say you’re sorry .
I was sure she’d understand being used as a pawn to teach Red a much needed lesson. Really, I didn’t know why he was mad at me , unless it let him not face having turned coward on the battlefield, abandoning me in my struggle with the Blue Star Priestess. Aggie, Red’s wife, was going to be mightily wroth with me. I just hoped she’d be madder at Red, and would twist his arm so he’d do the right thing. I really wanted to trust the guy doing my tats, and I didn’t want to have to break in a new artist.
Musing and ambling along, I eventually came to the address I wanted. The building looked like a three-story factory on the outside, red stone, concrete pillars, and a lot of glass windows. Numerous people passed me, many with lingering glances as they scented more than dragon in me. They were of many clans, wings of countless rainbow shades on their human bodies. Those fully changed into dragon kept to the upper levels of the city with its sky roads, or winged across the tawny-gold sky.
I went in. Despite the rough look of the building, the inside was clean and lacking in machinery. Instead, the great vaulting spaces were devoted to mentoring. Red Dragon Clan children were sitting in groups, being lectured, or working one on one with instructors on shape-shifting and flame attacks. I left my shirt and coat on an iron bench by the door and went up to a desk where several oversized men stood in red leather longcoats and black boots. One of the men had red eyes and copper hair. The other was bald and wore rectangular sunglasses, red lenses on a black metal frame.
They looked me over as I closed in, especially eyeing the golden wings. As I stopped, big iron rivets in the oak floor boards near my feet pulled in little yellow jags of electrical fire, helping to ground me. There were soft crackles and a smell of ozone around me since I’d come to this world. It was starting to feel normal.
Copper Hair just stared like a trained attack dog, waiting for a call to lunch. Sunglasses said, “What do you want?”
“Not to have to kill anyone. I’m Caine Deathwalker, the Red Moon Demon, and I’m here for my daughter, Julie. Sweet little thing, thirteen years old, green eyes, short black hair, usually found carrying a stuffed green dragon that I gave her. I’d introduced myself with a having red in it, not gold. I hoped, subconsciously, that might influence them just a little.
The two men exchanged a fast glance. Copper Hair said, “Julianna, that’s Red’s kid.”
I explained, “He’s a foster father, like I am. The girl’s mother died in my arms. I found Julie the best home I could. I couldn’t very well take her to the Golden Dragon Clan. They’re just now acknowledging me .” I pointed to the tats on my torso. “Hey, Red does good work, doesn’t he? Best ink man I know. That’s why I brought the kid to him.”
Shades nodded. “Yeah, gotta come to the Red Clan for quality people and expertise. I got some ink from him myself. I recognize the style on you. From the amount of ink on you, I’d say you’re his best customer.”
“Sure,” I smiled. “He and I go way back. We’ve fought battles together. I’m not here to bother anyone, it’s just been a long time since the girl’s got to do anything but school, or work at Red’s. I thought I’d treat her to night out in the human world.”
Copper Hair pursed his lips eyes staring off into the distance. “I haven’t been there since the fifteenth century. Villagers still handing over virgins to passing dragons?”
I sighed with regret. “Hard to find a virgin anywhere anymore.”
Shades said, “You realize we need more than your say so, right?”
“Just ask the girl who I am,” I said. Not that it can be that easy.
Copper Hair shook his head no. “We’ll call her teacher over. She’ll clear you, then you guys can go run
I was sure she’d understand being used as a pawn to teach Red a much needed lesson. Really, I didn’t know why he was mad at me , unless it let him not face having turned coward on the battlefield, abandoning me in my struggle with the Blue Star Priestess. Aggie, Red’s wife, was going to be mightily wroth with me. I just hoped she’d be madder at Red, and would twist his arm so he’d do the right thing. I really wanted to trust the guy doing my tats, and I didn’t want to have to break in a new artist.
Musing and ambling along, I eventually came to the address I wanted. The building looked like a three-story factory on the outside, red stone, concrete pillars, and a lot of glass windows. Numerous people passed me, many with lingering glances as they scented more than dragon in me. They were of many clans, wings of countless rainbow shades on their human bodies. Those fully changed into dragon kept to the upper levels of the city with its sky roads, or winged across the tawny-gold sky.
I went in. Despite the rough look of the building, the inside was clean and lacking in machinery. Instead, the great vaulting spaces were devoted to mentoring. Red Dragon Clan children were sitting in groups, being lectured, or working one on one with instructors on shape-shifting and flame attacks. I left my shirt and coat on an iron bench by the door and went up to a desk where several oversized men stood in red leather longcoats and black boots. One of the men had red eyes and copper hair. The other was bald and wore rectangular sunglasses, red lenses on a black metal frame.
They looked me over as I closed in, especially eyeing the golden wings. As I stopped, big iron rivets in the oak floor boards near my feet pulled in little yellow jags of electrical fire, helping to ground me. There were soft crackles and a smell of ozone around me since I’d come to this world. It was starting to feel normal.
Copper Hair just stared like a trained attack dog, waiting for a call to lunch. Sunglasses said, “What do you want?”
“Not to have to kill anyone. I’m Caine Deathwalker, the Red Moon Demon, and I’m here for my daughter, Julie. Sweet little thing, thirteen years old, green eyes, short black hair, usually found carrying a stuffed green dragon that I gave her. I’d introduced myself with a having red in it, not gold. I hoped, subconsciously, that might influence them just a little.
The two men exchanged a fast glance. Copper Hair said, “Julianna, that’s Red’s kid.”
I explained, “He’s a foster father, like I am. The girl’s mother died in my arms. I found Julie the best home I could. I couldn’t very well take her to the Golden Dragon Clan. They’re just now acknowledging me .” I pointed to the tats on my torso. “Hey, Red does good work, doesn’t he? Best ink man I know. That’s why I brought the kid to him.”
Shades nodded. “Yeah, gotta come to the Red Clan for quality people and expertise. I got some ink from him myself. I recognize the style on you. From the amount of ink on you, I’d say you’re his best customer.”
“Sure,” I smiled. “He and I go way back. We’ve fought battles together. I’m not here to bother anyone, it’s just been a long time since the girl’s got to do anything but school, or work at Red’s. I thought I’d treat her to night out in the human world.”
Copper Hair pursed his lips eyes staring off into the distance. “I haven’t been there since the fifteenth century. Villagers still handing over virgins to passing dragons?”
I sighed with regret. “Hard to find a virgin anywhere anymore.”
Shades said, “You realize we need more than your say so, right?”
“Just ask the girl who I am,” I said. Not that it can be that easy.
Copper Hair shook his head no. “We’ll call her teacher over. She’ll clear you, then you guys can go run
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