Dragon 5 Chapter 11 (Patreon)

I sat in the council meeting, leaning my chair back as I waited for the meeting to start.

For once, I was early. And I’d brought quite the crowd with me, but they were all staying in the back for the moment.

“Hello Zach.” Rupert noticed me as he walked in. “Seems you are getting busy again, but you’ll still make time for my party?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.” I told him and wondered what extravagance he was going to pull for the dragons.

“Great.” He slapped my arm as Jadelyn came up and sat in her seat at his side.

Part of me wanted to claw her back to my side, but I knew she could help me better by being a different voice on the council.

She caught my look and gave me a soft smile. “If you don’t have other things after this, how about we retire together?”

The beast in my chest couldn’t have been happier; it practically took over to tell her yes.

Instead, I just gave off a satisfied rumble that earned me a brilliant blossoming smile from my siren. “That’s a yes. Are we taking any of the others into bed with us yet?”

Rupert choked next to her, and she just rolled her eyes.

“No one new. But I imagine Tyrande might pop in tonight.” I said quickly. The schedule around my bed was becoming more complex than I’d like.

Jadelyn tapped her lips. “Two little princesses all for yourself. Such a greedy dragon.”

Damn right. Mine.

But that reminded me. “When will we have a formal wedding? At one point we had discussed it, but it never really came back up, and now I’m hearing whispers that Tyrande and Yev will want one.”

Rupert jumped in, seeming more interested in the current topic. “Claire would very much appreciate it if there was a formal wedding. Though, I understand by dragon customs, you are already mated.”

I smiled. I could sense how important it was to him, likely because it was so important to his wife. Claire was my favorite mother-in-law, so I had no issue giving into her wishes.

Detective Fox came up behind Rupert and his fox ears twitched. “Ruby would also like to have a formal wedding. They could be joint.” His eyes wandered to Jadelyn and Scarlett to see if one of them was going to have a problem with it.

“If we keep it paranormal, then doing it jointly won’t be a problem. Everyone would understand. But then there is the struggle of what to do for future wives.” Jadelyn looked over her shoulder at Scarlett. “You are the first mate. I think you should have the say in how we organize all of this.”

There was some surprise on both of the fathers’ faces as Jadelyn deferred a wedding decision to Scarlett.

I tried to hide my own surprise. Jadelyn was the type to dive into wedding planning if given the chance.

“I have to decide?” Scarlett pointed to herself, unable to hide her shock.

“Yes.” Jadelyn nodded. “Our mate has made it abundantly clear that you have the role of first mate. All of us, myself and the Highaen sisters included, will have to settle with what you decide.”

Scarlett looked to me for help.

I raised my hands in the air. “She’s right. But you can take some time and discuss it with the others if you want.” Please don’t let a wedding be what causes my harem to implode.

She gave me a sharp nod and looked down at the ground in thought. “I’ll have to think about it.”

The rest of the normal crowd at the council were filling in their seats, and a few that didn’t normally show up were wandering in and standing near those that they considered friends.

The city knew that something was happening.

“It seems the majority of the council has joined us. There are a few matters to attend to today, but first and foremost, we have a nephilim in the city seeking admittance in accordance with an FBI case she is working on.” Rupert read off a sheet.

The doors down below opened up and Helena stepped forward, shielding her face from the bright lights behind us.

I knew from my own experience that it was difficult to see past the bright lights to the faces above.

“Hello. I’m Helena. I am on a case with the FBI in search of the person responsible for a series of demon killings up the east coast. We’ve tracked these killings along the way. They’ve moved to Philly and have three confirmed kills so far. That is outside their pattern, giving us reason to believe they have settled into Philly.” She quickly and succinctly stated her purpose. “I wish for the council’s cooperation in the investigation and hiding our people’s nature.”

Detective Fox cleared his throat. “I understand you’ve been working on behalf of the paranormals through the agency recently. Though this is the first I’m hearing of a third kill.”

Helena turned to him and, based on her movements, I’d bet that the lights weren’t hindering her vision at all. “That is correct. I do this to be useful to the paranormal community after the closure of the celestial plane. I wish to find my place. And the reason you haven’t heard about the third murder is because it is sensitive in nature. Federal agents were made aware of it prior to local PD. I can share the details with you in private.”

I wondered what that meant. The most likely scenario I could play out was somebody important must have been the victim.

There was a slight pause among the council as they also tried to pick apart what she’d said.

“I’m here to progress the investigation quickly, without disrupting the paranormal.” She reiterated her goal, and it had the effect she wanted. The council moved off her previous statements and began chatting.

Maeve lounged in her chair and waved her hand nonchalantly to get everyone’s attention. “While I’m sure you have come with good intentions, my understanding is that Zach Pendragon has prior experience with you. I’d love to hear his thoughts on the matter before making my decision.”

Clearing my throat, I bought myself a moment to think before I spoke. A million thoughts raced through my head as I tried to piece them together into something more eloquent. “Helena and her partner, Agent Tills, are both known to me. While I would consider neither an ally, they have not shown themselves to be enemies at this time. They are interested in solving their case, and I do not believe either of them would pose a disruption to the city. However, I am interested in moving this along quickly. Cooperating with Detective Fox and the local PD would be in everyone’s best interests.”

Mentioning the local PD, I turned to Detective Fox for his opinion. “The local departments will be involved in this. That won’t tangle everything up in red tape, will it?”

He shook his head. “No. I’ll make sure it goes smoothly.”

Turning back to Helena, I noticed she was staring straight at me. The lights were not throwing her in the slightest. “Then you have my vote in admittance to the city.”

“Mine as well.” Maeve quickly echoed me. Enough others followed our lead that there was no reason to call it to a vote. The majority had already voiced their opinion.

“Thank you.” Helena bowed, spilling out her white wings for a moment before she stood and turned to leave.

Morgana rubbed my shoulders for a moment. “Better than I would have done.”

“Slowing her down does nothing but keep Agent Tills in the city and a demon or angel on the loose killing and drawing more attention to us.” I sighed and rubbed my brow. “In this room, I need to look out for paranormals, not just myself.”

Rupert spoke to the room as I was whispering to Morgana. “Next up. There is a junction on—“

A door swung open, and murmurs began immediately. Deniz trooped into the council meeting with a slew of vampires trailing behind him. “Ah. I see this is where the magic happens, as you say. Which seat is mine?” He looked around the circle, but there were no empty seats.

The vampires had never had a seat among the council, tending to stay inconspicuous. They got little love from the other paranormals. Some even would go far enough to call them a disease or a necessary evil.

I raised my hand. “Rupert, I propose we put aside the junction and use this time to discuss Deniz Wallachia moving into Philly, as well as the recent rise of vampire incidents in the city.” Rather than grandstand and risk being outplayed by Deniz, I kept it more civil. Although I purposefully tied the two topics together.

But if he was behind Maddie’s attack, and especially if it had been intentional, keeping my calm was going to take serious self-control.

Looking over my shoulder at Sabrina and Maddie standing at the wall behind me, I nodded.

Sabrina nodded back and pulled out a hoop shaped object. Then she held her hand out for a hair from Maddie.

With that started, I focused instead on Deniz.

He was doing a flourishing bow to the council. “Zach Pendragon, king of dragons, has introduced me, but allow me to introduce myself.”

He stood back up, tall. “Deniz Wallachia, member of Vlad Wallachia’s sixth court. I’ve come over to America to help bolster the representation of my people. My people are marginalized because we are seen as a danger. I hope to correct that misconception and reintegrate the vampires of Philly into your community.” He grinned wide, showing off his fangs.

It was a decent speech, but I wasn’t buying it. And based on the faces around the table, many of the other leaders were trying to figure out his true intentions as well.

Maeve tapped her fingers on the table as she watched Deniz. “Unfortunately, your arrival and hope of integrating vampires is coming at the same time as we are seeing an increase in vampire attacks. And some against my people.” Maeve’s eyes flashed a little in warning.

He gave her a roguish grin. “The Fall Lady herself. I’m honored to be in your presence. You, of all people, must know that when leadership changes, there are often rogue elements that break out and must be corralled. I’m afraid that is the cause of your current problems.”

“Oh, let’s be clear about one thing. They are not my problem.” Maeve’s eyebrows rose as the room cooled ever so slightly. I saw the paranormals near her shiver slightly. “The rogue vampires are most certainly your problem.”

“Agreed.” I added. “Even Summer and Winter take joint responsibility for their people as a whole. If they can do that while at war, surely you can take responsibility for the vampires in the city.”

Deniz’s lips twitched, but he nodded as he looked around the council table. “I see. Things are done differently where I am from, but I will do my best to adapt. Now, where should I sit? If you expect me to rule over the vampires of Philly, certainly I should have a seat at this council.”

“That is fair.” Sebastian steepled his fingers. “Would others disagree?”

“His seat is contingent on him resolving the issue among his people and proving himself as a leader.” Maeve stated, and I saw Deniz’s movements halt just ever so slightly at her statement. I got the feeling he wasn’t used to being managed.

But enough other voices agreed that it settled the matter.

Rupert began to speak just as Sabrina’s work went off. A red puff of magic floated into the air, sifting about.

And the council room turned into a battleground. It was like the red mist had declared war, as everybody tensed and drew on their power, ready to defend themselves at a moment’s notice.

The clump of mist searched for a moment before dispersing.

“Explain yourself.” Sebastian roared at me.

I held up my hands for him to settle down. “It was a simple spell to seek the vampire who turned one of the recent victims. I wanted to be sure they were not present with us here in the room to settle all our fears and confirm the story we heard here today.”

I worked to hide my disappointment that I hadn’t been able to point the kills towards Deniz, but I had a feeling he would be too clever for that.

“That is no reason—“ Sebastian was cut off by Maeve.

“As purely a member of this council, his actions would likely be considered an attack. But in his role as the investigator of the vampire problem, they are appropriate. He needed to confirm that the source of the problem was not here and privy to our discussions, and if he had given warning, it could have skewed the results. I support his decision.” The winter fae eyed me across the chamber and I tried to convey through my eyes that I appreciated her backing me.

“I apologize for the sudden surprise and concern that it brought you, but what Maeve says is true, and I stand by my decision.” I paused and looked around, waiting to see if anybody would object.

“You do not trust me? What reason have I given you for this?” Deniz shifted straight into playing the victim.

“Trust is earned. When you step up and bring this problem under control, then you will be on your way towards earning that trust from me. Until then, I will continue to do what is in the best interest of the paranormal of this city. It’s not personal.”

“So you say.” He eyed me for a moment before stepping up to the table. His lips twitched, and he looked around the council, but no one vacated their seat for him. So instead, he settled on standing over a space between the elves and Kelly.

“Well, then.” Rupert jumped in, moving the conversation on. “Deniz will represent the vampires, contingent on the removal of the rogue element in the city. I will remind everybody here that the primary purpose of the council is to keep all of us safe and hidden from humans. These rogue vampires put that at risk.” He gave Deniz a pointed look before settling into the next topic.

The meeting continued with a few new arrivals into the city, making themselves known and various committees and groups providing their latest updates.

We worked through the topics, and it became my turn to provide an update on the vampire attacks.

I cleared my throat. “The investigation into the recent uptick in paranormal deaths has revealed well over several dozen vampire killings. In working to track these killings back to a source, we found an abandoned apartment building with fifteen freshly turned vampires. My partner indicates that it had parallels to a war tactic previously used by vampires. Vampires were turned and starved with a compulsion to remain hidden. They stay that way until somebody walks into their trap.”

Deniz’s eyes were wide with outrage, and he slammed his hands on the table. “You would insinuate that we are at war?”

“That was not what I stated. I was merely conveying the information my partner provided me as we work to investigate these deaths. But if you have additional information, that would be helpful. Can you confirm if during the 17th century war with the church, the vampires used the tactic I described?” I ignored his anger.

“Yes. But there is no war.”

“Of course.” My tone was placid, waiting for his anger. “I never mentioned a current war. I believe you brought that up.”

Deniz fumed, but he managed to keep his wits. “Do not twist my words, young dragon king.”

“I am concerned about this development.” Maeve jumped in. “Deniz, you must act swiftly before a greater problem arises. If it is indeed this rogue element, it seems they are preparing for a larger scale uprising. It would be in everyone’s best interests if you solve this immediately.”

The final word came out so harshly that I had to hold myself from wincing and continuing onto the next part. “Agreed. If it continues to escalate, it may force us to remove all vampires from the city before an infestation grows to the point that it can’t be contained. Finding over a dozen unattended, freshly turned vampires is a large problem.”

“Agreed.” Maeve shot me a smile. “And if needed, at the height of Summer’s power, the fae could take a brief concession from our war to bring Summer’s strength for such a purge.”

Deniz must have had whiplash from how quickly he was looking back and forth between the two of us. He was breathing so hard from his nostrils that I could hear the air rushing even from where I sat.

Morgana leaned over my chair. “Harsh, but maybe necessary.”

It was about as close to a praise from her as I was likely to get.

“My people are not pests. If you should try to purge us from your city, you will find yourself on a war front.” Deniz threatened me.

“Interesting that you bring up war so soon after denying that it exists. And I did not say purge, I simply said remove. The method of removal is still up for debate.” I remained amicable in my tone, watching him seethe.

“But I do suggest that you solve your rogue element problem before Summer comes, because The Fae are far more experienced at war than any of us can imagine. I would think that it wouldn’t be much of a war, more of a slaughter if it comes to that.” I was very glad at that moment to have Maeve on my side. But it didn’t mean the vampires wouldn’t cause a colossal mess in the process, potentially exposing paranormals to humans.

I still needed to stop an all out war if I could.

“Let’s take a step back.” Rupert tried to play peacekeeper. “War is off the table. But, Deniz, your people are threatening all of our safety with their aggressive actions in the city. We, the council, will need to do what we think is best to prevent that.”

Deniz snorted and turned, storming out the door.

Sebastian raised his hand. “I think we all should confer with our people given new information.”

“Agreed.” I replied, echoed by many of the others at the table.

The meeting adjourned, and everybody began to disperse.

I stood to head over to Maddie and Sabrina as a heavy hand caught my shoulder. Detective Fox was standing next to me. “You are playing a dangerous game.”

“I don’t have the luxury of time on this one. The apartment was a trap, one that I tripped. And one of my best friends was attacked and may now live her life as a vampire. This is escalating. So, I’m simply escalating in return.” I growled, having trouble keeping my frustration out of my voice.

“I see, but it’s not your problem anymore. Deniz is now in charge of solving the problem.” Detective Fox reminded me.

I snorted. “Fine. He can work on the rogue vampires, but I’m still investigating who attacked my friend. It would be interesting if the two were related, no? And we also have the case around the demon or angel attack that has now attracted The Feds. So it’s worth keeping tabs on all the happenings in the city in case any of them become related.”

He hummed in agreement. “Yes. I would like your help in that case. You seem already involved with both of the agents?”

“We’ve met a few times. Agent Tills is human and highly suspicious.” I understated her curiosity.

“Got it. Why don’t you come down to the station tomorrow morning and help me debrief with them? Help us fill in any details.” Detective Fox offered.

I didn’t think I had much to add, but if he wanted me there, I’d be there. “Not a problem. I’ll adjust my class tomorrow as needed.”

We were supposed to be going through fae customs in our next class; Sabrina had promised my honor guard would lead me through it.

“Detective.” Jadelyn interjected herself. “If you are done with my mate, there was something we had planned after this.”

My father-in-law blushed slightly and cleared his throat, moving away a little faster than was polite.

I rose from my seat and took Jadelyn’s arm in mine as the dragonettes and Scarlett hesitated.

“Jade, I have some first mate duties I need to see to. You are in excellent hands.” She looked almost a little guilty. But I was proud of her stepping away from the role under Jadelyn and becoming my first mate.

“Of course. Being his first mate can take priority over being my bodyguard.” Jadelyn put a hand on my arm, telling me to be quiet. “Is it alright if I take him tonight?”

“Yes. Though, I think Tyrande is waiting in his room. Work it out with her.”

Jadelyn's eyes sparkled as she focused back on me. “What a lucky dragon.”