lizard.
“Isa!” Sidon scolded.
“Yeah, you’re right. We should just handle this ourselves. When was the last time you saw him do anything other than collect taxes and impregnate mere?”
“Isa—listen!” he shouted. She finally looked his way. “I’m Key Guardian now.”
Chapter 3
Lured
Isa’s head snapped around. “But your mom was mere!”
His demeanor cooled, and so did his tone. “Well, I guess the Council lowered its standards.”
She didn’t know whether to be impressed or disgusted. Full-blooded dragons lived in gated communities and went to separate schools. Mere-born mutts like Sidon were rare.
“I can’t believe you interact with those bastards!”
He shrugged off her insult. “Oh, please, Isa. You’re dad was dragon, too.”
Isa trembled in anger. She never knew the snake who’d seduced and then abandoned her mother. Her nostrils flared, heat rising in her, ready to explode. “Don’t ever mention that person to me again.”
Most Key Sirena mere were part dragon, genetically speaking. Centuries of oppression and abuse saw to that. Like practically all those of mixed-blood, all Isa got from her father was a bad temper.
Sidon’s indignity deflated. “Sorry, Is.”
“That’s okay.” She tried not to show her irritation.
“No, it isn’t. It’s just, you know, I’m not crazy about working for them. Being Guardian is a good job, and so few dragon families live here full-time. I still hang with the mere most of the time. Like always.”
The thought of the cocky-but-sweet kid she knew strutting around with those elitist jerks made her blood boil. Most mere worked for them in some capacity, in crappy jobs for slave wages. To become Guardian, Sidon must have been welcomed into the fold. No wonder his home could grace the pages of Architectural Digest, Aquatic Edition.
He walked across the room and flipped open a laptop on the coffee table. His fingers flew over the keys, and Isa drifted behind him to look over his shoulder. Pointing to the screen, he said, “These pictures were taken by the hidden cameras at the turnoff from Key West. Do you recognize any of these cars?”
“Yep, that one.” A shiver rolled along her skin.
“Well, that’s a start. I’ll call the hotels and B&Bs between here and Key Largo and see if these guys were stupid enough to check in anywhere. Maybe we’ll get lucky and it’ll be as simple as beating information out of them and disposing of some bodies.”
Her eyes widened. Last night she thrilled at the violence Sidon unleashed at her attackers. In the light of day, though, his will to torture and murder on her behalf made her blood run a couple of degrees cooler. She settled on the couch, as far from him as she could, and crossed her arms. “You think that’s necessary? Maybe last night scared them and they’ll just leave.”
He inched toward her, lowering his voice back to the calming beat. “Maybe you’re right, Isa, but if they haven’t turned tail already they probably won’t.” She flinched, but didn’t reply. “If they were harmless myth-chasers that would be one thing, but they shot at you.”
“Actually, they shot at you.”
“Whatever. They hit you, and nobody hurts my mere.”
He stood abruptly and walked away, picking up plates and heading to the kitchen. Following after him, Isa bristled a bit at the possessiveness in Sidon’s voice. The dragons had owned Sirena for over a thousand years. For the first eight hundred, they used the plentiful supply of cheap labor to work a small harbor and fishery. Once the oceans became depleted, the colonists bought businesses in the nearby Keys and built a golf course.
He waved off her offers to help. She sat down to watch him move through the kitchen with razor efficiency and tried not to show her relief. At that very moment, mere all over Key Sirena were hard at work in dragon households cooking, cleaning, doing laundry. Defiance pounded hard in her chest. That would never be
“Isa!” Sidon scolded.
“Yeah, you’re right. We should just handle this ourselves. When was the last time you saw him do anything other than collect taxes and impregnate mere?”
“Isa—listen!” he shouted. She finally looked his way. “I’m Key Guardian now.”
Chapter 3
Lured
Isa’s head snapped around. “But your mom was mere!”
His demeanor cooled, and so did his tone. “Well, I guess the Council lowered its standards.”
She didn’t know whether to be impressed or disgusted. Full-blooded dragons lived in gated communities and went to separate schools. Mere-born mutts like Sidon were rare.
“I can’t believe you interact with those bastards!”
He shrugged off her insult. “Oh, please, Isa. You’re dad was dragon, too.”
Isa trembled in anger. She never knew the snake who’d seduced and then abandoned her mother. Her nostrils flared, heat rising in her, ready to explode. “Don’t ever mention that person to me again.”
Most Key Sirena mere were part dragon, genetically speaking. Centuries of oppression and abuse saw to that. Like practically all those of mixed-blood, all Isa got from her father was a bad temper.
Sidon’s indignity deflated. “Sorry, Is.”
“That’s okay.” She tried not to show her irritation.
“No, it isn’t. It’s just, you know, I’m not crazy about working for them. Being Guardian is a good job, and so few dragon families live here full-time. I still hang with the mere most of the time. Like always.”
The thought of the cocky-but-sweet kid she knew strutting around with those elitist jerks made her blood boil. Most mere worked for them in some capacity, in crappy jobs for slave wages. To become Guardian, Sidon must have been welcomed into the fold. No wonder his home could grace the pages of Architectural Digest, Aquatic Edition.
He walked across the room and flipped open a laptop on the coffee table. His fingers flew over the keys, and Isa drifted behind him to look over his shoulder. Pointing to the screen, he said, “These pictures were taken by the hidden cameras at the turnoff from Key West. Do you recognize any of these cars?”
“Yep, that one.” A shiver rolled along her skin.
“Well, that’s a start. I’ll call the hotels and B&Bs between here and Key Largo and see if these guys were stupid enough to check in anywhere. Maybe we’ll get lucky and it’ll be as simple as beating information out of them and disposing of some bodies.”
Her eyes widened. Last night she thrilled at the violence Sidon unleashed at her attackers. In the light of day, though, his will to torture and murder on her behalf made her blood run a couple of degrees cooler. She settled on the couch, as far from him as she could, and crossed her arms. “You think that’s necessary? Maybe last night scared them and they’ll just leave.”
He inched toward her, lowering his voice back to the calming beat. “Maybe you’re right, Isa, but if they haven’t turned tail already they probably won’t.” She flinched, but didn’t reply. “If they were harmless myth-chasers that would be one thing, but they shot at you.”
“Actually, they shot at you.”
“Whatever. They hit you, and nobody hurts my mere.”
He stood abruptly and walked away, picking up plates and heading to the kitchen. Following after him, Isa bristled a bit at the possessiveness in Sidon’s voice. The dragons had owned Sirena for over a thousand years. For the first eight hundred, they used the plentiful supply of cheap labor to work a small harbor and fishery. Once the oceans became depleted, the colonists bought businesses in the nearby Keys and built a golf course.
He waved off her offers to help. She sat down to watch him move through the kitchen with razor efficiency and tried not to show her relief. At that very moment, mere all over Key Sirena were hard at work in dragon households cooking, cleaning, doing laundry. Defiance pounded hard in her chest. That would never be
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