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“Garnet’s a house pet so you can’t summon more like her.”
“Carbunclo like her are not a species we can summon during a petition, so your peace of mind is safe,” Wanda promised, and she gestured in the direction of her husband. Then, to my astonishment, she crouched and picked up my bag. “You’ve had a long enough day, I’m sure, so I’ll just carry this over for you. It wouldn’t do to wake little Garnet.”
I needed to research why dragons seemed to have a lot of respect for the kitten. “Is there something I don’t know about Garnet that I should? I thought she was a gift because the titanium dragons thought I was deserving of her and would make a better person for her to live with.”
Wanda smiled and herded me towards her husband. “Don’t be alarmed, Kinsley. Garnet’s arrival last month became news among all the dragons here. She is a rare beauty, and the titaniums did earn her, but it was not a good fit. But they have tried their best for her. No fault of theirs, I assure you. I will spread a photo of you holding her while she sleeps, and none will doubt the word of the titaniums who gifted her to you.”
I read between the lines; there were dragons in the city who believed I wouldn’t be able to take care of the kitten. I’d survived and preserved what I cared most about running away before, but I would stand my ground and prove the entire lot of them wrong.
If they wanted to take Garnet from me, they’d have a fight on their hands.
Wanda smiled. “I see your determination in your eyes. Good, good. But don’t be too alarmed by us dragons. We do care about the creatures our magic summons, and you have always done your best for them. Any dragon with honor respects your efforts. Our city has not been kind to you, but you have done our city a great service. And so, you will find our thanks appearing in mysterious ways. Garnet is only a small fraction of what you are owed.”
I frowned, trying to think about how I could have made such a difference. All I’d done was collect bounties recovering petitioner-spawned animals. Once I had my new phone, handled my furniture problem, and settled Garnet, I would look into the truth behind the dragons and their apparent generosity.
I could see paying back a debt, but their behavior did not match my expectations.
What didn’t I know about the petitioners of Dragon Heights and the animals they summoned?
Great. Another mystery. Just what I needed.
Rather than express my uncertainty, I thanked her and went with their flow. Later, I would have time to think about Wanda, her strange behavior, and my adventure into the Emerald Ward.
SIX
“That is putting it mildly.”
Sunday, April 19, 2167
The Emerald Ward
Dragon Heights, Wyoming
The next time a dragon invited me to go shopping, I would do everything in my power to politely refuse their offer. While Wanda kept her word and smoothed the way for my purchases, she had opinions and let me know what she thought I should buy. The bed proved to be the only acquisition she left to my preference.
Everything needed to be better, which forced me to defend my choices, accept when she made good points on buying something cheap solely because it was cheap, and otherwise reevaluate my priorities.
Losing five thousand dollars for furniture pained me, but the dragon had gotten me good deals on just about everything. I was forced to admire her choice of desk; it would bring a great deal of joy down the road, large enough to store everything I might want during an investigation. I hadn’t meant to get a good computer chair, but Wanda promised my back would hate me if I tried to use a kitchen chair.
Thanks to her influence, the furniture store intended on delivering, assembling, and moving everything into their proper spots beginning in two hours.
The new tablet would make the lost time less of an issue, and I planned on reading every newspaper online I could find on everything going on in Dragon Heights while making a better plan.
When we finally escaped from the furniture store, I said, “I really appreciate your help. Where is the pet store? I need to get everything Garnet needs.”
“This way.” She gestured down the street. “If they don’t deliver, I’ll recruit one of the younglings to help ferry everything to your home. You will want several places for her to sleep where you spend the most time in your home. The desk should be large enough where she can have a bed near your feet, which will be cozy for her.”
“And litter boxes, as my apartment only has one bathroom.”
“A wise choice. You’ll want toys and things to occupy her when she is busy. I’ll help you. While Garnet is the only carbunclo in Dragon Heights at current, we are familiar with them and their care. They are prized even among dragons.”
“I guess the titanium dragons giving her to me is a big deal, then.”
Garnet still slept, which made me rather easy prey for the dragon, as I didn’t want to disturb her.
“That is putting it mildly. I will tell you a secret. Most carbunclo will eat kibble if they want something to eat but it’s not regular mealtime.” Wanda escorted me to the nearby pet store and grabbed a cart. “Let’s start with the scratching posts and trees.”
I appreciated her foresight, as those would take up the most space in my apartment and in the cart. To my horror, the store had two entire aisles dedicated to cat trees, wheels the carbunclo could run on, and things to encourage bad habits like diving down from her lofty perch onto my head.