by Ashlyn Chase
She smiled. “Oh, you can bet they’ll eat it up. It’s just the kind of harrowing experience that brings drama to the show.”
They were just getting into the rhythm of an easy conversation when someone knocked. Bliss strode to the door. “Angie must have forgotten something.”
Or changed her mind about drowning outside…
The open door revealed a young man, no more than sixteen or seventeen.
“Hello,” he said formally with a slight bow. “My name is Adolf Balog, and I live upstairs.”
“Oh, it’s nice to meet you.” Bliss held out her hand, but he ignored it.
“I’m here to talk to him.” He indicated Drake with a quick uptick of his chin. “S’up?”
“Me? Why?” And why is he acting like we’re buddies? I’ve never seen this kid in my life.
“I need to speak to you privately.” He shot a glare in Bliss’s direction.
Something about this kid didn’t sit right, but Drake’s impending doom alarm wasn’t going off. His curiosity quickly outweighed any reservations he had, plus it seemed like a good idea to put some distance between this stranger and Bliss until he knew more about him.
“I’ll be back in a minute, sweetheart.” Drake gave her a peck on the cheek and stepped outside the apartment, closing the door behind him.
Facing the kid head-on, Drake asked, “What’s this about?”
The kid extracted some kind of powder from his pocket and tossed it up in the air. It shimmered gold as it covered both of them, and the next thing Drake knew, he and the stranger were… somewhere else. Bright sunshine streamed through a glass dome, telling him that much.
A woman with long, white hair came forward. She wore a long white dress belted with vines. Something about her was familiar. Others in plain white robes that he didn’t recognize were scattered in small groups but paid little attention to them.
The woman crossed her arms and said, “I’ll take it from here, Balog Junior.”
The kid bowed and retreated. Drake glanced behind him and noticed a bank of elevators toward which the young man strode. Apparently that was the way out. Good to know, if he needed to escape.
“What is this place?”
The woman tipped her chin and studied him. “You don’t remember me, do you?”
Drake didn’t remember precisely where he’d met her, and he really wanted an answer to his question first, but he seemed to be at a disadvantage. He’d have to wait for an explanation.
“Not really. Who are you, and how did I get here?”
“I’m Gaia. Mother Nature. Goddess and creator of lesser gods, goddesses, and other living things. How you got here isn’t important. Why you’re here is.”
“All right.” He mimicked her crossed arms, trying not to let her intimidate him. “Why am I here?”
“You’re a dragon. And to answer your original question, you’re still in Boston. This is where much of the Supernatural Council is based now.”
“But it’s a sunny day. I must have lost some time getting here, because when I left it was a rainy night in Boston.”
“That was to keep the city from burning to the friggin’ ground! You didn’t lose any time. Unless you’re a nonbeliever. You must know Mother Nature can create any kind of damn weather anywhere she pleases, right?”
“I—I guess so.”
“So, because Boston is important to the Council, I like to keep the place in balance and harmony. You know, four seasons and all that shit. Rain and snow are necessary. That doesn’t mean I like to live in them.”
Drake couldn’t help wondering if he had fallen asleep on Bliss’s couch and was having some kind of freaky dream. What had he had for lunch? Oh, yeah. Tacos. Maybe they were a little too spicy.
“I can tell by your vacant look that you’re not convinced.”
“I didn’t say that. I’m just… reserving judgment.”
She jammed her hands on her hips and leaned toward him. “I’m not here to be judged. You are.”
“Me? What did I do?”
Her expression and posture relaxed. “Maybe nothing,” she said in a calmer voice. “But you can’t deny that fires have been plaguing Boston and that dragons have an affinity for fire.”
Drake was shocked speechless by the implication for a moment. “You think I’m setting the fires?”
She began to pace with her hands clasped behind her back. “You have to admit, it’s more than coincidental that your uncle was the one who set the Chicago fire. That’s when I took your family’s fire away. You probably explained it as evolution.” She laughed.
“That was you?”
“Of course, but let’s not get off track. I happen to know Boston was your uncle’s next target, and he wasn’t about to be stopped by his lack of dragon fire. He actually captured a young fire mage to do the job for him.”
He knew his uncle had been involved in some dirty dealings, but Drake had helped his detective friend Nick put the guy away, and then his uncle had a heart attack in prison. Drake didn’t even attend his funeral. So why would this… goddess blame him?
She stopped pacing and tapped her lower lip as if reasoning something out. “Now, what could I take away to make sure he didn’t succeed?”
He didn’t answer right away.
“I won’t wait for your poor little pea brain to figure it out. I’ll tell you. I took away your family’s immortality.”
“Is that why my mother died after only a minor accident?”
“Yup. It turns out your family isn’t bulletproof anymore.”
“Are you saying I’m no longer fireproof either? I could burn up and die in any fire I try to put out?”
She shrugged one shoulder. “Dragon clans are connected, so what I’m saying is, be careful if you want to survive.”
Holy shit. That explains how my family had lasted for hundreds of years but suddenly small things like heart attacks and accidents managed to kill them off. Prior to that, Drake’s great-grandfather had been beheaded… and now the guy who did it was being called a saint, just because he knew how to kill an immortal.
“I see the wheels spinning in that head of yours. So, if you have anything to tell me, I suggest you do it now. I want to know who’s responsible for setting my city on fire, damn it!”
Drake’s knees quivered and felt weak. “Y—yes. I may have some information. May I sit down, please?”
She smiled smugly. “At last. A bit of respect.” She pointed to a spot on the floor between them where a small bistro table with two chairs suddenly appeared.
Chapter 10
Drake tried to hold her steely gaze and fight off the urge to hyperventilate. It wasn’t every day a guy was dragged off to the Supernatural Council, accused of crimes he didn’t commit, and then told he’s suddenly mortal!
“First off, did you know I’m a firefighter?”
“I haven’t really been paying attention to you… until now.”
He heard the veiled threat loud and clear. It was time to clear up some of these misunderstandings. “Goddess, I’ve dedicated my life to fighting fires. I’ve witnessed the destructive power dragons possess, and it hasn’t filled me with a sense of superiority or imperviousness. If anything, it’s given me a sense of responsibility. I’ve never used my fire for anything but light and heat in the safety of a rocky cave.”
She leaned back in her chair and folded her arms. “Say I believe you… What’s going on out there?” She pointed a long, tapered finger at the bottom of the glass dome.
“A female dragon is visiting Boston. I think she’s from the islands.”
Mother Nature’s eyes narrowed. “Which islands? I made over a million of them.”
“I don’t know, specifically. Somewhere in the Caribbean. She has an accent… maybe Jamaican. Her hair is…”
Gaia held up one hand. “Don’t tell me… black with a white streak in her widow’s peak?”
“Yeah, how did you know?”
Mother Nature turned her
face away and muttered, “Shit.” She rose and began to pace again.
Drake wasn’t sure he wanted to know, but he had to ask. “What? Who is she?”
Gaia sighed deeply. “The clan is small. That’s the good news. Only one female and her brother are left.”
“And the bad news is?”
“They’re extremely dangerous.”
She stared at Drake, sizing him up, as if she was deciding whether or not she could trust him. “Look, I’m not proud of this, but when I created dragons I didn’t foresee the problems they would cause if they came up with their own agendas. I had a completely different purpose for them.”
“Really? What’s our purpose?”
“You mean, what was your purpose… It was a long time ago, long before humans invented the airplane.”
He raised his eyebrows. “So we were supposed to be the first Cessnas?”
“Right. I tried flying horses, but they died out too easily. I thought I’d make a tougher animal that lived in caves. When I saw them shivering with cold I felt for them, so I gave them a way to light a fire for warmth—with their breath, so naturally they had to be fireproof. And then, because I’d gone to so much trouble, I made them almost impossible to kill. Boy, was that a mistake. Suddenly, they felt all powerful and thought nothing of swooping down and burning up some of my favorite creations. Forests. Villages. Innocent people.”
“So, what did you do?”
“I marked the whole race for extinction. Your parents hid you well in Canada, or you wouldn’t be here like the rest of the Eurotrash I took out. But you seem like a good guy.” She rose and paced as she finished her story.
“Before I could wipe out the dragons of Central America, one momma dragon saw what was going on and sought out a voodoo priestess. She managed to put a spell on those kids to protect them, even from me.”
Mother Nature let out a long sigh. “Because they grew up with no parental guidance, they’re… well, I hate to label anyone, but does the word sociopath mean anything to you?”
“Uh, kind of. I’m not a shrink, but I could look it up and learn about it if you think it might help.”
“Nothing will help, but you might as well know what you’re up against.”
Drake’s dragon warning tingles vibrated wildly.
“Here’s what I want you to do,” Mother Nature said. “I want you to trick her into coming to me.”
“Huh? How?”
“That’s your problem.”
“Look, with all due respect, I want nothing to do with her. She already attacked me, and now that I know I’m not immortal and she is… Besides, I don’t even know where you’re located and how to get back here.”
Mother Nature threw her hands in the air. “Must I do everything?”
One of the robed gentlemen strolled over to them. He was not a handsome man. Some might even call him ugly. His face was wrought with deep lines. His eyes were too small and his nose was too large. “Gaia, may I be of service?”
She closed her eyes and mumbled something that sounded like “brownnoser,” then turned to the god with a bright smile. “Thank you, Hephaestus. Actually, your help would be very much appreciated.”
Drake’s eyes widened. “Hephaestus? Greek god of fire?”
The gentleman straightened and puffed out his chest. “That’s me. You may have heard my Roman name as well. Vulcan. You may call me either.”
“Which do you prefer?” Drake asked.
“Actually, I like Vulcan. It reminds me of my workshop in my Italian volcano.” His smile faded. “Although on earth these days, people seem to think I was named after a race on a TV show.”
“Oh, that would be Star Trek,” Drake said. “Great show.”
“That’s little comfort.”
Mother Nature snickered. “Well, it looks like you two are hitting it off, so I’ll let you get on with your business.”
“Wait,” Drake said. “My girlfriend.”
Mother Nature frowned. “Sounds like a complication. I hate complications.” She let out a defeatist sigh. “What about her?”
“I was just visiting her. I was only there a few minutes before that Adolf kid practically kidnapped me and dragged me here.”
“Is she human?”
“Yes.” And in some ways, you remind me of her.
Gaia’s eyes widened. “She didn’t see you disappear, did she?”
“No. We were out in the hall. I closed the door, but right before I did, I told Bliss I’d be right back.”
Mother Nature laughed. “Yeah… never say that.” Then she pointed straight at his chest. “And never—I mean never reveal your knowledge of this Council. As far as you’re concerned from this moment forward, we don’t exist. Got it?”
Drake glanced around. “Did somebody say something?”
Gaia patted him on the head. “Good boy.”
* * *
Bliss paced across the living room, wondering what the heck was taking so long. “We finally get some time together, and some kid comes and takes him out in the hall,” she muttered. Well, too bad. I’m not going to stand for it.
Prepared to do battle, Bliss marched over to the door and threw it open. Odd. There’s no one here.
She heard a cough coming from the bottom of the stairs. Thinking Drake might have been beaten again, she hurried down the steps. At the landing where the stairs took a right turn, she stopped. It was Angie. She was sitting on the bottom step, reading a book.
Bliss rested a hand on her hip. “Is this the ‘stuff’ you had to do?”
Angie startled, then swiveled so she could look at her roommate. “Oh, I didn’t see you there. I was engrossed in this book.”
Bliss noted Angie’s dry hair and coat. “Have you been there the whole time?”
Angie gave her a sheepish grin. “Kind of.”
“What do you mean, ‘kind of’?”
“Well, I was gonna go out and do some errands, but I decided to wait and see if the rain let up.”
“Then you must have seen Drake leave. Did he say where he was going?”
“Drake? I thought he was upstairs with you.”
“No. The kid who lives upstairs asked to see him privately, and I thought he just stepped into the hall. He said he’d be right back, but it’s been about an hour.”
“Adolf? Maybe they went upstairs to the Balogs’ apartment. I can get engrossed in a book, but I’d have noticed if a couple of guys stepped over me to go outside.”
“Yeah, that must be it.”
Angie had been giving them their privacy, and Bliss just fell in love with her roommate a little bit.
Hmmm… to intrude or not to intrude? “So, do you know the people upstairs?”
“Not very well. They keep to themselves, and that’s fine by me. They’re kind of creepy.”
“Creepy, huh? Now my curiosity is piqued. Want to go upstairs with me?”
Angie’s jaw dropped. “You’re going up to the Balogs’ apartment?”
“Why not? I haven’t met the creep I can’t outrun.”
Angie giggled. It may have been a nervous giggle, but a moment later she jumped up. “I’m in.”
The girls tromped upstairs. Bliss heard music on the other side of the door. It sounded like an acoustic guitar and a violin harmonizing, and the melody had a Gipsy Kings quality.
When Bliss knocked, the music stopped. She and Angie waited for quite a while before she knocked again. Even after the second knock, no one came to the door.
That’s weird. She frowned and knocked a third time. “Hellooo,” she called out. “It’s Bliss Russo, from downstairs.” They waited. Still nothing.
She and Angie stared at each other. At last, Angie shrugged. “I guess no one’s going to answer the door.” She headed back down the stairs.
“That’s kind of rude, isn’t it?” Bliss whispered.
“I guess so, but it doesn’t surprise me. They’ve always kept to themselves.”
“Isn’t that what the nei
ghbors of serial killers always say?” Bliss felt a shiver pass through her.
* * *
Drake and Vulcan shared one of the small tables in the bar. Robin dropped off their beers and, without a word, proceeded on to Sadie, who had one finger raised. Even Drake knew what she wanted. Another White Russian, please.
He tried to focus his attention on Vulcan, even though getting back to Bliss occupied the back of his mind like a constant itch.
“Why Boston?” Drake asked.
Vulcan cocked his head. “What do you mean?”
“Why is the Supernatural Council located in Boston? I thought you guys hung out on Mount Olympus.”
“Oh, we do… sometimes. But Mother Nature likes it here.”
“Why? We have hot, humid summers and cold, snowy winters, rainy springs and well, I guess there’s nothing wrong with fall.”
Vulcan smiled. “Ah, yes. Autumn in New England is perfection, but remember who you’re talking about. Mother Nature likes to view her handiwork and the seasons are all here.”
“But why Boston? Why not some mountaintop?”
“Boston is a modern city with an old soul. That’s what attracts paranormals to it, and wherever they are, we need to be.”
“I see. I moved here hoping to find others like myself. I had heard the city was highly populated with paranormal beings. Although I never found another dragon until Zina, and she came a long way, if I’m not mistaken.”
“Yes. How did she find you, anyway?”
“The Internet. I posted a personals ad on a dating website. I worded it so no one but a dragon would answer.”
“Really? What did it say?”
“I said I wanted a woman so hot she could breathe fire. Most women have such low self-esteem that a guy with high expectations like that would scare them off. Oh, and I said I was a fireproof five, so anyone on the fence wouldn’t want to bother.”
Vulcan laughed but sobered quickly. “Obviously Zina doesn’t have a self-esteem problem. She was treated like a princess all of her life—because she is a princess. We need a plan. Obviously this dragon won’t come willingly.”
Drake scratched his head. “Assuming I’m able to trick Zina into going to the Council, how will I know where to take her? I still don’t know where the Council is.”
