Zia… The Dragofin Lair

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Lucien walked with Greg and Zia down the hall that led to the downstairs personal Lairs and nests of the Clan members.

When they were out of earshot of the central group, Lucien said, “Zia, as leader of the Dragofin Clan, I promise that we will root out and find whoever it is doing this to you. You will not have to live in terror under your mate’s care or my watch.”

“Thank you, and I know that.”

“It was brave of you to take that precaution with the nanobots. I’m happy that the baby seems to be doing well too.”

“Yeah, he’s spunky.” Zia felt a heart flip at the thought of her baby that everyone had started to refer to as he, including her.

Lucien eyed them, “Yeah, right. I remember how it felt to be newly mated. I still—”

“Nope, don’t want to hear it,” Greg stopped him. “Give us an hour or so. We’ll meet you up there after Zia’s called her mother and we’ve gotten a chance to freshen up,” Greg told Lucien as they inched closer to the opening to the stairwell.

“Take your time.” Lucien directed his attention to Zia and said, “Zia, if you find that you’re not up to it tonight, we’ll understand. I have a few things to discuss with you two, but they can wait until tomorrow.”

“No,” Zia wanted to be a part of the family activities of movie night. “I feel great. I’d say the MRI-EMP thing Miss Connie used was as easy as one of those TSA machines at the airport.”

Lucien and Greg gave her a skeptical look as Lucien said, “From what we know of those machines, they’re not all that safe.”

“Oh, bad analogy then. I just want to make sure I honor my word to Miss Connie to call my mother. Then after a quick shower, we’ll be up there to join you.”

Lucien didn’t look completely convinced. Instead, he said, “How about I give you some news to give your mother that she might like?”

“Sure,” Zia waited, starting to understand that Lucien wasn’t prone to exaggeration. So, it had to be good news.

“Your apartment community called me when we got back to ask if you would come to the cookout you’re sponsoring for them this Saturday. They found out what happened to Boogie and that you helped him and in turn us. They want to present you with a community award for your help with the children of your neighborhood. Seems that the kids talk about you all the time and miss you. I told them I’d have to speak with you before giving a yea or nay.”

Zia looked at Greg and shot him a quick neural link to which he replied, “You should feel honored that the children want to do this for their Miss Zia.”

“What about my therapist?”

“What about her? We have time to get a plan together to make sure you and everyone there is safe. I’d love to see my mate receive an honor from her community.”

“All right, since you’re such a good hype-man.”

Lucien cleared his throat, “You two need to work on your neural link faces. It looks like you’re staring at each other in a lover’s trance. Do you have an answer?”

Zia spoke up, “We do and thanks for that neural link advice. I do need to get good at it like you and Quinn. I can’t tell when you’re doing it.”

“That’s the point,” he said with a grin.

Zia looked at the towering figure, collected her thoughts and spoke. “We’ll do it but only if the following happens.”

“Which is?”

“I would like as many members of the Dragofin Clan to attend as would like. I want Quinn and you to help us have an extraction plan in case something happens, and I will only accept an honor if it’s also extended to your surface efforts. I don’t know the name of the program you run, but if it hadn’t been for Greg, Hildy, Ajax, you and the others for helping with Boogie, my apartment move, and making the community safe again, I wouldn’t be here. The Dragofin Clan deserves this honor.”

Lucien nodded and let out a little laugh.

“What’s so funny,” she couldn’t help but ask.

“Oh, nothing, I didn’t make it plain when I explained. We are getting honored too. Our outreach program will receive an honor for our efforts in the community and across that section of Atlanta for helping at-risk youth. You’ve received a special honor on behalf of the children as a token of their love and admiration.”

“Oh, well talk about taking the sugar out of my cake.”

Greg wasn’t having any of her attitude. “Hey, none of that. This isn’t a competition. An honor is an honor. I could tell the first time we went over there that those kids love their Miss Zia.”

“Yeah, you’re right, I guess. I just thought I was important enough to be recognized as someone willing to fight for the community too.”

“You are, my love. As a member of the Clan part of your duties is to help with the surface missions as fit for your skills. So, you’re getting two honors to everyone else’s one.”

Zia didn’t miss the grin Lucien gave Greg after that little speech.

“I see what you did there, but I’m gonna take it and run with it.”

“Good, my love. So, Luc, is it a go?”

“Of course it is. This will give Quinn something to do while we watch movies tonight. You’re actually saving me from a game of Dungeons & Dragons she wanted to haul up there to play. She wanted to show everyone her mighty skills at playing against me.”

“You can tell us,” Greg said in a rare moment of conspiratorial glee, “You let her win, don’t you.”

Lucien’s look of confusion said it all. Then he laughed. “I wish. My Dragon won’t allow me to throw a game and the little minx wipes the floor with me every time. Having a real project is the best thing I could hope for. She’s told me she enjoys ‘planning and scheming,’ her words, as much as some folks love clipping coupons and making huge shopping hauls.”

“I could totally see that.” Zia remembered always seeing a composition notebook next to Quinn when she was up in the meeting room. “Is that why she always has a notebook with her?”

“Yes, you noticed that did you?” Lucien looked over his shoulder to see his mate still talked with Wren, Matt, Ajax, and Hildy in the larger room, closer to the workout area. He leaned in, dropped his volume and said, “She won’t let me see what’s in them after I noticed she’d planned a ‘theoretical strategy,’ again her words, to financially ruin and dismantle a sorority who refused to accept her back in college.”

“Whoa, she’s harder core than I thought. I need to reevaluate some things when it comes to messing with Quinn.”

Lucien laughed again. “Her bark is worse than her bite. That mate of mine cries at the slightest infraction to anyone. Her joy is in the planning. She says that the execution is why I’m around.”

Greg chuckled. “That would sound accurate. I must give her proper respect. The woman knows her way around subtlety, subterfuge, and stealth. I want her to work on a plan for this Cookout event.”

“Done. Okay, I’ll leave you two to your errands. The sooner you get them done, the sooner we can all relax and enjoy some down time tonight.”

“Greg, really? Nice name. I knew there was a man in that drive back to Atlanta. It is so nice to meet you!” Leila said over the phone’s speaker.

“Likewise, Mrs. Carter.”

“Hush up, none of that. Call me Leila, or even mom, if you like.”

Zia laughed when Greg made a little face.

“Leila would be fine if you’re all right with that. My mother might get a little jealous to hear me calling another mother by her name.”

“Haha,” Leila’s laugh was almost musical. “I know that’s right. Yes, baby, honor your mother above all else. I’m fine with you calling me Leila. I owe you a debt of gratitude. I know you had something to do what that joy I hear from Zia. My daughter sounds so much better. I could tell when I called earlier.”

“Yeah, Mom, about that.” Zia needed to cover a lot of ground with her mother. “Did you ever find out what happened to your phone?”

“No, but after I spoke to you, I had the niggling idea to call the phone company and disconnect that other phone number. I didn’t realize it was still active. That little customer service clerk at the store didn’t tell me I was just buying another phone line. Seems that someone was using my phone the whole time.”

“I know, they called me.”

“For what?” Leila’s voice was full of shock.

“They called and pretended to be you.”

“What? No, Zia. You didn’t believe them, did you?”

“Well… that’s the thing. She sounded exactly like you and knew private things about the family and me that only you’d know.”

“But that can’t be. I don’t talk with anyone but your father, brother, Carole, and my hairdresser. You know them all.”

“I do, but she sounded exactly like you. Except, she used way more Spanish when she spoke.”

“Like what? You know I haven’t used Spanish in a while. Your father refuses to learn it, and it became easier to speak English to everyone.”

“She called me mi hija a lot. I remember you called me that when I was a child. Oh, and she was always so emotional. I was stressed whenever I talked with her.”

“And how many times was that? Zia, I can’t believe someone was able to convince you of them being me.”

“I spoke with her twice, but she left voicemails.”

“Please, don’t erase them. I want to hear them when I see you. And, I want to press charges. My phone was stolen. I’m convinced of that now. I don’t appreciate the theft, but I won’t stand for them playing with my child. I want jail and those horrible rapes in there for their asses.”

“Mami!” Zia said, remembering how fiery her mother could get.

“Take me off speaker if you don’t want Greg to meet the real in-laws.” Greg laughed as Zia swatted for him to be quiet. “See, he already knows what he got himself into.”

“I’ll have to see about the voicemails. For now, I want to make sure you and I have an extra layer of security. You know, like a password that we can ask each other to use whenever there’s something not right.”

“Okay, yes, my baby, that works. You choose, but make it something I wouldn’t naturally say.”

“Of course, that’s what a password should do. Okay, let me think.”

“Greg? You can suggest one too, that way you can be in on it as well,” Leila offered.

He spoke up. “If it’s all right with you two, how about you use the word, Dragofin.”

“Drago-find?”

Zia said, “No, mom, it’s Drago-fin, like a fish fin.”

“Oh, Dragofin. I like it. Sounds strong, unusual, and mysterious. I don’t see anyone guessing that word. What does it mean?”

Again, Greg spoke up. “It’s a word from my heritage. When you come to Atlanta, we’ll spend some time getting to know each other more. I’m hoping it makes sense by then.”

“Ooh, I like him, Zia. When he’s not looking, snap a picture and send it to me. I want to see how you see him when he’s being himself.”

“Mami, he can still hear you.”

“I know.” Her mother gave another musical laugh. “Hey Greg, I know why my Zia fell in love with you. You sound and seem to be a lot like her father. God, I love that man.”

“Momma! Don’t tell it all.”

“Child, if he treats you like your father does me, you’ll be a happy woman. That man loves me the way I never knew I needed to be loved. That’s what I hope is in store for you two.”

“Awe, Mami, that’s too sweet of you.” Zia sensed the time was ripe to get past the pleasantries. “Speaking of love, we need to tell you something.”

“What, that you’re pregnant?”

“Huh? How did you know?”

“Baby, that was another reason I had to call. I’ve been having dreams of fish and the cutest little blond baby visiting me in them. You know what they say about dreaming of fish.”

“Yeah, but that didn’t necessarily mean I was pregnant.”

“Well, are you?”

“Yes, but, it could have been a simple dream.”

“It wasn’t. Zia, over the years, I’ve learned to respect when dreams of significance come. I ignored them when I was younger, and it almost cost me the most precious part of me.”

Zia didn’t miss the reference to herself.

Her mother continued. “I’m happy for you two. I have peace in my heart about this. I won’t pressure you about a wedding or anything. I understand how young folks are today. I want you two to promise each other that you’ll always try to work out any issues that come, for your love and commitment.”

“We will, and this is forever with us.”

“I’m glad to hear that. You know your father will still want to meet Greg.”

“Yes, I know.”

“But I’ll get him softened up before y’all see him.”

“I know you will.” Zia allowed the little laugh that came with that idea to float away. She took a deep breath and started to get to the meat of why she needed to talk with her mother. “Mami, I have some things I need to talk to you about.”

Zia released the words into the phone as Greg held her in the cradle of his arm. They were back down in their nest, and Zia was keeping her word to call her mother—to address the hard issues that had driven a wedge between them.

“Sure, what is it, baby?”

“Let me start by saying I love you. I apologize for being so narrow-minded, self-absorbed, and petty all these years.”

“Huh, Zia? I don’t understand. You were a good child. You’ve always had a strong personality, like my side of the family, and that’s what makes you special.”

“No, Mami, I’m talking about the, you know, that.”

There was a pause as her mother went silent. Zia wouldn’t try to gloss over or hide the topic under the rug any longer. When her mother remained silent, Zia gathered courage from her mating bond to do what she’d needed to do for so long.

“Mami, I need to apologize for how I acted out on you most of my life. I see now that I hated myself and blamed you for things that I was, did, and felt. I now realize you and Daddy were doing the best you could with the resources available to us at the time. I put you in a dangerous predicament with my actions. I also—”

“No, no, Zia, please. That’s not true. You were a child. It was our responsibility to take care of you. I messed up. It was me who allowed that… monster into our home. I wasn’t a good enough mother to see what was happening under my roof.”

Zia started to speak, and Greg stayed her with a hand. He sent a neural link, “Let her talk. This is about both of you.”

She settled back into his arms and allowed the silence to have its perfect work. After a minute or so, her mother spoke.

“Zia, it’s all my fault; everything that happened to you. I couldn’t understand how I’d let that happen to my precious, beautiful baby. That was the problem. You were so beautiful, I tried to protect you only to let the devil into my very home. Baby, I knew about all those men but tried to pretend like that was normal for all women.

“I don’t ask for you to understand or forgive me. I tried to gain and give you power through those stupid pageants. They didn’t work. If anything, they just made it worse. My baby, I never thought I’d have the strength to say this out loud, but I didn’t have the skills or strength to raise a special child like you. I knew it from the moment I found out I was pregnant with you. Zia, you’ve always been special. Like out of this world special.

“When you left home, that was the hardest thing for me, but I was also happy. I felt like the burden of my failure to protect and raise you better slinked away a bit. I wanted you to succeed, away from me. When you got your business up and going, I knew you’d make it. From when you were a little girl, you always seemed to know what ingredients to mix to make the best food. Well, that was with anything. I remember how you’d take simple stuff around the house and your father’s workshop to come up with ways to clean all those pans you burned learning how to bake your wonderful concoctions.”

Her mother sighed.

“Mami…”

“Oh Zia, you are my wonder child. I thought your brother was going to be our only child for so long that when you came, everyone said you were a special gift from Mother Mary. You were almost unreal in how perfect you were. People would stare at you and ask me what you were like you weren’t of this world. I couldn’t take my eyes off of you for fear someone would snatch you when I had to go out and run errands. With all that, I still managed to fail you.

“Baby, I want to say in front of your Greg that I am truly sorry for what happened on my watch. In the end, I did what I had to make it right by you. I don’t think it was enough, but I hope that you have every happiness with your family that you so openly deserve.”

Zia’s heart pounded loud. Greg held her. Her mother listened as she fought to navigate her new orientation to the world.

Her mouth opened, and words from somewhere other than her brain poured forth.

“Thank you. I want to work on our relationship. I want to redeem the time for us to see each other in the best light and kindest thoughts. I want to create a better landscape for our love to grow and manifest. I want my baby to know my mother as the one who blessed me with the ability to be his mother. And, I want to know you for you, Mami, and not that warped caricature I painted and propped up in my mind.

“I learned this from Greg and understood it a little more. Mami, I see you, the real you. I’m grateful to have you as my mother, and I know that I am and was always loved.”

“Ooh, you are making me cry the ugly tears that make for the puffiness.” Her mother giggled a little, and then Zia heard her blow her nose away from the phone speaker. “You know, I didn’t know if we would ever be able to speak of that night. There is more for us to say about it, but not now. I need to give us time to deal with this part. Is that okay with you, baby?”

“Yes, Mami.” A bright note popped into Zia’s memory. “Oh, that reminds me. On a lighter note, Greg and I just found out that we’re going to get an honor at a celebration at my apartment complex.”

“Yes, that’s my baby. Tell me all about it. When is it? You know, I want to have an announcement put in the local paper.”

“Nah-uh, that’s not going to happen.”

Leila Carter let out a sound that sounded like she was pouting. A first for Zia. “But why? I’m so proud of you. Remember when I put the notice in the paper about your bakery? Oh, how I miss that bakery. It helped me keep all these guttersnipes in their place when they tried to act uppity. I would reference the newspaper or show them pictures of your store on my phone. The best revenge is bragging with proof.”

“Well, let’s not make the paper announcement. It’s complicated, but some things are going on that I don’t want to bring too much attention to.”

“You want to talk about it? Should I be worried?”

“No, I’m fine. I just need to keep my actions close to my chest for a little while. You understand.”

“That I do. I see you didn’t forget some important teachings of mine.”

Zia didn’t say what she wanted about all the erroneous stuff her mother had filled her head with about men. She’d let her have this moment to glory in.

They chatted a little longer, and Zia ended the call a couple of hundred pounds lighter in her soul.

“That was healing to hear you respect and honor your mother like that,” Greg said aloud as she rose to take a much-needed shower.

“I don’t think I could have done it without you being here to help me through it.”

“I told you, we do this together.”

She didn’t try to stop the smile from leaping onto her face.

“Speaking of together, how about you join me for a shower?”

Greg cocked an eye? “Really?”

“Yes, really. Get up and bring that fine ass into the shower with me.”

“As you wish, my love,” he said and followed her into the bathroom.

Lucien had been right. It took way longer than an hour for them to make it up to the meeting room.