

  “I don’t know who Jack is.”

  “Joachim?” Where the hell was everybody?

  “He’s been with you since Paris. I don’t suppose you had a chance to buy me anything?” Her voice was teasing and I grinned back at her. “He left when I got here though, but I’m sure he’ll be back. So it’s true, you are finally turning into a dragon?”

  I shrugged and crossed my fingers.

  The door to my room opened. I stiffened, wondering what or who it was. If it was the cult, how could I defend myself?

  “Hello, Doctor,” Jane said, getting off my bed.

  “Well, how is the lady dragon today?” he asked.

  I shrugged again and pointed to my mouth. Blind, dumb, and a little pissed. How about you?

  “The numbness should fade and go away in a few days.”

  Days?

  “But let me get these bandages off and see if you need surgery.”

  Surgery?

  I felt like a mummy being unwrapped, but I could see bright lights. I winced away.

  “Nurse, dim the lights more please.”

  “Oh my God, her eyes!” Jane gasped.

  What? What? I was starting to panic although I could see fuzzy shapes.

  “It’s nothing to fear,” the doctor said and placed his hand on my arm. “Your eyes have shifted.”

  “Is that normal?” Jane asked.

  “There’s no such thing as a normal shift in a female,” the doctor said. “It appears that she’s shifting gradually. At least her tail didn’t manifest.”

  I checked my butt for good measure, but didn’t feel any start of a scaly tail. My eyes watered as I took a good look around. Everything was blurry, but when I got used to it, objects took on a new dimension. I could see the tiny stitch pattern in the doctor’s lab coat and read the chart that a nurse was holding across the room. It was like wearing binoculars.

  “Can I take her home?” Jane asked.

  “Of course,” the doctor said. “We just need to fill out some forms and releases first.”

  I got out of bed and walked into the bathroom and stared. My eyes were iridescent green, like Arianna’s had been in the mirror in Mexico.

  Are you in there? I thought. But I didn’t get any response.

  I saw a new set of clothes hanging there. I guess dragon acid did hell on Chanel. I sighed. I’d ruined more than one nice set of clothes this week. Maybe I should have stuck with blue jeans. At the moment, all I had was a designer-name suit so I sucked it up. There was even a Hermès scarf. I folded that up and handed it to Jane, who squeezed me tight.

  “I was just kidding about the present from Paris,” she said, and tied the scarf around her neck. “Not that I’m giving it back. Come on, we’re free to go.”

  I snagged the pad and pen. “My home is gone.” I wrote on the pad.

  “I know. You’re coming home with me for the time being.”

  “I want to see Reed.”

  Jane and I walked to the elevator. She was guiding me so I could write and walk at the same time. The white of the lights and the shine off the floor was painful. I was happy when we got into the gray dank elevator.

  “I’m not sure if Zhang will allow him visitors.”

  “Is he in dragon jail?”

  “Something like that,” Jane sighed. “He’s too useful for them to banish or maim.”

  “Maiming? I thought dragons didn’t give a fig about humans.” I was going to get a cramp in my hand if this kept up.

  “They don’t. Harming a Queen, however, is punishable by death.”

  I dropped my pen. If anyone was going to kill Reed, it was me. And by kill, I meant sock him one in the arm for being as asshole and then letting him make it up to me. I started shaking my head. It was an accident! It hurt and I was still pissed about his duplicity at Versailles, but death?

  Crouching down to pick up my pen for me, Jane continued, “They locked him up at the embassy. They informed his mother, but she said she was fine with the death sentence, if that’s how they chose to go.”

  “Must see him.” I wrote and underlined it several times.

  Jane shook her head. “Honey, I’ll try but I don’t know if Zhang will let you talk to him. Or scribble at him.”

  “I’m a Queen. Zhang will do whatever I want.”

  When the elevator doors opened, we walked down the corridors to the parking garage and happened to pass by the cafeteria, where I saw Joachim. I tugged on Jane’s arm and we went toward him. He rose out of his seat, his sandwich and coffee forgotten.

  “Ah then,” he said. “It is too late.” He touched his fingers to my temple.

  Jane smacked his hand away. Joachim raised his eyes and smiled at her. “I wouldn’t harm her.”

  “Don’t you touch her,” Jane said. “Your kind means nothing good.”

  “And what kind am I?” Joachim said, shifting his weight. His fingers twitched. Great, I was caught in the middle of another fight. At least this time no one had poison to spit at me. “Dragon Slayer,” she hissed.

  He actually relaxed and smiled. “Oh, is that all?”

  Jane frowned in con
fusion. “That’s enough isn’t it? Carolyn is my friend. She’s human. She’s turning into a dragon but that doesn’t make her mean or evil. I work with dragons. Sure they’re a little arrogant…”

  I turned and gave her an incredulous stare.

  “Okay, they’re extremely arrogant,” she said. “But none of the dragons I know deserve to be executed by some muscled maniac with a twelve-foot trident.”

  Apparently, Jane had seen Joachim in action before.

  “Carolyn has nothing to fear from me. But now she’s changing, there will be others—mainly dragons—who will try and kidnap and use her. I will not let that happen.”

  “Come with us.” I wrote.

  “Uh, Carolyn,” Jane said. “I don’t think Zhang will let him in the embassy.”

  “We can try,” Joachim said and hoisted his bag over his shoulder. “We should get you some sunglasses. Your eyes will make you easy prey.”

  “I don’t like this,” Jane said.

  “Please?”

  “You better be on your best behavior.” Jane wagged her finger at him. “I’m watching you.”

  “Take a good look,” he advised.

  I grabbed Joachim’s coffee and slugged it down. I was beginning to feel my tongue again and tiny daggers stabbed it over and over again. The coffee helped. At least it made my mouth taste better.

  “Zhang knows Reed didn’t mean to hurt me.”

  “I don’t think that matters,” Joachim said as we walked out of the cafeteria.

  “It matters.” We made it to the embassy without anyone trying to possess me, kidnap me, rape me, or spit poison on me. Which made me more paranoid.

  The outside of the embassy showed heavy fire damage, but the building still stood. Jane buzzed Zhang from her desk while I guided Joachim to my usual seat and tried out my tongue.

  “Weed,” I started out, but fortunately Joachim figured out I was trying to say Reed’s name instead of trying to score a hit.

  “You want to know what happened in Paris?” Joachim crossed his legs and tossed Forbes Dragon magazine he had been flipping through down on the table.

  I nodded.

  “After he missed me with his spit, he shifted back to grab you before you hit the ground. He left himself wide open, too. I could have killed him three times over.”

  “Why didden chu?” I was beginning to sound better.

  “Reed’s not one of the bad ones. He just needs to know he’s not always the toughest hombre in the world. He then flew you back here.”

  I flapped my arms.

  “Supersonic private jet. We made it here in about three hours.”

  Whoa. Of course, I slept through it.

  “You can go up,” Jane said, nodding at me. “You, on the other hand”—she pointed at Joachim—“are confined to the lobby. I have orders to call the police—the human police—to escort you out if you fail to follow my orders.”

  “You’ll find I’m very obedient.” He smiled at her.

  I had a weird sense of déjà vu as I rode up the elevator to Zhang’s office. Repairs were being made, but there was a new carpet and windows, and the whole floor smelled like lavender and lemon. I sneezed.

  Zhang came out of his office and gave me a low bow. “Welcome back, Carolyn.”

  “I wanna see Weed,” I said and then cleared my throat. “Reed,” I stated carefully.

  He frowned. “He is in confinement.”

  “He didn’t mean to hurt me.” Each word was a struggle and it was like the first day with a new tongue, but I was beginning to get my voice back. “I want him weleased.”

  “I would like that, too. He is a very important presence, especially now.”

  I made a “so?” gesture with my arms.

  “It is not solely my decision.”

  “Whose is it?”

  “The Queen’s Council. I’ve spoken to the five Queens, and they do not want him out while they decide his fate.”

  “When will they decide?”

  “They will meet early next year at the top of Mount Everest.”

  That might be a problem, since I couldn’t fly yet. “Welease him now.” It would have come out a lot more formidable if I didn’t sound like that priest in the movie Princess Bride. Mawwiage…

  “I’m sorry, Carolyn. I can’t.”

  “I want to talk to the Queens.”

  “They won’t recognize you until you can meet them in dragon form.”

  I stamped my foot. Normally, I wasn’t a foot stomper, but I felt the situation warranted it. “I need to see him.”

  “That I suppose I can do.” Zhang gestured for me to go back into the elevator.

  He inserted a key fob and we traveled down to a sub basement that wasn’t even listed on the elevator panel. It was a dungeon in the most modern setting imaginable. The wide corridor had rows of humongous cells on either side, easily big enough to fit the largest dragons.

  Reed was the only occupant. He was in human form, but he was chained to the wall, his neck in a brace that kept him from turning his head and probably from spitting as well. Arm and leg cuffs propped him up. I saw him close his eyes when we came closer.

  “Get him down,” I said and my voice was clear.

  “I’m sorry, I can’t.”

  “To hell with those wizened, old bitches and what they think. You know it wasn’t a deliberate attack on me.” This was barbaric. I hated to see him like this. I went up to the cage, but Zhang pulled me back.

  “I am unable to disobey the Queen’s Council,” he said.

  “You’re also not allowed to hurt a Queen, right?”

  “Of course not. I would be put up there right alongside of Reed.”

  “Huh,” I said, pivoting toward Zhang.

  “Carolyn.” Reed’s eyes flew open in shock as I hauled off and hit Zhang right in the chops.

  Zhang was stunned, but he wasn’t rocked off his feet. I followed up with another swing, but he dodged me.

  “Fight back, or go down.” I kicked out at him. He easily moved around my foot. I jumped on top of him, but he didn’t go down and I was kind of hanging off him while he kept his hands outstretched.

  “Please be reasonable,” he said.

  Reed snorted. “That will be the day.”

  I slid off him. “I’m sorry for socking you.”

  “It was nothing,” he assured me.

  “If you pretend that I beat you up and I free Reed…”

  “I would be removed from my position.”

  “I don’t want to get you fired.” Tapping my foot, I looked around the dungeon. There had to be a way to stage a breakout so that Zhang could keep his job.

  “I appreciate that.”

  “But I’m going to free Reed. Do I have to bring back a group of mercenaries to bust him out Old West style, or can we do this like rational adults?”

  “Carolyn,” Reed said. “I am content with my punish-ment.”

  “You’d rather be pinned like a butterfly to a cage than escort me?”

  “It is quieter,” he said, a glimmer of his dry sense of humor coming through.

  “Tough,” I told him before turning back to Zhang, who didn’t quite flinch back at my sudden movement. “I have a secret that Joachim the Dragon Slayer told me. If you free Reed, I’ll tell it to the embassy.”

  “What is this secret, the Dragon Slayer told you?” Zhang asked. “And why are you breaking his confidence?”

  “He didn’t tell me it was a secret, but I figured you guys don’t know about it. Because if you did, I would have heard about it by now.”

  “I must admit to being curious,” Zhang said. “But I need to know if the secret is worth the wrath of the other Queens.”

  I had him on the run. I could see it in his eyes. “If it is, will you release Reed?”

  “It would have to be a very big secret.”

  “Zhang, why are you encouraging her?” Reed rattled his chains.

  “Listen, Buster, after I spring you, you can go back to y
our compound with your tail between your legs for all I care. I just don’t want you rotting in jail because of me.”

  “I chose to spit at the Dragon Slayer. I chose to attack him on a busy street. Can’t you see I’ve let my anger and poor judgment rule? I am a dragon, and I have a responsibility to use my power wisely. Otherwise, I will be slotted for execution. These are our rules.”

  “Well, if you decide to go all Genghis Khan on the masses, we’ll deal with it then. You lost your temper. I probably could have handled the situation better, but quite frankly I was a little pissed at you for tricking me at Versailles. So I’m rectifying the situation.”

  “I don’t need your help.” He roared and switched to dragon form. The chains still held him in place; they just expanded to fit his size.

  Zhang stepped between us, ready to shield me in case Reed broke free. “He’s right, Carolyn. His temper has been frayed for the past couple of days. We don’t know what is causing his lack of control. First, he attacked Niall.”

  “That was a dominance father-son thing,” I said.

  Zhang blinked. “I didn’t know Niall was his father.”

  “Sorry,” I said to Reed who just glared balefully at me.

  “Then, his behavior toward you has been rude and unhelpful. Even after he had strict orders from his mother to oblige you.”

  I blushed a bit, remembering the obliging part.

  “And even now,” Zhang continued. “I do not trust him with you.”

  “He won’t hurt me.”

  “I cannot take the chance.”

  “Correct,” Reed said. “Our laws demand punishment for actions that could result in our entire race being blamed for the actions of one careless dragon.”

  “They may execute you!” I shouted at him and then lowered my voice. “But you have to wait in here for a whole year first.”

  “A year is nothing,” Reed said stubbornly.

  “More likely, Carolyn, the Queens will demand a talon or a tooth as punishment since you weren’t a Queen at the time and he was aiming at a Slayer.” Zhang was trying to placate me, but he was making things worse.

  “They’d chop off his fingers? Or pull out his teeth like a rabid dentist?”

  “Oh no, they would have someone do it for them.”