Dark Stranger

Avriel - Part 1

Some drugs referenced Lovely Readers. Please skip if you need. ***** :)

Case 3 - "Dragonfire"

The sound of my iPhone buzzing woke me immediately. Scott grumbled against my chest as I reached out an arm to grab it before whispering hello.

"Zass?" She asked.

"What is it Kay Kay?"

"I need you to come down to the morgue. I have a burn victim with rather unusual sharp force trauma injuries and I'm thinking he met something or someone he shouldn't have."

"We talking Pyro with a knife, or claws?"

"Claws Zass, and not baby ones, I'm talking the Daddy of the fire breathers Sassy."

"Dragon? Crap, we haven't had a full blood in town for... what? 10 years at least?"

"Dead on 10 years Zass." She reiterated forcefully. Oh Boy, I knew what that meant, Springtime.

"I'll be there as soon as I can Kay Kay." I said, and we bade each other farewell and I hung up.

A dragon. That was going to be interesting if it were true. The last time I'd been involved in anything relating to a dragon, the results hadn't been pretty. No one died in my City thank goodness, but there had been 31 people injured and 16000 acres burned to ash in Topanga Canyon. Thankfully it had started close to the Canyon and not in the surrounding flatland. The firefighters had a hell of a job putting it out and never saw the culprit who started it. If they had, I would have been exhausted altering all of those memories.

Ten years ago, the Council had sent me after a juvenile dragon. A stupid kid who didn't have full control of his throat yet. He didn't have the capability to shut it down in human form and the results had been devastating in other parts of the world until Gordy and I had reeled him in. He'd had free reign in Australia, causing havoc in Perth and killing 9 people in South Australia, before he'd run home. We were happy he'd left a trail of breadcrumbs in his wake, but the arson statistics that year had seen a sharp increase. We'd cornered him in the Canyon, Gordy flying me in. It had taken both of us to put the shackles on and transport him to the Council for judgement. We couldn't do anything about the fire, and had watched on CNN as fire fighters resorted to water bombers and helicopters flying water in to put the fire out.

Stupid kid was lucky he didn't end up in Purgatory. Purgatory was the Supernatural equivalent of a Supermax. Only the worst offenders were placed there. I'd known a few in my time who chose trial by combat rather to be locked up there. Trial by combat more often than not proved fatal though. Especially for those who had no fighting skills. The Council's current Champion was a Minotaur by the name of Petros. He was the biggest, nastiest bastard I'd ever had to have dealings with. Thank goodness they were on the Council's behalf and not personal. Although I'd known him to hire out as a Mercenary if the job was going to be bloody enough. I'd considered using him once... after investigating his background, I'd given up on that idea right quick. He was far too hot-tempered for my liking, besides collateral damage was something I needed to keep to a minimum in L.A.

I was roused from my reminiscing by a large and very pale arm, being flung across my chest as Scott started to rouse and move around. It had been a month since that crazy night at Inferno and Scott had assisted me on a couple of messy divorces. Turns out he is a whizz with a camera so he was already earning good money for the company. His investigative mind was also sharp as a tack, pointing me in the right direction with a fraud case I'd been having difficulty closing. I was focused on the business partner when I should have been focusing on the ex-mistress. Women, go figure.