“It is expected that you sit with my lieutenants,” Alec said by way of introduction. The six men looked straight ahead and did not greet her or meet her curious glances. Leo sat to her right, and a man who looked like the Canadian MMA fighter Georges St. Pierre sat to her left. In the next seat hulked a swarthy bodybuilder crossed with a computer geek, and on the other side of Leo was a man who looked like he might be Native American. The remaining lieutenants were dark-haired, but too far away for her to make out their features.
Walking to a microphone, Alec smiled at the five hundred or so human-formed dragons. His demeanor immediately changed to that of welcoming host. “You may rise.” He swept an open palm over the crowd, and the assembly rose in a brightly colored wave.
The wind whipped against the side of the casino, reminding Lucy of the height, and her peril. The dragons stood at attention, silent and still, not fidgeting or making a sound. One hundred feet away, at the edge of the crowd, an iron cage sat in a corner. Joey stood inside, his hands wrapped around the bars. Lucy’s stomach clutched, and she rose to go to him, but then forced herself back down.
Alec first—then Joey—she reminded herself.
Joey appeared interested but otherwise unperturbed by the bizarre happenings. He was probably safer in the cage, anyway. He gave her a cocky smile and raised a glass with a dark drink to her. Looked like he even managed to finally get his Jack and Coke.
“I’m pleased that we have every family, from every fold in the world, represented here tonight,” Alec began. “For some of you, this is your first bonding ceremony. For others, such a night has come and gone before.” Alec thumped his right fist over his heart and every dragon followed his action.
Lucy brought her fist to her chest, and five hundred sets of eyes watched her mimic Alec’s gesture. She felt like an imposter, but she kept her chin up and managed a regal smile.
The dragons were striking to look at, all fine-featured and fit. Faces from the Far East stood together on the right, while others with the darker skin of southern climates grouped in the middle.
In the back, the pale hair and visage of the people of the north gathered together. Lucy saw Lil standing with the northerners and tried to catch her eye, but Lil only watched Alec. To the right of the stage, dragons with the hodgepodge features of North American immigrants watched, and so on.
Around the world in one fell glance.
“Our numbers have fallen, and our successful bondings have been too few,” Alec continued. “We have lost too many good dragons for a lack of a mate.” The crowd shuffled and exchanged quiet words. “No more. I offer sanctuary to any dragon who wishes to stay at the Crown Jewel. The seven towers around us have been built to house the dragon folds from the seven continents. You need only follow the ancient code and honor your pledge of fidelity to me to stay.”
“Jer’ol. Jer’ol. Jer’ol.” The dragons intoned as if on cue.
A shiver went up Lucy’s spine. The crowd spoke as though there were puppeteered by marionette strings. Their chant was indeed cultish and definitely creepy. Lucy searched for emotion on the faces in front of the stage but saw none.
“We have let our differences divide us into petty quarrels,” Alec said. “No more. We are united. There will be no more fighting.” The dragons looked right and left at their brethren, but did not comment. “I wish you success in fostering the next generation. We’re few today, but this time next year, we will be many.”
Finally, the crowd reacted. They raised their hands and clapped together in rhythmic applause, eerie for its controlled, non-spontaneous sound. Lucy clutched the armrest and shifted on her seat.
Leo, Alec’s square-jawed, Thor-like lieutenant gave her a frown. “Steady there, Luciana.”
“What do the different clothing colors mean?” Lucy leaned toward Leo.
Leo stopped clapping and spoke into her ear. “There are four different kinds of dragons.” He pointed to the crowd. “Everyone’s ceremonial clothing color matches their dragon forms. Over there are the storm dragons, from the west. They are yellows and browns.”
Leo gestured to his own red tunic and pants with an orange belt. “I am a fire dragon from the south. We wear reds and oranges.”
“What about the blues?” Lucy asked.
“Water dragons, from the east.” Leo pointed to a white and green clad group on the right. “And those are the ice dragons from the north. Only Alec may wear black, because black is all of the colors put together.”
“Why are my clothes red?”
“Alec was from the south before he was King. It seemed fitting to acknowledge his origins with his mate’s colors.”
“So much custom and pageantry…” Lucy looked over the crowd. You didn’t have to be a dragon to feel their pulsing anticipation. Their building excitement was contagious.
“The festivities will begin with the traditional dance.” Alec quieted the crowd with his words. “Please line up by fold and gender. You will adhere to the ancient code when identifying your mate. Anyone disrespecting my house will be banished for the rest of the ceremony.”
A hushed murmur went through the crowd before they silenced themselves. Lucy could tell by their rigid postures that no one wanted to risk banishment. The crowd was as eager as a sprinter in the blocks.
“Tonight is about the next generation.” Alec opened his hands to the air and smiled. “We’ll begin when the moon is directly overhead.” Cheering broke out and the people began to mingle.
Alec’s lieutenants rose in unison and approached him at the microphone.
Lucy watched the reverential way they addressed Alec. A combination of pride and longing clogged her chest. She swallowed and dropped her chin to hide the rush of sadness that swamped her.
“How are you feeling?” The doctor sat in the vacant seat beside her. He wore brown clothing with a yellow sash.
“Okay,” Lucy said with a shaky smile. “You did a good job. My shoulder doesn’t hurt too much.”
The doctor patted her hand. “It has been decided that you and your brother will be mind-wiped when the festivities are over.” He spoke softly in her ear so that nobody could overhear his words. “I wanted to let you know that you don’t need to be afraid. It’s not painful.”
“Mind-wiped?” Lucy mouthed the unfamiliar words.
“The Animi will remove your memories of your time with us. We cannot allow humans to know that a dragon colony lives among them.” He smiled as if his words were not alarming. “They would come after us.”
“I won’t remember any of this? Not even Alec?”
“You can talk to the Animi, but I don’t think so.” The doctor seemed to sense her distress. “I’m sorry things have not worked out differently.”
“Me too.” The lump in Lucy’s throat swelled. When she looked at the doctor’s face, it blurred with her tears. “I don’t want to forget Alec.” She forced the words through stiff lips.
“Everything will be fine.” The doctor patted her hand again. “I took your advice on my phone ring.”
Lucy stared at Alec, trying to communicate her sorrow and longing. Alec glanced over his lieutenant’s heads and met her gaze, much as he had the night she first saw him, but this time his returned stare was flat. He was so
The doctor waited for her to respond.
“What did you say?” she asked.
He pushed a button on his cell phone, and Bruce Springsteen’s voice crooned through tinny phone speakers:
“Nice choice.” Despite her sadness, Lucy managed a smile at his pleased face.
“Wish me the ‘luck of the dragon.’”
“Luck of the dragon.” She meant it. He had been kind to her. She was sorry she wouldn’t remember him, either.
The doctor stood and jumped from the stage with surprising grace. Lucy was alone, surrounded by a flurry of colorful people, but still utterly alone. The full moon sat at half-mast in the dark sky, stars glittered in familiar Orion and Big Dipper patterns, but everything was different now.
Over the crowd, Lucy searched for Joey and saw that several dragon ladies talked to him through the bars. That much had not changed. Joey still had a way with the ladies. Apparently, even the dragon ladies.
At the front of the stage, Alec clapped each of his men on the shoulder. The men bowed before leaping off
