Steph

 

Steph and Ryan’s father spent an uneasy hour hashing out their plans for the next day. She tried to convince him to hire a lawyer specializing in criminal defense but the older Kaur refused.

“You know him best,” Kaur had said.

“But I’m not a specialist in criminal law and in matters like these it pays to have a lawyer who is familiar with the prosecutor and the local judges. At the very least hire someone local as a second chair.”

Ivan Kaur took a sip of his whiskey and tapped his fingers on the glass.

“It’s a good suggestion. But I don’t want it to get out what Ryan’s birth heritage is. I don’t suppose we could hire this person and not tell him.”

“I don’t advise that. He can’t assist in Ryan’s defense without knowing all the facts. It would be unethical of me to withhold them.”

“I know why Ryan likes you,” said Mr. Kaur. “He’s always appreciated discipline, just found it difficult to act in a disciplined manner.”

“Well, the stories about him attest to his wild ways. But he couldn’t have been like that all his life. What was he like as a child?”

Ivan Kaur’s eyes lit up when he told stories of Ryan as a boy. Steph formed the impression that it was Ryan’s father who was the overindulgent parent, while Ryan’s mother was the strict disciplinarian. When they learned through Ryan’s tumultuous toddlerhood of his dragon nature Katherine Kaur, Ryan’s mother, worried to death that Ryan would never be accepted in human society.

“We both loved him and wanted the best for him. The hypnosis was a difficult decision but after that the sudden shifts stopped though Ryan became more of a daredevil. If we ever needed to find Ryan all we had to do was look for the most dangerous place on the estate and he’d be there. Poor Katherine nearly had a heart attack several times from his antics. I thought that channeling Ryan’s energy into sports would calm him down and it worked for a while, but the problem was, no one, no human was real competition for him. As he grew older, well—”

After that conversation the elder Kaur suggested Steph get some rest and because of the aches in her muscles she agreed. Now soaking in the wide tub in her ensuite bathroom, Steph thought of all the things she learned about Ryan. Being the top dog all the time, commanding his parent’s attention and later the attention of his teachers it couldn’t have been easy for Ryan. No one likes to stand in the spotlight that much or to have everyone expect so much of you. Steph, the only girl in a family of four beefy boys and a Marine father had to fight for attention. She had to prove she wasn’t a delicate flower that couldn’t take the heat.

In that way then, she and Ryan were opposites. She had to prove herself and Ryan wanted to disprove himself. But maybe that was because Ryan knew in his core that he was different and not the person they molded him to be.

Steph sighed and sunk deeper in the warm water. Every part of her was bone tired and she needed sleep.

She jerked when banging on the bathroom door woke her from when she dozed off.

“Steph,” called Ivan Kaur. “Ryan’s in trouble.”

Swiftly she rose out of the water and slipped on a robe.

“When is he not?” said Steph.

“There was a terrible accident while the police transported him to the station. I couldn’t get all the details, but the two police cars were destroyed. Ryan got burned-”

Steph gasped.

“Don’t worry, Ryan is okay. But Steph, there was some witness who claimed that it was Ryan who transformed into a dragon and destroyed the police cars and injured the officers.”

This was very bad. Dragons were tolerated to a limited extent. A lawless dragon would get no mercy from the courts.

“I’ll pack,” she said.

“I have maids on that already. Three bags will be ready in fifteen minutes.”

“No, someone has to put out fires here. I have a good friend with a vacation home in the Maldives.”

“Maldives?”

“No extradition.”

“Mr. Kaur, what you propose is illegal.”

“I’m not going to have my son hauled off to jail for something he didn’t do.”

“You sure he didn’t?”

“Ryan’s been arrested more than once. It doesn’t bother him. You saw how calmly he walked out of here. No. You two lay low while I hire some people to investigate this—all of it. I’m beginning to wonder with the force of everything coming at us if there isn’t someone behind this.”

“The queen of the dragons,” hissed Steph.

“Who?”

“Let me dress. I’ll tell you in the car.”

Driving to the hospital Steph told Mr. Kaur what little she knew at Ryan’s encounter with the queen of the dragons. Ivan Kaur’s face drew up in concern.

“How many?” he asked.

“Sir?”

“How many dragon babies were placed for adoption?”

“I don’t know.”

“Though some things I’ve wondered about over the years have fallen in place,” he said as if talking to himself. “Still, we need to get Ryan out of the country first.”

“I think Ryan can handle that part,” said Steph. “Though he did say he needed a picture of the place he was going to.”

Mr. Kaur took out his phone and his fingers moved over the face of it. “What’s your email address?”

Steph told him her personal address that she rarely used since she was fairly sure her work email was deactivate. Soon a picture of a tropical manse popped up.

“Show him that. Hopefully that will work.”

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” muttered Steph.

“You are only doing what your employer instructs you to do. Here,” he said handing her a backpack. “This should give you enough cash to pay for what you need when there.” He pointed to two small duffels on the floor. “Things you’ll need before you can get to store or market. There are some clothes.”

“Mr. Kaur, as your lawyer, I have to advise you that what you are doing is illegal and can get you arrested.”

“That’s okay. I’ve made arrangements for my companies to operate should that happen. Now, let me airdrop some contact information into your phone. One of those numbers is Ryan’s mother. Should you fail to reach me, you can her.”

“I thought you two were separated.”

“You’ll find, my dear, that absence does make the heart grow fonder. We’ll always care about each other and Ryan. Sometimes a little vacation makes things fresh again.”

They pulled up to the regional hospital and quickly found Ryan’s room after a brief verbal scuffle with the nursing staff.

“This is his father and I’m his lawyer. You can’t deny either one of us entrance,” proclaimed Steph loudly. The nurse trying to block them muttered by, led them to Ryan’s room. They found Ryan handcuffed to the bed with two policemen standing outside the door. The officers didn’t want to let them in but Steph repeated the line about being his lawyer and she showed them her New York attorney ID card and after turning it over with suspicion let her and Mr. Kaur in.

“Dad? Steph?”

“Are you okay, son?” asked Ivan Kaur.

“I’m fine. Got some minor burns, but otherwise good.”

Steph gripped the bars of his bed. “Are you sure?”

“Sure, babe. I’m just a little tied up right now.” He rattled his handcuffs with a grin.

Steph leaned over the rail and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Can you shift?” she whispered.

Ryan’s face drew up in consternation. “I’m not sure I can. It was my dragon form that was burned badly. It was awful changing back to human.” He shuddered.

“Mr. Kaur?”

“Let me see what I can find out,” he said turning away from both of them and concentrating on his phone.

“What happened?” asked Steph gently.

“The two dragons that chased us in Scotland showed up. I don’t know how they found me, but they ripped open the police cars like tin cans and tossed the officers out like they were dolls. One of them tossed me into the fire they started in the middle of the road and my dragon burned.”

“Ryan,” she said. “Do you hurt now?”

“No. It’s healing quickly. Courtesy of my dragon blood I suppose. What hurts is not being with you.”

“I am here now,” she said softly.

Mr. Kaur turned back to them. “My contacts say that both dragon and human bodies heal at the same time. Shifting from one form to the other facilitates healing as the body is forced into the other shape. So, another shift should finish off what healing you’ve done.”

“Okay,” said Steph. “We’re getting you out of here, Ryan.”

“What? No. Dad? Is this your crazy idea?” he said to Ivan Kaur.

“I won’t have you locked up.”

“Well, maybe I should be locked up. Did you ever think that? These dragons are insane and I’m just as crazy as the rest of them.”

“Now, Ryan,” said Mr. Kaur. “I don’t believe that for a minute. I may not be your biological father, but I raised you. I have to think that you’ve taken some of what I taught you to heart. In fact, I know you did. From what Roberts told me you could have left but stayed to help the officers. That’s not a crazy person, son.”

“Roberts?” asked Steph.

“The head of the security firm my father hires,” said Ryan. “So if that is true, dad, I’m not leaving. I’ll face my accusers.”

“That’s a noble thought,” said Ivan Kaur, “but not practical. There is supposed to be a witness.”

“And ten-to-one if you find that witness you find one of the dragons that did this. Dad. You have to find that witness.”