Never Dare a Dragon

by Ashlyn Chase

Amy shook her head. “Ah, my darling daughter. How naive you are. Why do you think they’ve never been caught despite breaking the law for decades?”

  “Are you saying the cops know about them but are turning a blind eye? Or that maybe dirty cops are protecting them?”

  “Both,” Amy said. “They have guns, tranquilizer darts, plenty of people in their debt to do their bidding, and coldhearted, unforgiving natures. You’d be putting your fellow firefighters in harm’s way if you expected them to protect you.”

  “I don’t want that, and I don’t want to be looking over my shoulder constantly, but I don’t want to lose my job. Are you sure there’s nothing we can do about these jerks?”

  “Not without someone getting killed.”

  Jayce felt it was in his best interest to let Amy do the talking. She knew these guys were not to be trifled with. Kristine would have to come to the logical conclusion eventually. If he kept pushing for her to go to Boston, it would look like he was being selfish.

  Kristine just stared out the window, worrying her lip. Jayce could practically see the wheels turning in her mind.

  Amy reached over and took her daughter’s hand. “And another thing, darling. I really don’t want you anywhere near them because I gather there’s some monstrous new project they’re going to begin soon.”

  “New project?” Kristine prompted.

  “Yes. Human trafficking. I saw them moving a giant cage in through the back doors and down to the basement.”

  “Are you sure? Maybe they’re just getting a large pet.”

  Amy leveled an unbelieving look at her daughter. “Really?”

  “Okay, okay. I give up. I guess I don’t know what they’re capable of because I don’t think like a sociopath.”

  “I like that about you,” Jayce said. He had hoped to lighten the mood, but it didn’t seem to work very well. He cleared his throat. “I think your mother and I are both worried about the same thing. You could underestimate these guys and wind up dead.”

  “Or worse.” Amy shuddered.

  At last Jayce had to voice his opinion bluntly. “Something’s gotta give, and if you’re stubborn about staying, that something could be your freedom or your life.”

  “So, what are we going to do about not working but not getting fired?” Kristine asked.

  Amy tapped her bottom lip. “I’ve been thinking about that. Perhaps I could fake an illness, use up my sick time, and figure out something from there. You could say you need a leave of absence to take care of me.”

  “But then people would expect us to be in our apartment. It’s not like we can afford to move, especially if we’re not working.”

  “Better yet,” Jayce interjected, “you could take her to get medical treatment by specialists. Boston is famous for medical excellence.”

  “So, not just beans then?”

  He smirked. “I think you’d like my fair city, hon. There’s a lot I could show you there.” He rose, crossed the two steps to reach her, settled in next to her, and framed her face with his hands. “The most important thing I can show you is how much I love you.” He kissed her tenderly.

  “Hmm, if you’re expecting me to choose between gangsters and death on one hand or my boyfriend’s affection, my mother’s safety, and my life on the other hand, I have to admit you’re making a compelling argument.”

  Jayce finally smiled for real. They could spend the rest of the night hammering out the details, but at least they were all on the same page at last.

  Chapter 9

  Meanwhile, in the Scottish Highlands, Mother Nature watched a mountain climber. The little man was tired but trudging up a steep mountainside near Loch Ness, and she couldn’t have been prouder of him. Oh yes, she knew the man by name and knew him by his other form too—he was one of her rare dragons.

  Conlan Arish was making his way up the mountain without using his wings once. Of course, his supernatural strength aided him, but gravity was gravity, and a brave man-dragon he was.

  She knew what he was looking for too…and that he was looking in the right place. Unfortunately he was in the wrong century.

  “If only I weren’t so softhearted,” she murmured to herself. “I guess I’ll have to go and tell him.” It wasn’t that she had a problem with his mission. She knew he was looking for a single female dragon in order to continue the species. She even knew who he was looking for; however, the family with the yellow mark in their widow’s peaks had moved to Nova Scotia long ago.

  Conlan had impressed her when he met her for the first time. He and his brothers from Northern Ireland were visiting his cousins in Boston. She was well acquainted with the Boston Dragons, Rory and Drake. Both were mated to her modern muses: Drake with Bliss, the muse of email, and Rory with Amber, the muse of air travel.

  As far as Conlan knew, Gaia was just a friend of Amber’s, staying for tea and pie. When he sat next to her and hit on her with his Irish charm, she almost laughed out loud. But Rory and Amber wouldn’t let him humiliate himself and told him he was speaking with Mother Nature herself.

  His shock was evident, but he treated her with the reverence she deserved immediately. In the end that’s all she really wanted. To be treated with respect.

  She watched him coming up upon a ledge. She didn’t have to suddenly appear out of thin air or in the middle of a little tornado to announce her power along with her presence. So she transported herself to the top of the ledge and settled into a lotus position. To be sure he recognized her, she stayed dressed in her vine-belted white robe and left her platinum hair long and loose.

  She heard him huffing and puffing before she saw him pull himself up over the top. He didn’t see her right away, which was probably a good thing. She didn’t want him to let go of the ledge in surprise. He threw his leg over one side, and with an “oof,” he hauled himself up and rolled onto the flat rock, lying on his back.

  When eventually his eyes fluttered open, he whipped his gaze toward the mountainside and saw her. Bolting upright, he stared and asked, “My Goddess, to what do I owe the honor of your presence?”

  “I thought you could use my assistance.”

  “Sure ’n’ I could! Do you usually help hikers as they climb? Or am I about to fall to my death and you thought you’d give me a warnin’?”

  She laughed. “Neither, dragon. I’m here to tell you how proud I am of you for staying in your human form and not calling attention to your paranormal abilities—even though no one appears to be within sight. I also thought, since you’re being such a good boy, I’d let you know you’re not looking in the right place for what you seek.”

  “Do you know who I’m searching for, Gaia?”

  She rolled her eyes. “I know everything…or almost everything. I know you’re looking for the dragons marked with a yellow stripe in their widow’s peaks. You’re hoping to find a mate among them, and apparently you received a lead, bringing you here.”

  Conlan leaned back on his hands and looked discouraged. “A false lead, apparently. I guess you’re tellin’ me I’m on a fool’s errand and I should just give up and go home.”

  “I’m not telling you that at all. You’re looking in the right place but at the wrong time. They used to live here until humans spotted your distant cousin, Nessie, living in the lake. Ever since then, the chance of discovery made them vulnerable. So they moved to Canada.”

  Conlan furrowed his brow and crossed his arms. “Seriously? I’ve come all this way for nothin’?”

  “Yup. I’m afraid so.”

  He lay back down and let out a long, exhausted breath. “I cannot believe me luck. It’s the luck of the Irish, all right. Bad.”

  “Oh, don’t be so hard on yourself.” She rose and extended a hand to help him up.

  “If you knew I was looking for them and you knew where they were, why didn’t you just tell me?” he asked as he stood
with her help.

  “Where would be the fun in that?”

  He studied her carefully. “Either you’re tellin’ me that you get off on watchin’ us struggle and fail, or there’s some kind of lesson we need to learn from workin’ hard at a goal.”

  She tipped her head one way and then the other, considering his words. “Well, you’re right and you’re wrong. Watching humans try to improve their situations is indeed entertaining. I don’t want you to fail, or in your case fall, but what kind of mother would I be if I didn’t let you learn from your own mistakes?”

  “So you would let me fall?”

  She gazed at the sky. “Well, you didn’t, so it’s a moot point. The important thing is I am making an exception and getting involved where I probably shouldn’t. I hope I don’t regret it.”

  Conlan leaned toward her conspiratorially and asked, “How involved do you intend to be? Will you give me an address or merely point me in the right direction?”

  Mother Nature sighed. She thought about it and realized that if he went to Canada, he would still be in the wrong country. Should I tell him where she is?

  “So I’m to go to Canada then?”

  Gaia chuckled. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but you were closer when you were in Boston. But she’s not in Boston…yet. I’m sorry to be so cryptic, but you wouldn’t appreciate her if this were easy.”

  Conlan dropped to his knees and clasped his hands. “I swear I will appreciate her forever and always, even if you help me find her.”

  “Well, I’m not going to. A little guidance is all I’ll give. Eastern United States. The rest is up to you.”

  “Why? With all due respect, of course…”

  She tossed her hands in the air. “How do I know you won’t just give up if your mission becomes difficult? Don’t you want to know how committed you are?”

  Conlan gripped both sides of his head and shook it. “You’re confusin’ me. I know how committed I am. It’s up to me to continue the species. Hell, I’m on the side of a bloody mountain in bloody Scotland. As long as I get down from here alive, I’ll go to America and continue my search there. And I will not give up!”

  The goddess nodded once. “Excellent. I wish you good luck.”

  And with that she disappeared. She watched from the ether as he took a deep breath and let it out in a whoosh. Then he scooted over the ledge, finding a place for his foot and anchoring his weight. He slammed his pickax into the rock and appeared more determined than ever as he climbed back down.

  * * *

  Jayce would have to fly back to Boston at top speed the next morning to make it in time for his shift. He watched from overhead as Amy and Kristine carried out their plan to get Kristine an emergency leave from work, and Amy some sick time from her job.

  As far as he could tell, everything went well and the ladies made it to Penn Station safely. Soon they were aboard the first commuter train bound for Boston. Then he had to get moving.

  The night before, Gabe had agreed to leave his window open and lay some clean clothes out for Jayce. By the time he arrived at work, he’d probably have a few more gray hairs, but if anyone noticed he’d blame it on hard partying on his vacation.

  He was actually looking forward to getting back. He had a few questions for Drake, his dragon buddy. Specifically if there might be a way to have human offspring with non-dragons. Drake had a son. There had to be a way.

  He was greeted by his coworkers and welcomed back as he got his coffee in the firehouse’s kitchen. As soon as he saw Drake, he cornered him. “Hey buddy, can I talk with you?”

  “Sure, Jayce. What’s up?”

  “Uh… We should find a place where we won’t be overheard.”

  Drake looked at him quizzically but followed him to the rec room. They closed the door. A large window allowed them to see if anyone was coming. It was probably the most privacy they could find in a firehouse with a dozen people around.

  “Have a seat,” Jayce said.

  Drake found an overstuffed armchair next to the couch and sat down slowly. “You’re making me nervous. Is everything all right?”

  “Yeah. I don’t mean to worry you. I just need some information. I want to know a few things about your kind.”

  Drake studied him. “My kind?”

  “You didn’t think I knew about Chloe—my sister-in-law—being a dragon? Weren’t you curious about whether the whole Fierro family knew her secret?”

  “So Ryan told you?”

  “Not exactly. He took our father to the paranormal club, and he said you were there. My dad spilled the news to everyone at Sunday dinner.”

  Drake nodded and then heaved a sigh. “How much do you know?”

  Jayce smiled. “Enough to trust you. Especially since I have a secret too, and trust goes both ways. Let’s just put our cards on the table. I’m a phoenix. You’re a dragon. We both have an advantage when it comes to fighting fires…”

  Drake nodded. “Okay. You got me. So what does Chloe have to do with this?”

  “Nothing really. It’s just the fact that my brother, a phoenix, fell in love with and married a dragon. Now I’m in love with a dragon too.”

  Drake’s eyebrows shot up. “The hell you say. I don’t know any other dragons besides the Arish family. Don’t tell me you’re breaking up a happy family! Or…are you involved with one of the male cousins?”

  Jayce leaned back, open-mouthed. “No! It’s not them.”

  “You found another family?” Drake’s eyes rounded.

  “Yes. A mother and daughter.”

  Drake smiled. “So which is the lucky girl, the mother or the daughter?”

  “The daughter. But without getting into any more details about the family, I was wondering what you can tell me about dragons.”

  “What do you want to know?”

  “For starters, why are there so few of you? I thought you were very hard to kill.” Jayce hoped the info he’d been given about a dragon only being able to have children with another dragon was false.

  Drake looked at him sideways. “Do not ask me how to kill a dragon. Or I’ll tell you to shower us with cake and ice cream.”

  Jayce laughed. “Why would I ask you that? I love this girl. I was just wondering why there are so few of you. Is reproduction difficult?”

  “Oh.” Drake clasped his hands and leaned forward. “Our women don’t get pregnant very often.”

  That doesn’t sound like it can’t happen… Huh. It made Jayce wonder about his brother Ryan and Chloe. When Chloe had been welcomed into the Fierro fold, it had been established that she and Ryan wouldn’t be able to have children. But if both he and Ryan couldn’t have kids, Mama Fierro wouldn’t like it. She wanted grandchildren and lots of them, like yesterday.

  Drake scrubbed a hand over his face. “Mother freaking Nature…” he muttered. “She thought it would be a good idea to make our females fertile only once every five years. If you miss the window, the siblings will be ten years apart—or fifteen. And then there’s the little fact that a dragon can only reproduce with another dragon.”

  Oh no. It was true. Gabriella would freak.

  Drake seemed to be watching his expression closely.

  “Okay. That makes sense. I remember Chloe telling the family she couldn’t have children, but I didn’t know why.”

  Drake tilted his head. “Does that affect things for you?”

  “It doesn’t affect the way I feel about Kristine.” Jayce suddenly realized something. “Wait. Your wife must be a dragon, because you have a son!”

  He groaned. “No, but it’s a long story.”

  Jayce was just about to ask him to explain when he saw the captain coming toward them. “It looks like we won’t be alone much longer. I guess we’ll have to save the rest of this conversation for another day.”

  They
both rose and shook hands.

  Then Drake surprised him by pulling him into a man hug and slapping him on the back a few times. “Hang in there, buddy.”

  Drake left the recreation room as Captain Madigan entered.

  He stared at Jayce. “I’d ask if it was something I said, but I haven’t had a chance to say anything.”

  “Don’t take it personally. We were just done with our conversation. Hey, do you feel like playing pool? I could use a little cash after spending it all on vacation.”

  “Hell no. The last time we got a call in the middle of our tournament, someone took the cash.”

  “Shit. Did you lose a lot?”

  “Doesn’t matter the amount. It’s the principle. It’s hard to believe anyone would take advantage of firefighters when we’re on a job. It’ll be a while before the sting wears off.”

  “I know what you mean. That must’ve happened while I was on vacation. I don’t remember hearing about it.”

  “Yeah, a few things happened while you were on vacation.”

  Jayce bet what had happened to him while he was in New York was a hell of a lot more interesting than what had happened back here at the station—no matter how many car crashes, multiple-alarm fires, or public assists they’d been involved in. He was pretty sure his weird rescue mission had them beat.

  * * *

  Hoping she wasn’t interrupting anything, Kristine called Jayce.

  He answered with “Hey! I was about to call you.”

  “We’re almost to Boston.”

  “That is good news.” He sounded happy.

  “My mother pulled off an Oscar-worthy performance at the station this morning. She ambled in like a zombie, found the captain’s office, propped herself up against the doorjamb, said, ‘I need my daughter—I’m ill,’ and then slid to the floor.”

  “Wow. I’ll bet the captain bought it.”

  “Oh yeah, he did. He wanted to carry her down the stairs to an ambulance. When I explained she had just been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome and there was a specialist in Boston we wanted her to see, he urged me to take her. Amy insisted she’d be fine after a little nap…just like a real patient would. Then he said to take however much time I needed, and we’d work around a caretaker schedule when she got home.”