Page 67 of Blue Embers
“Then I suppose we should get on with it,” I smiled.
Draven grinned at me, taking a few more steps back before he turned and continued walking into the open. Mid stride, the orange blaze sparked from his center and enveloped him in a matter of seconds. A wave of heat burst forward, melting the snow around him as the flames extended into the massive shape of a winged beast. He took up the entire yard when he was fully changed, his deep red and black body reared up toward the sky. Smoke spewed from his nostrils and from between his teeth as he stretched to take off. With one beat of his monstrous wingspan, he was airborne. A gust of hot air and cold winter breeze clashed, hitting me hard.
I watched Draven ascend and before he was out of sight, I shook my head and started walking across the now wet, muddy driveway where red embers still blew across the ground. I kept walking, lifting the heat and explosive energy from my core to the surface until I felt it tear through me and engulf my being in an almost painful cocoon of blue flames. Like the dragon was disappointed it had been neglected for so long, it was eager and quick to take over. In no time, the man was gone and the dragon was free to roam.
Blue embers were carried away on the winter wind as the silvery-blue form of a winged monster emerged from the fire. It felt good to take on that form again. To see the world in all its brilliant colors. Everything smelled different as my senses dug through the layers to find all that was buried beneath. Things glowed in their own way. Trees, snow, the sky, wind. It all became vivid. My heart beat like a hammer in my broad chest. Silver wings spread to shoot me toward the sky and with a leap, I was off the ground and climbing for the clouds.
Draven traveled ahead, the faint glow of his figure moving through the fog as we lifted higher into the haze. Flying was faster than any car. Sometimes faster than a plane if we caught the wind right. By morning, we’d be in the warm, southern parts of the continent where my bunker was locked and secured...or so I thought.
I caught up to Draven. His form was a menacing mass of scales and muscle, each thrust of his wings drawing a storm of breath from his lungs that vibrated through the air. When we found the right current, it was smooth sailing all the way south. Fighting memories from the last time I’d allowed the dragon loose, I sored, letting the Archon’s presence keep my mind stable. Soon, there would be much bigger things to worry about.
As soon as the first bit of sunlight peeked over the horizon, I realized that we’d made it to our destination. I could smell the dry, sandy odor in the wind. We began to descend into a warm climate, moving toward the coast where we could land and shift without too much detection from the local populations. Coming to a rocky beach, Draven and I shed our monstrous forms, letting the dragons dissolve into the wind. Ash and embers drifted off into an angry cove where the waves crashed upward onto the jagged cliff we’d perched on.
I felt as if I’d slept too long on a too-firm mattress once the dragon was gone and I was something of a man again. I rolled my shoulders, stretching my neck from side to side before turning to see Draven walking toward me, shedding his leather coat now that the weather was toasty. He squinted toward the sun that was climbing into the sky and took a deep breath of the sea air. Once we’d shaken off the flight, Draven tossed me an eager glance.
“Anything from your friend?” he asked, gesturing toward my pant pocket where my phone was safely tucked away.
I reached down, pulling my cell from its confines only to see that there were no new messages. I shook my head.
“He’s rather elusive,” I sighed, slipping the phone away again as I began to walk toward the street below. “But we’re not far from my property. It’s this way.”
I’d directed us both to a beach only a mile from my vacation property where my database had been sent. It was nothing flashy. Just a simple water front house, below which was a bunker, much like the one back home. Draven and I reached the front gate where I input an eight digit code onto a touch pad, unlocking the entrance.
Walking up the brick path, we came to an airy hacienda with yellow archways leading into the courtyard. Palm trees lined the front entrance way where two men came out, faces filled with alarm. One was a middle-aged man with a black mustache, the other a lanky, tall man, somewhat younger, wearing a paint splattered t-shirt. I greeted both with a nod of my head and a smile as they moved to intervene. The older man was the first to recognize me and when he did, his mustache stretched over his welcoming smile.
“Mr. Valentyne,” he said, moving in to shake my hand.
“Holla, Miguel,” I said. “Draven, this is Miguel and his son, Antonio. They’re the caretakers here.”
Draven offered both men a distant nod. I could tell he was analyzing the situation for the worst possible outcome in case it came to pass and both men could sense his threatening presence. I stepped forward to lighten the mood with another smile.
“Are you here for vacation?” Antonio asked, putting his paint-smudged hands behind his back. His accent was less dramatic than his father’s when it came to speaking English, but it was still present. “We can fix up your quarters if you wish.”
“No,” I said. “I’m here more on business.”
“Business?” Antonio asked, brows furrowed when he looked at his father. Miguel shrugged, both of them acting as if they’d missed something. “We did not know you were coming. We’ve been repainting the west side of the house. It’s not ready, I’m afraid.”
“Don’t worry,” I said. “I’m just here to meet someone.”
“Ah,” Antonio nodded, though I could tell he was still confused. “Would you like drinks? When is your friend arriving?”
“Drinks, yes,” I said, walking through the main archway toward an open sitting space past the courtyard. There, sofas and coffee tables were set up in a luxurious viewing area overlooking the water. “As for the friend, I’m not sure he could be called that. In fact, have any of the alarms gone off in my absence?”
“No, no, sir,” Miguel answered. “No alarms.”
The man’s heavily sun-browned skin glistened as if he’d just been working outside and the smell of grease on his hands gave away that he was likely working on a car. Perhaps one of the old models I kept around the property for fun. He motioned for Draven and I to sit down as he left toward the kitchen on the other side of the courtyard.
“So who is this friend?” Antonio asked. “The person you’re meeting, I mean. Is this another situation like the one from last year?”
Draven tossed me a glance, head cocked curiously, as he remained standing near the arch that lead out to the waterfront. A comfortable, salty breeze blew in from outside, making the room quite serene, but Draven wasn’t the serene type. I cleared my throat, tossing around another charming smile.
“Not at all,” I answered. “This situation is a bit more sensitive.”
“Moresensitive? It must be serious.”
After a few minutes, Miguel came back into the room with a silver tray of green glasses, each filled with chilled water and lemon. Close behind him was a girl wearing a knee-length, white dress. Actually, she was more of a young woman. She’d filled out since last I saw her. She beamed when she entered the room, her thick, black hair tied into two, tight braids that hung over her shoulders.
“Senor Valentyne,” she greeted with a broad smile. She walked politely toward me and gave me a considerate hug, her head coming just to the bottom of my chin.
