Fire and Flood

By Val St. Crowe

City of Dragons, Book Seven

When my fiancé Lachlan Flint finds out that his daughter’s killer has been murdered in a locked cell with no apparent entry points, he says he has to take a crack at the case. He says it’s a thought experiment, but I’m fairly sure it’s about closure. Nothing has had a deeper affect on Lachlan than the death of his daughter.

Normally, I’d be all for closure, but things are getting bad with the Green King. The ancient sea monster attacked my hotel with a supernatural tidal wave that closed me down for business and put us all in danger. I want to figure out how to stop the Green King, not go off and try to solve murders.

But, as I said, nothing has had a deeper affect on Lachlan, so off we all go to Texas, where we’re neck deep in prison politics and shady suspects.

All the while, the Green King closes in.

• Language: English
• Publisher: V. J. Chambers
• Release date: May 8, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463825471

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Really, both of you, I’m fine, said Connor Beckett. The gargoyle was lounging in a curved booth at Oscar’s Place in Sea City. The place was packed since it was June, high season for tourists, but we’d still managed to snag one of the nifty circular tables that night. Probably owing to the fact that we were here really early in the night.

These days, my best friend Felicity Richardson and I were pretty settled. I had a one-year-old son and she had an eight-year-old stepdaughter, and late-night boozing sessions were not really much our thing.

Connor fluttered his wings a little as he leaned back into his chair. He was a gargoyle, living stone, and he looked like a perfectly carved sculpture of fine features and chiseled muscle. He snagged his drink from the table and sucked the liquid through a fancy swizzle straw. Not that I don’t mind you buying me drinks or anything, but I’m fine.

We all had outlandish fruity drinks garnished with pineapples and orange slices.

I picked up my drink. You’re not fine, Connor. You just broke up with your boyfriend.

Yeah, said Felicity, who was sitting next to me. You’re fragile right now. You may still be numb from the whole experience, but that doesn’t mean that you’re fine.

He surveyed both of us, shrugging. I feel fine. Mike was juvenile and idiotic. I’m better off without him. That’s why I broke up with him.

I considered. Even though I’d only met Mike a handful of times, I knew that Connor’s assessment of his ex-boyfriend was accurate. Still. It’s painful to end a relationship, though.

Not this one, said Connor. He sucked the rest of his drink through his straw, making a gurgling noise as he drained the glass. But I’ll totally take another drink if Penny’s buying.

I laughed, and I signaled to our waitress, who was serving the table next to us.

She came over, eyebrows raised. Another round?

Just one more for this guy, I said, pointing to Connor.

Yeah, we’re still working on ours, said Felicity, holding up her mostly-full glass.

Sure thing, said the waitress and scurried off.

Connor shook his head at us. I can’t believe you two are both still working on that first drink.

I ruefully squinted at my glass. I’m still breastfeeding. I really shouldn’t drink too much.

Wyatt’s down for the night, isn’t he? said Connor pointedly. When’s he going to nurse again?

I took a sip of my drink.

Connor rounded on Felicity. And what’s your excuse?

We’re not here to talk about me, she countered. We’re here to have a girls’ night and commiserate with you. Connor was an honorary girl.

I don’t need to commiserate, said Connor. I’m not miserable.

Felicity narrowed her eyes. So, it meant nothing to you then? You and Mike were together for almost four months. You actually introduced him to everyone, and you don’t do that with your flings. You were serious about him.

Connor sighed. I tried to be serious about him. He wouldn’t be serious back. He wanted to flirt with other guys and be all weird about saying I was his boyfriend and… He rolled his eyes. Like I don’t get it at all. He wanted us to be exclusive, and he wanted us to do all the things that boyfriends do together, but he was like allergic to the word ‘boyfriend.’

I made a sympathetic face. Yeah, I’ve been there.

Men, said Felicity, grimacing.

Hey, said Connor, feigning hurt.

Well, except you, I said.

We all grinned.

The waitress came back with Connor’s drink and set it in front of him. He leaned over and took a slurp through the straw.

You guys need anything else? asked the waitress.

We’re good for now, I said.

She left.

I turned back to Connor. So, you’re really okay? You swear?

He nodded. Totally okay. But keep the free drinks coming.

I laughed.

Connor twirled his straw in his glass. I mean, okay, I guess it’s tough sometimes, considering you and Felicity are in such established relationships. Sometimes I feel a little left out. Maybe that’s why I pushed so hard with Mike. I think I’m at a place in my life where I’m ready to settle down, but I haven’t met the right guy yet.

Oh, Connor, I said. You’re still so young. Felicity and I were about the same age, but Connor was almost ten years younger than we were.

Yeah, but I actually have a typical lifespan, he said. You’re going to live for hundreds of years, and Felicity’s going to live forever.

I’m going to die forever, you mean, said Felicity. She was a drake, a dragon-human hybrid. She had green-blue scales that started over her ears and ran down her neck and body. She died with dragon flesh in her system, and it had mutated her and preserved her forever.

Same difference, said Connor. Point is, I’m technically older than you guys if you look at the percentage of my life that I have left.

I grimaced. I didn’t like thinking about this. Look, Connor, if you’re worried about dying, there are ways to halt your aging using talismans and magic and—

No, said Connor. I don’t want to live forever. I want to grow old with someone. I’m only saying that it’s not crazy for me to want to settle down.

Well, you’ll find the right guy, I said.

His shoulders slumped. I hope so.

You will, I said. Don’t give up hope.

He made a face, but then he nodded, smiling a little. I haven’t given up. I’m still looking.

Good, said Felicity. Because it will happen when you least expect it.

So I hear, he said, sighing. Everyone says that. He squared his shoulders. Let’s change the subject. He pointed at me. Let’s pick on Penny.

I pointed at myself. Me? But I’m the one buying you drinks.

He took a drink of his as if I’d reminded him it was there. When are you and Lachlan tying the knot, hmm? You’ve been wearing that obscenely huge rock for months now—

It’s not obscenely huge! I peered down at my engagement ring, which was a modest-sized diamond on a white gold band. It was very subdued. I hadn’t wanted anything too crazy.

Connor laughed.

It isn’t. I turned to Felicity. You don’t think it’s really big, do you?

It’s not big for a dragon engagement ring, said Felicity.

What’s that supposed to mean? I glared at her. You said you thought it was a good size.

"It is a good size, she said. I’m only saying that among really rich dragons, it’s a small diamond, but amongst us mere mortals, it’s maybe a tad biggish."

Biggish? Is that even a word?

Felicity became very interested in her drink.

Stop changing the subject, said Connor, whose drink was already half empty. When’s the wedding?

I groaned. Connor, stop asking me this.

It’s only that I told you that I got ordained online in order to officiate my friends Joe’s and Robert’s wedding, and I said I can officiate yours, and you haven’t told me if you want me to do that. So, when’s the wedding?

I don’t know. You think I wouldn’t have told you if I knew?

So, why don’t you know? said Connor.

We just… I took a big gulp of my drink. We haven’t had much of a chance to talk about it. We’re busy at work all the time and with Wyatt and—

You’re dragging your feet. Connor pointed at me. We all know Lachlan isn’t going to bring up making wedding plans. He doesn’t care about venues and flowers and stuff like that. So, you need to bring it up, and you’re not bringing it up.

I looked down at my fingernails. There was maybe a little bit of truth to that. I just… I feel like things need to be straightened out first. Lachlan took Wyatt’s powers into himself, and that moved up the timetable of the Green King and his court. We know they’re coming for us, but we don’t know when. I feel like we need to take care of that threat before getting married.

Our son Wyatt had been conceived due to a prophecy. Even though Lachlan was a vampire, and shouldn’t be able to have children, because Wyatt was the blood dragon, destined to fight the evil Green King, he had been born to us. However, Lachlan had done some kind of ritual and transferred the power of the blood dragon to himself. This had the unfortunate consequence of speeding up the time it would take for the Green King to strike. Instead of decades from now, he would be coming sooner.

But the Green King might not strike for years, said Connor.

I know that, I said. But whenever I try to think about the wedding, all I think about is the Green King instead.

Both Connor and Felicity were quiet.

I drained my drink and sat back in my seat.

No one spoke.

Well, said Connor, that put a damper on the conversation.

Thinking about the world ending usually does, said Felicity.

"The world is not going to end, I said. We’ll stop the Green King. We will." But when the waitress looked our way again, I ordered myself another drink. The enormity of all that danger was easier to think about with my mind fuzzy from alcohol.

* * *

~Lachlan~

Lachlan blinked his eyes, feeling tired. It was late afternoon, but Penny had been out late with her friends the night before, and he’d been up with his son Wyatt, who hadn’t been happy to wake up and find Mommy gone. Lachlan hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep the night before. As a vampire, such things usually didn’t bother him too much, but he was always wearing a magical dampener these days, and it took a lot out of him.

The dampener was a talisman that had been made for Wyatt. It blocked the powers of the blood dragon. That meant that while wearing the dampener, rogue dragons weren’t drawn to him.

Lachlan was wandering through the office in the police station. He had been picking up a few blank paper copies of some files that he was required to have on hand in case of technical difficulty that rendered the digital copies unreachable. He was working alone today. Penny had stayed home for the afternoon. She was only a consultant and didn’t come to the office with him every day. He felt as if the lack of her presence was making him doubly sluggish, however. It was as if he couldn’t get anything done at all. Penny was motivating when she was around. She got things done.

He wound through the rows of desks in the large open room towards his own desk, which was back in the corner.

Flint! called a voice from behind him.

He turned to see that the main receptionist was waving at him. What? he said.

You’ve got a call on line five, said the receptionist.

A call for him, huh? Who would be calling the office and not his cell phone? Probably some crazy out there who wanted to make up some fake crime in order to talk to him. After the cases he and Penny had solved, he was a bit of a local celebrity. He almost told the receptionist to take a message, but he knew that would only delay the problem. The crazy would call back, more desperate than ever, and he couldn’t ignore the crazy forever. So, he’d better face the problem head on and nip it in the bud. He gave the receptionist a wave. Thanks. I’ll take it at my desk.

Arriving back in his corner, he sat down and picked up his phone. He hit the button for line five. Flint here.

Lachlan?

His stomach kinked up. He knew that voice. Female, soft, a little breathy. His heart started to pick up speed.

Are you there?

He sucked in a shaky breath. Debra? His voice was a rasp.

I’m sorry to call you at work, but I didn’t know how else to get in touch with you. Apparently, you haven’t even given your own father as much as an address, let alone a phone number. I knew you worked in Sea City, so I found this number and asked for you.

He waited, not saying anything. He didn’t know what to say to Debra, his ex-wife, mother of both of the little girl he’d lost and the teenage boy who’d taken her from him.

Lachlan?

What?

I just… I thought maybe you hung up, she said.

His voice came out sarcastic. Can’t think of any reason I’d do that. He hadn’t realized he was still so angry with her, but he was. Seething rage was pouring up from his stomach like bile.

Right, she murmured. You would feel that way. She took a deep breath.

It was quiet.

Lachlan clutched the receiver of the phone, looking around the office. In a way, maybe it was better that he was talking to her here in the office, because anyone could see him, and he needed to keep himself in check. If he’d been alone, he might have started screaming at her. Curses might have started spewing from his mouth, and he wasn’t sure that he would have been able to stop himself.

After Hallie had died, after Debra’s son had shot their little girl to death and attempted to kill Lachlan, his wife had been distant. She had grieved with abandon, but she hadn’t done it near him. Instead, she’d run away to stay with family, leaving Lachlan alone in the house where they had all lived together. He had just turned into a vampire at that point, having been shot with dragon blood in his system, and he was trying to adjust to that change all by himself.

Lachlan wasn’t angry at her for the distance, and he wasn’t angry at her for being mother of the boy who murdered Hallie. But he was angry with her for becoming so distant that she slept with Lachlan’s partner Steve and abandoned her husband. For leaving him to deal with the loss of his child and the loss of his humanity all alone. He was furious with her. And he realized he’d only run from that emotion, so hearing her voice again brought it all back.

Tim’s gone, she said.

What? He sat up straight. What do you mean, gone? Did he escape from prison? Timmy was the name of his stepson, the boy who’d pulled the trigger. He’d been tried as an adult and sentenced to a life sentence for Hallie’s murder.

He’s dead, she said in a quiet voice. Someone killed him.

Lachlan’s jaw worked. He was trying to process this information but it simply didn’t compute. Timmy dead? Killed? What?

I thought you’d want to know, she said. It’s been all over the news down here, but I figured it wouldn’t be reported up north where you are. So, I thought someone should tell you. I guess I could have had someone else call you, but I thought it should be me, so…

Fuck. Lachlan found himself unable to say anything else.

Yeah, said Debra.

He licked his lips, trying to pull himself together. Uh… I mean, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for your loss.

Thank you, she said.

Silence.

Dead. Timmy dead. The person who’d killed Hallie was dead too. He could hardly believe it. Were you… in touch with him? Lachlan knew that Debra had cut ties with Timmy right after it happened, but he thought that it might be likely that she would eventually want to see him again. After all, he was her son. Of course, Debra and Steve had gotten pregnant with twins pretty quickly after the entire incident, so it wasn’t as if Timmy was Debra’s only child anymore. Still, to have now lost two of her children… She must be devastated.

We had started to talk on the phone, Debra said. But I hadn’t seen him, hadn’t gone to visit him.

Aw, shit, Debra, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.

She didn’t say anything.

Well, what would she say to that? Maybe that she was sorry too? She probably wanted to get off the phone with him. She’d called to deliver this piece of news, and it couldn’t be easy for her. He cleared his throat. Well, I, uh, I appreciate you telling me.

Sure thing, she said.

He waited, certain that she’d begin to make excuses and get off the line. But she didn’t. She simply breathed. He adjusted his grip on the phone. Waited some more. When she still said nothing, he said, Uh, you must be devastated.

Look, telling you isn’t the only reason I called.

No? said Lachlan. He was starting to feel a little apprehensive. Why else would she have called? She didn’t want him to come back for the funeral or something, because he couldn’t. He needed to stay far away from all of them. Going back there would bring up too many painful memories and he had worked too hard to build a new life for himself. And besides, it wasn’t as if this new life wasn’t without complications, given the powers he had to dampen and the threat of the Green King and everything else.

When they found him, they thought it was a drug overdose, she said. He was locked in his cell all night, alone. But during the routine autopsy they do at the jail, they discovered he’d been smothered by a pillow. They found fibers from the case in his mouth and under his fingernails, like he was clawing at it, like he was— Her voice broke. Fighting off his killer.

Geez, said Lachlan. He couldn’t help but suddenly think of his own little son, Wyatt, struggling against a pillow on his face. It made Lachlan’s chest tighten painfully, and he shook the image away.

No one can figure out how the killer even got into the cell, she said. And no one’s trying very hard either. After all, given who Timmy is, what he did, most people aren’t too bothered that he’s dead. The police are no exception. Steve didn’t want me to ask you this, because he said it was crossing the line, but I know that you’re the best detective that ever worked in Bartle, and if anyone could figure this out, it would be you.

Lachlan sputtered. You want me to solve Timmy’s murder?

I need to know what happened, Lachlan. I need to know who did this to him.

Debra, I can’t just horn in on another department’s investigation—

They know you. They’d work with you. If you showed up here, they wouldn’t ask questions.

And anyway, I’m far too emotionally invested to be objective at all—

"If you cared about Timmy, they would care, she said. You’re the person who’s got the biggest reason to be glad that he’s dead. If you showed them that he mattered, that his life mattered—"

Who says I think it did? Lachlan said, and his voice cracked.

And then he hung up the phone, fighting the lump in this throat. He leaned back in his chair, hardly able to breathe.

How dare she call him and ask him that? How dare she?

CHAPTER TWO

I sat cross legged on a towel spread out on the sand and watched my son Wyatt play. He wasn’t real good at using tools like shovels yet, but he did enjoy picking up handfuls of sand and moving them in and out of buckets. He liked doing that even better with wet sand, so half of the buckets surrounding us were full of water and wet sand.

Wyatt went at the task as if it were serious business—rocket science or the equivalent. He scrunched up his face and gave it his total concentration. Sand moving was his world at the moment.

The two of us were on the beach behind my hotel. I had taken the afternoon off to spend with Wyatt. My cousin Vivica was lying on her stomach, sunning herself next to us, and her son Jackson, who was a few months younger than Wyatt, was sitting on the other side of Wyatt’s buckets, trying to pick up sand too but losing most of it between his chubby fingers. The two little boys were incredibly adorable.

There you are, said a voice from behind me.

I looked up to see my fiancé Lachlan, still in his shirt and tie from work. He sat down in the sand next to me. His shoes were crusted in sand, and now his butt was going to be too.

You okay? I said to him.

He shook his head. I don’t know if I’m ready to talk about it.

I raised my eyebrows. Why’d you bring it up then?

He shot me a glance.

Okay, I guess that technically he hadn’t brought it up, but something was wrong. It was all over him. I swallowed. It’s not… I gestured at the horizon. The children of the deep?

No, he said. No, there’s nothing on that front.

I nodded. Right after Lachlan had stolen Wyatt’s power, he’d started using the talisman that Olsen Hunter had made for Wyatt so we really had no idea what kind of power it was that Lachlan even had, because all of it was dampened by that talisman. So, then, what is it?

Penny, let me wind down. He let out a huff.

I shrugged. Fine, if he wanted to be grumpy, I wasn’t going to push it.

Lachlan scooted through the sand over to the boys. What are you guys up to?

Wyatt looked up at Lachlan and his eyes got bright and wide. He grinned a big grin and let out a laugh.

Hey there, little man, said Lachlan, reaching over and scooping the little boy up. Daddy’s home.

Wyatt laughed again.

Say Da-da, said Lachlan.

Wyatt let out a string of babbling noises that sounded nothing like Da-da.

I don’t get it. Lachlan looked over his shoulder at me. He used to say it all the time.

No, he didn’t, I said. He just made noises that you interpreted as him saying it.

Whatever. Lachlan turned back to his son. Da. Da, he repeated slowly and carefully.

Wyatt just giggled.

Wyatt was in the stage where he would say words, but he didn’t tend to use them to mean anything. He liked to babble sounds like dadadadada over again, but we couldn’t get him to say that sound for Lachlan yet, at least not consistently. He’d do it once or twice, we’d get excited, and then he wouldn’t do it again, leaving us to wonder if it hadn’t been a coincidence.

Jackson crawled over to Lachlan.

Oh, hey, Jackson, said Lachlan, reaching out for the other little boy. How are you doing today?

Jackson grinned, showing off his new teeth. He’d been drooling and fighting to get them through the gums,