Page 21 of Madison

“Did I tell you about the dragons on us?” Sidney had told him that he’d only heard that they had them but not if they had any special meaning. “I didn’t either, so I asked grandma. Mom wasn’t sure of all the details, so she had me go to her. Did you know that mom is terrified of her mom? I didn’t know that. Bares some thinking on, I believe. Anyway, they’re there to protect us as humans. Even our mates. The reason that Fowler didn’t get one is because he is now living in the other world with Mom. But when he’s here, he’ll have one on his body as well. I think that’s fantastic. However, it’s the talking part that I need to get used to with her.”

“Her? You have a female dragon on your back? Cool Beans. So I guess that means that Layla has a male one.” He said that they balanced each other. “I guess I can see that. What does it feel like when they move around. I think I meant to ask that of you before, but I forgot.”

“It’s kind of creepy if you ask me. Layla thinks it’s like a warm blanket being pulled up and over her. I can understand that feeling, but I’m used to shifting and having a warm blanket, so to speak. But, as I said, she talks to me.” Sidney laughed, asking him if she would talk to him about his sex with Layla. “I knew you’d ask me that. But no, she doesn’t bother me in the bedroom. However, and this is the really strange part, she talks to Layla’s dragon. And this is wonderful. If she’s in real danger, like a house fire or flooding, I’m not sure what the circumstances might be, but he can lift her up and carry her to safety. We’ve not seen that yet, I don’t know that I ever want to be in a situation where she’s in that much danger, but it’s wonderful to know that she can be safe.”

“Will we all get them?” Madison told him that they would. “What if we find a dragon as our mate? I mean, that’s still possible, right?”

“I will have to ask about that. I didn’t think of…do you really think that’s possible? To find a dragon mate?” Sidney didn’t know, but it was something to think about. “At any given time, there are dragons around us. I don’t know how many but I would say a few. Hiding in plan sight as we’ve been doing for centuries. Mom and Aunt Ember would know too. They have the most power of all the others around. Even grandma.”

“It’s scary to think of the power that mom has. I know that dad has a great deal with him being an old vampire but when I think of the length of time that mom and Aunt Ember has been around, it boggles the mind.” Madison agreed just as their food was being brought to the two of them.

It was steak night at the restaurant. All you could eat night. They would come here to get a couple of their really wonderful steaks but never eat their fill. The place would have to shut down afterwards if even one of them got enough to fill their dragon.

“Remember when we were younger when there were less people around? How we’d fly the skies like we owned them? I miss those days a great deal.” Sidney told him that he didn’t remember that period of time, he might have been too young. “Yeah, I guess so. But I do. We were so revered too. Families would raise cattle just for us to come and eat.”

Sidney loved hearing about the stories from when they were younger. He didn’t have as many, of course, things were different when he came along and they had to be hidden away. He did remember a time that was special to him and told his older brother about it.

“There were unicorns around when I was a hatchling. Mom would set me in a field and let them watch over me so that I’d not get into trouble. She would work, checking on me occasionally but they were more mischievous than I was then. They would steal whole pies from the kitchen and bring them out to share with me. Or entire gardens of flowers would be eaten by them.” Madison said that Mom probably knew. “Yeah, Dad, too. He would come and get me before Mom would and get me cleaned up. I remember thinking at the time that I’d gotten away with something so grand. Those were the good times.”

“You miss that? I don’t. I know that you were never around when Grail was but he was terrifying. And then there was great grandma. I don’t think that you had as much to do with her as we did, what with her being forced to retire. Some of the things that I could tell you would—”

“Tell me, Madison. Please when you think of something, tell me. I don’t want to sound whiney but being the youngest I missed a lot with that. I’m not saying that I’m jealous of the things that you guys had to go through, I know from Dad it was scary but I would like to know about it. Please?” Madison told him that he would, that they all would get together sometimes and talk about the olden days. “Thanks. I know that some of it is painful for you guys. Like it still hurts grandma to think about losing her mate. I don’t know that I could have taken it as well as she did.”

“She didn’t lose her mate, Sidney. He faded.” Sidney said he was sure that someone told him he was no longer around. “No, he’s not. He decided right after grandma took over the realm that he wasn’t needed so he faded into a garden. No one talks about it of course. He wasn’t…you’ll have to have grandma tell you. He wasn’t thrilled about being second best to Grandma. I mean, he wasn’t a mean person, he didn’t cause any trouble but he didn’t care for when someone came to the castle to talk business, he was asked to leave. I might well have too but he was very jealous of the magic that they had.”

“I didn’t know that. See? This is why we have to talk about this stuff. I didn’t know that my grandfather, not that I’d go and look him up but that he was still around ready to shoot the shit with me.” They both laughed and when they were finished with dinner, the two of them walked around the town. It really wasn’t much of a town here. But it did have about the best steak house he’d ever been to. “I’m going to have to look up the owner of this place. I bet I could talk them into having one closer to where we live. They have the best salmon filets that I’ve ever had.”

“And their desserts are perfection. I’m going to have to bring Dad back here when he’d ready. He loves all things lemon and they’re lemon blueberry bread is the best that has ever been…now I want some.” They turned and headed back to the place when the lights went off. “Well damn it. Now that’s all I can think about. I’ll have to come buy some for Layla tomorrow. I’ll make a list if you want me to pick some things up for you.”

He did give his brother a list. All he could think about now was their crunchy loaves of bread. It was the best with soup. Sidney could eat an entire dozen of them while barely touching whatever else he was having for a meal. Laughing, they made their way home talking about how they would come back here for all major decisions as it was the best place to do that in.

Driving home, Sidney thought of himself having a mate. He really didn’t mind finding her. He’d seen enough of the mistakes that his older brothers had made that he felt like he was going to be the perfect mate for her when she came along. At least that’s what he kept telling himself.

Pulling into his driveway, he thought of his grandma. He missed her and decided that he was going to go and visit her right then. Gathering up the magic that would be needed to take him to her, he was so happy that she seemed to be expecting him. After several hugs and her telling him how welcome he was, they settled down in the garden to enjoy each other’s company. It was her, oddly enough that brought up her mate.

“He has missed so much since he’d gone away. I think about him often but I don’t want him to come to me just because I get lonely at times. With Fowler and Amy here all the time, the pain of being alone is lessened a great deal. And when one of you boys come here like this, it will make my entire week in just being around you. What do you have going on? Tell me everything.”

He told her about the housing development that he was working on and she agreed with what Madison had said about the furniture. She told him that they’d not take care of it very well if they didn’t have to work for it. He agreed with her and said that he would make the changes in his plans. When she cried a little, he went to her and hugged her, asking her what he’d done.

“Nothing. Not at all. It’s just been a long time since I’ve had someone to agree with me and not do it because I’m their queen. Or I was at one time.” He told her that he thought that everyone still thought of her as the queen. “Thank you, Sidney. You’ve no idea how much that means to me.”

After talking well into the next morning, he decided to stay there in one of the rooms that was reserved for him. It was wonderful to be able to just relax and talk to someone without thought as to whether or not they were agreeing with him simply because he was a dragon. Or the grandson of the former queen.

“Your lordship? There is a phone call for you. It is very important, or I’d not have awakened you.” Sidney sat up and looked around, unsure of where he was for several minutes. “Sir, it’s a woman by the name of Emma Marshall. She said that you were acquainted with her from school.”

“Yes. Yes. Just give me a second here.” Wiping his face with his hand, he tried to remember how long it had been since he’d seen Emma, much less heard from her. Taking the phone, an odd-looking thing that he’d never used before, he said hello. “Emma, is everything all right?”

“I’ve been arrested.” He could hear both anger and her being upset in her voice. “I don’t know who else to call, Sidney. I have the money to bail me out, but they won’t allow me to get into my house to get my cards. I’ll pay you…I just realized how late it is. Listen, I’ll call you tomorrow if I can’t work something—”

“No, I’m awake, and I’m very happy that you called me. I’ll be there…do you still live in Trinway?” She told him that she did and that she was sorry to have woke him up. “Honey, it’s just fine. I promise you. I’ll be there in about half an hour. I hope everything is all right. Is it?”

She burst into tears, and he was wide awake then. Letting her talk, trying to make out what she was saying, he willed himself to his own home. While he had no idea what she was saying, he knew that it was serious. As he made his way out to his car, he finally got her to talk to him.

“They said that I tried to kill my grandfather. I’d never do that. He’s all I have in the world.” He told her that he knew that, too. “He’s in the hospital, and they won’t let me see him. Then, while I was trying to get in, I was arrested for attempted murder. I’d rather die myself than harm him. I think they’re just pissed off because he moved out of the house and into a nursing home where they can’t get to him.”

He didn’t know what that meant either, as she was babbling again. When she told him that her time was up with talking to him, he told her that he was leaving his place. It was the longest twenty-minute drive he’d ever driven.

When he got to the station house, since he knew nearly everyone there, Sidney was taken back to see Emma. She was a mess and it looked like someone had taken a few pops to her face. While she cried, not really saying anything, he was able to hold her. Her trembling body told him what her words didn’t. She was very upset.

“His granddaughter is Mrs. Darling Gregory. You remember me talking about her, right?” He knew the story, and it pissed him off every time he heard her name. “Well, she told the police that I hit her. Then, I held Pops in front of me while she tried to defend herself. Which is in no way true. I would never let him take a blow for me. But she hit me like she did when I was younger.”

Once she was put into a room where he could talk to her, he got more of the information from her. When he paid her bail, a great deal more than he thought it should have been for having the shit beat out of her, Sidney took her to the hospital. She was going to need stitches if he didn’t miss his bet, and he wanted her to see if she had a concussion.

Calling his dad when he needed help with the hospital, he was glad that he’d brought Mom with him. There was some major shit going down here, and he, for one, was glad that his parents weren’t the pushover type. As soon as he introduced them to Emma, mom seemed to take her under her wing and guided her to not just the emergency room but also got someone to see her right away.

“The power of love.” He asked her if she loved him or the drama. “The drama, of course. And I do like this girl. She’s upset now, but I bet she has a fire under her.”

“I don’t know that I’d call it fire, but she has been mistreated all her life. Even from infancy. We met in high school.” He told his mom what had happened to Emma when she’d been born, with Emma interjecting in places something that she would remember. By the time the film had been read about her, she did indeed have a concussion. She was given a room, and food set up for her and Mom not leaving her side.

It was more than he could have hoped for. Going down the long hall to the elevators, he made his way to see Pops Marshall. He loved the old man like he did Emma and was sorry that the elderly man had gone through so much. As soon as he saw him, Pops begged him for information about his darling, and Sidney was glad to be able to give it to him. It was going to be a very long night, but he didn’t really care. They were both safe.