Never Dare a Dragon

by Ashlyn Chase

  “To make a long story short, I can go and get Ryan if he’s alone right now. He works with the local volunteer fire department. Or I can get Chloe if he isn’t. I think she’s still decorating their home—a castle on the cliffs, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. You’ll have to see it someday. It’s stunning.”

  Kristine scratched her head. “Sure, uh-huh.”

  “Are you okay with me bringing them here? Either one can explain a phoenix reincarnation to you better than I can.”

  Kristine took another generous swallow of her wine. Amber must’ve noticed because she rose and made her way back to the bar. Grabbing the bottle, she smiled in understanding and returned, plunking down the whole bottle on the coffee table.

  Kristine took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Yes, I’d like to talk to them. Maybe it would be better if I talked to Chloe first. As I understand it, she’s Rory’s sister and a dragon too. So she might understand it from my perspective.”

  “Good idea. Oh, and just so you’re not too surprised, she’s also a modern muse. The muse of fire safety. She does everything from alerting parents when their kids are playing with matches to suggesting people make sure their ovens are off. Even encouraging scientists who are working on better ways to prevent fires.”

  Kristine worried her lip. “I’m not sure. Wouldn’t she—”

  A pretty blonde woman appeared on the other side of the coffee table and startled Kristine.

  “Did I hear my name? Is someone in need of the muse of fire safety?”

  Amber rose and strode to her, clasping the woman in a warm hug. “Hi, Chloe. We do need your help but not in a professional capacity.”

  Chloe gazed at Kristine. “Who is this?”

  Amber gestured toward her and said, “This is Kristine Scott. You two have a lot in common. She’s a dragon and a firefighter who’s in love with a phoenix. Ryan’s brother, Jayce.”

  “A dragon, are you? And a firefighter also? What a fine thing. Do you work for the Boston Fire Department?”

  “No. At least not yet.” Kristine bit her lip. Should she have said that? She honestly didn’t know where she was going to wind up. A lot of that depended upon Jayce—and she still had more questions than answers.

  This muse Chloe seemed nice enough. She had a lovely Irish brogue and a sweet smile. Remembering Rory saying that she was a queen and could be prickly made Kristine a little nervous, but the royal seemed plenty down to earth.

  “Ah. Well, we can talk about work later. What is it you called me for?”

  “I need to know about reincarnation. Jayce just… I just…” Kristine cast a panicked look at Amber. “A little help here?”

  “Let’s all sit down.” Amber placed her hands on Kristine’s shoulders and steered her back to the sofa. Chloe sat in the adjacent armchair.

  “Wine?” Amber asked Chloe.

  “Thank you kindly, but no. I was using a nail gun. When I return, I want to nail the furniture, not me fingers.”

  “You’re making your own furniture?” Kristine asked, incredulous.

  “Indeed. There are custom touches needed in a castle—round rooms and such—and I enjoy doin’ it. But let’s get back to your story.”

  Amber took a seat next to Kristine and nodded to her to go ahead.

  With a deep breath, Kristine said, “Jayce got into a bit of trouble and had to be cremated—temporarily, of course. I need to know what will happen now.”

  “What does ‘a bit of trouble’ entail?”

  “Um…I kind of had to burn down a mansion, not realizing he was inside.”

  Chloe shot to her feet. “You kinda had to burn down a residence? Were there humans inside?”

  “Well, yes. They were very dangerous psychopaths. It was the only way I could think of to stop them from hurting innocents.”

  “So, you want the muse of fire safety to, what…help you cover up your arson? Forgive you?”

  Kristine hung her head. “No. None of that. I’m afraid what’s done is done. But Jayce—”

  “What about Jayce?”

  “That’s what I’m hoping you can tell me. He reincarnated into phoenix form and flew off. I want to see him, but all anyone will say is “not yet.” I’m told that if anyone would know what’s going on, it would be you.”

  Chloe sat down and groaned as she dropped her head into her hands.

  Alarmed, Kristine sat up ramrod straight. “What is it? What’s going to happen?”

  “I apologize. I didn’t mean to concern you.” Chloe composed herself and patted Kristine’s arm, which was resting on the end of the couch. “I was just remembering what it was like for me. You won’t suffer like I did. I’ll make sure of it.” Her eyes narrowed and her lips thinned. “You see, nobody told me what had happened to my love. I didn’t even know what he was, other than a firefighter who met his demise in a backdraft. I truly thought he was dead.”

  Kristine sympathized immediately. “That must’ve been horrible for you.”

  “Feckin’ right.”

  Amber chuckled and then slapped her hand over her mouth. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

  Chloe took a deep breath and said, “I saw a glowing bird rise from the ashes. I thought I was hallucinatin’. We buried a coffin, but unbeknownst to me, Ryan wasn’t in it. I waited over two months with no explanation from his family. None. I thought he was dead forever. I went through the following two months like a zombie.”

  “What? How could anyone do that to you?”

  “Ryan perished in a high-rise fire. I was right there and saw him die but could do nothin’ about it. It was the most awful day of me whole long life. Because it happened on the job, there was no way to hide it. His family had to pretend to be in mourning. Naturally, I didn’t have to pretend. I mourned in earnest.”

  “Oh my God. I saw you at the firehouse after the funeral! You were devastated. I hardly recognize you as the same person.” Kristine slapped herself on the forehead. “That’s when Jayce started flirting with me. When I learned he was the victim’s brother, I couldn’t believe it. I thought he was being callous, cold, and uncaring.”

  “When in actuality,” Amber interjected, “he wasn’t grieving at all. He knew his brother was alive and well and in bird form for the next two or three months.”

  Kristine glanced between the women. “You’ve both mentioned two or three months. What happens then, and will it be the same for Jayce?”

  “Indeed,” Chloe said. “In phoenix form, he will mature at the rate of a normal bird. Something like a hawk. It takes about two months to reach maturity. If he comes back sooner, he could be a much younger human. That happened to Ryan—twice.”

  “Jayce told me Ryan was actually the oldest.”

  “Ryan should have known better, but he couldn’t wait and came back a bit early—more like seventy-five days. Jayce really should wait about three months, or ninety days, in order to look like he’s thirty.”

  “So, you’re saying that I won’t see Jayce—as an adult man—for at least two months?”

  “At least.”

  “Damn,” Kristine muttered.

  At that moment, the front door burst open, and laughter emanated from the front hall. It sounded like Amy and Conlan. The two giddy dragons entered the living room with their arms around each other.

  “Oh! Kristine! I’m so glad you’re here. We have some wonderful news.” Amy grinned at Conlan, who was already grinning at her.

  She held up her left hand, sporting a large diamond on her ring finger. “We’re engaged!”

  Kristine had mixed emotions but tried not to let them show. Amy had known Conlan for a shorter time than she had known Jayce. Yet Amy seemed happier than she’d ever known her to be. Of course, that rock on her finger alone could put a grin on her face. Ginormous, ostentatious, gaudy… Yup. Just the thing to make her mother giddy.
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br />   But Kristine was more miserable than she’d ever been in her life. And it seemed to be for the same reason. Love. What a bipolar emotion!

  “Congratulations!” she said and rose to hug both her mother and stepfather-to-be. “When’s the wedding?”

  “I know it may seem rushed, but we want to be wed in three months,” Conlan said.

  Amy leaned toward her daughter and whispered, “I’ll be fertile then.”

  Conlan added, “We want to start a family as soon as possible rather than wait five years.”

  Knowing how badly the Irish dragons wanted a new generation, Kristine understood completely. She could ask her mother if that’s what she wanted later when they were alone. In the meantime, she’d just concentrate on being happy for them. “So I’ll have a stepfather and a brother or sister soon.”

  “Or more. Twins run in both of our families.” Amy giggled.

  “How exciting!”

  “Indeed, it is.” Conlan leaned toward Amy. She tipped up her face, and they shared a tender kiss.

  Chloe cleared her throat. “By the way, Conlan,” she said in her Irish lilt, “did our grandmother gift you with a special stone at your birth?”

  Grinning wider, if that were possible, he answered, “She did indeed. It was an aquamarine—exactly the color of me darlin’ Amy’s eyes.”

  Chloe smiled. “It’s a happy day indeed, cousin. If you haven’t a venue yet, may I offer our ancestral home for your nuptials? It’s nearly finished, and it would give Ryan and me great pleasure to show the whole family our restoration.”

  Amy gasped. “The Irish castle?”

  “Indeed,” Chloe answered.

  Conlan gazed at his bride-to-be. “By your reaction, I’d say you approve?”

  Amy nodded enthusiastically.

  He bowed to Chloe. “Thank you, your majesty. We would be honored. Is three months time enough to prepare for the invasion?” He chuckled. “I’m just havin’ a bit of fun. We want to keep the guest list small. Just family and plus-ones.”

  Chloe gazed at Amber with mischief in her eyes. “Perhaps me brother can make an honest woman of you at the same time.”

  “Seriously?” Amber exclaimed. “This should be Amy and Conlan’s day.”

  Amy walked over to Amber and grasped both her hands. “I’d love to share our wedding day with you!” She turned to Conlan. “You wouldn’t mind, would you, darling?”

  “I think it’s a grand idea. Both clans tying the knot on the same day? Less trouble for everyone, if you ask me.”

  Amber sighed. “I have a few friends and family members who’d never forgive me if I didn’t invite them. You probably wouldn’t have enough room for everybody.”

  “If we haven’t, we’ll make more.” Chloe winked and disappeared.

  Kristine took a deep breath. Minor Goddesses like Chloe probably had no trouble making things happen.

  A wedding in three months. Three months to wait for Jayce. If only I can make sure those situations dovetail.

  “Mom, can you give me time to look into something before you pick an exact date?”

  Amy’s brows rose. “Is everything all right?”

  “It will be. I’ll explain later.”

  “How long do you think you’ll need?”

  “That depends on when I can talk to Jayce’s family.” As nervous as the idea made her, she had to do it sometime. It would be easier if Jayce were there to introduce her, but she’d be brave and introduce herself if it meant she could invite Jayce to the wedding.

  Chapter 14

  Amber excused herself, and Kristine was left with Amy and Conlan. “Mom, I need to talk to Jayce’s family.”

  “Of course, dear. I imagine you’d want to talk to Jayce too. He’ll be your plus-one, right?”

  “That’s just it. I need to invite him, but he’s…um, unavailable right now.” She hoped her mother wouldn’t ask too many questions. Maybe she could distract her by changing the subject—using Amy’s own tactics against her. Hopefully she wouldn’t recognize what Kristine was doing.

  “Conlan. So, you’re to be my new stepfather. How do you feel about that?”

  “Ah, darlin’. I couldn’t be more pleased. To start a new life with a family I can already be proud of, well, it’s a dream come true. And…” He gazed at Amy. “We hope to have a large family in the years to come. Best to get started early.”

  Amy grinned and then shyly gazed at the floor. “We haven’t even talked about where we’ll live yet.”

  “I have me business in Northern Ireland. But if you want to be close to your daughter, I can run the management remotely.”

  Amy threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. “I’m so glad you feel that way. I do want to be close enough to my daughter to spend some time with her. We’re not just mother and daughter. We’re dear friends, and I enjoy her company. I would miss her terribly if we were to move so far away.”

  Kristine relaxed. “I’m relieved to hear that also. I would miss you too, Mom.”

  “We have a little work to do at home, Kristine. By we, I mean you and I.”

  “Really? What’s that?”

  “We need to purge and pack.” Amy smiled at her daughter and grasped her hand. “I know there are things that may be special to you that I might not want. And vice versa. Let’s try to pare down as much as we can without throwing away each other’s sentimental items.”

  Kristine chuckled. “You’re the one with all the souvenirs. I don’t have much stuff I’m attached to. I could probably pack everything in two boxes.”

  Amy’s brows lifted. “Are you telling me that you might move too? I know the place is expensive, but I think your salary should be enough. If not, I can supplement…”

  Kristine hadn’t really thought it through and needed time to talk to Jayce. “I don’t know. I have so many things to figure out.”

  “Do you think Jayce might consider moving to New York with you?”

  Kristine sighed deeply. “He really can’t. He has family obligations here, he says.” She didn’t know exactly what he meant by that, which was one more reason she wanted to talk to the Fierros.

  “Well, how do you feel about moving this way?” Amy asked.

  Kristine sighed. “I really need to talk to the Fierros. Only one problem: I don’t know where they live.”

  “Well, we can fix that.” Amy opened her purse and extracted her cell phone. She typed for a few seconds, and then her eyes widened. “Oh dear, I’m afraid there are quite a few Fierros in the Boston phone book.”

  Kristine laughed. “I could have told you that. Jayce has six brothers, and as far as I know, only one of them lives far away. He also said something about uncles and cousins in the area who are also firefighters. I could probably walk into any fire station and yell ‘Fierro,’ and somebody would answer.”

  Amy gasped. “Don’t do that! Don’t you know that Fierro means ‘fire’ in Italian?”

  Kristine’s jaw dropped. “Oh!” Then she giggled. “Yeah, no. That may not be a good idea, especially since Boston has a large Italian population. So, how will I find him?”

  “Amber might know.”

  “Of course. She must, and she can probably take me there in the blink of an eye.”

  Amber rounded the corner and said, “Did I hear my name?”

  “Yes, dear,” Amy said. “Kristine needs to find Jayce’s parents’ home. And none of us knows where it is.”

  Amber tipped her head. “I’m afraid I don’t know either. I’ve never been there.”

  “Please don’t trouble yourself,” Kristine said. “I’ll find them.”

  “How?” Amy asked.

  Kristine shrugged.

  Amber snapped her fingers. “I’ll be right back.” She disappeared, and a few moments later reappeared with a handsome, dark-haired Fi
erro brother—Kristine recognized the family resemblance immediately.

  “That was quick,” Amy said.

  Amber just smiled. “Muses can fiddle with time a bit. I actually had to pull Ryan away from home and explain your situation.”

  “Oh. Sorry,” Kristine said. “We didn’t mean to interfere with your free time.”

  “No problem at all. I was just helping my wife with her latest home project. As Amber just indicated, I’m Ryan Fierro.” He stuck out his hand and shook Kristine’s first and then Amy’s. He smiled at Conlan. “Good to see you again, cousin-in-law.”

  “And you, my queen’s consort.” Conlan laughed and extended his hand. They pulled each other into a man hug, slapping each other on the back.

  “So, I understand you’d like to visit my parents,” Ryan said. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen them too. I imagine it would be easier if we went together. Are you all right with that?”

  “I’d appreciate it. Not just because I need directions, but it would be nice to have an introduction by a family member.”

  Ryan nodded. “At your service.”

  * * *

  Kristine followed Ryan up the steps to the family’s South End brownstone. As soon as they walked through the door, a beautiful bird with a long, colorful tail flew over and landed on Kristine’s shoulder. Ryan stopped in his tracks and straightened his spine. “Jayce?”

  “I’m afraid so,” Kristine said.

  Before she had time to explain, a woman who resembled the rest of the family except for her height came around the corner, drying her hands on a dish towel.

  “Ryan!” The older woman rushed over to him and reached up to give him a hug. She was only about five feet tall.

  “Hi, Ma.”

  “I’ve missed you.”

  “Missed you too.”

  After another brief hug but without taking her hand off Ryan’s shoulder, she turned toward Kristine and asked, “Who have we here?”

  Ryan smiled. “Mom, I’d like you to meet Kristine Scott. She’s Jayce’s friend from New York.”

  The bird on Kristine’s shoulder bobbed its head a few times, as if nodding.