Dragons Wild

“We’re already pretty much bottom of the heap.” Jerome shrugged. “It’s kinda like an oh-and-twelve football team gambling on a new coach. We got nowhere to go but up. So, what do you say, Coach? Is it at least worth a listen?”

Griffen hesitated. Even if listening wasn’t an actual commitment, it was still a big step. Besides, he was feeling more than a little hurt that Jerome had initiated a friendship under false pretenses. It rubbed the wound of what Mai had done. A very fresh and raw wound.

On the other hand, what were his choices? Was he ready to face more shadowy figures in dark parking lots alone? He had just been considering the fact that he and Valerie had nowhere specific to go and no plan to follow. At least Jerome was offering a base of operation and even some financing. It sounded better than the alternatives…especially since he didn’t have any.

“Assuming I say yes…” Griffen said carefully. “What’s our first step?”

“First, I take you home to meet with Mose…and we’ll take my wheels. No, don’t worry about the Goblin,” his friend said, forestalling Griffen’s objection. “I’ll have someone pick it up and put it in storage. Even do a little body work on it to remove the evidence of your little skirmish. She’ll be good as new when you want her again.”

“Actually,” Griffen said, “I was going to say that we had to swing by and pick up Valerie on our way out of town. She’s in this, too. Not negotiable.”

“You told her about bein’ a dragon?” Jerome winced, then shook his head. “Well, I guess what’s done is done. You may regret it in the long run, though.”

“Why is that?”

“I keep forgetting how new you are to all this,” Jerome said. “Don’t tell her this, but it’s always been kinda unofficial policy to try to keep the females in the dark for as long as possible about the dragon thing.”

“How come?”

“Because female dragons have a bad rep. A real bad rep. Now, I won’t go so far as to say that all females, dragon or human, are uncontrollable, but female dragons tend to be wild. Dragon powers and short tempers don’t make a good mix. Remember how I said that dragons tend to avoid direct confrontation and high profiles? Well, it’s because when they do square off, folks tend to notice…like the Chicago fire and the San Francisco earthquake. Female dragons were at the bottom of both of those little news items.”

Griffen tried to imagine his brawling baby sister with dragon powers, and rejected the image with a shudder.

“That’s as may be; just now I’ve got a lot more reason to trust her more than you, old buddy.”

“Grifter, I’m hurt,” Jerome said, but his eyes twinkled. “You’re askin’ yourself if you can trust me. You’ve played me at poker, you know my tells. So ask what’s on your mind.”

“How much of it was real?”

“Is, not was. Griffen, my man, ignoring that it’s in my best interest to watch out for you. I like you, did from our first bar crawl.”

Griffen didn’t know what to say, but he remembered that night. They had been lucky not to end up in jail on an overnighter. It had been a hell of a night.

“And now here’s something to twist your mind around,” Jerome continued. “I know how things work, so I could ask, was I liking you, or was I under the influence of a dragon more powerful than I ever would be?”

“Huh. And did you ask yourself?”

“Nope, ’cause it didn’t matter. Sometimes questioning doesn’t help. Sometimes, Grifter, you just have to go with what works.”

Griffen thought for a long minute. Sometimes you have to go with what works. Made sense, and Jerome was right on one thing. He knew Jerome’s tells, and he meant every word. Instinct or dragon power, it didn’t matter. This was someone he still trusted.

“Okay, I’m in, at least till I’ve heard the pitch from this Mose.”

“Great! We’ll get your sister and get started. The less time we are here, the less chance of someone else finding you.”

Griffen nodded and finished off the remains of his glass.

“By the way,” Jerome said, “have you told your sister about that tarot card?”

“Only in passing,” Griffen said. “I really didn’t know what to make of it and neither did she.”

“Best not mention it to her again until after you’ve talked to Mose,” Jerome said. “And when you show it to him, do it sometime when she’s not there. Like I say, female dragons have a rep for overreacting.”

“You say we’re going to meet Mose,” Griffen said, trying to change the subject. “Exactly where is home for you, Jerome? You may have said, but I don’t remember.”

“Exactly where you need to hide for a while, Grifter.” Jerome beamed. “It’s got everything you need: nightlife, casinos, loose women, and it’s the absolute best place in the country to disappear and has been for over two hundred years. We’re talking about New Orleans in general and the French Quarter specifically.”

Nine