“Why not?”

Aunt Zee put her hands up over her face, so I knew I was talking too much and making her head hurt.

“You know how Mommy is busy on Monday nights, right?” she said.

“Yeah, because she’s volunteer.” I didn’t know what volunteer was, but she didn’t come home til after my bedtime on Monday nights.

“Right. She volunteers at the prison. Remember how she told you it’s the prison where your granddad Leroy used to be, right?”

“Because he did a bad thing. He stole something. That’s why it’s not okay to steal things. You can go to prison.” There were lots of things you weren’t supposed to do. Daddy went to prison, too, because Mommy said he made a bad decision. You could go to prison for that.

“Well, something happened at the prison on Monday. Some bad guys made Mommy go somewhere with them,” Aunt Zee said.

“What bad guys? Did they steal something? Why did Mommy go with them?”

“She didn’t want to. She wanted to come home, but they made her go with them. That’s why she can’t come home yet.”

“When is she coming home?” I said.

“I don’t know.”

“But if she’s on real TV, she can come home, right? If she’s on real TV, she’s somewhere,” I said. We talked about that at school, how some stuff on TV is real and some stuff on TV is not real. Like SpongeBob and My Little Pony. They’re not real.

“Well, yeah, she’s somewhere. I don’t know where, but the police are going to find her and bring her home,” Aunt Zee said.

“When are they bringing her home?”

“I don’t know, buddy.”

I didn’t like Mommy being gone. Or bad guys taking her with them. Aunt Zee didn’t like it, either, and I didn’t like her to cry. I sat up so I could hug her.

“But why?” I said.

“I don’t know. I wish I had more answers, but you should go back to sleep now. Maybe we’ll know more tomorrow.” Aunt Zee pulled the covers up over me again.

“What if Mommy calls and we don’t answer because we’re asleep?”

“My phone is on. If she calls, it’ll wake us up. I promise.”

“What if—what if—” I wanted to be brave, but it made me so scared I cried. “What if bad guys come while I’m asleep and take you?”

“Me? No. Nobody’s gonna kidnap me. I’m so big, how would they carry me away?” Aunt Zee said.

“But what if it was someone bigger than you?”

“Then I would scream for help. Gentry’s right next door, and he has his swords. He would come and protect us from the bad guys. Remember how he picked you up when those guys were bothering us at Grandma’s house?”

I nodded, but I wondered if Gentry was big enough to pick Aunt Zee up like he did me. Because maybe he could take her away.

“I’m going to stay right here with you, okay? So you know I’m here,” Aunt Zee said.

“Okay.”

It was a little bed like mine at home, but Aunt Zee laid down next to me and put her head on my pillow. Her hair was all long, and it tickled my face. I tried to go to sleep, but every time I closed my eyes, I saw bad guys coming to kidnap her away.

CHAPTER 10

Gentry

   ’Twas long my habit, after a night’s labor for the Duke of Bombardier, to pass the keep where Lady Zhorzha dwelled with her sister. As they weren not there, I passed instead by the dragon’s lair. All was still, but there was a man in a car that was strange to me. When I came to his door, he looked at me not, tho I stood before him. His window was open to release the smoke from his cigarettes. From the leavings upon the ground, he had smoked for many hours.

“What is thy purpose here?” ’Twas ill-mannered of me, but there was no reason he should be there unless he meant harm.

“None of your goddamn business, kid,” he said.

“Certs ’tis.”

“Public street. I can park here if I want.” He closed his window.

I walked back to my truck and thought upon what to do. Behind the seat lay several weapons—a sword, a mace, a dagger—but they could not serve me for the nonce. I returned to the man’s car with my phone that I might make an image of his license plate. Then he would leave, making a wanton sign with his hand ere he drove thence.

For a time, I stood in the street and thought of the lady dragon enthroned upon her hoard, alone. More alone than I, for when I departed the dragon’s lair, I followed a clear path to my father’s keep, where my lady mother prepared the morning meal at the hearth. There also, in the safety of my father’s household, was Lady Zhorzha. Lest Gawen should mock me, I held the thought for only a moment, but she glowed as ember in a heap of ash.

“Good morrow. Slept ye well?” I asked, upon finding my parents breaking their fast.

“Well enough,” my father said. “That CPAP may save my life yet.”

“If only because I won’t be tempted to smother you with a pillow,” my mother said.

“And the lady? How fared she?” I dared not speak her name, for she was still an ember to me, and I felt the warmth of her presence unseen.

“She had a hard time getting the little man settled down,” my father said. “He was pretty upset.”

“They must be exhausted, and the news about her sister isn’t great,” my mother said. “They found her car abandoned near the Nebraska border.”

“Her sister yet liveth?” I believed not that my parents possessed sure knowledge, but I longed to hear they held some hope for my lady’s sister.

“Well, it seems to me that if they’d done something to her they would’ve left her with the car when they ditched it. So I think that’s promising,” my father said.

’Twas my habit to bathe ere I broke my fast, but as I went down the passage, Lady Zhorzha opened the door of the guest chamber and stepped out. She wore naught but a blouse and her braies. I would spare her my gaze, but mine eyes caught upon the sight of her bare legs. Her right thigh was covered in black markings that graved her pale flesh. I knew not why. As a punishment? As a claim upon her?

“Oh, hey,” she said. “I was going to take a shower, but if you need the bathroom first, that’s cool. I can wait.”

“My lady.” I would assure her that she might do as she wished, but words came not to my tongue. Fearing that I gave offense, I bowed to her, but she retreated to her chamber.