Grave affairs, p.14
Grave Affairs, page 14
Garnet mewed, and she leaned forward for a better look at the birds.
“The titanium dragons like helping endangered species, Garnet. That’s part of why I do the bounty collecting. I prefer catching living things so they can go to a proper habitat, but this time seems to be all about the bodies.” I lifted my hand and gestured at the freeloader perched on my head. “Mostly.”
“Ninety-two,” Cedrick announced, and he returned most of the bodies to the garbage bag and took it to the back before retrieving the bodies of the rare birds and storing them in a clear plastic tub. “I’ll give you her payment in cash, Kinsley.”
“Thank you. I’ll help teach her how she can spend her earnings once we’re home.”
Cedrick chuckled before heading into the back, returning with an envelope, which he handed to me. “Do you want me to try to get your bounty?”
I regarded my parents, who continued to fight in the streets. My father had transformed back to human, and the pair had their noses pressed together while they hissed and growled at each other. I could only assume they worked out their nerves from having to hide their nature in Miami. “Do I earn street cred for trying to break that out without getting eaten by a dragon?”
“You’d be earning a hefty deal of respect to go along with your street cred. That navy dragon is old. The red dragon is also old. Their color deceives, too—they can call more than one color as they need. I’ve heard rumor that the woman can create fire so intense it can reduce any being to ash in a heartbeat. Fire is the domain of the red dragons, but such intense heat is a power of orange dragons. She does not wield that power often, though. That has earned her a great deal of respect among dragons. But she also is feared, for the wise understand what she could do if pressed.”
As I would die if I told my parents they were old to their faces, I regarded them through narrowed eyes. “Do you know them?”
“I know of them. Navy and red dragons—or orange dragons—do not normally mate. Their natures clash. Red dragons enjoy illuminating the darkness with their flame, and navy dragons enjoy their secrets and shadows. Orange dragons share many traits with red dragons. I’ve never met them, but they are formidable dragons. That they’re here is worrisome.”
I wondered what my parents had been doing prior to my birth to have gotten such a reputation in Dragon Heights. “What’s worrisome about it?”
“They only show up if there’s something interesting going on—and no matter what people say, interesting times are dangerous.”
In good news for my sanity, I had a way to distract Cedrick from my parents’ presence. I petted Garnet. “Yes, Garnet is interesting.”
Cedrick relaxed, and he chuckled. “That she is, but I doubt those two would come here just to see a carbunclo kitten. But I could see them doing such a thing if they were particularly bored.”
I huffed, faked a sniff, and headed for the doors to retrieve my bounty. Rather than engage the crazies making a fuss on the street, I hauled the bags in and left them at Cedrick’s desk, making several trips to get them all. “Maybe I’ll get lucky and they’ll go away. I don’t even know what they’re fighting about. They’re just making a bunch of throat noises.”
“They’re posturing at each other as mated dragons do when they both want the same prize.”
Right. My parents wanted to be friends with Garnet, and they wanted to be hugged, which meant they were likely arguing over which one would be shown affection first. When I had been a child, they had played such games, although I hadn’t understood the posturing when I’d been little. “Is the going rate really going to be ten per dead head?”
“The price does not change because the composition of the rains happens to be numerous and weighing little,” he assured me, hauling my first plastic bag up onto his desk and opening it up. He went to work separating the birds by species. Twenty-three species in total, with a handful of them only having one specimen each promised good compensation. While he worked, I petted Garnet, and I lifted my hand to see if the hummingbird might hop onto my finger.
To my amazement, the little bird cooperated, and it preened.
“That is a little boy,” Cedrick informed me without looking up from his counting. “I’m not precisely sure of his species, but I’ll see if there are any matches in one of our wildlife books. The conjured birds and familiars, like that fellow, are always modeled after a real species of bird. It’s something about the magic. Familiar types, like him, are pretty rare. He’ll be bagging you two hundred, and you’ll probably end up with him as your pet. Or familiar, if you’ve the right type of magic for it. You may, you may not. But the magic burst was stronger than we expected this morning, so I suspect there’s more than a few familiars out and about today. It was a multi-species rain.”
“There were multiple rains?” I asked, and I struggled to keep my eyes from widening. “These familiars aren’t true creations, are they?”
“Yes, they’re a type of true creation. The magic makes them most suitable for those requiring companionship. That little boy will be a good friend for your Garnet when you can’t take her with you.”
I could see the carbunclo and her hummingbird sidekick taking over the world, and my parents would encourage the odd pairing. Had I not met Monster, I might have found the whole thing a little distasteful, but Monster had changed my opinion.
If a kitten could be given a healthy body, why couldn’t a hummingbird be brought to life through surges of wild magic?
The bird hadn’t done anything wrong. I tested my luck and stroked the back of my finger down the bird’s tiny chest. To my delight, he leaned into my touch.
“See? You’re getting along great already.” Cedrick shoved most of the birds back into the plastic bag and delivered it to the back before retrieving the clear tub and adding the rarer samples. “That bag had over two hundred hummingbirds.”
I had six more garbage bags and my canvas bag left to go, and they were all filled roughly the same. I narrowed my eyes. “How did so many fit in that bag?”
“The feathers make them appear even larger than they are.” Cedrick grabbed the next bag and went to work counting everything.
The entire time, my parents argued outside of the building. Thirty minutes after starting, he declared I’d retrieved twelve hundred and three conjured birds and one true creation in the form of the familiar content to perch on my finger. Unlike Garnet, I received a check.
While the titanium dragons might keep tens of thousands of dollars in the building, I thought it was sensible that Cedrick had written out a check, which was for over fifteen thousand dollars. Aware of what his father had told me, I said, “Is this going to be audited?”
“Absolutely. Since you just got audited, I don’t have anything extra for you right now, but you’ll have an audit next month for certain. Your familiar will likely bag you more than what I paid you. And yes, the bird is clearly yours. Hummingbirds don’t behave in that fashion.”
“But what do I feed him?”
“Nectar. You can get it at any gardening store. You’ll need a feeder, which you’ll hang from the ceiling, and you’ll give him fresh nectar every other day or so. You’ll keep your feeder indoors, so your nectar won’t rot on him quickly. Make sure you get a nectar that has no artificial coloring. I’ll look into what sort of plants you can keep in your apartment he’ll appreciate. Right now, he’s imbued with a great deal of magic, so he won’t need to eat for the next few hours.”
“You’re sure I should just take him home?”
Cedrick grinned at me. “My father would whoop my ass something fierce if I tried to take away your new pet. He told me he talked with you about Monster. Are you feeling a little better about the rains?”
“Mostly. That it was birds this time helped. They’re going to just fly off and be birds now, right?”
“Some will stay, some will go, but yes. They’ll fly free and do what birds do. Some hummingbirds will be out of place here, but the young, fledging dragons will learn to fly while trying to catch the ones that need to be returned to South America—or magic will encourage them to fly south. Should there be a large migration of those birds, several dragons will accompany them to make certain the foolish do not hamper their path. And to offer them nectar, of course.”
Of course. “I’ll still come after you dragons if you summon rains of cats, dogs, or horses. You know, common house pets.” I petted the hummingbird and cooed at the bird. “But this rain wasn’t bad. Not like the past few.”
“I’ll admit, I was surprised at how much you liked those bloodsucking toads. Ah, that reminds me. My father wants you to visit Mouthy Asshole. He’s overcome with sadness that we dragons are not brave enough to let him bite.”
I laughed, gesturing at my parents with my free hand. “As soon as I ditch those two, I will give you a call.” Careful not to dislodge the bird, I got out my phone. “I’ll need your number.”
“And you need me to teach you how to deposit your check without having to go all the way to the bank. I’ll even take care of calling to confirm that the money is legitimate. It won’t take but a few minutes. I’ll even do what I can to spare you from those dragons outside. Maybe I’ll be an interesting enough dragon-kin to spare you from further torment.”
ELEVEN
“I see you have some new friends, Kinsley.”
Friday, April 23, 2167
Pilgrimage Ward
Dragon Heights, Wyoming
One day, Cedrick would learn.
Rather than distract my parents, my mother’s attention locked onto the poor titanium dragon-kin. After a few moments of thought, she declared he would serve as our tour guide and take us to Shrine Hill, as they had ‘heard rumors of strange happenings’ at the sacred site. As Cedrick valued his life, he called his father after we arrived at the base of the mini mountain.
As my parents found Cedrick to be amusing, we waited for his father to arrive.
He came as a dragon, and he transformed on the street wearing an expensive suit with polished shoes. To my amusement, his cuff links were made with titanium, and he had an oxidized titanium tie clip in the colors of the rainbow.
Phillip bowed to my parents before greeting Garnet, who squeaked and snuggled close to my neck and nuzzled my cheek as though trying to convince the dragon she wanted to stay with me.
“I’m not going to take your human from you,” he promised. “I see you have some new friends, Kinsley.”
While the hummingbirds had manifested over the Gray Ward, more than a few had already crossed the city. They appreciated the flowers covering Shrine Hill, but they lived to fight with each other. I could understand why the titanium dragon assumed I had more than one.
The hummingbirds were not shy about our presence, and more than a few visited trying to figure out what we were about.
Mine indulged in the fighting a little, although he seemed more interested in making certain the other birds understood he had claimed me as his territory. The rest of the time, he visited nearby flowers.
“Only one of them seems to be mine,” I replied, gesturing to where the little boy investigated the nearby plants.
“I sent your mother to the shop to keep an eye out for bounties,” Phillip informed his son. “I thought I’d come and supervise, especially since Kinsley picked up a true creation.” The titanium dragon’s gaze fell on me. “Earned, I promise you. The magic decides, and it seems the magic feels you deserve even more than Garnet. And you do.”
My parents did an admirable job of hiding their pride, although I caught my mother preening at the praise.
The hummingbird darted back to me, and he landed on my other shoulder. “Do true creations understand English?”
“They’re capable of learning languages,” he confirmed. “They’re magical in nature, and they adapt to the needs of those around them. You’re best suited for intellection companionship, so your bird will learn to understand you. You will find him easy enough to train. While flushing a toilet is beyond his abilities, he will be able to learn to use one. Simply show him, and he’ll figure it out readily enough. The true creations tend to pick up on those sorts of things. He might already know, as I can’t help but notice you have not been covered in droppings yet.”
“I’ve been afraid to check my hair.”
“Your hair has not been despoiled.”
That was a relief. “Thank you for Garnet. She’s wonderful.”
“And you are as wonderful as she.” Phillip turned his attention to my parents. “I trust you are satisfied with Garnet’s care?”
“Oh, we’re satisfied,” my father stated, and he smiled, reaching out to pet the carbunclo. “We did want to confirm Kinsley is a suitable caretaker for Garnet, but we are pleased with what we have seen. The hummingbird was a surprise, but it did not take us long to determine that she is incapable of mistreating an animal. When we arrived at her domicile, she was hard at work gathering the conjurations. She cleaned her whole street of them quite diligently. That Garnet assisted was all the evidence we needed.”
“I paid the kitten for her contribution,” Cedrick reported before his father had a chance to say a word. “I’ll register her in the bounty logbook tonight, but she’s already been paid. Kinsley is holding the funds.”
“That will work.” Phillip leaned over to look into Garnet’s eyes, once again stroking his hand along her head and back. “You keep taking good care of Kinsley, all right? She likes convincing everyone she’s tougher than even a titanium, but she’s got a soft heart.”
The carbunclo purred and nuzzled Phillip’s hand.
My father took the role of leader, and he considered the titanium dragon with his head tilted to the side, one of his ways of expressing his curiosity. “Still, I am surprised the Chileans sent her to you—and that they did not mind you gifting her to Kinsley.”
“Garnet has been displaced several times now,” Phillip admitted, straightening and turning to face my parents. “She is of Argentinean breeding, and she was given to the Chilean ruby clan for a favor owed. Garnet did not find the Chileans to be to her liking, and she started showing signs of stress and losing weight. She then came to us, and while we were able to get her weight up, it was clear she wasn’t happy. We tried to take a freer approach with her, and she showed interest in all those good deeds young Kinsley enjoys. I’ll admit, we’re relieved that Garnet has taken to Kinsley so well. She’s already showing better color and her fur is softening.”
I hadn’t noticed anything amiss with Garnet, and to comfort myself, I stroked the kitten and praised her for being a good girl.
“It’s of no fault of yours, Phillip,” my mother soothed, and she smiled at the titanium dragon. “Carbunclo know what they need to thrive, and it’s no fault of your family that Garnet has a more adventurous nature with a drive to do good in the world. She’s a helper, and she partners best with a helper. You can assist them by making sure they moderate their helping to tolerable degrees. I am sure they will both try to help, perhaps a little more than they should.”
Busted. I assumed my father had snitched on me about the killings I investigated, although I would be picking their brains about how best to proceed with the investigation.
My morning checks of the news had come up with nothing, and Cecilia hadn’t reported any additional attacks.
Until I found more clues or something else happened, I would be grasping at straws.
“You’re truly satisfied?” Phillip asked, and he eyed my parents with wary regard.
Interesting. I would need to interrogate my parents to find out what they’d done to intimidate the titanium dragons. Once I found out why, when, and how, I’d determine how long I spent yelling at them for being, well, dragons.
My mother continued to smile. “We’re truly satisfied. We will be going to dinner with the girl to better familiarize ourselves with Garnet, that way she can locate us should there be any future problems. I doubt there will be. We are concerned about these attacks, though. We’ve read about them, but it seems the severity is worse than we thought?”
“It’s been suspiciously quiet for the past few days, but people are avoiding going to the shrine alone. Tourism is down, and those who have expressed interest in petitioning have steered clear. Kinsley has no interest in petitions or pilgrimages, so I feel she is at little risk, but it is a concern. There haven’t been any dragons attacked, but dragon-kin and humans alike are being targeted. At this point, nobody knows anything about the killer.” The titanium dragon winced. “Or killers. We don’t even know if it’s a group yet.”
My mother’s gaze turned to me. “And you know of these killings?”
“I’ve been following the news, but that’s all I know about it.” As neither Phillip nor Cedrick knew about my camera yet, I opted against informing them I’d taken photos of the entire site already. In case someone was watching, I hoped my next words would cover my tracks a little. “It seems like an interesting tourist spot, but I don’t see the point beyond that.”
“Well, we’re already here,” Phillip said, and he heaved a sigh. “We may as well introduce you to one of the glories of Dragon Heights.” With a dismayed look, he stared up the hill. “Exercise. How dreadful.”
My parents laughed, and my father thumped Phillip’s shoulder. “You’ll survive, old chap. And if you don’t, I can probably manage to carry you down.”
“My pride would not survive such an indignity. I will manage. But I question our ancestors for their decision to torment us with steep and narrow paths to reach the shrines.”
“They built it before the days of tourism,” my mother replied, shaking her head. “The point was that pilgrims should be willing to test their bodies and their spirit before undertaking the pilgrimage. Petitioning is easier. It’s safer. Parents are far more willing to put in the effort to help their children petition than they are to encourage a pilgrimage. Only the desperate, the brave, or the foolish embark on a pilgrimage nowadays.”
