***
The big white building with well-manicured lawns was much busier than he remembered it being on Saturday.
“There are a lot of people here today,” he remarked as they passed through.
“It’s a business day. Many people come out here for meetings, breaks, to clear their heads, that sort of thing. It’s the only real adult sort of park in town. The rest usually have kids, lots of dogs, and much fewer benches.”
“Understood.”
They marched off the sidewalk and across one of the pathways that led to the reception area, the same place they’d gone on Saturday. This time the lights were on and there was a woman sitting at the front desk.
“Hi there,” she said cheerfully. “Where can I direct you to today?”
“The mayor,” he rumbled, his voice dropping an octave.
The receptionist’s friendly demeanor started to slip.
Hollie elbowed him in the side. Hard. “Ow, what was that for?” he grumbled.
“Be nice,” she snapped, then turned on a smile and walked up to the counter. “Hi, so this is rather odd, but you know the big Heartline Drilling project going on in the mountain west of town?”
“Of course! Everyone knows about that. I can’t wait to see what happens to Drake’s Crossing after it’s finished. So exciting!”
“Oddly enough, I agree,” Hollie said.
Obsidian just stood there with his arms crossed, irritated at being pushed right out of the conversation. This was his mountain, dammit! Why shouldn’t he be the one to present his case? Hollie studiously ignored him, however, continuing to chat glibly with the receptionist.
“Anyway, like I said, this is odd, but this gentleman, Sid, actually claims to have a land ownership of the mountain itself. He’s rather upset that my company has been boring through his mountain, and would like us to stop, obviously.”
He watched the receptionist turn to look at him once more. Not in the mood to be ogled he gave her his best glower, which earned him a satisfying moment where the receptionist turned away swiftly, not wanting to look at him. Sid had just started to smile when Hollie’s elbow landed in the same spot in his ribs. Again.
“Ow.” The blow wasn’t damaging in any way of course, but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel pain. And an elbow to the ribs, especially a pointy elbow like hers, was still an elbow to the ribs!
“Play nice.”
He turned away. This was taking too long. That was his mountain, and they needed to stop drilling through it before—
Sid shook his head. He mustn’t think of that possibility. There was still time to stop them, as long as they didn’t go too far.
“He’s very old-fashioned, and insists that he speak to the mayor about it,” Hollie finished apologetically. “But this could be a huge PR disaster if he goes to the news, which he has threatened to do several times. I’ve managed to keep him from that course of action so far, but he’s pretty irate, and I don’t blame him.”
The receptionist nodded, her eyes wide with fear at what such a report might do to the entire project if it was found out that they were drilling through private property without having asked the owner first.
“I’ll see if the mayor is available,” she said immediately, smiling tightly at Hollie and glancing furtively in his direction before picking up the phone.
Sid wanted to glare, but he was interrupted by Hollie. “Seriously?” she snapped as the receptionist spoke in low tones behind her. “You’re going to go all brooding dragon-man on the receptionist who doesn’t control anything?” She shook her head.
“What?” he growled.
“This is hopeless, you realize that, right? You aren’t going to go anywhere.”
Sid shook his head. “The mayor will be an honorable person. He will respect my claim to the land.”
Hollie hung her head. “It doesn’t work like that anymore! How many times do I have to tell you that before you get it through your thick skull?!”
He glared. “It is my mountain, and the drilling must not resume.”
“If you are polite about it, there’s a chance you can get them to stop drilling for a few days while they investigate your claim.” His mate sighed. “But Sid, you have to understand that they’re going to want—”
The receptionist spoke up, cutting off Hollie’s last words. “The mayor will be able to see you in five minutes.”
“Thank you,” Hollie said sweetly.
“Not a problem. I know what this project means to Drake’s Crossing. So take the elevators there to the fourth level, hang a right and walk to the desk. Mayor Mcallionn’s personal secretary will greet you there.” She nodded. “Best of luck.”
Sid just glared straight ahead as Hollie pulled on his arm. “Come on, we got you your meeting. Time to go make your case. Best to do so without any RBF.”
The elevator doors dinged and closed as she punched a button labeled 4 that lit up.
Obsidian hissed as the metal room they were in jerked into motion. “What is this contraption?” He looked around warily, his arms spread out wide.
“Oh, right. Elevator. Umm, it’s a powered lift. Instead of using ropes and weights, it uses metal cables to lift things up and down under power.”
The box rattled back and forth a little as it came to a halt.
“I see,” he replied warily, peering around as the doors slid open. “And what is RBF?”
Hollie snickered.
“What?”
“It’s what you have.”
He growled, the sound filling the corridor.
“It stands for Resting Bitch Face,” she supplied as they turned right. “It’s when you look like you’re pissed off, but your face is just in its natural position.”
Despite himself, and despite the fact she’d directed the insult his direction, Obsidian grinned.
“What’s so funny?”
“Just that I’ve never heard a term for that before, but I know exactly what you mean.” He surprised himself by laughing slightly. “Resting Bitch Face, excellent. If I ever see my sister again, you’ll understand why.” He looked thoughtful. “Though let us hope we never see her again.”
Hollie glanced up at him. “You have a family?”
He looked down at her as she pushed some of her short pixie-length hair up and to the side so it didn’t hang down her forehead.
“Yes. I had parents, no immaculate conception here. And I had a brother and a sister.”
“Hi there.”
They turned, the conversation going silent as the nearly emaciated-looking male behind the desk greeted them with what had to be false happiness. Nobody was ever that happy.
“Hello,” he replied.
“Are you Mr…ah,” he looked down at his sheet again. “Mr., um, Sid?”
“My name is—”
“That’s us,” Hollie interjected with an eyeroll directed at him. “We’re here to see the mayor.”
“Of course, Mayor Mcallionn is actually ready now, so head on in.”
Obsidian marched ahead, pulled the door open and held it for Hollie, ignoring the warning look she gave him as she passed. He stepped inside and let the heavy wooden door close behind him.
“Hello, my name is…” he stopped short as the person behind the desk rose to greet him.
His eyes bugged wide and he coughed heavily into one hand.
“Hi, I’m Mayor Mcallionn,” the tall brunette introduced herself. “But please, just call me Melina, it’s way easier.”
It was a woman! He shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around the fact that a woman was the mayor.
“What’s wrong with you?” Hollie hissed, hitting him hard in the side, again.
“I…” he stammered.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Hollie supplied, looking at him with fury in her eyes.
“It’s nice to meet you,” he echoed, looking up, trying to keep his face neutral as he strode across the office and shook her hand.
Get ahold of yourself! You knew the times had changed. This shouldn’t be such a big deal for you. Imagine if it was Hollie that was in charge. Would you have any issues with that?
One thing people had always assumed about his kind was that they were unable to keep up with change. That they lived so long that they fell into their ways and were unable to adapt to the much faster changing landscape that was humanity. The truth was, however, that when you lived for thousands of years, you actually ended up becoming extremely adept at accepting change, and doing it yourself. Otherwise you were unable to fit in with the various differences in civilization as the world grew and aged. It forced you to learn to adapt over and over again, until it was a second habit.
While seeing a woman in power was utterly foreign to him, he had enough experience with change to learn to roll with the punches…eventually. This time around he had Hollie to guide him, and she seemed perfectly at ease with the situation, so he knew it wasn’t a big deal. Which meant if he wanted things to go his way, he needed to not act like it was a big deal.
“A pleasure to meet you too,” Melina replied. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t quite catch your full name. All I got was Sid.”
He nodded. “That is my name.”
She blinked twice, but he saw the politician in her take over. “Alrighty then. Please, have a seat.”
They swiftly occupied chairs.
“I hear you have an issue with the Heartline Drilling project,” she began.
“The mountain is mine, and the drilling must stop.” Sid kept his tone gentle, but firm, not wanting to waste any more time. It seemed like it had taken forever just to get into the mayor’s office. Now he wished to see some actual results, and quickly.
“The mountain is yours?” she asked in surprise. “I understand. I wasn’t aware that anyone claimed ownership over them.”
“Not them. Only the one that you are drilling through.”
“I see. Well, I’m sure if you present the deed to the mountain that a compromise can be worked out.”
He almost sneered at her slimy politician response.
“There will be no compromise,” he rumbled, his voice darkening. “The mining must never resume. Ever.”
Beside him Hollie went to elbow him again but he blocked it with his arm. He was done listening to this scheming weasel. She was the same as politicians from ages before, always trying to play both sides against each other so that she could emerge on top.
“Well, if you have proof of ownership of the land, now would be an excellent time to produce it,” Mayor Mcallionn said, her eyebrows lowering as her face darkened at his abrasive tone.
“It is mine,” he repeated.
“You don’t have any proof?”
“What proof do you need? I am stating that the mountain is mine, I have the right to it. Is my word not good enough?”
Beside him Hollie was freaking out, trying to force him to calm down, but by now thunderclouds were forming in his eyes as he watched the mayor trying to formulate a response that would work to her advantage. His mind flashed back to five centuries earlier when he had dealt with Baron Esteban, and watched the man go through the same song and dance, his face reflecting the same emotions.
Some things, it appeared, never changed.
“I’m sorry, Sid, but no, it’s not,” Mayor Mcallionn said apologetically. “We need something that is tangible proof, more than just your word. A signed deed or other document from a government, or previous owner. Something…anything really. Otherwise what’s to prevent me from saying that I own the mountain, and not you?”
“But you don’t,” he said angrily, getting to his feet. “It is MY mountain, and you mustn’t dig or drill or mine or anything upon it!”
“At this point, there is nothing I can do to stop it.” The mayor paused. “Unless you have proof.”
His fist slammed down into her wooden table, leaving a giant crack from left to right. At the last second he’d gotten his anger under control to prevent his blow from shattering the desk. Doing that could send chunks flying any direction, including at Hollie. No matter what he did, her protection was of the utmost importance to him, and he needed to keep that in mind.
“My proof is my word. You have insulted me by calling me a liar.”
Obsidian saw the wheels turning in the mayor’s eyes, trying to see if she could twist the situation around to benefit her, he was sure, but in the end she came up with nothing.
“I’m sorry, Sid, or whoever you are, but I can’t do anything.”
“Very well,” he said, his voice filling the room despite how low he spoke. “Then I shall.”
He turned and strode from the room, Hollie coming after him after saying something, probably an apology, to the mayor. He ignored the secretary and moved to the elevator. He stabbed the button, breaking the little glass cover and destroying the light. The doors still opened with a ding however, indicating he hadn’t caused any permanent damage.
Which was unfortunate. He wanted to unleash himself upon this little town, Drake’s Crossing. To show them who their true master was. To call down the fire of the mountains like in the days of old! His breath would burn houses to the ground and he would fan the flames of destruction with his wings as the townsfolk ran in terror. They would know his name and flee his wrath like he was the god of war Ares walking amongst them! The power filled his hands and as he stepped into the elevator he prepared to unleash hell.
Hollie jumped in at the last second as the doors in front of him were closing, her eyes burning bright with an anger so vivid it caught even his attention.
“You ASSHOLE!” she screamed, putting her hands on his shoulders and shoving as hard as he could.
Sid flew back, rebounding off the back of the elevator and heading straight toward her.
SLAP!
Her right hand came out of nowhere and connected perfectly with his cheek. He was ready for the second one, however, and caught her wrist.
“You can’t do this!” she said angrily, pulling her hand away.
He let it go. “No one can stop me.”
Hollie shook her head. “Sid, Sid, not Obsidian the Destroyer or whatever you fancy yourself. But Sid, please, listen to me. You cannot do this! If you reveal yourself, they will come after you.”
“Who?” he rumbled. “Who would dare challenge me? I would destroy them all, leave them a smoking ruin!”
She rolled her eyes. “The government. The military. They have weapons that will kill even you. I see it in your eyes, Sid. It’s the same look you had back in your cave, when you wanted to kill everyone.”
“It is my mountain,” he maintained.
“You sound like a child having a temper tantrum because you aren’t getting what is yours.”
“They must not dig any further,” he stated.
“Why? What is so damn important about them continuing to dig there?! Please, tell me! Help me understand, Sid.”
He clamped his mouth shut.
“Are you just pissed that people intruded on your so-called property, all because you’ve been snoozing away the centuries?” She stepped back and out through the doors as they reached the ground floor, shaking her head.
Sid followed, trying to keep his temper under control for the sake of Hollie. The last thing he wanted to do was push her away. He needed her. Needed her more than she knew. So how was he supposed to keep her, if he couldn’t tell her?
“No.” The single word came out sharply, and he knew he’d hurt her. But this was his problem to deal with, and one that he hoped to keep hidden and buried away forever.
“Well, what do you want to do next? I’m open to suggestions that don’t include you killing a bunch of innocent people just trying to make a living.”
That’s what I’m trying to prevent.
“We need to visit the mountain.”