Bite Back 05 - Angel Stakes by Mark Henwick

table, one, two, three: “A mature dragon, working within a suitable community, in today’s world. Yes, certainly. However, an immature dragon, without guidance, is simply a danger to the whole world.”
    I couldn’t shut up any more. “Well, we don’t know where they are. And, from my experience, they’re no danger to anyone who isn’t attacking them.”
    Or maybe hunting them , I wanted to add.
    “I gather whatever the lack of association between Altau and Adepts, you must have some kind of association with the host,” Huang said. “Tullah Autplumes, I believe her name is?”
    “Autplumes-Leung,” I said. Nothing they couldn’t find out. “There’s nothing formal. I have no way of contacting them.”
    And if I did, I wouldn’t say.
    I’d decided that I didn’t trust the Empire of Heaven.
    But what if there really was a danger to Tullah and Kaothos? An injury? I had to talk to Diana. She had to know of some way to contact them.
    “Yet you may hold the answer,” Huang said. “As you seem to know them well enough to have an opinion on their state of mind, then maybe, in your subconscious, there is a clue to where they would be now. I offer my services again. You could defuse the Ibarre situation and we might find a hint to where the dragon could be.”
    “You mean read my memories of New Mexico?”
    “Yes. Nothing else, and I must emphasize again, Tullah and her dragon may be suffering, even dying, from the effects of destroying that lock on the Kumemnon.”
    Skylur was about to speak, but I’d had enough and interrupted.
    “Thank you, but I’m sorry, you and House Ibarre will not have my agreement to go digging in my head. Quite apart from the fact that it’s just political maneuvering, I have been appointed syndesmon to the Were. There were things that happened in New Mexico that the Were regard as confidential, and I’m not about to let Athanate see them, any more than I would allow it the other way around.”
    Huang blinked. He hadn’t expected that. Good.
    “Your Adepts are welcome to continue searching in North America,” Skylur said smoothly. “However, I must insist they be accompanied by Altau security, not just for their own safety, but also, as they are acting for an Athanate organization, to prevent any claim of precedence in my domain by other Athanate groups.”
    Without really planning it, we had Huang caught like a fish.
    The question was, what effect would that have? Was he going to cause a problem in the new Assembly? Would he simply return home? Or would he ignore Skylur’s demands?
 

Chapter 13
     
    Skylur and Tarez took Huang off, leaving Yelena and me to fume until we got the all clear.
    Bian came in with bacon burgers as a peace offering.
    “We’re still loading Huang’s guys up with our security,” she said. “Skylur says to hold on until that’s done, ’cos Huang really has the hots for you. Your excuse about syndesmon wouldn’t mean shit to him.”
    “Not an excuse,” I said, “it’s a reason. And I’ve gotta get doing something again or I really will go crazy.”
    “Huh,” she grimaced. “Thing is, I’m not sure you’re done with therapy, Round-eye.”
    “What does Diana say? I’ve got to talk to her anyway.”
    “Not available.” Bian’s face closed.
    Worrying. Bian doesn’t know what’s going on?
    She huffed. “Well, if you have to be doing things then I think it’s time to start Tarez’s tasks—get your House in order, Round-eye.”
    “Dominé?” I asked, with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.
    “Got to do it sometime.” She looked at her cell. “And already, Tarez is messaging about requests for you to contact the local Were. We could do with help from them tracking Basilikos while we’re so short-handed.” She slid the phone back in her pocket. “Once you get going again, the pace is going to go crazy. Binding Dominé is an easy start.”
    “Can you help?” I said. “I mean with Dominé. I’ve