Loved by a Dragon

Prologue

The moon slipped in and out of the cloud cover in the nighttime sky overhead. It was well past two in the morning and the city was mostly asleep. I enjoyed being in Portland and made sure that my regular duties as a Ranger kept me close to it. I enjoyed being near the massive, sprawling forests of the Pacific Northwest. The soaring trees energized and rejuvenated me.

It also reminded me of home.

I never regretted my decision to leave Chondelai to become a Ranger, but I had to admit – sometimes, it got a little lonely. There were times I missed my family, my friends, and my Clan back in Chondelai. Not that I didn't have friends here in the world of man, but it wasn't the same. It couldn't be. Yeah, there were the other Rangers and a few others of my kind, but for the most part, the Dragonborn were isolated here in the world of man.

My only comfort really, was the fact that what we were doing was noble. It was right. Our calling was an honor among our people. The highest. Many were called to defend the world of man, but few actually made the cut. I took pride in being a Ranger and in doing the good I did in defending humanity against the dark creatures of our world – and theirs.

But that didn't mean it didn't sometimes get lonely.

That was something I couldn't afford to dwell on at the moment though. I needed to focus and get my head in the game. I was out in the forest that night hunting. But the deeper I moved amongst the trees, the more I felt like I was the one being hunted.

There was a strange tension in the air. A deep silence with a lightly whispered expectation of violence looming over me. Not even the night birds or insects that typically filled the night with their music dared make a sound. It was as if the entire world around me was holding its breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

And maybe it was.

The sound of furtive movement echoed around the forest. Somebody was out there. And given what was happening, I knew that whoever was out there wasn't going to be a friend of mine. I knew that whoever was out there was likely looking to take my head.

Which was why I was out there in the first place. Somebody was killing Rangers. Four of them, so far. It wasn't something that sat well with Joka, the Warden for this territory, and it wasn't something that sat well with me.

It wasn't easy to kill one of the Dragonborn, so whoever was doing it, was a skilled fighter. Knew what they were doing. This wasn't some novice human monster hunter or one of the dark creatures we routinely fought – like the Shongtal.

No, there was a savagery and yet, a precision to these kills. I'd heard of human hunters – the Order of Midnight. Quint, the Warden down in Los Angeles had spoken of them and we'd done our own research to find that they did indeed have chapters everywhere – our little corner of Oregon among them. They were skilled and they were fierce fighters. They used tactics and equipment that were surprisingly sophisticated.

And yet, in my gut, I knew that the one responsible for the deaths of these Rangers wasn't one of them. I did not believe the murderer was human.

I just had nothing to substantiate that belief.

But as I listened to the shadowy – thing – moving in the forest around me, my every instinct told me that I was not dealing with a human. I raised my head and scented the air, but all I came away with was the overwhelming damp, earthy smell of the forest. There was a slight twinge of something else – but it was something I couldn't quite identify through the naturally thick aroma of the woods.

But it was out there. I could hear it moving through the underbrush. I drew my sword and crept through the darkened woods. The high, thick canopy overhead only let in shafts of light, leaving much of the forest in dark pools of shadow. A thick, wispy mist hung just above the forest floor, swirling around my ankles as I went.

Up ahead, the movement sounded again. It was closer this time. As I moved slowly forward, my every sense heightened and aware, a sudden, eerie feeling stole over me. I realized that I was not pursuing the shadowy menace. I wasn't hunting it – I was being led by it.

That realization shook me to my core. I crouched down, keeping my sword at the ready, and looked around me, trying to peer into the inky pools of darkness that seemed to be multiplying by the second. That hushed sense of tension that filled the forest intensified – it almost had a physical pressure to it. I wasn't one who spooked easily, but it was fair to say that I was rattled.

Mostly because I realized in that moment that I was not in control of the situation.

As the oppressive silence stretched on, I stayed where I was, waiting for whoever was out there to make the next move. I was done playing their game. If they wanted me, they were going to have to come get me.

The snapping of a twig sounded off to my right, setting my every nerve on edge. But it seemed to be purposeful to me. It was deliberate, to either draw my attention that way or as a means of trying to spook me. Unfortunately for the killer, I wasn't careless enough to focus in on one sound to the exclusion of everything around me. And I wasn't a man who spooked easily.

But everything about this was wrong. There was something dark and malevolent out there in the woods with me. I could feel it.

And then I heard it.

The sound of laughter, low and menacing drifted out of the darkened forest. It was the laugh of somebody who knew they had the upper hand. Somebody who knew they had the situation under control.

I knew the laugh because I'd heard it come out of my own mouth plenty of times.

I wasn't going to sit there and wait for death to come to me. If I was going to die, I was going to do it on my own terms. I was going to do it doing what I did best – fighting.

I surveyed the area, looking for a place to make a stand. The trees were thick and dense around me. They pressed close on all sides of me. My concern was that it was too congested where I was to allow me to shift into my dragon form if needed for battle. And I had a feeling it would be needed.

I knew the woods around the area pretty well – though it was impossible to know every square inch of them. The forest was just too vast – which was one of the things I loved about being posted in that locale. It felt like home to me.

The laughter, soft and malevolent, drifted to me on the breeze that rustled the bushes around me. It sent chills marching across my skin and a jolt of adrenaline through my chest. The sound of it just made my skin crawl.

“Come out, come out, where ever you are,” the whispered voice came to me on the soft breeze. “Come out and play.”

Whoever was out there was taunting me. Goading me into action – into making a mistake. All it was really doing though, was pissing me off. When I was pissed, my focus tended to be a little sharper. And in that moment, my focus was as sharp as ever.

I knew there was a clearing about a hundred yards ahead of me or so that I knew of. I would make my stand there. Steeling myself, I got to my feet and bolted down the path, toward the clearing. Though I ran hard and fast, I kept my eyes moving, searching for threats as I moved. I half-expected to be attacked, to have somebody or something launch itself out of the bushes at me.

But I made it into the clearing uncontested. No attack. No nothing.

What I saw when I entered the clearing though, made me wish I'd never set foot in it. And it suddenly clicked in my head that this is where the mysterious – thing – out there wanted me to go the whole time. He'd wanted me to see this – wanted me to suffer this one final heartbreak before he killed me.

A large, thick tree stood in the center of the clearing. And as I approached it, the moon broke through the clouds, bathing the clearing in a cold, silvery light. A light that illuminated the body propped up against the trunk of that tree. Her body.

I fell to my knees beside her lifeless corpse. Gently reaching out, I touched it and felt a ripple of grief pass through me.

“Ankara, what has been done to you?”

My voice was barely more than a whisper as I looked at her ravaged body. Her chest had been torn open, most of her insides spilling out onto the ground around her. And worst of all, her head had been taken. It was nowhere around her on the ground, so I had to assume that whoever had killed her, had kept her head as a trophy.

Ankara and I had something of a relationship. Or, as close to a relationship as two people in our line of work could really have. I'd cared for her. I'd cared for her very much. Because we were Rangers, I didn't foresee a future where we could be bonded lifemates, but if there was ever a person I would have taken that bond with, it would have been Ankara.

And now she was gone. Murdered.

I felt a cold, dark rage filling my heart. I gritted my teeth and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to burn the image of Ankara's lifeless, headless body out of my mind. My body burned from the inside with the intensity of my rage. The intensity of my hate. And that's when I heard the footsteps in the grass behind me.

It was time.

Standing, I turned to face the killer. The one who'd taken Ankara from me. My sword was still gripped in my hand and I had already called up the dragonfire within me. I was ready. I was going to make him pay.

But when I saw who it was, I faltered for just a moment. I hesitated as I looked into his eyes. I hadn't been expecting the killer of four – now five – Rangers to be somebody I knew. But knew him, I did.

“You,” I said softly.

“Me.”

I shook my head, trying to deny what I was seeing with my own two eyes. “But – why?”

“Why else?” he said. “Power. Control. And oh yeah, I enjoy it.”

I shook my head, not believing what I was hearing. To think that one of my own, one of my kind, could betray his people, betray every oath he'd ever taken – it was beyond belief. I was having trouble wrapping my head around it all.

“I'm going to make you the same offer I made all the others,” he said. “This is a one-time offer, so I would urge you to choose wisely.”

I looked up at him and somehow knew what he was going to say next. It seemed – obvious.

“Join me,” he said. “Join my clan and be part of something greater.”

Though it was what I'd expected, his words still bit deep inside of me. I'd long heard of the clan he spoke of, but had always believed it was nothing more than myth. Legend. Ghost stories people would sometimes tell one another on those dark and ominous nights.

“So, it's true,” I said. “The Shadow Clan is real.”

“Oh, it's very real,” the man said. “And I'm offering you a seat at the table.”

All my life, all I'd ever wanted to be was a Ranger. Eventually, a Warden. To me, it was a noble, honorable calling. It was serving something bigger than ourselves. To defend those unable to defend themselves was, in my mind, the most honorable way to spend one's life.

And it was my mistake to assume that everybody believed the same way I did. It made me feel foolish and naive. More than that though, knowing that somebody would betray everything I held dear, would corrupt the vows that defined me, filled me with a dark and abiding rage.

When he looked into my face, he undoubtedly saw my answer because he merely shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“It doesn't have to be like this,” he said.

“It does, I'm afraid,” I replied. “And once I'm done with you, it will be my life's mission to hunt down and eradicate the Shadow Clan from Chondelai and the world of man.”

“So be it.”

His movement was so fast, I barely had time to react. He'd thrown something at me that I barely got my blade up in time to deflect – only, I wasn't able to deflect it entirely. The needle of the weighted dart he'd hurled buried itself deep into my arm. And when I felt a tingling, burning sensation coursing through my veins, I realized what he'd done.

And knew I was in very deep trouble.

“What's the matter,” I hissed, my eyes narrowing with rage, “can't fight on an even field of battle?”

He shrugged. “Why should I?” he asked. “Why should I risk my own life when I can do this and ensure my own victory?”

The liquid silver that he'd managed to inject into me through that dart ran through my veins. My skin was hot and I felt nauseous. I felt physically weakened. Having silver introduced into our blood was usually a death sentence for the Dragonborn. It would make us physically ill, but that would pass and was little more than a minor inconvenience. The real damage the silver did to us was in suppressing our ability to shift into our dragon form. It suppressed our ability to call up the dragonfire within us. It also meant that we could not use our own innate gifts and abilities.

For all intents and purposes, once we were injected with silver, we became – human.

Eventually, the silver wore off and passed out of our systems. But typically, by then, it was too late. If somebody injected us with silver, it meant that they knew our weakness and knew how to kill us – and they intended to do just that.

I felt lightheaded. And my strength was ebbing away by the second. He stood idly by, his arms crossed over his chest, watching me. The man was obviously waiting for me to hit my weakest point before he acted – which meant, that I needed to act swiftly, before the last of my strength evaporated.

Gripping my sword tightly, I took a few stumbling, shambling steps forward, my sword at the ready. I took one awkward, clumsy swing at him, but he parried it with his own blade easily. He stepped forward and swung his sword again. Steel rang against steel and my sword went spinning off into the darkness, landing in the tall grass with a soft thump.

The man laughed softly. “It really didn't need to go down this way.”

“You're a traitor.”

“I like to think of myself as a freedom fighter, actually.”

“Freedom from what?”

He shrugged. “Freedom from a Council who takes us for granted. Who has enslaved us, forced us to serve in the world of man – a world we should be dominating. Ruling,” he sneered. “These humans are weak. Pathetic little creatures. They are nothing compared to us. We are gods and they should worship us as such. Instead, we are bound by our oath to serve them. To be their protectors. To live and die for them. And for what?”

“Because we took an oath,” I said, the dizziness starting to become overwhelming. “To serve something greater than ourselves.”

His laugh was dark, bitter, and filled with hate. The man looked at me and delivered a vicious kick to my stomach. The air left my lungs in a whoosh and I was sent sprawling backwards, landing hard on my ass.

“You can't really be this naive,” he said, a chuckle in his voice. “I mean, can you?”

“I took an oath,” I said. “I believe in my oath.”

He laughed and ran a hand through his hair. It was futile, but I tried to shift, tried to summon the dragonfire – nothing. I was without a weapon, without my abilities – I knew my time was coming to an end. After nearly three centuries of life, dying isn't what bothered me the most. It was the fact that I would not be on my feet. I would not get a clean, noble death. I was going to be struck down by a coward.

The only thing I had left was Ankara. I rolled over and crawled my way over to her. If I couldn't die a noble death, at least I would be with her when I went. It was a small, cold comfort, but it was all I had in that moment.

I got to my knees, my back to the man. Putting my hand on her body, I willed images of happier times to my mind. I conjured images of her face, of her smile.

“It is time,” the man said.

“So be it,” I replied.

I heard the sound of the blade slicing through the air – and knew no more.

Chapter One

Glyn

Steel rang on steel as I threw my sword up to block hers from splitting my skull open. With my other hand, I thrust my dagger forward, only to find it knocked easily aside by hers. The next thing I knew, the air had been driven from my lungs by a firm kick to my mid-section. I stumbled backwards, but managed to keep my feet.

Thankfully, because I was able to roll to my right a split second before her sword came down, striking the ground I'd been standing on with a sharp, metallic ring. I was on my feet when she turned to face me, her two blades at the ready.

A slow grin spread across her face. She had the advantage – had me playing defense – and she knew it. I needed to take that advantage back and put her on the defensive. But she was good. She was absolutely lethal and gaining the upper hand on her wasn't a simple matter.

I advanced on her, slicing and cutting with an array of quick moves. Nothing complicated, nothing fancy – I just wanted to get her feet moving backward and seize some of the initiative. And it was working. She parried my slices and thrusts with ease – as I knew she would. Advancing on her was a ruse – just something to get her reacting instead of thinking.

The sound of our blades ringing echoed around the concrete basement we were in. I was sweating and my breathing was a little labored – she, on the other hand, barely looked winded. I pressed forward and when I had her backed up against the wall of the basement, I made my play to take her out.

I drove my foot forward, the plan being to drive the wind out of her. I saw the small smirk on her lips a second too late – she knew what was coming. She'd been toying with me the whole time. With a speed and grace that was almost unnatural, she spun to the side, my foot connecting with nothing more than the concrete.

But a moment later, the edge of her blade was against my throat. I shifted my eyes over to her and saw that same arrogant smirk on her face – a smirk that I always seemed to see whenever we sparred. Onda was, hands down, the finest I'd ever seen with a blade. If I ever beat her in a spar, it was a victory I knew I'd earned.

“You're telegraphing again,” she said, lowering her blade. “I saw what you were doing the moment you started.”

I grinned at her. “You also have the benefit of knowing me,” I replied. “You know my tells.”

She shrugged. “Perhaps. But you are going to want to make sure you don't become predictable, Glyn,” she said, a slight touch of concern in her voice. “There are things out there who are absolutely deadly.”

“I know,” I said and grinned. “I like that you're concerned about me though.”

“Yeah, well, if something were to ever happen to you,” she said, “I'd have to pick up your slack around here.”

She walked past me and I reached out, smacking her butt as she went by. She turned around and blew me a kiss.

“I'm heading for the shower,” she said.

I was sweaty and pretty sure I smelled absolutely rank. There were no windows in our little basement gym, and the air circulation was pretty bad. But it was a big, wide open space. Which was just what we needed to practice. It was a little difficult practicing since people in LA tended to notice other people swinging swords at one another.

So, the little basement below the gym was perfect for our needs. It was owned by somebody loyal to the Warden of the territory and it had everything we required – privacy, a private entrance, and showers.

I watched Onda walking toward the showers, admiring her curves and the shape of her body. She was the most beautiful woman I knew – and the deadliest. But to look at her, you'd never think she could kill you a thousand different ways before you even realized you were dead. She had stark white hair that hung to the middle of her back – a trait common among the Ice Clan. She had eyes that were a crystalline shade of blue that was nearly mesmerizing. Onda was tall – five foot eleven in her bare feet. And she had an athlete's body – strong and powerful – and yet she still retained the soft curves of her femininity.

If you saw her, you'd see a beautiful, but unassuming woman. Despite the fact that she was a hardened warrior, she looked like the girl next door. She had soft skin and a face that was kind. Gentle. Sweet.

That sweet face though, hid her true face – that of the Dragonborn Ranger. The warrior. The most efficient and brutal killer to possibly ever come out of Chondelai. I was good, I wasn't going to deny that. But my skills paled in comparison to Onda's. She was flat out incredible. So incredible in fact, that they wanted to make her a Warden after she completed the trials but before she was assigned a post in the world of man. She declined. Said she could do more good on the ground as a Ranger. That her skills were needed in the fight every day.

And I couldn't disagree with her.

It's not that the Wardens weren't involved in the fight. They absolutely were. But they handled a lot of the more – administrative – aspects of a territory. Handing out assignments, making sure our forces were equipped and ready, keeping track of the threats – the Rangers were the boots on the ground all day, every day. We were there whenever a threat popped up, we were the first line of defense.

The only drawback to Onda remaining among the ranks of the Rangers was that our paths didn't cross nearly as often as I would have liked. We usually had different assignments. Different beats, so to speak. But the absence made the time we did have together that much more special, in my mind.

“You coming?”

Onda's voice echoed around the basement, the flirtatious tone of her voice more than apparent. A slow grin spread across my face. We didn't always have a lot of time together, but we always made the most of it.

“On my way,” I called back.

I sheathed my sword and dagger, dropping both onto the bench beside me. I was already stripping down as I crossed the basement and stepped into the showers.

Chapter Two

By the time I got there, steam was already billowing out of the locker room. I stepped inside and closed the doors behind me, trapping in all of the heat with us. If Onda liked one thing, it was making sure her shower was piping hot.

I kicked off my boots and dropped my pants, walking across tile that was starting to get a little slick with condensation. The amount of steam filling the room made it a little difficult to see, but I eventually found the wide, carpeted runner that ran through the middle of the room. Although the training area in the basement itself had been left largely alone, we'd made sure to make our locker room a nice, comfortable place.

We didn't need the bells and whistles to train, but having a nice place to retreat to and freshen ourselves up after a workout was always nice.

I stepped into the large, open shower area and looked around. Steam filled the area and visibility was almost nil. Even so, I could tell that it was empty. Stepping forward, I felt along the wall until I found the handles and started to turn the hot water down. That's when I felt the arm snake around my neck and clamp down.

“Touch the temperature and I'll kill you,” she said.

I turned around and pulled her to me, pulling her body, slick with water, firmly against me. I felt the heat deep inside of me begin to bubble up. I looked down into her eyes, that wicked smile on her lips, and felt myself growing firm and hard.

“Somebody missed me,” she purred.

“More than you know.”

I leaned forward and kissed her. Softly and gently at first. But as she ran her fingers through my hair, I felt the fires within me being stoked even higher and our kissing grew more intense. More passionate. I trailed my hands down her back, cupping her ass and pulling her to me even harder. She moaned as I pressed myself against her and looked at me with a salacious little grin on her face.

“Looks like somebody missed me too,” I said.

“Yeah, I suppose so,” she said. “It's not like there was a better option available.”

I smacked her firm butt and laughed. For being so serious most of the time, Onda always knew how to get a laugh out of me. She had a quick wit and a sharp tongue – two things I very much appreciated about her.

She planted a line of soft kisses down my neck and then lightly bit my collarbone, drawing a gasp from me. Giving me a small smile, she took me in her hand, squeezing me tight. As she began to stroke me, I threw my head back, my moans echoing around the tiled shower room.

“I see you haven't lost your touch,” I said.

“Lucky thing for you.”

I kissed her and grabbed her by the waist, spinning her around and pushing her back up against the wall. The steam billowed around us as the water poured over us like a waterfall. I kissed her with an urgency born of need and desire. It had only been about a month since I'd last been with her, but it suddenly felt like years.

My hands roamed her body, and hers explored mine as we kissed. I pressed my body against hers, my hand sliding down between her thighs. She gasped as my finger entered her, and she looked deeply into my eyes, biting her bottom lip as I started to move it in and out. Her moans were soft but persistent as I slipped a second finger in and continued to work them inside of her.

“I need you, Glyn,” she whispered. “I've missed you.”

“I've missed you too.”

I slid my hands under her ass and picked her up. Onda wrapped her legs around my waist and locked her hands behind my neck. Her eyes grew wide and a moan escaped her lips as I slipped myself inside of her, plunging deep. I moved my hips back and forth – slowly at first, gradually increasing my pace.

Being inside of her felt so good. It felt so right. I pumped myself harder and deeper inside of her, the blended sound of our cries echoing around the shower. I kissed her as I plunged myself deeper and harder inside of her. I could already feel the pressure building up low within me and knew I wasn't going to last very long.

Her breathing labored, Onda had me set her down. She gave me a sultry smile as she turned around and put her hands on the wall of the shower, jutting her perfect ass at me. Stepping forward, almost dizzy with my desire, I grabbed hold of her hips and sheathed myself deep inside of her again. She cried out as I started to pump my hips with a frantic, almost desperate energy. The sound of flesh slapping against flesh rivaled the volume of our cries.

She pressed herself back against me, taking me deeper inside of her. I clamped on tighter to her hips, my fingers digging deep into her skin as my desire drove me into a frenzy. Onda looked back at me over her shoulder, her cheeks flushed and a look of pure need in her eyes I was sure reflected the need in mine.

Onda's body tensed up suddenly and she cried out, calling my name as her orgasm seized her. She trembled and shook, her gasps ragged and hoarse. As she climaxed, she tightened up, gripping me even more firmly. And as I thrust inside of her one last time, it was enough to send me over the edge.

I felt myself stiffen for a moment as I exploded deep inside of her. I moaned loudly and pressed myself deeper inside of her, filling her with my seed.

We stayed like that for a few moments as we tried to stop trembling and catch our breath. Slowly, I felt myself deflating and slip out of her. Onda stood and turned around, pulling me into a tight embrace, and kissed me.

With the water sluicing down over us and the feel of her warm, slick body pressed to mine, the world seemed perfect. Better than perfect. She pulled back and looked me in the eye, a soft, warm smile on her lips.

“I'm glad to be home,” she said.

“Not nearly as glad as I am to have you home.”

She kissed me again and I was overwhelmed by the emotion I felt for her. Onda was everything to me. My partner. My soul mate. And I hoped that one day, she would become my bonded lifemate.

One day. We had much work to do yet and given our near immortality, we had a very long life to spend with one another.

Chapter Three

Vanessa

I was up before the sun. It wasn't unusual, really – although, I'd decided to forgo my usual five-mile run. I'd always been something of a morning person – much to the chagrin of many. But, it's not like I could help it. That was just my nature. Plus, having a job I loved made it a hell of a lot easier to get out of bed in the morning. I felt like I was one of the rare lucky few who loved what I did for a living. It wasn't always easy – in fact, there were a lot of bad days filled with tears and heartache – but for the most part, my job was fulfilling and made me happy.

After showering, I poured myself a cup of coffee and got dressed. I sang and danced along to the music that filled my apartment as I drank my coffee. Looking at the clock, I saw that I still had a little bit of time, so I decided to stop by my favorite donut shop on my way into work. Maybe a few sprinkle donuts and maple bars would give everybody a little pick me up.

And being that it was a Monday, who couldn't use a little pick me up?

I checked myself in the mirror again as I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and checked the little makeup I wore. Giving my scrubs a quick once-over, I nodded and grabbed a sweater before picking up my bag, my car keys, and headed out the door.

The drive to the donut shop was a quick one as it was about five minutes from my house – both a good thing and a bad thing. Good when I wanted a quick little treat, bad because I often wanted a quick little treat. For the most part, I behaved myself. Having been an athlete all through high school and college, I'd learned to love exercise and took pretty good care of my body – and watched what I took in. But, every now and then, I'd have a serious craving for one of Miggy's donuts and couldn't do anything productive until I'd satisfied it.

I stepped into the shop and the man behind the counter – Miggy – gave me a wide, warm smile. Almost the sort of smile a father would give to a cherished daughter – something that never failed to fill my heart with joy.

“Vanessa,” he called. “Good to see you!”

“Mornin' Miggy,” I said. “You're looking as handsome as ever.”

He waved me off and laughed. Miggy – aka Miguel Contreras – was a portly, middle-aged Mexican man. In a former life, he'd been a biker – and looked the part. He had a long scar running down the side of his face, from the corner of his eye to his jaw. He had a thick, bushy mustache and beard, and a head that was always freshly shaven. He was a big, imposing looking man, but he had a sweet disposition and personality – something I never would have associated with a rugged outlaw biker type.

But he'd done some serious time in prison for a triple murder. He'd been defending himself against some rival bikers and things had gotten out of hand. He'd been pretty seriously hurt, but he'd managed to kill all three of the men who'd attacked him.

He often said it almost sounded like a cliché or some cheesy movie plot, but while he was inside, he changed. His cellmate apparently helped him turn his life around. He got his GED, managed to get an online degree in business through one of the prison's programs. He'd learned a trade – baking – and had apparently fallen in love with it. Something he often said surprised him more than anybody.

After he'd been paroled, Miggy had gotten an uncle who owned a donut shop to give him a job and help teach him the business. And he'd thrown himself into it. It took some years and a lot of hard work, but eventually, Miggy had been able to open his own shop. And as far as I – and many others around the city were concerned – it was the best donut shop in all of LA.

Miggy's story was inspiring and I admired the hell out of the man. To come from where he did and build himself into what he was now – how could you not admire somebody like that?

“How are you doin' today, kiddo?” Miggy asked me when I stepped to the counter.

There was a rare break in his usual line of customers, so I had a couple of minutes to chat with him, which was nice. Over the few years I'd been coming into his shop, I'd gotten to know Miggy pretty well. Since my own father had died when I was a kid and not a day went by that I didn't still miss him, Miggy sort of filled that void, in a way. Now, he was never going to replace my father, but he was sort of a nice surrogate. Underneath that rugged, tough exterior, Miggy was a good man with a good heart.

“I'm good,” I replied. “And how are you doing today?”

“Still walkin' the straight and narrow.”

“Very glad to hear that.”

“You and me both.”

I gave him a smile. Still walking the straight and narrow was his response every time I asked him how he was doing. When I'd asked him about it a while back, he told me it was a reminder to himself. He said that every day above ground was a good day, but each day was filled with choices and decisions. He'd said that for too many years, he'd made the wrong choices and it had almost cost him everything – including his freedom and his life.

So, given the second chance, he said he needed the reminders that all of his choices were on him. He could walk the straight and narrow and live a good life. Or he could choose not to – and suffer the consequences. So, in a way, that phrase had become something of a touchstone for him. Something I could understand and respect him for.

Most of us took things like our freedom or living for granted. But Miggy had seen the other side of both of those things – had nearly lost them – and knew just how precious they were. And how easily they could be taken away.

“Got a boyfriend yet?” Miggy asked, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

“No, of course not,” I said. “I haven't found anybody who lives up to the standard you set, Miggy.”

He smiled and shook his head, but I could see the color rising in his cheeks. It was adorable.

“You need to set your sights a little higher, Vanessa.”

“Oh, don't sell yourself short, Miggy,” I said. “You're a catch. We just need to find you a woman worthy of you.”

He smiled softly. “Yeah well, if you find her, let me know.”

I reached across the counter and gave Miggy's hand a squeeze. He was a good man. Had come so far in turning his life around. I wanted more than anything, for him to find a woman who would love and appreciate him the way he deserved. After all he'd overcome, he deserved love and he deserved happiness.

“I've always got my eyes peeled for you, Miggy.”

A few people drifted into the donut shop, a couple of them looking like they were in a hurry. He gave me a gentle smile and squeezed my hand in return. I was going to find Miggy a woman. It was my mission in life.

“And I appreciate it,” he replied. “So, what's it going to be today?”

“Two dozen, I think.”

“Wow,” he said. “You're going to have to run a few extra miles to burn all those off. Unless you're trying to let your ass get big on purpose.”

I laughed. “Shut up. It's for the staff.”

“Uh huh,” he said and tipped me a wink. “Most of 'em, anyway.”

I shrugged. “What can I say? I love your donuts,” I said. “Most of them will get where they're supposed to go.”

“Good girl.”

He boxed up two dozen assorted for me and slid them across the counter. And as usual, he tried to refuse my money. And as usual, I left a twenty in his tip jar. It was just one of our normal routines. He gave me a smile, a shake of the head, and turned to tend to his other customers.

“I'll see you later, Miggy.”

“Until next time, m'dear.”

I picked up the two boxes and headed out.

Chapter Four

“Good morning, Donna,” I chirped brightly as I entered the staff room behind the reception counter.

“Oh yeah, I always forget,” she grumped at me over her cup of coffee, “you're one of those people.”

Donna was a forty-something woman who was pretty, but a bit matronly in her way. She could be a bit gruff at times and was always very no-nonsense and plain spoken, but at heart, she really was one of the sweetest women I knew. She was the type who always had a shoulder to cry on and would give you the shirt off her back – something I'd seen her literally do a time or two.

“Yes, I am one of those people,” I said. “That little ray of sunshine in everybody's life.”

“Otherwise known as that excessively chippy morning person everybody wants to smack around a little bit.”

I laughed and set the boxes down on the table in front of her and Donna's face immediately brightened.

“On the other hand,” she said, opening one of the boxes, “maybe you're not so bad after all.”

She grabbed one of the big, fluffy chocolate cake donuts that was topped with chocolate and rainbow sprinkles. One of my favorites. It was a basic donut, of course, but it was amazing. Miggy added something secret to it to punch it up and elevate it – but he'd never tell me what it was. Said it was a secret he “might” pass along when he was on his deathbed.

Donna bit into it and her eyes rolled back into her head as she let out a moan that my grandmother would have said sounded like a two-dollar whore.

“I think I need to marry a man that can cook like this,” she said. “I think I could love a man who could feed me well. You can't make stuff like this if you don't have the heart and soul of a poet. This was made with love, you can tell.”

I cocked my head and looked at her. In all the time I'd known her, the thought that was currently running through my head had never occurred to me. I loved Donna to pieces, but we never socialized outside of work all that often. We were in different spots in life and had different interests. But Donna was an amazing woman all the same.

“Hey, aren't you still dating that guy – Scott – I think his name was?” I asked.

She let out a short snort of laughter. “Oh honey, I dumped his sorry ass weeks ago,” she said. “Found out he was still bangin' his ex-wife.”

I stared at her open mouthed for a minute. I couldn't fathom a person cheating on somebody as warm, honest, and giving as Donna. On the other hand though, hearing that she was single made me smile inside a bit. I started to feel the pieces of the puzzle falling into place.

“Oh, I'm so sorry, Donna,” I said.

She shrugged. “I'm not. It's probably for the best, actually,” she said. “It's not like we had a lot in common, he wasn't all that bright, so our conversations were never all that deep or stimulating. And oh yeah, he was pretty lousy in the sack.”

I couldn't stop the snort of laughter that escaped me, but Donna was smiling, so I assumed it was okay. That she'd meant it to be funny. But as I looked at her and thought more about it, the more sense it made to me.

“Hey, Donna,” I said, “So, since you're single and all –”

“No, I'm not babysitting your kids while you go out and date,” she cut me off, smiling. “If I'm not gettin' any, you're not gettin' any.”

I didn't have any kids and she knew that. Which told me she probably knew I was trying to play matchmaker and was trying to head me off at the pass. Donna was a very smart woman and it wasn't easy to slip something by her. But, I wasn't going to let her get away with it.

“Actually,” I said, “I know the perfect man for you.”

“Honey, there is no perfect man for me out there,” she said wistfully. “At my age, I'm quite certain such a creature does not exist.”

“You might be surprised.”

She took another bite of her donut and made that sound of pleasure again. “Unless,” she said around a mouthful of the chocolate cake, “you're looking to hook me up with the man who made these.”

I grinned at her and she looked at me, her face growing serious as she looked at me. All Donna knew was that I brought in donuts – she didn't know that the man who made them was like a surrogate father to me. She swallowed and washed it down with a drink of her coffee.

“You're kidding me, right?” she asked, her voice cracking just a bit.

I shook my head. “Nope,” I replied. “And I actually think that you and Miggy would be amazing together.”

“Oh, I don't know, Nessa,” she said. “I don't think –”

“That's the problem,” I said. “Don't think. Just do. Miggy is an amazing man. You're an amazing woman. Together, the two of you will be –”

“Amazing?” she asked, a smirk touching the corners of her mouth.

“Well – yeah.”

“You're always an optimist, honey,” she said. “Always seeing things on that bright, shiny side of life. I love that about you, you know.”

“Good, then say you'll go out with him.”

“I don't know –”

“Donna,” I said, arching an eyebrow, “if the man's donuts can make you sound like that, just imagine what the man himself can do in –”

She held up a hand, cackling with laughter. “Stop,” she said. “Stop right there.”

“I'm going to give him your number,” I pressed.

She looked at me, an amused smile still upon her lips. “He's a good man?”

“The best.”

She looked at me a long moment and then nodded. “If he comes with your stamp of approval, he must be something pretty special.”

My smile was wide. “He really is,” I said. “You're going to love him.”

She picked another donut out of the box and looked at it for a long moment. “If he can bake like this, I just might.”

I snatched a donut out of the box and took a bite of it, savoring every morsel. I might have made a love connection between two great people – that made me happier than I could say. Which was funny since my own love life was in shambles – I was great at other people's relationships, absolutely terrible when it came to my own.

“Don't you have rounds?” Donna asked.

I looked at my watch. “Oh crap, yeah,” I said. “Gotta go. I'll give Miggy your number.”

She waved me off, but wasn't able to hide the smile on her face. I could tell she was excited. I snacked on my donut, finishing it off as I bounced down the hallway, heading to see my first patient of the day.

Being a pediatric nurse was challenging. It could be heartbreaking. But, it was also amazing and rewarding. Although I spent most my days in the general pediatrics ward, I did plenty of rotations in the pediatric oncology ward – and that was the most heartbreaking and devastating thing of all.

But, I never shied away from it. I knew that many of the kids I dealt with in the ward were living out their last days. That they'd never leave the ward. But that didn't mean they didn't deserve to have a friend, have somebody who was there to comfort them, to bring them hope. It didn't mean they didn't deserve to have somebody help allay their fears.

Although many of the kids I dealt with were able to go home and live out a long, healthy life, there were many who weren't. Many who would never live to see their teenage years. It broke my heart, but it also made me determined to be the best friend and caregiver to them that I could be.

“Well, good morning, Anna,” I said brightly as I stepped into the room.

The girl's face immediately lit up. “Vanessa!” she squealed. “I was hoping you'd come by!”

“Well of course I was going to come by,” I replied. “Where else would I find my most favorite person on the planet?”

She leaned back against her pillows and smiled, but I could see the girl was in some discomfort. Anna was a nine-year-old girl who was beautiful, vibrant, and fierce. She was fearless in the face of her cancer and was determined to beat it. The girl was courageous and I absolutely loved her for it.

Taking her chart off the end of the bed, I took a look at it to see where we were with her treatments. It had been a couple of days since I'd been able to make it through the ward, so I wasn't quite up to date with Anna’s progress. It looked like she'd had a round of chemo the day before – which could explain her discomfort. It could be just the typical aches and pains of her treatments.

“How bad is it today, sweetie?” I asked, hanging her chart back up.

She shrugged. “Not as bad as it is some days.”

I arched my eyebrow at her. “You don't need to play the tough girl with me, kiddo,” I said. “So, c'mon. How bad? Scale of one to ten it for me.”

“Seven?”

“That sounds pretty bad,” I said and took a seat on the edge of her bed. “I'm going to make sure Nurse Parker gives you some pain meds, okay?”

“Thank you, Vanessa.”

I ran my hand over her smooth scalp and looked into her bright blue eyes. “You don't need to be so brave,” I said. “It's okay to admit that you hurt and need something to take the edge off. Sitting here suffering in silence isn't doing anybody any good – especially you. Promise me you'll ask for pain meds if it gets bad and I'm not around.”

She looked up at me and smile. “Promise.”

“Pinky swear?” I asked and held up my pinky.

She giggled, but wrapper her own pinky around mine. “Pinky swear.”

“Okay good,” I said. “Oh, I brought you a little something special.”

Her eyes widened and a grin formed on her lips. “For me?”

I nodded as I took the donut I'd wrapped in a napkin out of the front pocket of my scrubs. Technically, I knew I shouldn't be giving her sugary treats like that. But, I wasn't one to always follow the rules. These kids endured so much misery, that I liked to bring a smile to their faces now and then. And as Anna tore into the donut, the smile on her face wide and warm, I couldn't see how that could ever be a bad thing.

“So, how are you sleeping, sweetie?”

She shrugged. “Okay, I guess.”

“The pain keeping you up?”

She shook her head and when she looked at me, her eyes were wide with fear. “No, it's – never mind,” she said. “It's nothing.”

I gave her arm a gentle squeeze. “That sure didn't seem like nothing,” I said. “What's going on?”

She nibbled at a piece of her donut, and I could see that she was weighing the decision to tell me or not in her mind.

“It's silly,” she finally said.

“What's silly?”

She sighed and looked around the room, putting her donut back down in her lap. And when she looked at me, it was with genuine fear in her eyes.

“There's something under my bed at night,” she whispered. “I can hear it under there.”

“Really?” I asked. “What does it sound like?”

She shook her head. “It kind of sounds like fingernails being dragged across the tile down there.”

“Wow,” I said. “That sounds really scary.”

She nodded. “It is,” she said. “Tommy said there are monsters that live in hospitals. He said they come out at night and crawl under the beds, just waiting for a chance to grab somebody and eat them.”

“That's horrifying, Anna,” I said. “I can see why that might keep you up at night.”

Her eyes were as wide as saucers and she nodded, clearly believing every word she was saying. Tommy had been a horrible boy who shared a room with her for a few days. His cancer had been treatable and he'd gotten to go home. Thankfully. While he'd been there, he seemed to delight in tormenting Anna. This fear of monsters under her bed was just his legacy.

As if this poor girl didn't have enough to deal with in her life already. Now, thanks to that little jerk, she was fearful of monsters underneath her bed.

“Well, I'll tell you a little secret,” I said. “Tommy was wrong and was just trying to scare you.”

She looked at me. “Really?”

I nodded. “Yes, there are no such things as monsters, sweetie.”

Her eyes were wide and she looked unconvinced. “But what about the noises I hear under the bed.”

It was hard to explain that what she was hearing was very likely the air conditioning vent – the one on the wall right behind her bed – kicking on in the middle of the night. One thing I'd learned was that when a kid had their mind made up about something, no amount of logic could sway them from that belief. I felt like it was my job to find creative ways to not discount their fears and beliefs out of hand – but to work with them in a way that it helped put them at ease.

“Well,” I said quietly, “I'm going to tell you a little secret. But you have to promise not to tell anybody else. Can you do that?”

She nodded and I could see the hope in her eyes. Hope that I'd banish her fears. Vanquish the monsters and bring her some peace of mind.

“Okay then,” I said. “The things you hear under your bed aren't monsters, sweetie. They're guardian angels.”

“They are?”

I nodded. “Yes,” I said. “They work with us at the hospital, watching over all of you. They're here to keep you safe and take away your fears.”

She didn't say anything for a long moment, but the color returned to her face and I could see the distinct look of relief coming into her face.

“Tommy was just telling you a story,” I said. “Probably because he was afraid himself. But there are no monsters here, Anna. I promise you. Only guardian angels looking out for you.”

She smiled and squeezed my hand. “Promise?”

“Cross my heart,” I said.

She leaned her head against me and I placed a soft kiss on top of her head. I had of course, lied. There were monsters in that hospital – like the one Anna was currently fighting within her own body. But I couldn't tell her that. I was there to help bring her peace and comfort.

“Thank you, Vanessa,” she whispered. “I feel better now.”

“Good,” I replied. “I have to get to my rounds, but you should get some sleep, okay?”

She nodded and laid back down, pulling the covers up to her chest. I stood up and wadded up the napkin her donut had been on – disposing of the evidence.

“Get some rest,” I said. “And I'll be back to check on you later.”

She nodded. “I will.”

I gave her a smile and walked out of her room. I'd told her there were no monsters. That they didn't exist, fully knowing that I was lying. And fully believing that the only monsters in this world had names like cancer.

I was unaware at the time, that I was going to be in for a very rude awakening. One that would challenge everything I thought I knew.

Chapter Five

Glyn

The morning sunlight streamed in through the windows and lit up the entire room. I watched Onda sleeping, enjoying the way the light seemed to cast a soft, glowing aura on her skin. She was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I'd fallen in love with her the moment I saw her – as cliché and school-boyish as that sounded. But it was the truth.

Because of the lives we lived and the duties we were charged with, our paths didn't cross nearly as often as I would have wanted. But she took her vows and her duty every bit as seriously as I did. Which was something I loved about her.

But it also meant that we spent a lot of time apart. My hope was that one day, we would be able to give up this life. Retire, so to speak, as all Rangers eventually did. And when that day came, my hope was that we would return to Chondelai to live out our lives. Together.

That day though, wasn't going to be anytime soon. So, the only thing left for us was to relish and cherish every moment we did have together.

“Why are you watching me sleep, creeper?” she asked.

I'd been so caught in my reverie and dreams of a life with her back home, that I hadn't realized she'd opened her eyes and was staring at me, an amused smile playing upon her lips.

“Is it wrong to appreciate the most beautiful work of art you'd ever seen?” I countered.

She laughed. “You are so cheesy,” she said. “But I love you for it.”

Brushing a strand of hair from her face, I leaned forward and kissed her lightly. “And I love you, Onda,” I said. “With every bit of my being.”

Her smile was soft, but the look in her eyes told me my sentiment was returned in kind. I kissed her again, running my hands along the smooth skin of her body. Our kissing, fueled by desire, grew more urgent and I felt my body responding.

And then the phone rang. Because, of course it did.

I pulled her tightly to me and held her close for a moment. “Think if we ignore it, he'll go away?”

She laughed softly. “I think if you ignore it, he'll show up here.”

I sighed. “You're probably right.”

I rolled over and grabbed the phone off of the nightstand and held it to my ear. “Quint,” I said. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” he said, his voice tight. “I need you and Onda in my office. Now.”

“How did you know –”

His chuckle was soft, but he couldn't hide the tension in his voice. “There's very little that goes on in this city I don't know about,” he said. “Now c'mon, chop chop. I need you both. We've got a problem.”

He disconnected the call and I dropped the phone onto the bed. Onda was looking at me with curiosity in her eyes.

“Well, he knows you're back in town,” I said.

“Of course, he does,” she replied.

“There's apparently a problem,” I said. “He needs us down in his office.”

She sighed and looked at me, traced her finger across my bare chest and looked at me wistfully. I felt the same way she did. There is nothing more I would have loved in that moment than to spend the day in bed with the woman I loved.

But duty called. And when it did, Onda and I were always quick to answer.

~~~ooo000ooo~~~

We were sitting in Quint's office less than an hour later. As if his duties as a Warden didn't keep him busy enough, he'd somehow found the time to open one of L.A.'s trendiest restaurants and nightclubs, Heat. It was where Hollywood's movers and shakers, the rich and the powerful, came to see and be seen.

I'd never understood why he'd chosen to open a restaurant, but that was Quint. He did things he enjoyed. Things he was passionate about. Plus, he said it provided him with a solid enough cover, since the Dragonborn weren't exactly out and about in society. He blended in with the humans a lot more seamlessly than some of the others.

And Quint's idea was apparently so successful, it was a model the Council back in Chondelai were said to be considering for all Wardens.

“Onda, nice to see you back in town,” Quint said. “Though, it would have been nice if you'd have checked in with me when you got back like you're supposed to – but I'll let that slide for now. We have bigger problems on our plate at the moment.”

Onda didn't even flinch as her Warden slightly chastised her – in fact, a small smile played at the corners of her mouth. She knew she should have reported into Quint yesterday when she got back – but she chose to come see me first. Though, Quint probably expected no less from her. Some called her defiant, but she never disobeyed orders or was a liability in any way. In fact, she was nothing but an absolute asset, truth be told. She was fierce as a fighter, loyal to a fault, and if you were ever in a pinch, there is nobody you would rather have at your side – or watching your back.

I knew that Quint liked Onda tremendously. He respected the hell out of her and knew her value. Which was why he put up with her mild insubordination – or as he called it, her willful nature. Other Wardens didn't care for Onda, didn't want her in their territories because they felt she was a loose cannon who couldn't be controlled. But Quint wasn't like the others. He saw through to the core of a person. Saw what they brought to the table and didn't judge them by whether or not they checked in with him in a timely manner.

Though many of the Wardens were rooted in the old ways, Quint was a lot more forward thinking. A lot more – modern, I supposed. He was a good man and, Onda aside, there was no other Warden I would have rather been placed under.

He knew and accepted the fact that Onda marched to the beat of her own drum. Onda was just a bit – different. But she could always be counted on when the chips were down. Always. And that was one of the many things I loved about her.

“What sort of problem?” I asked.

Quint wasn't a man who was easily stressed or shaken. In fact, he was one of the toughest men I'd ever known. So, to see him clearly a bit rattled and in a bit of distress caused me some concern. Not a lot, but some.

“As you may have heard, our Rangers have been turning up dead,” he said. “Several of them in different parts of the country.”

“I have,” I said, “There were a few in Oregon recently, right?”

“Yes, but there's been another,” Quint said. “Right here in L.A.”

His words made my blood run cold as a dagger of ice pierced my heart. This wasn't somebody we didn't know in the far reaches of the world. This was one of our own, someone we'd fought with. Had gone to battle alongside. It was a friend, or at the very least, an ally.

“Who?” I asked.

“Zistra,” Quint said softly, casting his eyes down to his desk.

I looked over at Onda who gasped, softly. Taking her hand in mine, I gave it a gentle squeeze as I tried my best to comfort her. I knew she appreciated the gesture, but Onda held herself together well. But I knew her well enough to see that shadow of sadness cross her face. She held it in check, always the professional, always the warrior, but I knew that inside, she was weeping.

She and Zistra had been friends. They'd been close. She'd once called Zistra her Blood-Sister – which was a high compliment in our culture. One of the highest. And so, I knew that Zistra's loss was going to leave an open hole in her heart.

“She will be missed,” was all Onda said, her voice carefully controlled and devoid of any emotion.

“That she will. And she will be honored,” Quint said, watching Onda closely. “I know you and Zistra were once close friends, so I understand that this may be difficult for you. If what I'm about to ask of you is too much, just say the word. The last thing I want is to cause you any distress – or put you in a situation that's dangerous if your emotions are clouded. It's perfectly understandable, Onda. I will never put you in harm's way.”

“I'm fine,” Onda said, holding her head up high. “Tell us what you need from us.”

Quint gave her a long, level look – as did I. Onda was always able to control her emotions. Keep them in check. At least, in public. I'd been with her on more than one occasion when she'd let her walls down and let the emotion behind them come flooding out. I'd held her close as she sobbed more nights than I could count.

Most people believed that because Onda was Ice Clan, she had no emotion. The Ice Warriors were typically among the fiercest in Chondelai – and most assumed it was because they were emotionless. While it was true that the Ice Clan was usually reserved and aloof, it was a mistake to believe they had no emotions. They were just better than most at keeping them behind their high, thick walls and removing all emotion where it wasn't useful. Where it didn't serve a purpose. More to the point, they removed emotion from situations where it could get them hurt or killed.

But as Onda showed me, she had very deep, very profound emotions – she was just picky about who she shared them with.

Apparently satisfied – or at least mollified slightly – that Onda was going to be okay for whatever assignment he was about to give us, Quint nodded. Personally, I would have rather had Onda sit this one out. Zistra was close to her when not many people were. She needed time to process. To grieve. But I was not going to be the one to tell her that. It would likely earn me an ass-kicking if I suggested it.

“I need the two of you to look into the murder. I want to put an end to this once and for all. I want no more Rangers dying and I want you to find out who's behind this,” Quint said. “You two are the best Rangers I've got. And I think having you both on the job – together – is wise given the fact that something is out there killing our kind. In fact, I'm going to start asking Rangers to pair up until this threat has passed. It's not easy to kill a Dragonborn, so whatever is out there is going to be tough.”

“What are we dealing with, Warden?” I asked.

Quint sighed, rubbing his temples. For the first time since I'd known him, he looked tired. Quint was a man who had boundless energy. Or at least, he had. I had to imagine that having his Rangers murdered in his own backyard was taking a toll on him. I couldn't imagine the politics of the situation, as it was playing out among the Council back in Chondelai, were making things any easier on him either.

I hated and loathed politics. The Council was nothing more than a nest of vipers. All of the backbiting, backroom deals, and deceit that flowed out of the Council was nauseating. That was one reason I liked being a Ranger assigned to the world of man – I was well away from that garbage.

But for somebody like Quint, somebody who had to straddle both worlds and deal with those vipers – it had to be rough some days. The fact that Rangers were being murdered couldn't have been sitting well with the Council and I had no doubt they were putting a big-time squeeze on the Wardens to find answers.

“Honestly? I don't know what we're dealing with,” he said softly. “But whatever it is, it's killed too many of our kind as it is. It needs to stop here.”

“It will stop here,” Onda said, her voice cold. “We will put an end to it.”

“Could it be that human warrior group?” I asked. “That – Order of Midnight, I think they were called?”

Quint shook his head. “Doubtful. I'm reasonably certain whatever it is, it can't be human,” he said. “But other than that, we know nothing. Whatever it is, it's strong and brutal, obviously. But it also has to be intelligent and cunning to take down this many Rangers. It's asking a lot of you both, but are you up for this?”

I didn't even have to look over at Onda to know her answer. “Of course,” I said. “Always up for a challenge.”

She nodded. “You know we'll take care of it, boss.”

“I knew I could count on you two,” he said. “Just be careful out there, okay? I know I don't have to remind you to look out for each other.”

He shot us a knowing smile. Our relationship was one of the worst kept secrets around. Not that we tried to hide it, but we also didn't feel the need to advertise it out in the open. Everyone who knew us knew we were soul mates, and one day, we'd become bonded lifemates as well. It was cliché as hell, but we were two halves that made one whole.

So no, Quint didn't have to remind us to keep an eye on each other. It would be impossible for us not to. It was simply second nature to us.

Chapter Six

“So, if I were the big, bad guy, where would I hide out in L.A?” I pondered out loud. “There really aren't all that many places to hide if you ask me.”

“Maybe he's hiding in plain sight,” Onda said quietly. “Maybe we're looking right at him and just don't know it.”

Hordes of people surrounded us as we walked down Hollywood Boulevard. There was a movie premier or something going on, which meant there were more people on the streets than usual. I already hated Hollywood as it was – but moving about with this many people on the street was beyond crazy and made me hate it that much more.

The paparazzi and curious onlookers crowded around, pushing and shoving, jostling for position as they tried to get a look or a picture of whatever celebrity was getting out of their car and heading for the theater. Personally, I couldn't have cared less about celebrities or film premiers. To me, they were nothing more than annoyances that put more people on the street and made things even crazier than normal.

I cast a sidelong look at Onda. Her face was carefully composed and betrayed not a single thought or emotion from her – in other words, it was business as usual. I wanted to talk to her, ask her how she was doing. But I knew that she might not want to talk about Zistra's death. I had to be content knowing that when she was ready, she would come to me and open up the floodgates of emotion once more.

It just killed me to know that she was hurting and there was nothing I could do to alleviate her pain in that moment. But that was Onda's way. I'd long ago had to learn to accept it and to never push her. She'd come to me when she was ready.

“I highly doubt our bad guy is going to show up here in the middle of a red-carpet premier,” I said. “All the killings have been done well away from crowds. Hidden in the darkness.”

“I agree,” Onda replied.

We walked on a little bit farther, trying to formulate a plan. When I turned to her to suggest getting off the main street, I saw that she was staring off into the distance – she looked like she had an idea.

“Let's head further down and turn off,” she said. “Get away from all of these people.”

As we pushed our way past an obscene amount of people, some guy in the crowd reached out and grabbed onto Onda's arm.

“Miss, you're beautiful,” he said, his eyes bloodshot, his breath reeking of decay. “Mind if I paint you?”

On the ground beside him as he sat in the doorway of yet another in a countless number of Hollywood tourist shops, were paintings he had for sale. They'd all been done on cardboard he'd ripped off of boxes or whatever he could find. Sadly, he was actually pretty good. He had some talent. Of course, he wasn't Van Gogh, no, but he had a knack for faces. With some quality training, he might actually be really good.

But instead, he was on the streets, peddling his wares and wasting his talent. The track marks on his arms showed that he had a bigger problem than just a lack of art education. And it also helped explain how he'd ended up peddling his paintings in a doorway on Hollywood Boulevard.

Onda yanked her arm away from the man and glared at the man. No one – and I mean no one – grabbed onto her and got away with it without losing a limb or suffering an embarrassing beat down. Onda didn't like to be touched by anyone ordinarily. She maintained a pretty healthy bubble around her that she preferred people stayed out of. And she would most definitely kick the ass of anybody who didn't respect her boundaries. I'd seen it happen on more than one occasion.

Which was why it meant so much that I was allowed to hold her hand, embrace her and touch her in places no one else would ever dream of. Not if they wanted to keep their hand attached to their arm, anyway.

“No thanks,” she said.

At least she took some pity on the homeless man and didn't just come at him with fists flying. As she looked at him, her eyes softened a bit and her body relaxed – she'd pulled herself back from the urge to start swinging. Which was impressive – ordinarily, if Onda hit the red line like that, there was no going back.

“Come on, Glyn,” she said.

I couldn't fault the man for wanting to paint her. Just like I couldn't fault the men – and women – who stared at her in awe and wonder as we walked through Hollywood. And even in Hollywood, the world of glitz and glamor, the land where beautiful women were a dime a dozen, Onda drew attention where ever she went. People couldn't seem to stop themselves from stopping whatever they were doing to stare at her as she passed.

She'd been offered modeling contracts more times than I could count. It never failed when we were out among people – somebody would run up to her, tell her she was the most beautiful women they'd ever seen, and that she should consider modeling for them. While she was never rude, Onda was also very firm and very clear that they needed to walk away and leave her alone – something that never failed to make me laugh. Which, of course, usually earned me a slap upside the head.

There were indeed many beautiful women in the city. But Onda – she was different. She was more than just beautiful. She was ethereal. Onda drew the eyes of almost everybody when she walked by them, and yet, she didn't even seem to notice. She never seemed to pay the admiring stares any attention.

Onda stuck to her job, never falling behind and never failing. And never getting a big head over the attention. To her, other people's idea of beauty wasn't important. It wasn't anything worth spending even a second thinking about. To Onda, doing the job and being the best Ranger she could possibly be was all that mattered. She left vanity and notions of beauty to the people it seemed to matter to the most – the vain and the shallow.

We walked for a few blocks before we turned off the main strip.

“You know, we're not going to find him just because we're out here looking,” I said. “It's like a needle in a haystack. We don't even know what we're looking for –”

Onda pushed me up against the side of the building, pressing her body into mine. She ground herself against me and stared up at me with a devious grin on her face. While I always enjoyed having our bodies pressed together and would never turn down an opportunity, I was a little curious about the timing and the location.

“I agree,” she whispered, planting a line of soft kisses down the length of my neck.

I couldn't help but feel a bit aroused – and then a little guilty for my natural reaction to the woman I loved. We were on the clock, so to speak, and it didn't seem like the most appropriate time for a little quickie.

Whispering in my ear, she said, “That's why we need to let him come to us. If he's killing Rangers, all we need to do is be the bait. We simply have to put ourselves in a prime location to be attacked and wait for him to come for us.”

Damn. I hadn't even considered that. I was so busy trying to formulate the perfect plan to identify or draw the killer out, that I'd overlooked the simplest, most obvious, and probably most effective way of doing that. That was one more reason why I loved that girl. She was usually a couple of steps ahead of me.

“In the meantime, let's have a little fun,” she said, sliding her hand down and grabbing my crotch as she kissed me.

No, I knew we weren't going to get it on in the alleyway – we were actually both a bit more modest than that. But we did make out like a couple of horny teenagers. All the while though, we were alert. Our bodies tensed and ready. We were listening to the noises around us, filtering out the benign from the potentially ominous. We made out for about ten minutes, but attracted no unusual attention – people in Hollywood were used to seeing people doing far worse than we were doing in darkened alleyways.

If the creature that was murdering our Rangers was hunting tonight – as we suspected he might be – we'd made ourselves a prime target.

Let him come to us. We were content to pretend to be distracted and just wait it out. If he was out there, he wasn't going to be able to resist. Given that Rangers were his target, there was a finite number in the city at any one time. It wasn't like he was running around murdering random people. He obviously wanted to kill Rangers. For what purpose, I had no idea. But he very obviously had a specific type.

And what better way to lure a killer than to let him think he was going to catch us off guard and unaware?

It was a perfect plan. I hoped.

A sound pulled our attention to the end of the alley. We looked and saw a homeless man headed our way. He was swerving and staggering drunkenly as he walked toward us. We both kept our eyes on him – just in case, but the man collapsed to the ground at the entrance to the alley and didn't get back up. I was a little concerned that he'd had a heart attack or something, but he rolled over and screamed incoherently at the pavement below him.

I looked at Onda and raised an eyebrow, asking with my eyes if she thought that could be our guy. She simply shook her head. I didn't think it was – the murderer didn't seem to me like the type who'd rely on a ruse or some sort of subterfuge. Given the reports about the attacks Quint had us study up on, I felt like the attacker would be more straightforward. Bold. He was killing Rangers, which implied a level of ferocity and skill – not to mention intelligence – uncommon in most of the creatures we hunted.

No, the idea about the homeless man on the ground at the head of the alleyway didn't feel right. Hollywood had a lot of problems, a lot of homeless people. And by all appearances, this was just another homeless man.

“What if he doesn't take the bait?” I asked. “What if the killer has moved on?”

Onda shrugged. “Then we have to figure something else out,” she said. “But without knowing who or what –”

She got quiet and her body suddenly grew tense. We both did. There was an unusual sound echoing around the alley. It was odd and yet, persistent. And was obvious enough that even the homeless man at the end of the alley managed to sit up.

“Who's there?” he called out.

Onda and I reached beneath our coats and drew our swords at the same time and I realized a split second later what the sound was – steel scraping along concrete. It was a sword. The moment the realization hit me, a dark shadow of a figure dropped down from above, smoothly and silently landing on the ground behind us – only inches away from my beloved.

There wasn't a doubt in my mind that this was who we'd been looking for. This was the man who'd been killing Rangers. Except, he wasn't really a man. With an anger and horror dawning in my soul, I looked upon the man standing before us and knew he was Dragonborn – and a traitor to our people.

“My, my,” the figure said. “Two for one deal tonight. My lucky day, I guess.”

My body reacted on pure adrenaline and instinct. I pushed Onda out of the way and lunged, driving the point of my sword at the man. It was a clumsy and awkward attack, but my primary goal was to get Onda out of the way since her back was to him. Unsurprisingly, the man moved out of the way before the point of my blade got anywhere near him. But Onda was safe, that was what was important.

In a flash, she was back on her feet, her sword at the ready. She quickly drew her long dagger with the curved blade and the man before us flashed a predatory grin.

“You two have some spunk,” he said. “I admire that. I can use that.”

“Why are you killing Rangers?” I asked.

The man shrugged. “Because they refused to get with the program.”

“And what program is that?”

His face grew serious and there seemed to be genuine anger in his eyes. “Reclaiming our homeland,” he said. “Breaking these shackles they've put on us and ruling like we were meant to rule.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

The man stood before us, looking as non-threatening as possible. He hadn't yet drawn a blade, he simply stood there looking at us, as if he wanted to have a conversation.

“I know who you two are, Glyn and Onda,” he said. “I know quite a bit about you, actually.”

“And who in the hell are you?” Onda spat.

“I'm somebody who can help you attain your rightful spot at the top of the food chain,” he said.

Onda and I shared a look, not knowing what he was blathering on about. I was beginning to think he was out of his mind and was simply raving.

“Tell me this,” he said. “Why is it you're here? Why do you serve in the world of man?”

“What does it matter to you?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Call it curiosity.”

“Because we believe in our mission,” Onda snapped. “We believe what we do is honorable. Noble. We believe in standing up for those who cannot defend themselves.”

The man applauded. “Bravo,” he said. “The brainwashing has apparently worked well on the two of you.”

“Shut up,” I snapped. “Draw your blades and let's do this.”

He shook his head. “I have no desire to kill either of you,” he said. “No, as a matter of fact, I want you to join me.”

“Join you in what?” I asked.

“In ruling this world,” he said simply. “Why should we fight for these humans? What do they provide us?”

I stared at the man, completely flabbergasted. To do what we did – to be Rangers – was the highest honor among our people. We were not meant to rule the world of man. We were meant to defend it. And in large part, defend it from creatures that were there because of our people.

“Unless you've forgotten,” Onda said. “We are here atoning for the mistakes of our people. We –”

“Yeah, I've heard the same speech from every single Ranger I've killed,” he said. “You all are true believers and I guess I have to respect that. But I can give you so much more. I know the two of you better than you think. I want you by my side.”

“Who in the hell are you?” I snapped.

“He's Shadow Clan,” Onda said.

I looked from her to the man who smiled and inclined his head to her. “Indeed.”

“The Shadow Clan is just a myth –”

“Yet one more thing I've heard from all of the Rangers I've killed,” he said. “I assure you we are quite real. We are legion and we will take over Chondelai. And once we do that, we will rule the world of man as well. Now, you can either be a part of that – or not. I make this offer but once, so choose wisely. And believe me when I say, I would rather have the pair of you by my side than be forced to kill you –”

Onda was in motion before he even finished his sentence. She closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye, slicing with her sword as she thrust with her dagger. The man was fast – possibly faster than even Onda. His blades were in his hand without me being aware that he'd even moved. Steel rang on steel as he parried her attack and danced back a few steps.

“I would rather this not happen this way,” he said.

“The Shadow Clan are a disease,” Onda spat. “A blight on our people. You need to be cut out like cancer and killed. Every last one of you.”

The man sighed. “Believe me when I say, I don't want this.”

“We do,” I flicked my wrist and launched one of my throwing knives at the man.

He got his sword up in time, but reacted a moment too late. My dagger glanced off his blade and ricocheted upward, leaving a slice along his cheek. The man put his fingertips to the cut and looked at the blood on his hand. Then, he looked at me and I saw the rage flare in his eyes.

“So be it,” he said.

The man threw something at me – a small dart of some sort – but I was able to block it. He launched one at Onda and she too, was able to deflect it. He closed with Onda, his swords weaving in an intricate and almost hypnotizing dance. But she was more than ready for him and parried his every thrust and slice. A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she lured him in, using his momentum against him, and then drove her elbow straight into his nose.

From where I stood, I could hear the bones break and the man grunted in pain, taking several quick steps backward. I took a moment to look at the dart he'd thrown at us and noticed that it was an injectable – filled with silver. Our weakness. If those darts had hit their mark, he would have killed the both of us. I stooped down and picked one up off the ground.

“Not very sporting,” I said. “Silver injectables? That's how you're getting the drop on the Rangers you've been murdering.”

Blood flowed from his nose and there was a look of dark rage upon his face. “I'm not in this to be sporting,” he said, his voice carrying a hard edge to it. “I'm in this to win.”

Onda flowed across the ground smoothly, silently, her blades whirling in a deadly spin. The man looked startled for a moment and then recovered quickly, deflecting her attack. I wanted to finish this – finish him – so I waded in to press our attack.

The man wasn't some legendary swordsman. He wasn't the bogeyman we were thinking he was, given his half dozen or so Ranger kills. He was a skilled swordsman, yes. But he wasn't a god. He was simply somebody who exploited the weaknesses of others for his own advantage.

The man danced backward, parrying our thrusts and our slices. He was good with the blade – damn good with the blade – I had to give him credit. But he wasn't immortal and his essence could be snuffed out the same as any of the rest of us.

He backed himself up against a wall. And with Onda and I closing in on either side of him, he had nowhere else to go. His eyes searched all around, looking for an escape route or something he could use to his advantage – but he had nothing. He had nowhere to go.

It was over for him.

But when he looked at me, a cruel smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. I could feel the intake and build-up of energy within him and knew exactly what was about to happen.

“Dragonfire!” I called.

Onda was on the move before I'd even finished speaking. The man opened his mouth and I could see the glow of the fire within him. If I didn't move, I was going to be burned to a cinder. But then I saw that it was a feint. A ruse. As I watched him moving, I saw his true plan unfold.

“Onda, no!” I called out.

But it was too late. Believing I was about to be burned alive, she'd rushed in recklessly. Her concern for me was so great, she allowed herself to be careless – which was exactly what the man had been counting on.

As Onda closed on him, he turned his attention to her and lifted the point of his blade. It was all happening in slow motion, but I sprinted directly for him to stop what I knew was about to happen.

I was too late.

The point of his blade pierced Onda straight through the chest. She'd been moving so quickly that he used her momentum against her this time, and she'd been moving so fast, that he let her impale herself upon his sword. I watched in horror as the point of his blade burst out of her back in a spray of blood. Her eyes widened and she looked at me, as if unable to believe what had just happened.

I cried out and drove the point of my blade into the man's side. He grunted and then twisted his body, letting go of his own sword. My momentum carried us forward and I drove him to the ground, driving my blade even deeper into his body. The man cried out but had the strength to punch me, landing a hard shot that knocked me off of him.

He yanked my sword free of his body as I was getting back to my feet, my twin daggers in my hands. He looked at Onda, who writhed upon the ground, his sword protruding from her chest. I took a step toward him, but the man turned and fled, clutching the wound in his side.

I rushed to Onda, dropping to my knees beside her, tears welling in my eyes and a strangled cry of anguish escaping my throat. She looked at me, her eyes wide, her expression one of acceptance.

She knew she was going to die.

Chapter Seven

Vanessa

Hollywood was one of those places I tried to avoid, if at all possible. But it was my best friend's birthday, and Kelsey had heard there was a movie premier going on and she just had to go and see. Given that it was her birthday, and the movie featured one of her favorite actors – Ryan something or other – there didn't seem to be a way I could say no.

Personally, I didn't have the time or inclination to keep up with such things, but it made her happy. And if my best friend wanted to stand outside for hours on end with the hope of catching a glimpse of her Hollywood sweetheart, I'd be right there with her. That's just who I was. Not that I actually thought we'd see him – we were going to be surrounded by hordes of people all trying to do the same thing.

But, we made a night of it. We grabbed dinner, had some drinks, and then stood beside the red carpet – after pushing and shoving our way to the front to get the perfect view. We watched as the cars pulled up, endured the endless flashes of the paparazzi, and got to see the celebrities making their way into the theater. Kelsey was even able to snap a quick picture of Ryan something or other – along with his beautiful blonde bombshell of a wife. But she got to see him, and that made her happy. Which, of course, made me happy.

“So – what do you want to do now, birthday girl?” I said, feeling my energy start to wane, but not wanting to ruin the fun for my best friend.

“You know what? I'm actually tired. I think I want to head home and go to bed,” she laughed. “Does that make me old?”

“Maybe a little,” I said with a wink. “But if you're old, so am I. At least we can be old together.”

“Sounds like a plan,” she said. “I've been putting in so much overtime at the office lately, it's really starting to catch up with me. Seriously, this is killing me.”

“Trust me, you're preaching to the choir, Kels,” I said.

Kelsey lived in Long Beach and just needed to hop on the Blue Line train to get her home. I would simply call an Uber. We'd been smart about it and neither one of us had driven, just in case we had a bit too much to drink.

As she headed for the train station, I waved goodbye to my friend and then waited for my Uber. Which because of the red-carpet event, meant that I would be paying more for it thanks to Surge Pricing – and there would be a wait. Annoying, but one of the things you had to deal with in the big city.

I had some time to kill, so I walked down to a little coffee shop, but found it too crowded for my liking. I'd been around a crush of people all night long and was kind of over it, so I waited outside. That's when I heard a cry of pain ring out – a woman's cry of pain.

Being a nurse, I was trained to react to danger. My first instinct wasn't to call for help – it was to find out who'd been hurt and to help. Because that's what I did.

The sound came from an alleyway a block or so down, so I took off running in that direction. When I turned the corner, I nearly ran into a homeless man who was rushing out of the alley. He was mumbling something about swords and dragons to himself as he rushed out of the alley.

Ignoring him, I rushed down the alley to find out who'd been hurt. He kept walking faster, as if to get away from some danger – or maybe from something he'd done. I had to admit that my first thought upon seeing the man was that maybe he'd hurt a woman.

But there was no time to ask questions. If somebody was hurt in the alley, they might need immediate help. As I made my way down the dark, gloomy alley, it occurred to me that perhaps I should have stopped and thought about how dangerous it was to go in alone like that. But I didn't. I rushed headfirst into the situation, and stopped short when I found a woman on the ground, bleeding. A man hovered over her, trying to stem the bleeding from her chest with his hands. He was frantic, sobbing, and doing everything he could to save her.

There was no sign of an attacker – which made me think again, of the homeless man who'd been rushing out of the alley.

But there was no time for that. That was going to be a matter for the police. The woman was badly injured and needed help, so I got down on my knees next to her and started examining her injuries. The man looked at me, his face a mask of grief and confusion by my presence.

“What happened here?” I asked, pulling up her shirt to get a better look at her skin. When the man didn't answer, I looked up at him and snapped, “I'm a nurse. I may be able to help. But I need to know what happened, so pull yourself together.”

“Sh - she was stabbed,” he said.

Obviously. That much was apparent as I stared down at the gaping wound in her chest. Not in a good location at all. The woman was gasping for air, and I feared the blade she'd been stabbed with might have punctured a lung. But my biggest concern was the amount of blood pooling beneath her. She'd already lost so much – too much. Things weren't looking good.

“Onda, stay with us,” the man said, stroking her cheek. “Stay with me. Don't leave me, baby.”

Tears rolled down his face as he stared at the woman. He obviously loved her, and seeing her like that was killing him. It broke my heart for him, but there wasn't much I could really do. Sadly, I was a good enough nurse to realize when someone was too far gone.

I turned to the man. “What's your name?”

He looked at me with anger in his eyes and said something that sounded like “Glenn.”

“Alright, Glenn,” I said, trying to stay calm. “Is this your wife? Your girlfriend?”

“Aren't you going to do anything?” he screamed. “You said that you're a nurse, why are you asking me stupid questions instead of fixing her.”

He was angry, but that was to be expected in a situation like that. I didn't know how to tell him that she was too far gone, that there was nothing I could do. A lump formed in my throat as I looked down at the woman, she looked at the man with obvious love in her own eyes, but her body was already shutting down.

“Listen, you need to tell her you love her,” I said.

“What? How's that going to –” He stopped talking as the realization hit him, hard. “No, no, you're going to do something. Call someone. Do something. She can't die...”

“Glenn, tell her you love her,” I said. “I'm going to make her comfortable and call for an ambulance. But you need to just be with her right now, okay?”

I adjusted the woman's body so she was lying flat. Blood spilled out of her mouth as she stared up at us, her eyes beginning to grow blank and lifeless. But then she glanced at the man and tried to speak.

“Shh,” he said, touching her lips softly. “Don't speak, baby. It's going to be okay. I love you, alright?”

I dug the phone out of my purse and dialed 9-1-1 and as the dispatcher came on the line, I explained that we needed an ambulance. Though in all honesty, I knew we needed a coroner more than an ambulance. But I knew the right protocol was to call for an ambulance first.

It broke my heart to see the man in such despair, but I knew there was nothing anyone could do to save the woman. Not with that amount of blood she'd already lost. And not with a stab wound that deep and in her chest – so close to her heart and lungs.

As the dispatcher asked about my location, I opened my mouth to reply when a bright light shot out of the woman's chest. It took me by surprise and scared the crap out of me. It was so bright, almost blinding really, and I had no idea what in the hell it was.

“Jesus!” I cried. “What is that –”

“Miss?” the dispatcher asked on the other end. “Is everything okay?”

I couldn't bring myself to speak, I was transfixed by the light. It grew brighter and brighter, hovering above her body and swirling around in the air between the man and I. Glenn was now sobbing uncontrollably, crying out and shaking his head.

“No, no, no,” he cried, over and over again.

I was confused, stunned by what I was seeing, and just stared into it. Never had I witnessed anything like that before. My heart raced and the adrenaline was flowing freely through my body. I had never been as scared – or as curious – as I was in that moment.

As I knelt there beside the woman's body, the light continued to grow and expand, forming a nearly blinding ball. The surface of the ball seemed to crackle with energy, and the light inside swirled with color.

I stared at it, not sure what I was seeing, not understanding – and then the light engulfed me and I felt a surge of energy coursing through me. The hair on my body stood on end and my heart thundered within me like I'd just run a marathon. I opened my mouth to cry out at the intense sensations washing over me, but no sound came out. I was beyond terrified and felt myself wet my pants.

And then, all at once, I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. The blow caused me to fall backward, onto the ground. I wasn't sure if I'd hit my head on the pavement, but there was a ringing in my ears like I had. And at first, all I could see was a bright light that hurt my eyes – and that was followed by darkness.

Nothing but complete and utter darkness.

~~ooo000ooo~~

Strange voices came to me from the darkness. Voices I'd never heard before. I opened my eyes and there was a bright light shining into my eyes – bright, but not nearly as intense as the light over the woman's body. That light had somehow seemed – alive. This was a fixed light – like a flashlight.

And that's exactly what it was. As I slowly started to come back to myself, I realized that there was a man shining a light into my eyes. He was checking for a reaction from my pupils. Testing me for what – a concussion, perhaps?

“She's awake,” I heard the man say.

He turned off the light and able to see normally again, I recognized him as an EMT right away.

“You okay, darlin'?” he asked me. “Looks like you took quite the spill.”

My head was killing me. The pounding was intense and a sharp pain tore through my head and made me cry out.

The EMT said, “Possible concussion,” he said. “No sign of assault, but let's get her on a cart and take her in.”

“No,” I groaned. “I'm fine. I'm a nurse. I'm not the one needing help anyway, she is –”

I glanced up and saw that the two people who'd been there earlier – the man and the woman with the stab wound – were gone. There was no sign of them. There was nothing. I saw that her blood was still pooled on the ground – but there was no body. No man. Nothing.

I wondered if the EMT's had already taken care of her. Given that her wound was far more serious than mine, that would have been the right call. The EMT looked over to where I was staring then back at me, concern coloring his features.

“Do you know anything about that?” he asked, motioning to the blood. “That's a lot of blood, and it sure didn't come from you.”

“There was a woman,” I said, trying to think back to what happened. “And a man. She was stabbed and dying. That's why I called for help.”

The EMT looked up at his partner who was standing close by and both looked confused.

“What?” I asked, trying to sit up. I was dizzy, but I pushed through it. “Where did they go?”

“Miss,” the EMT said, “there was no one here with you when we found you. You were alone. We responded to a call, which the dispatcher had to trace, and found you here.”

“But how could they –” I tried to think back but found that my memory was fuzzy. Clouded.

There was no way the woman could have walked out of that alley on her own. She was going to die, I had no doubt. Had the man carried her out? But why? And where could they have gone?

“I don't know what happened,” the EMT said. “But that's not for us to figure out. We're here to take care of you, miss. Tell me, what's your name?”

“Vanessa,” I said. “Vanessa Diaz. I'm a pediatric nurse, and I promise you, I wasn't hurt.”

If that was true though, why did my head hurt so badly? I felt strange too – something inside of me just didn't feel quite right. Maybe they were right. Maybe I did have a concussion. Though it didn't feel a concussion – I wasn't experiencing the typical symptoms But I definitely felt out of sorts. Not like myself.

“Alright, Vanessa,” he said, standing up. “We're just going to take you in for a few tests. Better safe than sorry.”

As much as I wanted to fight it, I knew he was right. I nodded and let them help me into the ambulance.

Chapter Eight

At the hospital, they found no sign of a concussion and after a few hours, released me. I was relieved to get home, to my own bed – even if I'd only get to sleep for a few hours. Sure, maybe a sane person would have called in sick and taken the day off, but the hospital was already short-staffed. I knew if I called in, there wouldn't be anybody to replace me. And the kids needed me.

Still, I laid in bed that night – or, what was left of it – unable to fall asleep for the most part. It seemed like every time I was able to doze off, I had the strangest dreams. I kept seeing the dead woman – I thought the man had called her Onda – lying on the ground in a pool of blood.

But the dream also included what the homeless man had said before – he'd said something about dragons and that was the image floating through my mind. I saw the man – Onda's husband – turning into a dragon and carrying his dead beloved away. Carried her away to where, I hadn't the first clue, but in the dream I just stared in awe at it all.

But it was a dream. Just a silly, strange dream. And I was still no closer to the truth than I was before.

My alarm sounded and I awoke feeling exhausted and wrung out. But more than that, I felt strange and not entirely like myself. I assumed that was to be expected after seeing a woman murdered in the street. I climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom, where I did my business. As I stood up to wash my hands, I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror. Just the briefest glance, but it made me stop and look again. As I stared at myself, a shot of adrenaline tore through me, making my heart speed up.

“What in the –” I pulled a section of my hair forward. My normal dark hair had a thick, shimmery white streak in it. “Gray hair doesn't just happen overnight.”

It was bizarre and I had no idea where it came from, but I had to admit that it looked pretty damn cool. In a way. How that streak had gotten in my hair was a mystery though – I never dyed my hair, I just let it do its thing. I had naturally dark brown hair. In truth, it was almost black. Always had.

Except now, I had a thick, silvery white streak running through my head.

I glanced at my phone, checking the time. I was already running late and wouldn't have time to run by Miggy's or even go for a run. I'd slept in for the first time in forever – but again, who could blame me? After what happened last night, I'd have been surprised if I woke up my normal, cheery, on-time self.

I quickly showered and tried to forget about the hair. It might be worth mentioning to one of the doctors I worked with, just to see if they'd ever seen anything like it before and whether it was an indicator of a problem, but for now, I pulled my hair back into high bun, hoping to conceal it as much as possible.

Easier said than done.

I brushed my teeth and stared at myself in the mirror. It felt weird to be looking at my reflection. Besides just the streak of white hair, I didn't look like myself. Something just felt – off. It wasn't anything I could pinpoint, but my reflection didn't seem to look like me at all. Or maybe I was so exhausted and emotionally drained that my perception was off.

But I didn't have time to think about it, I had to go. Grabbing my bag, I hurried out the door and headed to work, ready to start my day.

~~ooo000ooo~~

“Whoa, what happened to you?” Donna asked the moment she saw me.

“I had a rough night.”

I couldn't even bring myself to smile or make a joke about what happened, nor did I want to talk about it. Donna reached out to touch my arm, gently, as if to offer me support, but I pulled my arm back suddenly and without warning. She looked stunned and I looked back at her with wide eyes, surprised at my reaction.

“I'm sorry,” Donna said quickly. “I didn't mean –”

“I don't know why I just did that,” I said quietly. “I'm sorry, I...”

“Oh honey,” she said, “you sure you're feeling okay?”

“I'm fine,” I snapped.

I never snapped, and Donna looked genuinely hurt by it, which made me feel bad. But I also just wanted to be left alone, which was so unlike me normally.

I told myself that I was just tired and needed to give myself a break. I'd been up incredibly late, had been witness to a woman's death – a murder, no less – and then had the body simply disappear. It hadn't exactly been a typical, run of the mill night. I should be expected to be a little punchy. The police were looking into it, but I had no idea if anything would come of it.

The whole thing made me wonder if I was going crazy.

“I'm sorry, Donna,” I said. “I – I have rounds to do.”

Donna simply nodded and I left the room, shaking my head as I went. I had no idea what had just happened or why I'd reacted to Donna the way I had. It made no sense and was completely out of character for me.

I gave myself a mental kick in the pants and tried to focus on the task at hand. I had kids depending on me – everything else would have to wait until I had time to sort it all out. And as soon as I stepped into Anna's room, she smiled and gleefully.

“Vanessa!” she called.

“Anna!” I said, trying to sound just as excited, but for some reason, it came out sounding flat.

I feigned a smile and took a look at her notes. She had another round of chemo yesterday and she was on pain meds. Everything was looking fine and I really didn't have to do much with her today as long as she felt okay.

“How you feeling?” I asked, getting straight to the point. “No more pain?”

“No more pain,” Anna said, smiling brightly. “Thanks to you.”

“Thanks to modern medicine,” I said with a dry laugh. “In either case, I'm glad you're feeling better. Anything else you want to talk about?”

Anna cocked her head to the side and looked at me carefully, almost like she didn't recognize me.

“Your hair is different,” she said. “Did you color it?”

“Oh yeah, that?” I said, not quite sure how to respond – so I lied. “Yes, I did. Do you like it?”

“I love it,” she squealed. “Maybe I can do my hair like that when it grows back and we can be twins.”

“Yeah, I'd like that.”

Her happiness should have made me happy, but for some reason, I just felt so empty inside. I didn't like the way I felt, not one little bit. Anna deserved better than that. Sure, it was likely a temporary side effect of what happened last night, but it still scared me. Scared me enough to consider going back to the doctor and asking if maybe this was a symptom of hitting my head. Even though there was no sign I'd actually hit my head – it appeared that I'd just blacked out.

But something was causing me to feel the way I felt. There had to be something wrong. And I really wanted to know what it was.

I stood up to leave when an overwhelming sensation washed over me. I held tightly to Anna's bed as the room spun around me. But instead of the room, I was in the air. I was flying over the hospital instead of standing inside of it.

“Vanessa?” Anna asked. Her voice sounded so distant. “Are you okay?”

I wasn't alone in the sky. There was another. I looked over and saw him there, a massive beast with large wings and blueish green reptilian skin. The creature looked at me and I felt a connection. A bond. There was a familiarity between us that was comforting.

Then the hallucination shifted before my very eyes. There was fire. Lots and lots of fire. Coming from inside of me, nonetheless. I felt it burning as it rose from my chest and exploded out through my mouth, scorching the world around me. And the creature who flew by my side before was with me. He was fighting alongside me, blowing a column of fire from his mouth as well.

And I knew his name. His name was Glyn. Not Glenn like I thought I'd heard the night before. And yes, it was the same man from the alley, I knew it. Somehow, I somehow just knew this dragon-creature and the man in the alley were one and the same, even though there was no logical or rational reason to think such things.

But I was connected to Glyn. And he was connected to me.

“Vanessa!” Anna's voice cut through the fantasy and the visions started to blur. My body trembled as I fell to the ground, shaking and shuddering wildly.

And once again, the world went black.

Chapter Nine

Glyn

I stared at the floor, but really, I was staring into nothingness. I wasn't looking at anything in particular. Not that I could focus on anything anyway. I was just sitting there, lost inside of my head. I wanted to be left alone. Yet, Quint sat across from me, and when I looked up briefly, I saw the pained look on his face.

“Glyn, I'm –”

“Don't you dare say you're sorry,” I said, shaking my head. “I'm tired of hearing it already and she's only been gone a few hours.”

Quint nodded. “I don't know what to say, Glyn,” he said. “I know how much you loved her.”

That was an understatement if I'd ever heard one before.

“I've taken you off that case,” he said softly. “I know it's too close to home for you right now –”

“No, don't you dare,” I hissed. “Or Onda's death will be in vain. I am going to be the one to find him and I'm going to be the one to kill him. You put us on this to begin with, don't you dare take me off of it now.”

Tears burned my eyes, but I fought with myself to not let them fall. I couldn't cry. Not when there was so much work to do. I would honor Onda's memory by finding and killing the bastard who'd taken her from me and would mourn her later. I needed to see him dead by my hand. I needed to kill him.

Without Onda, that was the only thing I had to live for.

“I understand,” Quint said. “But until we know more, perhaps you should take some time off. To mourn.”

I slammed my fists down onto the table and stared up at Quint, the anger in me bubbling up and threatening to boil over.

“You understand?” I snapped. “Like hell you do. Your woman is safe and secure in her bookstore right now, Quint. She wasn't cut down in front of you.”

I shouldn't have blamed Quint, and deep down, I didn't. I was just angry at the world, and he was there. He was an easy target and made for an easy punching bag. But he didn't know what I was feeling. It was my fault Onda was dead. If she hadn't rushed in, thinking she was protecting me from getting blasted with Dragonfire, she'd still be alive. And maybe, that prick would be dead instead.

But she had rushed in. Because she thought she was saving me. So no, Quint didn't know how I felt. He couldn't.

“I understand you've also taken another assignment,” Quint said. “Already?”

“I need to kill something,” I said, growling as I spoke. “Even if it's not the thing that killed Onda. I need to be active. Need to kill something. Anything.”

Quint could always veto it, but as he looked over at me, I could tell he was as lost as I was. While Onda didn't mean the same thing to him that she did to me, she was still important to him. He still valued and cared for her – as more than just a Ranger. As a person. And I knew that.

“I really don't know what to make of all this, Glyn,” he said. “I don't know if I should let you –”

“Either let me complete these missions or I'll complete them without your consent anyway,” I said. “Whether you give me your blessing or not, I'm going to be out there hunting, Quint.”

To complete a mission without consent of the Warden would likely get me into a lot of trouble. Perhaps even demoted and sent back to Chondelai in disgrace. You never disobeyed your Warden and in the past, I'd never even considered it. Quint never steered me wrong, and to even fathom the idea was well outside the norm for me. Quint knew I was one of the best Rangers he had – second best to Onda. But she was gone now. And he wasn't going to have me sent away for doing my job – even if he didn't approve.

I sighed and looked at him. “Look, Quint,” I said. “I'm sorry. I'm just all – I just need to keep busy. I need the distraction. The last thing I need to do is go sit somewhere and drink my sorrows away. I need to hunt.”

He looked at me a long moment and then nodded. “Okay then,” he said. “Maybe you're right.”

I gave him a nod and felt the darkness inside of me begin to swirl about. I was angry. Beyond angry. I would find the prick who took Onda from me and I would kill him. Until then though, I was going to kill everything that crossed my path.

I stood up to leave, but Quint stopped me again. “Please be careful, Glyn,” he said. “You dying won't bring Onda back –”

“But me living won't either,” I said as I walked out the door. Under my breath, I muttered, “And living isn't worth much without her here with me.”

~~ooo000ooo~~

The Xar'urs were a rare catch. And they were the reason I'd taken on that specific mission in the first place. They were small, rare, and brutal as hell. They hid themselves pretty well, living among the shadows, in sewers, in shrubs.

When humans heard them scurrying around, they likely assumed they were large rats and got out of dodge. Which was a smart move. If the humans ever got a look at the Xar'urs, they'd have nightmares for the rest of their lives.

The Xar'urs weren't interested in human blood though, so they stayed away from people for the most part. Every once in a while, I'd heard a story about somebody getting in the way of one of those nasty little creatures and that never worked out too well for them. No person I'd ever heard of, had ever run into one of those little monsters and lived to tell the tale.

No, what the Xars – as we called them – feasted upon was Dragonborn flesh and blood. And when they got hold of one of our kind, they feasted – nothing was ever left to waste. No bone. No tissue. No blood. Nothing. Like a school of piranha, they'd devour an entire Dragonborn in minutes.

Technically, they were like parasites – but they were larger than what people typically assumed when they thought of a parasite. And they could grow even larger in battle. A few of the Xars had been spotted and a colony had been rumored to be in Los Angeles. And while this would normally be a job for a team, I took it on by myself. My partner was dead and no one else would do. I was determined to find and clean out the colony on my own.

I approached the area where they'd last been seen – the place it was believed the colony had carved out a home. It was an alleyway much like the one I'd lost Onda in. I tried not to think about it too much, tried to push it out of my head and focus on the task at hand.

But damn it was hard. I kept seeing Onda's face flashing before my eyes. I kept hearing her voice. Her laugh. Felt her touch. All of the memories came rushing to the surface and it was killing me.

I also kept expecting the traitor from the Shadow Clan to jump out of the shadows like some jack-in-the-box from hell and try to kill me. In fact, I was half-hoping for it. I wanted to fight him. I wanted to fight him so bad, it hurt.

Eventually, we were going to fight and either he'd kill me or I'd kill him. There was no other way around it.

I had finally managed to quiet my brain and center myself when I heard something skittering behind a dumpster. Stepping forward, I pulled the dumpster back and found exactly what I'd been looking for. I'd found the entrance to their colony. There was a large opening in the brick wall of the dilapidated building – large enough that even I could climb through. This building must have been the place they called home – which meant there was probably an entire colony of those bastards waiting for me inside.

The right, smart thing to do would have been to reach out for backup. Because who knew how many of them were actually in there. And given the fact that they very probably outnumbered me by a significant margin, the odds that I would be eaten alive were pretty high.

As if my thoughts had summoned them, a pair of them crawled out of the hole, scowling up at me with their rat-like eyes. Sensing the threat, the creatures hissed just before lunging toward me. But I was ready and I had the upper hand. In one smooth motion, I drew my sword and sliced the head off one, and then the other.

More were coming, I could hear their feet scrabbling in the concrete tunnels. The good thing about the Xars was that they weren't all that bright. Given that I was the one standing outside, sword in hand, ready to lop off heads one-by-one as they came out of the tunnel, the upper hand was mine. It was almost too easy, I thought to myself.

As they appeared, I lopped off a few more heads, feeling like this could be a long night of what was becoming a monotonous activity. It was then that I heard a noise in the alley behind me. Turning around, I saw the Queen Xar standing behind me. I knew she was the queen because of her size. Unlike her minions, she was human-sized and had multiple eyes all over her head – all of them blinking at me. An amused smile crossed her face as she hissed at me.

“Foolish creature,” she said. “Coming here all by yourself. Do you know what you've stumbled upon, reptile?”

“Yeah, a bunch of dead rats,” I spat back. “Or at least, soon to be dead rats.”

It was silly, but we were exchanging petty insults – they hated being compared to rats as much as we hated to be called reptiles. It wasn't a fitting description for either of our kind. I wasn't a reptile, she wasn't a rat. More accurately, I'd say she was a mix between rat and spider, blended with some other mystical beings not otherwise seen in the world of man. They were creatures purely of Chondelai who'd carved out a niche.

“You have perhaps, killed a few of my soldiers,” she said with a shrug as she slinked toward me. “But there are many, many more where they came from. And you also have me to deal with, of course.”

Hissing came from behind me as more and more of the creatures scurried out of the tunnels, but I couldn't take my eyes off the Queen. She bared her teeth – tiny, pointed little daggers as sharp as knives – as she glided toward me.

Quickly sheathing my sword, I knew that there was no way I was going to be able to beat them all with a blade. If I wanted to survive, I only had one choice. A choice that was frowned upon to use where so many eyes could be watching – but there was no other option.

The bones in my body shifted and moved beneath my skin and I felt the burning in my chest as I shifted into my dragon form, quickly taking shape. With a single powerful swish of my tail, I threw the Xars who were gathering behind me down the alley. Some of them slammed into the brick walls of the building, their bodies cracking from the force of my tail.

“Amusing,” the Queen hissed. “But ultimately futile. We are legion, Dragonborn.”

I felt the fire burning in my chest, ready to explode. I was afraid of letting loose a blast of Dragonfire carelessly though, for fear of burning half the city down. I'd need to use it judiciously – and make sure I could take out the Queen in the burst. I flicked a group of the creatures who'd grabbed onto my tail, throwing them into the wall with all of my strength. There were so many of them though – I hadn't really thought things through. They were moving fast, swarming, and coming at me from all angles.

But I was moving, turning, fighting, smashing them with my powerful claws and tail – and then found myself pinned against the brick building. I was trapped. What seemed like hundreds, maybe thousands, of the Xars gathered, all of them anticipating a feast of dragon flesh.

The thought drifted through my mind that I might be going out that way. My only solace, was that at least I could be with Onda again – wherever she was.

I growled low though, I wouldn't dishonor her memory by giving up. If I was going to go down – which seemed likely at the moment – I wasn't going down without a fight.

I opened my jaws and let go a burst of my flame, igniting as many of them as I could. Little balls of flame scurried around, squealing and hissing in agony as they burned. But it wasn't enough. Even as they ran hissing and crying, burning to death from the dragonfire, there were more already gathering to take their place.

And more beyond that.

The line of Xars stretched down the alleyway as far as the eye could see. And the Queen simply stood amongst them, laughing.

The sound of the Xars squealing, steel ringing, and the pounding of footsteps in the alleyway made both the Queen and I look up in surprise. It was a familiar sound to me – one that caused me to curse at myself.

Quint and another Ranger – Dezo – rushed down into the alley, cutting down the creatures left and right. They waded into the fight to wipe out the Xars – or to save my ass, would probably be a more accurate description.

I shifted back into my own human form and although I was naked, I took up my sword once more. The three of us moved and flowed like the seasoned warriors we were, cutting down Xars by the score. Once we had the Xar on the run – the creatures were fleeing for cover – I saw fear in the eyes of the Queen.

Some of her most loyal soldiers stood to fight, to defend their Queen, but it was a lost cause. The three of us struck them all down, leaving just the Queen for us.

“Please,” she begged. “Spare my life.”

“Why should we?” I spat.

“I will never trouble you again,” her voice cracked with emotion. “Show mercy.”

Quint stepped forward, his face hardened, his muscles tensed. “No.”

With one quick movement, he'd lopped the head off the Queen. It hit the pavement of the alley with a wet, meaty sound, and it was all over. Hundreds of the Xar had escaped, but that wasn't our concern at the moment. We'd eventually have to exterminate them, but they posed no real threat to humanity, so that was for another time.

I looked over at Quint and Dezo and felt the anger in me – as irrational as it was – bubble up again. I turned to them, rage burning in my eyes.

“Damn you, Quint,” I said. “I had it under control.”

“Oh, is that what you call that?” he asked. “Because from where I stood, it looked like you were just about to have the flesh stripped off your bones.”

“Yeah? Well I did,” I spat. “I had it under control. I was under control.”

“If you had it under control, why did you shift? You know we're not supposed to shift where we can be seen,” he said and then very pointedly looked around at the buildings surrounding us. “And clearly, we very well could have been seen.”

Quint walked over to me, his jaw clenched and anger in his face. He pushed me against the building, holding me in place and stared me straight in the eyes for a long moment.

“I know what you're doing, Glyn,” he said. “You're trying to get yourself killed. And if that's your plan, okay, fine. I don't like it, but I'm in no position to tell you what to do with your life. But in the process of committing suicide, you could have left a nest of Xar in the city – along with their damn Queen – and put us all in danger. You did not have it under control, Glyn. You don't even have control of yourself.”

He stared at me for a moment and I had no reply. What could I say? I couldn't refute his words. I simply stared back at him and waited for the lecture to be over.

“We saved your ass,” he snapped. “A simple thank you would suffice next time.”

He let me go and the anger in me rose up, making me clench my fists. If he wasn't my Warden, I would have taken him down. But I respected Quint. Dezo, on the other hand, stood to the side of the alley with a cocky grin on his face.

“What are you staring at, man?” I shouted at him.

“A man on a suicide mission, that's what,” Dezo said, shaking his head.

“Come on, Glyn,” Quint said. “Mission is over. Let's head back.”

I stood where I was – basically pouting – and didn't follow the two men for a moment. For one thing, I was naked – I'd lost my clothes in the shift. But also, I wasn't sure I wanted to go back with them.

Maybe they were right. Maybe I was a man with a death wish. But wasn't it whether I lived or died my choice to make?

“Come on, Glyn,” Quint said. “I'm not going to ask again.”

Dezo smirked at me and tossed me the trench coat he'd been wearing. I mumbled a “thanks” under my breath as I covered up my body.

“You're welcome,” Dezo said. “For the coat and for saving your ass.”

Chapter Ten

Vanessa

“Where am I?” I asked as my eyes snapped open and I sat up abruptly.

I woke from a dream-filled sleep – one filled with dragons and fire and mystical lands that reminded me of fairy tales – and found myself in a bright room, lying in a bed that wasn't my own.

The familiar beeping sound rang in my ears and told me all I needed to know. I was in the hospital. Not because I was working – I was lying in a hospital bed. I looked down at the tubes and wires sticking out of me and saw that I'd been hooked up to a heart rate monitor.

I was no longer on the pediatric floor, I could tell that much. I was alone in the room I'd woken up in and realized that I was in the emergency room. I was alone and there was no one available to tell me what happened or how I'd gotten there. I picked up the call button, buzzed for the nurse and waited.

A few minutes later, a perky, young blonde girl I didn't recognize came in, flashing me a big smile.

“Oh, you're finally up, Ms. Diaz!” she said, a little too sweetly for my liking. “You gave us all quite the scare.”

“What happened?” I mumbled.

My head felt weird again – it was like there was something inside of it trying to hammer its way out. And hearing her call me Ms. Diaz grated on me. It didn't feel right – almost like it wasn't my name.

“Well, you were working on the pediatric floor when you had a seizure, and –”

“Wait, I had a seizure?”