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“No, no. I think she absolutely did have to say it,” Erik stated from somewhere behind me.
I was so busted I needed to get some cuffs, surrender, and hope for a reduced sentence. Turning to face him, I said, “I passed the test, so you can plan your gaudy proposal with the people of your choice in attendance.” To get some payback at my parents, I waved my hand in their general direction. “I told the test administrators to give me the last name of Ramons to at least justify why these two keep menacing me.”
Erik came down the steps, dropped a kiss on my lips, and smiled. “But they’re handling all the details of building our house. They’re somewhat useful. They can also babysit our carbunclo.”
“What about the house in Miami?” I asked.
My father smiled. “We’ll rent it out to some young dragons or dragon-kin wishing to try their luck in Miami for a fair rate. We actually have a home here, and it’d be nice to actually live in it for a change. If you’re roosting in the Tower Ward, we can go live in our house.”
“And who has been living in your house?”
“We’ve been renting it for short-term stays, and we hired a company to maintain the property and the grounds.”
A lot of things didn’t add up, including the expenses involved with such a thing. “And where is this house located?”
“The Diamond Ward,” my mother confessed.
As only mansions, boutiques, and frou-frou establishments occupied the Diamond Ward, my parents had been playing at middle class all my life despite being filthy rich. Muttering curses, I went to Garnet and Peridot, sat on the step beside them, and petted both. Once they were awake, I gathered them in my arms, turned my back to my parents, and huffed.
“I believe the little hatchling is upset over all those times we told her we couldn’t afford something,” my father stated.
While he wasn’t wrong, I buried my face in carbunclo fur and cuddled with the beasts.
“Just give her some time to come to terms with the idea that we are truly assholes. The entirety of Dragon Heights is right to be wary of us. We are the true menaces of this city, and we are proud of our status.” My mother giggled. “But seriously, Kinsley. It’s all right. We both had meaningful and lucrative work through the years, but we did what we wanted to do most of all, and that was raise you. We didn’t want to raise you in the trappings of wealth. We wanted you to be able to handle the real world, which you do rather well. We’ll drag you to the house here and acclimate you. We will stage it as a kidnapping, where you are forced in kicking and screaming. It’ll be entertaining. How many will try to rescue you from our clutches?”
“Anyone who knows you,” I mumbled.
“This will be entertaining,” my father predicted. “Are you done work for the day, Erik?”
“I am.”
“Before you head home and try to charm Kinsley, her kitten, and her familiar, we have something to show you.”
“Why does that sound vaguely threatening?” I grumbled.
“You know us, that’s why. Stop your complaining and get a move on. I’m too lazy to fly, so we’re going to catch a cab.”
* * *
Sunday, May 10, 2167
The Tower Ward
Dragon Heights, Wyoming
In the time since we’d last been to the trashed lots, the rubble had been removed. I’d expected a foundation. Instead, an entire damned home stood, a wattle and daub capable of handling a pair of dragons and their hatchlings.
The yard would need a lot of work, but the property already had a driveway with a single car garage, and someone had brought over the Bentley, putting a bow on her hood. I went over to greet the car, cooing sweet nothings and petting her, promising I’d take good care of her.
“This was not here four days ago,” Erik commented.
“That’s because it went up three days ago.” My mother pulled me away from the Bentley and shoved me in the direction of the front door. “Two days ago, the electricity and water were done, and yesterday, the floors and walls were finished along with the major appliances. Today, your apartment will be emptied by crabby dragons we enlisted to do the work. We even offered monetary compensation rather than just threatening to devour them. Your gun safe is already inside. I asked the nice folks at the shop to help move and make sure they were installed properly.”
Judging from the pride in her voice, my mother expected to be praised for paying people to do her bidding. “What did you do to those poor dragons?”
“I didn’t do anything this time!”
“It is the ‘this time’ that is a concern.” Shaking my head, I held out my hand. “The keys, please.”