Текст книги "The Dragon's Favorite Strays"

Автор книги: Ruby Dixon

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Текущая страница: 21 (всего у книги 26 страниц)

CHAPTER 91

DAKOTA

Jonah pours tea with careful hands and talks about dogs to Aggie. Rabbit sits by Jonah’s side and blushes, laughing at everything he says, and Dottie shoots me wry looks as if to say “Are you seeing this?”

I am. I can’t decide if it’s adorable or if I want to snatch Rabbit up and take her home because she’s supposed to be my baby. I do think it’s cute, but the mother in me is a little afraid to see her grow up. Thess leans in as the conversation continues. “I’m not sure how long Samir is going to be gone for. He said he’d be here.”

“I’m sure he can’t help it if someone got sick,” I whisper back to her. “We don’t mind waiting around.”

She glances at Murr. “I know Vaan wished to greet Murtades when he arrived, and so did Mhal. Are you interested in talking to them while we wait?”

I eye my big husband. To my surprise, he seems a bit nervous. He rubs his jaw, considering, and I could swear I feel anxiety radiating from him. “Murr…no talk good,” he confesses. “Not like Thess.”

“You talk amazing,” I tell him, my hand on his back. “Don’t let anyone make you think otherwise.”

There’s a surge of emotion from him that I can practically feel.

“We have all had to learn human speech,” Thess says gently. “Some of us are just faster than others. They will not judge you for it. None of us have the mental connection anymore, remember?”

The reminder seems to settle some of his nerves. I reach for his hand. “Want me to come with?”

He nods.

“We’ll be fine, Mom,” Rabbit calls over, surprising me. I didn’t realize she was listening in on the conversation—I’ve been so attuned to Murr. “If it’s okay with Jonah, we’ll stay here.”

“I would love the company,” Jonah says, his head turned toward Rabbit.

My daughter blushes, ducking her head. Ugh. I’m torn between going over to give her a kiss atop the head or just pulling her away from him entirely, which isn’t rational. I squeeze Murr’s hand and turn to him. “They’re in good hands. Let’s go meet your friends.”

He nods, still looking nervous. Other than Thess, are these the first dragons he’s ‘met’ since he came to our world? Is he worried that he’s going to meet them and think Thess has been lying and everyone can mind-speak but him? Or is it just nerves in general, like I get at the thought of meeting a bunch of strangers? I hope it’s the latter.

Thess leads us out of Jonah’s home and crosses briskly through the muddy streets of Fort Dallas. Her bare feet squish through the mud, the hem of her dress flirting with the muck closely enough that it gives me anxiety. Murr has my backpack slung over his shoulder, his kilt around his hips, and his free hand is tight in mine. Even though he walks confidently at my side, I suspect he’s skimming the skies, looking for others that are more “dragon” than he is. What a number his isolation has done to him, I think sympathetically. Then again, none of us are whole after the Rift upended our worlds. We just show it in different ways.

A dragon shadow drifts overhead, causing me to automatically glance up. I get a brief glimpse of the dragon, his scales a slightly different gold than Murr’s, his tail not as long, his body not as thick. “You’re bigger,” I say to my man. “Not that it’s a contest.”

But Murr is more impressive in form, and I want him to know that. I want him to realize he’s just as dragon-y as anyone else.

He chuckles at my words and gives my hand an affectionate shake, as if sensing the loyalty behind my commentary. “Strong male,” is all he says. “Good protect.”

“You’re an excellent protector, too. The best protector.”

Murr beams at me as the male dragon lands. I have to admit I feel a quiver of terror as it gracefully descends, the massive head and golden eyes similar to Murr and yet so very foreign. Not a year ago, dragons were still flaming the landscape and tearing up our world. We’d cower in protected spots several times a week, waiting for dragonfire to stop raining down.

Now I’m holding hands with one and waiting to greet another. It’s a strange situation.

Thess waves at the other dragon as he tucks his wings in and curls his tail around his body. I notice a few people sticking their heads out of their homes to see what’s going on, and none of them look frightened, which is a good sign. Dragons are normal to them in the fort, now, too.

The male dragon shifts and then a lean man a slightly paler gold than Murr’s strides forward. He’s got a shorter thatch of crazy-thick golden hair that spikes over his head, and his eyes are spaced more widely apart, giving an almost calm, zen look to his features.

“Join us, Vaan,” Thess says, urging me and Murr forward. “We are going to the cafeteria to feed Murr’s mate. Where is your Gwen?”

Oh, are we going to the cafeteria? And who is Gwen? I shoot Thess an anxious look. “I ate before I got here. It’s fine⁠—”

“We feed everyone in the fort,” she says cheerfully, as if this is her decision. “We will sit, you will eat, and we drakoni will reacquaint ourselves.”

The dragon-man known as Vaan strolls forward and holds a hand out to us. “I am Vaan,” he says, and I can’t help but notice that he swallows all his syllables, as if he has a hard time making his mouth do what he wants it to do. “I have heard good things about you, Murtades.”

“Remember Thess,” Murr says after a moment, grasping Vaan’s hand in the most awkward handshake imaginable. “No remember Vaan.”

“We make new memory today,” Vaan says, as if that answers everything.

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CHAPTER 92

DAKOTA

As far as forts go…well, this one’s a fort. It’s hard to call it a “good” one because every fort is different. It’s built up around what’s available, what’s safe to huddle inside. This one is sprawled through an old series of squat office buildings and a nearby parking garage. Homes straddle the narrow streets, and a field has been planted in what might have been a playground. People make do with what they have, and everywhere, I can see structures set up to protect what’s been rebuilt. There are tin roof shingles on everything to protect them from fire, coverings to unfurl over the crops at the first sign of dragonfire, and every home has a series of potted plants in front of it, because pots are easy to grab and pull inside, where it’s safe. There’s a well in the center of the fort, built in the After and lined with concrete chunks instead of stonework, and it’s heavily guarded by men with rifles. This, they’re not protecting from dragons, but from other people, because everyone depends on fresh water. All it takes is one idiot to ruin things for everyone.

Overall, though, Fort Dallas is better than some of the other forts I’ve seen. I still don’t want to live here, mind you, but I can understand why Thess speaks positively of it. There’s safety in numbers, to a certain extent. Some people can’t manage on their own.

We head across the fort, towards a busy building. Inside, there are lights strung up to a generator that’s just outside the door and covered in solar panels. I smell hot food, and even though I ate not long ago, my stomach growls. It smells like cornbread and beans, and the interior of the room looks like an old school cafeteria, complete with long folding tables. There are people seated at most tables, everyone eating off trays with chipped bowls on them. They glance at us as we enter, but no one pays too much attention.

A tall, lean black woman meets us as we head to the cafeteria line. She moves toward Vaan and gives him a quick kiss before smiling at Murr and myself. “I’m Gwen, Vaan’s mate. It’s nice to meet you. Thess was excited to have another friendly drakoni in the area.”

“Are there unfriendly drakoni?” I ask as Gwen grabs a pair of trays, handing one to me.

“No, but some are having a harder time remembering than others. The Rift’s effects are still being felt, even though it’s closed now.” Her expression turns sad. “We do what we can, but it’s not easy for everyone.”

Our trays are filled with a bean and vegetable soup and a square of cornbread, and my mouth waters. We’ve been eating wonderfully thanks to Murr, but a different sort of food is more than welcome. I spot green chunks and what looks like fresh tomato on the soup. “There are so many vegetables here. I’m jealous.”

“The gardens have doubled in size now that the fort is no longer under constant attack from dragons,” Gwen says. “Do you have gardens where you are?”

“Trying,” I confess. “It’s hard to start things when winter is on its way.”

Gwen leans over to me as we get cups of water to add to our trays. “I know absolutely nothing about plants myself, so it’s all a mystery to me.”

I’m not alone in that, at least.

The dragons pass up eating in the cafeteria, and so it’s just me and Gwen with full trays. We sit down at an empty table and Vaan sits next to his mate while Murr sits beside me. Thess sits on my other side, and I try not to shove food into my mouth like an absolute rube. “So how did you meet Vaan?” I ask Gwen. “Was it here at this fort?”

“Oh no, I’m from Fort Shreveport,” she says, and launches into a long story of how she came to be a dragon’s mate. She and Vaan met long before the Rift resolved itself, and they had a strong mental connection. They came over to Fort Dallas to try and work with the Salorian leader and provide perspective from the drakoni point of view, and they ended up staying. “It’s not perfect,” Gwen says, “but it gets better every day. And Azar’s not as bad as he used to be. Being mated to Melina has really turned him around. He’s almost, dare I say, decent.”

Vaan huffs with amusement, as if the thought is a bizarre one.

At my side, Murr tenses every time the whole “Salorian” thing is mentioned. I don’t know too much about it, but I know from our discussions that Salorians were bad guys in their world. “Do we…need to meet this Salorian guy?”

“Oh, no,” Thess says, waving a hand and dismissing the idea. “You are day traders. He will not care that you are here.”

Good. I take a bite of cornbread and nearly moan aloud at how good it is. “Can we trade for this?”

“I am sure something can be arranged. Food is not as easily traded for, but you brought dried meat, yes? That is always welcomed.” Thess scans the room as we eat, as if looking for someone. “We will talk to the trading post later, I promise. What did you think of Jonah?”

“He seems like a nice kid,” I say, “but it’s not my dog. It’ll be up to Aggie to decide how she wants to move forward.”

Thess nods. “Once Dottie has seen Samir, we will bring them all to the cafeteria to eat. I wanted to chat with the two of you in private.”

My stomach clenches. “Oh?”

Thess keeps smiling, but I could swear I feel the mood in the room changing. “About you and your family possibly moving to the fort. Permanently.”

I knew there had to be a catch somewhere. I’m suddenly a lot less hungry.

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CHAPTER 93

DAKOTA

The delicious food I’ve been enjoying suddenly feels like a bribe. Of course Thess wants to show us how amazing the fort is. She wants us to move in and live here, with Murr hunting for the locals and offering protection.

Maybe it’s selfish, but I like our cozy set-up in the bookstore. I’ve no desire to change it up, no desire to live with more of my fellow man.

Thess must see my sour reaction, because her smile gets brighter and she reaches over, touching the hand I’m holding my fork with. “It’s merely a question. Of course we want both you and Murtades around at all times. If all of us work together, we can do amazing things, and I want more drakoni and humans to pair up. I want to show the world we’re no longer a threat, and what better way than a thriving city that showcases the best of humanity and the best of the drakoni?”

“No,” Murr says, his hand going to my spine. He rubs my back, as if he knows I need reassurance. “Murr, Dakota happy. No change.”

I glance over at him, not wanting to be a problem. “We can talk about it later.”

“No change,” Murr says again, and pulls me in for a kiss at my temple. “Is decided.”

Thess just smiles brightly. “I hope we can change your mind at some point.”

I doubt that sincerely, but I also don’t want to decide for the others. Aggie and Dottie might like this fort. I’ll talk to them when we go home, when we’ve had time to process and no one’s influencing us.

Gwen crumbles her cornbread and adds it to her soup, speaking up. “Don’t stress about it. Thess asked because she asks everyone that visits. She likes to manage people. No one expects you to jump at the chance to live in a fort.”

I manage a small smile at that. “We’re pretty happy where we are.”

“Murr cats need food,” my husband points out. “No cats here in fort.”

“Well, we should have cats,” Gwen comments. “We could use a few good mousers. If you have any ferals that want to be transplanted to somewhere that has a lot of rats, this is where you want to go.”

Nudging my soup with my spoon, I grimace. “Maybe we don’t talk about rats over lunch.” Now I’m wondering if I should stop eating while I’m ahead.

“To be fair, this fort is far less gross than others I’ve seen, right, babe?” Gwen gives her dragon husband a meaningful look.

“It is a fort,” Vaan says, his words slow and careful. He turns to Murr. “Do you recall who you served?”

Murr shakes his head, tapping his temple. “Much confuse. No good. No remember Thess, see her, then remember.”

Vaan nods. “Memories are difficult. Mine are…polluted. I recall some things, but not others.”

“Which is also why it’s important for us to spend time together,” Thess says, clasping her hands under her chin. “The more we share, the more we can help each other recall.”

“Thess,” Gwen says in a warning tone.

“I know, I know,” Thess says. “I will not bring it up again.”

But she shoots me a pleading look anyhow, as if I can somehow make a difference. “We’ll talk about it,” is all I say again, but my answer grows more firm by the moment. I’m already feeling a bit overstimulated by how many people are around. A noisy group enters the cafeteria, sweaty and tracking in dirt, and they talk over each other to the point that my head hurts. I’d forgotten how loud so many people can be so close together.

I must be turning into a hermit.

Vaan eyes Thess. “Not all want their memories back. Some are happy to be where they are.”

“But if we can remember things, it can help us with what we’ve lost. Like our connection.” She presses a fingertip to the center of her forehead. “I miss having everyone in my mind. It’s so quiet now. So lonely. If we can all share what we know, maybe we can somehow bring it back.”

My irritation at Thess vanishes and I’m filled with sympathy. I get why she’s trying so hard to bring more drakoni together. She’s gone from a world where she had someone always “touching” her mind, a great many someones. Being completely cut off must be so lonely. Murr turned to his cats. Vaan has a wife. Thess has…the fort, I guess?

And possibly Samir, but we still haven’t met him.

Gwen clears her throat, ignoring Thess’s pleading. “So what’s on your list for the day? The trading post, I assume? What else?”

I think of the flourishing gardens we passed over. “I want to talk to your gardeners. I got some seeds from an old store, but the instructions on the packet are rubbed off and I’m not sure if I should plant them or wait. I’m new to gardening and wouldn’t mind some tips.”

“And I should find Samir,” Thess says, getting to her feet. She offers us all an apologetic smile. “While you eat and speak with the gardeners, I will check on him and see how much longer he will be.”

She gets up and leaves.

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CHAPTER 94

DAKOTA

Samir isn’t what I expect.

I know Thess is wildly in love with him, and Jonah is a good-looking, tall teenager. I guess I thought his father would be an older version of him. Samir isn’t, though. He’s balding, wears glasses, and has a wiry frame that seems small and compact for all that he’s a normal height. He wears an old, faded pair of scrubs and can’t sit still for a moment.

Thess watches him with adoring eyes the entire time, like a schoolgirl with a crush.

We’re back in the freight container, now that we’ve accomplished most of our business for the day. It’s been several hours, and I’ve spent a lot of the day with Gwen, chatting about forts and survival tips and being married to a drakoni. She calls it being “mated” instead of marriage, which I find fascinating. We had a ceremony, though, and even if it was just a bite and a declaration, I still feel married. I like Gwen, too. She’s practical and has no time for anyone’s bullshit. Every time Thess hints that we should move to the fort, Gwen shoots her down, which I’m grateful for.

“Thess is just one of those people that thinks if she asks enough times, she’ll get you to change your mind,” Gwen tells me when we approach the gardens. “It comes from a good place, but it can be annoying. Be firm with her and she’ll eventually get the idea.”

Now, hours later, I have a bunch of seeds from the friendly people here and a bunch of notes scribbled down on a piece of paper. My pack is no longer full of dried meat and old electronics, but light now. I’ve traded everything for beans and enough corn meal to make a cake. I have a recipe thanks to a kind woman in the cafeteria who told me that if the beans are mashed up enough, it can almost act like flour. I’m skeptical but willing to give it a try.

I haven’t told the others that I got the ingredients for the cake yet. They return from eating at the cafeteria, and Rabbit has her hand through Jonah’s arm, his cane in his other hand. They look cute together, and happy. Aggie and Dottie seem tired from the long day, but their faces are bright and both are smiling.

The moment Samir arrives, Aggie insists he look her over.

“Been a long time since this old lady saw a doctor,” Aggie says as Samir peers inside her ears with a flashlight. “I figure I might as well get the full spa day experience.”

“This isn’t a spa,” Rabbit protests, laughing. “And you can’t pay him.”

“I don’t mind,” Samir says, moving to Aggie’s other side and peering in her other ear. “The best payment for a medical professional is a patient that doesn’t need him at all.”

Thess sighs with pleasure at his words, the dreamy look on her face more intense than ever. “Such a selfless human.”

Oh, brother. She’s got it bad. “It’s nice of you regardless,” I say, and shoot Rabbit a meaningful look. We brought a packet of extra dried meat that we didn’t trade. It’s in Rabbit’s bag and we can thank Samir for his kindness with a bit of jerky if nothing else. “Do you need any particular books? Maybe we can bring you some when we return.”

“No time to read,” Samir says in an easy voice. He touches Aggie’s neck, presumably checking her lymph nodes, and then has her breathe in and out while he listens with a stethoscope. Once he’s done, he beams at her. “Very healthy for a twenty-nine-year-old woman.”

Aggie titters at him. “You flirt. Now I see why Thess is obsessed with you.”

Thess beams. I could swear Samir blushes.

The doctor turns and glances at our group. His gaze lingers on Dottie, the one he’s really here to look over. “Who’s next? You?”

Dottie shakes her head. “Nah, I’m good.”

Uh oh. That wasn’t in the plans. “Why not have him look you over while we’re here?” I ask, trying to keep my tone light. “I’ll go after you. It can’t hurt for all of us to get checked out.”

“I’m fine,” Dottie says.

“Don’t be stubborn.” Aggie frowns at her, hauling herself off the cot where the doctor’s doing his check-ups. “Everyone should get checked out.”

Dottie just shakes her head as if it’s decided. She pointedly ignores the doctor and eyes her fingernails, waiting for someone else to speak up and take the attention off of her.

I’m not sure what to do now. I knew Dottie would be resistant, but I didn’t think we’d have to hold her down to get her looked at. “Can you please do it for me, Dottie?” I ask. “It’ll make all of us feel better.”

“I said no.” She gets to her feet, glaring at all of us. “Leave me alone about it.”

I stand up, too, but it’s not like I can stop her if she wants to leave. “But you haven’t been well…”

“Maybe I’m depressed? Maybe I like naps? Maybe I like it best when you mind your own business?” She declares and takes a step forward.

Her knees buckle and she sinks to the floor.

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