Endangered Ch. 04

Lillian sometimes found herself frustrated with all the sexy noises and smells around her but Reyla's order not to touch him made it a little easier. She still convinced herself that he was too young and timid for her, that she didn't want him. Besides, his spicy, pheromone-laden scent was becoming more bearable as she learnt to ignore its almost constant presence.

During the days, they explored the magic district together, discussed plans for the future, or their new world in general. Susan even managed to line up a wonderful job opportunity for herself at the apothecary she had previously supplied.

The old wizard who owned the place had known Susan fondly for years. Now that she was back in the magical world for good, he offered her a partnership in his business. She would grow for them full time, helping in the store with brewing when she wasn't busy with the plants. It was always her dream to take her love for magical plants and their concoctions further so she pounced on the opportunity. She'd already given her notice to the university, sighting a family emergency and taking her weeks of accumulated leave, so she was excited to start as soon as Chris's situation settled down.

To start with, she spent a few hours each day in the store, formalizing their agreement and learning the ropes. Rowan, the owner, was an accomplished apothecary and she learned several new tricks in the brief hours they spent together. She was actually a little worried about her plants back at home but called Jethry to make sure he knew how to look after them properly until she could get back. The Werecat was happy to hear things were going well in the 'big city.'

Chris's public Maginet profile went live on the second day, his name, species, class, and territory available to the entire Being world. Annabel had a little section too as his familiar, noting her name, registration date, and that she had an epsilon class protective enchantment.

"Every profile you see is real," Lillian explained. "The Maginet system is specifically not anonymous like the internet. Profiles are verified by technicians such as Tosh, and are magically resistant to tampering or interception. We don't want ways to trick people or engage in unlawful activities under false names. You might imagine it's vital to the Being contract system."

Chris and Annabel started at tablet, scrolling and navigating through their profile with their fingers.

"Wow," was all Annabel could really say. It seemed just like a regular piece of technology. "So...how does it work?"

The vampire had long accepted being these two kids' personal tome of knowledge. A good thing she liked them. "The entire global system is powered magically, using untraceable energies to communicate between each device. It is silent to humans and their devices." She gestured to the unfinished part of the profile. "You want to include photo images of yourselves?"

Together, Chris and Annabel looked at each other and shook their heads.

"Not now," Chris said.

Within hours Chris had several contract offers and a flood of happy greeting messages.

"Holy shit!" Annabel exclaimed, and Chris's mouth was gaping a little bit. He'd never been popular in high school.

"You forgot to set your profile to state that you're not accepting contracts," Lillian told him with a barely retained chuckle.

At that stage, Annabel kind of took over managing his profile, the Maginet system was apparently foolproof, every message or change carried a magical trace of the individual and each person's devices were unusable by anyone without privileges. Once Annabel had these though, Chris's tablet happily fired up whenever she touched it, he was glad to let her manage it, never a big fan of social media.

She sent out apologies and thanks to the various hopefuls as she gawked at the multi-figure offers for blood, protection, sex, or help creating enchantments. There was even an offer to deflower some old witch's nice as her 21st birthday present.

One evening Chris and Annabel worked up the courage to go to a local establishment known as The Cauldron. They couldn't reveal their true forms but it was a Being club, under the cover of heavy involvement with sci-fi role playing. This way, any humans who showed up weren't freaked out when they overheard a self-professed vampire talking to a witch about blood magic or the like.

It seemed a little weak to Chris, until Lillian spoke up.

"There's also an enchantment that makes humans dismiss anything they hear or see that truly offends their sensibilities. However, given the club's reputation, it attracts a human element who are hard to offend."

"But," he replied, "wont that foster an unhealthy, almost obsessive culture...?"

Lillian just laughed.

The decor was upbeat gothic, still dark, but with colourful depictions of various "mythological" creatures along the walls. Some of the staff appeared to be in "costume" and there was a blue "painted" woman dancing in a cage over by the DJ. By the bar was an all too lifelike stone gargoyle, frozen in a state of arousal as human woman laughed and dared each other to touch the raunchy statue.

The club had a reputation around town as a place to have a wild, uninhibited night where almost anything goes, but somewhere you wouldn't necessarily want to be a regular.

Lillian had wrangled them up a small booth where they ended up sitting around not knowing what to do with themselves. Chris and Annabel were experiencing the club atmosphere for the first time: dim lighting, an otherworldly light show, loud electronic genre music, few clothes and lots of sweaty bodies.

Lillian shrugged at their timidity. "I have to agree that it didn't have much appeal to me outside of snaring a hapless or... even willing humans for feeding, it's perfect for that."

Tonight the vampire had worn black heels, a pleated red miniskirt, and one of her trademark, clingy turtlenecks; black this time. Chris stole glances at her surreptitiously every now and then, especially her long, toned, absolutely pale legs. They were so beautifully pale he thought he could see small bluish veins lattice up near the hem of her skirt.

He'd never been close to such a beautiful woman who was almost his height, only an inch shorter than his six-foot-three. He had gained two inches to his human form after his transformation; yet another addition to the list of things to get used to. At least he still cleared most doorways, just.

Regardless, Lillian's large body excited him and especially his dragon to no end. It had the promise of being something to fight for and conquer. He knew how it felt up close, too, having been dominated by it that morning at the gym. Deliciously soft yet devastatingly powerful.

Annabel was proving quite the distraction herself. She'd worn her new dress and let her hair fall around her back but held from her face with the ribbon which matched his new shirt. The outfit was indeed slinky and sexy. He'd stuck with his jeans and almost regretted it now.

Chris thought she looked perfect, her slight nervousness and big, brown eyes again gave an innocent air which delightfully contradicted the seductive dress, the soft curves of her fantastic ass, and the display of so much smooth leg. He'd held her close as they entered the club, protective, feeling on edge with so many people around them.

The club owner, a vampire named Rufus Veldeer, apparently didn't care that they were underage. He delivered some champagne that Lillian ordered personally to the small booth.

"Lillian, darling, it's so good to see you again. Champagne?" Rufus spoke in dulcet tones.

"Yes, thank you, Rufus. This is my charge, Christopher Baryst, and his familiar, Annabel."

The vampire's face seemed to split into a Cheshire grin as Chris rose to shake his hand.

"It's very nice to meet you, Christopher, and may I just say that you have some very lovely company tonight. Hello, Annabel. You look gorgeous, I wondered if you were his familiar when I first saw you two in the court."

Annabel blushed and ducked into her seat behind Chris a little

"Thank you, Rufus, I didn't realize you were at my introduction. You have a very interesting place here. I was sceptical when Lillian described it to me but now that I'm here, it works."

Rufus laughed heartily. "Yes, yes. It is a little over the top, but I revel in that. As for you though, young dragon, the town has practically been abuzz with talk. Rumours, titterings, lies. I, of course, as a first hand witness, have spread all sorts of fanciful tales about you."

"About me? Why?"

"My boy, we live for centuries and some of us become rather bored," Rufus explained. "A male dragon coming in from the cold is the news of the year, if not the decade."

"Beings are the worst gossipers you're likely to find, Rufus here is notorious," Lillian explained even more succinctly.

"My dear, beautiful vampire, you wound me," Rufus exclaimed with mock hurt. He put an arm around Chris's shoulder almost conspiratorially as he continued. "I apologize for her rudeness, Chris, Annabel. I must warn you, I may be a terrible gossip but Lillian here, despite her loveliness, is a grouch of unprecedented renown. Always ruining my fun."

Lillian simply let out a quiet hiss in his general direction and Annabel couldn't contain a hushed giggle.

"See! She's unstoppable," Rufus continued. "Having you two around will be the best thing that's ever happened to her. Now, speaking of fun, I have an interesting proposal for you, Christopher."

Chris didn't like the sound of that, or the grin on the vampire's face.

"You may be aware that you smell divine, and I'd bet you taste even better. Therefore I propose a potentially very lucrative arrangement. A special drink, the chance to taste a dragon. It would contain a measure of chilled vodka, a half of Sambuca, a half of Grand Marnier, and of course, a few drops of your own delectable blood. I call it the Buffy, for it will surely slay vampires by the dozen!"

Chris didn't know what to make of it, on one hand the idea was hilarious, something he would probably agree to if he was tipsy. Rufus's sales pitch was indeed overly dramatic, but it seemed to suit what he'd seen of him so far. On the other hand he was a little offended he'd once again been propositioned and was concerned what the outcome of offering the drink might be.

"Would you drink it, Lillian?" he asked.

She was somewhat taken aback; the question hadn't struck her in the way he had intended. "Mm," she shrugged, attempting to maintain nonchalant, "I'd probably try it sometime, but I'm not allowed to drink on the job."

Chris's eyes flicked to the glass of bubbly in her hand then looked back at Rufus. "No, thank you, Mr. Veldeer. Perhaps we could do it as a special one night after I'm more settled."

"Of course," Rufus, ever the host, accepted graciously. "I'll leave you to yourselves for now, but please return at anytime. You're always welcome here, Chris, and I'll be honest, you're great for business. Please excuse me."

They'd ended up sipping champagne for a while before Annabel dragged him onto the dance floor. They lasted a few songs, Chris holding her waist or ass with her arms around his neck, writhing their bodies together to whatever spastic beats the DJ wove together. It seemed to be what everyone else was doing.

The crowd of bodies didn't really appeal to them; they were interested in each other so strangers bumping them was just a distraction. By the fourth song, Chris noticed there was a curious young woman dancing behind him. He'd felt her bump him a few times and when he turned, he found her only about an inch from the back of his neck, enjoying his smell.

That was it. They went back to the booth and Annabel sat in his lap as they finished the bottle.

They were about to leave when Amanda, the vampire who'd lost control and attacked Chris on their first day, appeared and asked if she could sit with them for a minute. Chris had somewhat nervously agreed while Lillian never took her eyes off the younger vampire.

"I just wanted a chance to say how sorry I am about what I did to you," Amanda started once she was sitting. "It was unacceptable. I'm young but I've worked hard to control my urges and get a position with Compound security. I can't come out during the day yet, you see, so having a mostly underground job is nice. Look, I'm sorry, I was hungry and you were there smelling so good, it just happened before I could even think to know it was wrong....and thanks for not killing me by the way."

Chris didn't know what to say but forged ahead to accept her apology. "You're Amanda, right?"

She nodded, looking chagrined that she hadn't introduced herself first. Chris didn't seem to notice.

"Well, Amanda, I'm new at this whole thing too so thanks for apologizing and I guess no hard feelings, certainly no harm done. I'm sorry I had that kind of effect on you without any warning."

"Thank you," Amanda said warmly.

She'd resolved to come apologize when she saw them enter the club but over the last few days she'd given up her vampiric schemes to get more of his blood. She didn't have anything to offer in return and he would probably want nothing to do with her.

Besides, it would only lead her further and further down that path. Already from that one taste, she found other blood less satisfying, couldn't get him out of her mind, especially when she slept. It was hard sitting close to him now but she brutally forced her vampire deep down inside herself so she could talk. It meant a lot that he seemed happy to forgive her.

"You haven't...?" Amanda trailed off turning to Lillian.

"Haven't what?" Chris asked curiously.

"No," Lillian said bluntly.

"Don't," Amanda warned.

"Don't what?" Chris asked again.

Amanda sighed. "I'm trying to warn her not to taste your blood, Chris."

"Oh." Chris was confused, Susan had said vampires would want to drink his blood, because it tasted good to them and offered so much sustenance being infused with magic.

"It's too good, Chris, I only tasted a few drops and it's all I can think about," the young vampire confessed. "It's addictive. I can barely stomach human blood anymore."

"I'm sorry," Chris said. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Probably not. Just don't let vampires bite you unless you plan to feed them for the rest of your life."

Amanda got up to leave, feeling better and worse at the same time. She'd been feeling almost depressed ever since she'd had her unsatisfying taste. Walking away was hard but apologizing was good.

"Is she okay?" Annabel asked. She'd remained quiet, just watching the new vampire.

"She will be, I think," Lillian replied. However she was worried. Amanda seemed to have lost some of the sparkle to her eyes, the bounce in her step.

"So the Buffy drink is a bad idea then," Chris stated.

"Very bad," agreed Lillian.

***

Chris's body was pressed back into the leather seat and a few short seconds later the jet was airborne, wheels up. Susan sat next to him and an invisible Lillian was across the aisle. Apart from the bubbly Werecat hostess and the pilot, her familiar, the small jet was empty.

It was wasteful to send a jet for three people but, at the same time, it kind of awesome that he was apparently that important. His thoughts went to Annabel, who was probably back in Laramie by now. He didn't want to leave her behind but it was the perfect opportunity for her to get her affairs in order, placate her parents, and move some stuff down to Denver. Besides, Oslo had agreed to go with her and she had Bartholomew to keep her safe as well.

The flight ended up being smooth, relaxing, and uneventful; the hallmark of an excellent private charter. Once they landed at City Airport, a wizard customs officer boarded the jet and stamped all their passports despite not being able to see Lillian. It was important to conform to human laws and regulations in order to keep their potential footprint as small as possible.

For instance, if they were pulled over by police it was easier to simply have your papers in order rather than to resist or kidnap them until you could get their memories taken, while a nationwide manhunt started for the missing officers. Maintaining the Secret was primarily about blending in unless absolutely necessary; taking memories was no simple business and could leave its own trail of partial images. If done poorly or too long after the event, it could even damage the human.

On the tarmac were three impressive looking black SUVs with serious guards arrayed around. The new arrivals were loaded up rather unceremoniously and the convoy moved off to deliver them to the local Lord.

Chris watched early morning London rolling by with interest through the tinted windows. The skyline was truly impressive, he'd always had dreams of doing a little traveling and now, before he really realised it was happening, he was in another country. He even spotted the face of Big Ben for a few seconds as they drove past Westminster Bridge. It would have been nice to stop and see the sights, Annabel would have loved it, but they had appointments to keep.

Lord Harcot's headquarters was separate from the various territorial hubs, an imposing mansion on what looked to be a contestant for the most affluent street in London. Their convoy rolled into a circular drop off with a large fountain in the middle. It was impressive but the opulence didn't really appeal to Chris. His door was opened by a suited wizard and they were led inside, Lillian and Susan close beside him.

Lord Harcot was shorter than Chris had expected, but had an air or self-assured power that left no doubt he was a Class 1 vampire, well over one thousand years old.

"Ahh. Greetings, Christopher, Lillian," Harcot said, walking over to shake their hands. His accent was thickly British and Chris liked the way words seemed to just roll smoothly off his tongue. "And who is this lovely witch?"

"I'm Susan Baryst, I raised Christopher," Susan responded.

"Indeed. Well, I must congratulate you Susan , you've raised an impressive specimen."

"Thank you," Susan replied.

Harcot looked Chris up and down. "I admit I was a sceptical when the council order crossed my desk. A class 1 male dragon hidden away in plain sight all these years, awakened only a week ago. Yet, here you are in the flesh."

Chris felt a bit uncomfortable under the vampire's assessing eye but resisted the urge to fidget; it seemed like he was always the subject of discussion. He hoped the novelty would wear off quickly.

Harcot turned and smiled at the other vampire in the room. "And Lillian, beautiful as ever I see. I couldn't convince you to kidnap the dragon and come work for me? No?"

"Thank you, no. I'm happy in my current position, Lord Harcot."

"Always so serious dear, Lillian," Harcot smiled. "How about you Christopher?"

"Just Chris is fine," Chris corrected.

"Thank you, Chris, and you may call me Michael. I can't tempt you to relocate to the United Kingdom?"

"Sorry, I've been propositioned so much in the last week I can barely keep up. Lady Narlakis has been generous, I'll stay with her for the foreseeable future, at least until I get my feet firmly underneath me."

Michael Harcot chuckled, listening to young man, he sounded a little like some of the actors he saw on TV crossed with a cowboy from one of the older westerns "Yes, I imagine you've fielded a few interesting offers. But I see you're a pragmatist, it was worth a try."

The dragon could indeed be a valuable ally; he could feel the magic saturating the air around him. It was always like this with dragons, especially the males. They were like deep springs of overflowing magic, so intimately linked to their aspects that every part of them was imbued and it leaked into their surroundings.