by Jan Dockter
“Dad? Steph?”
“Are you okay, son?” asked Ivan Kaur.
“I’m fine. Got some minor burns, but otherwise good.”
Steph gripped the bars of his bed. “Are you sure?”
“Sure, babe. I’m just a little tied up right now.” He rattled his handcuffs with a grin.
Steph leaned over the rail and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Can you shift?” she whispered.
Ryan’s face drew up in consternation. “I’m not sure I can. It was my dragon form that was burned badly. It was awful changing back to human.” He shuddered.
“Mr. Kaur?”
“Let me see what I can find out,” he said turning away from both of them and concentrating on his phone.
“What happened?” asked Steph gently.
“The two dragons that chased us in Scotland showed up. I don’t know how they found me, but they ripped open the police cars like tin cans and tossed the officers out like they were dolls. One of them tossed me into the fire they started in the middle of the road and my dragon burned.”
“Ryan,” she said. “Do you hurt now?”
“No. It’s healing quickly. Courtesy of my dragon blood I suppose. What hurts is not being with you.”
“I am here now,” she said softly.
Mr. Kaur turned back to them. “My contacts say that both dragon and human bodies heal at the same time. Shifting from one form to the other facilitates healing as the body is forced into the other shape. So, another shift should finish off what healing you’ve done.”
“Okay,” said Steph. “We’re getting you out of here, Ryan.”
“What? No. Dad? Is this your crazy idea?” he said to Ivan Kaur.
“I won’t have you locked up.”
“Well, maybe I should be locked up. Did you ever think that? These dragons are insane and I’m just as crazy as the rest of them.”
“Now, Ryan,” said Mr. Kaur. “I don’t believe that for a minute. I may not be your biological father, but I raised you. I have to think that you’ve taken some of what I taught you to heart. In fact, I know you did. From what Roberts told me you could have left but stayed to help the officers. That’s not a crazy person, son.”
“Roberts?” asked Steph.
“The head of the security firm my father hires,” said Ryan. “So if that is true, dad, I’m not leaving. I’ll face my accusers.”
“That’s a noble thought,” said Ivan Kaur, “but not practical. There is supposed to be a witness.”
“And ten-to-one if you find that witness you find one of the dragons that did this. Dad. You have to find that witness.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Ryan
Ryan steadfastly refused to do what his father wanted. Yes, he could run, but he’d only expose Steph to more danger. The dragon queen wanted him for whatever crazy plan was in her head and she’d keep sending her minions after him. There was some mechanism he did not know that allowed her soldiers to keep finding him—that much was clear.
“Okay, son,” said Ivan Kaur, “we’ll play it your way. I’ll go talk to the doctors.”
Ivan Kaur left Ryan and Steph alone. Ryan couldn’t think of a time when he saw his father so defeated, but if Ryan escaped he knew in his heart he’d ruin his father’s businesses and all he worked for.
“Ryan?” said Steph gently.
“Yeah, babe. I’m okay. Just hoping that dad finds that dragon and we can get the additional charges dismissed. I’m not worried about the kidnapping charge. That is, unless you plan on pressing charges.”
“I don’t know,” said Steph. “You did manhandle me pretty well.”
“I wouldn’t call it manhandling,” he said with a wink.
Steph’s face turned serious. “You don’t have to do this. We can leave.”
“And wreck my father’s business in the process? No. I don’t care about myself and Dad can take care of himself. But thousands of people work for my father and they’d lose their jobs if Kaur Industries went under. And that doesn’t include the hardships the various suppliers that sell goods and services to the business.”
One of the police officers entered the room.
“That doctor is releasing you now into our custody, Kaur.”
Ryan didn’t care about being brought to the jail or being processed into a cell. But he did care very much about what his father and Steph were facing. As the police brought him into a transport wagon he worried that his father was placing himself and the business at risk. He suffered the indignities of processing with the grace that he could. It was his own reckless actions that brought him here in the first place. He shouldn’t have driven so fast on the road that he caused an accident.
Ryan spent an uncomfortable night in the cell tossing and turning this time worrying that he placed Steph in an impossible situation. If it hadn’t been for him she would be still be working for Peters, Watins and Roe none the wiser about dragon shifters working her way up the corporate ladder.
But that wasn’t entirely true and Ryan knew it. The whole pairing a dragon with a seneschal thing was part of Rhea Gentrix’s plan to bring her children back into her fold. Thinking about Rhea angered Ryan. He didn’t understand how one person, okay, dragon could be so callous toward her children. She may have thought that the children she adopted out would naturally follow her plans. But Ryan never would and he suspected that once they knew many of the other adoptees would feel the same way.
But first they had to be told.
Ryan figured he should be the one to tell them.
After he got out this legal mess, of course.
Having a new purpose calmed Ryan. He could do some good in the world. Anything he could do to alert other of Rhea’s children would be a worthy purpose. He finally got a few hours sleep before the guard woke him.
“Here are clothes your father sent for court. You better get moving. We’ll be loading the van in a half-hour.”
Of the other two other men going to court he was the only one wearing a suit and tie. One didn’t look at him and the other sneered. There was no convict camaraderie in this small space that rocked side to side as they moved down the road.
“Hey,” said one. “I know you. You’re that dragon.”
“I’m no dragon,” said Ryan.
“The news said you were.”
“Whoever said that got their facts wrong.”
“They say,” said the other man, “that there is a witness.”
Ryan looked off to the side. “Then they lied.”
“You’re rich,” said the second man as if that was a crime.
“And you’re not. Congratulations.”
“How much money do you have?” asked the first man.
“Enough,” said Ryan.
“Think you’re above us, don’t you? Well, you injured two policemen. That will get you twenty years at least.”
“Thank you,” said Ryan. “I didn’t realize you were an attorney.”
“Fuck you.”
“No thanks. You aren’t my type.”
The second man laughed. “You’re a funny dragon.”
Ryan shook his head.
The transport stopped suddenly. The guard opened the window between the driver’s section and the back. “We’re here. Behave yourself.”
Finally, Ryan was led into the courtroom. The spectacle of Ryan Kaur in shackles and handcuffs caused a stir as he entered. Steph stood at the defendant’s table and gave him a small smile.
The bailiff read the charges. Ryan admitted it was an impressive list even for him.
“Your honor,” said Steph, “I ask for the charges to be withdrawn. Mr. Kaur did not evade responsibility. He took me to the nearest hospital for treatment. I can personally attest he did not kidnap me.”
“Objection, your Honor. This is in direct contradiction of the facts.”
“Please, your Honor, this is an arraignment, not a trial.”
“Your objection is noted, Mr. Prosecutor, though Ms. Brook
s is correct. Ms. Brooks there are substantial charges, and Mr. Kaur is not a stranger to the court. The charges stand. A court will decide whether or not they are false.”
“Excuse me,” said a thin reedy voice at the back of the courtroom. “Alan Watins, your Honor, from Peters, Watins and Roe.”
“Come forward, Mr. Watins. Do you represent Mr. Kaur?”
“Yes, sir, we’ve been the Kaur’s US attorney for many years. Ms. Brooks is our associate assigned to handle certain matters for the Kaurs. But she was not assigned to handle criminal matters.”
“See here,” sputtered Ryan’s father.”
“Order,” commanded the judge.
“I apologize for the confusion,” continued Mr. Watins. “I filed with your clerk an Amicus Curiae brief detailing the various charges and how they will fail in court examination. In fact, my firm was the attorney of record of for Ryan Kaur’s adoption. You’ll find his birth records that certify his totally human parents. You’ll find a statement from the chief of police in the town were Mr. Kaur was arrested for gambling that Mr. Kaur acted as a confidential informant, and helped to break up a dangerous gambling ring. Finally, you will find a statement from a Miss Jenna Cantor, the so-called “witness” to the last night’s incident detailing that she gave her report for revenge because Mr. Kaur stopped seeing her socially. You will also find a statement from one of the police officers from last night’s incident. In this statement, he says he witnessed Mr. Kaur rendering assistance to the officer’s fallen partner. I’m sorry, your honor, but the prosecution’s case is built on conjecture and false information. We can proceed at your discretion but I second Ms. Brooks request to have the charges withdrawn. We don’t need to engage the court in a lengthy trial because of several misunderstandings.”
“Well, Bill,” said the judge looking pointedly at the prosecutor. “Is there any truth to any of this?”
“This is all news to me. And it’s supposed to be an arraignment. You haven’t even asked his plea.”
The judge drummed his fingers on his desk several times before answering.
“I’m sorry, Bill. But I think you are in an uphill battle on this one. Mr. Kaur, this is your lucky day. I’m dropping all the charges. But don’t darken my courtroom again.”
“Thank you, your Honor,” said Ryan.
“Release Mr. Kaur,” said the judge to the courtroom guards “And the court is recessed for lunch.”
Ryan winked at Steph. “Good job.”
“I didn’t do anything. It was Mr. Watins who did it all.
Watins moved closer to them as people filed from the courtroom.
“And just what is your game, Watins?” said Ivan Kaur.
“I just want a few minutes with Ms. Brooks,” said Mr. Watins. “It won’t take long.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Steph
Guards stepped up and released Ryan from his handcuffs and shackles. Steph turned to Mr. Watins as he stepped away from the Kaurs and beckoned her with his hand. She followed as far as the courtroom doors and stopped. With her fist clenched by her sides she asked, “What do you want?”
“Come along with me, Ms. Brooks,” said Mr. Watins. “And I’ll explain it all to you.”
She shook her head. “I’ll wait for Ryan.”
“You know the types of documents I turned in? I can just as easily turn in quite another version, one not so favorable to the Kaurs. Come with me now.”
Ryan’s attention was on the guards letting him loose and the elder Kaur was standing behind his son. Steph followed Mr. Watins reluctantly out of the courtroom and out of the building.
Immediately two beefy security types were behind her and each took one of her arms.
“Get her into my limo.”
“Stop this, Mr. Watins. I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“Yes, you are, if you want to protect your dragon. And since you are a seneschal you most certainly do.”
Steph was taught to overcome overwhelming odds, but even she knew that she couldn’t take on two men that each had a hundred pounds on her. And Watins knew the truth, every bit of it about Ryan, and could undo everything he did to get Ryan free.
“What do you want from me?” said Steph.
“Stop stalling and get into the limo,” growled Watins.
Steph looked over her shoulder but didn’t see either Kaur, father or son. She walked down the courthouse steps trying to figure out a way to get out of this, but for the life of her Steph couldn’t see how.
She slid into the limo every thought in her brain screaming at her not to do this. The two security men followed her taking up residence on the seat opposite her. Then Watins got in and sat next to her.
Steph narrowed her eyes as Watins, that rat, go into the car. “What do you want?” she said scooting as far from him as she could.
“Actually,” he said pulling a syringe from his pocket. “I want you to go to sleep.”
Steph struggled but the security men held down her arms and Watins jammed the needle painfully in her arm.
Ryan, help!
Steph had no idea how long she was out or where she was. When she woke, it was in a room of whitewashed limestone. Pillars of gold rose on each side of the room and through the center of it and met gold arches in an interlaced pattern on the high ceiling. She supposed all that gold was gold leaf painstakingly applied. She moved and found she lay on a metal framed couch like one she saw in a museum at a Roman Antiquities exhibit. The mattress under her was thick, but it was hard as well, and her bones ached from laying on it.
There were no windows in this room. The light came from skylights that ran along the edge of ceiling. She stood and took in her surroundings.
She found that her street clothes were gone. In their place, she wore a long linen robe that reached to the floor. There was a heavy wood door to her left-hand side, but when she pulled at the door ring that served as a handle it wouldn’t budge.
Apparently, Steph was a prisoner. But who’s prisoner and why?
The door creaked open and a golden-haired woman wearing a robe much like hers entered bearing a tray.
“Hello,” she said. “I’ve brought you some food.”
“Where am I?” demanded Steph.
The woman serenely walked to the only table in the room, a heavy looking thing also made of metal and set the tray down.
“Come eat,” the woman said.
“Not until I get some answers.”
The woman sighed. “Humans, so stubborn. Come. Sit. Eat. I will tell you what I can.”
She pulled the cover off the plate and sat on a chair.
“Please,” she said indicating the chair at spot she placed the food.
Steph sat and looked at the food. The woman arched her eyebrow and Steph took a bit of a vegetable.
“That’s a start, I suppose,” she said. “I am Reanne, daughter of the queen of the dragons.”
Steph stopped eating and stared at Reanne.
“The queen of the dragons? Ryan told me about her.” Steph thought it wasn’t politic to add that Ryan called her scary. And she couldn’t imagine being brought to this place, though she had no idea where in the world it would be.
“Yes. I met Ryan,” said Reanne with a gentle smile. “I liked him very much even if he angered our mother.”
Steph felt a stab of jealously as she absorbed this bit of information. What did this woman have to do with Ryan? She didn’t like the thought at all of this buxom blonde haired beauty anywhere near Ryan. But then the force of Reanne’s words hit her. “Our? Ryan is her son?”
“Yes.”
“So that makes you his sister?”
“If you prefer human terms, yes. We don’t use familial terms like that. To Rhea I am one of her many subjects, useful upon occasion.”
“It doesn’t sound like you two have a great relationship.”
“She is the leader of the dragons. That is what she is to me. Rhea didn’t have much to do with me after I ha
tched.
Steph coughed on her food.
“Hatched? You hatch from eggs?”
Reanne shrugged. “The ones where eggs are laid, yes. We have multiple methods of reproduction. Some young are gestated internally. It just depends on the circumstance of conception.”
“And Ryan? Did he hatch like you?”
“Yes. Our mother only lays eggs. That is her preferred method, though the failure rate is higher than gestating internally.”
Steph rocked back in shock, first from learning that Ryan hatched from an egg to learning that dragons had a choice in how to reproduce.
“Each method has their pros and cons,” finished Reanne with a gentle smile. Stephanie found that she liked this dragon and she had to work hard to remember that she was a prisoner here.
But she was bursting with curiosity about dragons too and this might be her only opportunity to question such a talkative tutor.
“Tell me. Why do dragons look like humans so much of the time?”
Reanne dipped her head. “You really don’t know, do you?”
“Know what?”
“You look like us. We were here first, before your primitive ancestors. We were few on this vast planet and we needed a labor force. We took the primitives and manipulated their DNA to be more like ours, without the dragon component, of course.”
“But everything we know, humans evolved over a long course of time.”
“Yes, you did. It took many, many generations to evolve the genome toward usefulness. We almost gave up.”
“So dragons created humans?”
“You can say that. But there also came a point where you took hold of your own evolvement and grew past being our servants. The one job that survived was that of seneschal, the bridge between dragons and humans. Seneschals have a little bit of dragon DNA in them to help them communicate with dragons. But it did something else too, something we did not foresee. Seneschals became irresistible to some of our dragons. Seneschals and dragons mated mixing their DNA. That was not supposed to happen. This angered my mother greatly to have hybrids among us. She killed whole generations of seneschals. We have not had them in the human population for six hundred years.
