Dragon Heartstring(9)

“Jessen’s right,” he said gently. “You need businessmen who will back your proposal. Human businessmen.”

“I know,” I said, gathering the plates and hastily plopping them back into the basket. “So much for Gladium being the enlightened city in a world of ignorance.” I stood abruptly, needing to walk off my frustration.

He joined me and grabbed my hand, stopping me from slipping away. Stunned, I stared down at his strong hand wrapped around mine. He let me go, and some part of me wished he hadn’t.

“Yes, it’s true Gladium is not yet as tolerant as it ought to be. And while laws have tried to enforce equality, you must realize that people can’t easily change their way of thinking. Many have been taught from childhood to fear Morgonkind.”

“Why can’t they change their way of thinking? I have,” I snapped. “I used to believe Morgons were the superior race. Until I moved here. Until I opened my own clinic so that I could treat humans. You know why I wanted to treat them?” My voice shook, but I couldn’t stop the confession from spilling. He said not a word, simply held me in his warm gaze. “Because I pitied them. I felt sorry for humans who didn’t have the magical gifts we did, who weren’t born with the advanced genes Morgons have. But after I healed several patients and I had the experience of knowing humans on an intimate level, I realized that humans have their own gifts. Of compassion and kindness and love they seem to give more freely than my own race.” Unable to hold back my emotion, a tear slipped down my cheek. I turned away.

“Please don’t cry.” He reached into his pocket and handed me a handkerchief.

Ashamed at my loss of control, I briskly wiped the tears.

He let me gather my composure, then said gently, “Morgons and humans both have the capacity for love. And for hate.”

Unable to meet his gaze, for I didn’t want to find pity there, I stared down at my fingers twisting his handkerchief.

“Look at me, Shakara. Please.”

I did.

“I plan to champion your cause. I want the ban on the Volt gun. For my own reasons. But also for your people.” He paused, then added quietly, almost inaudibly. “For you.”

Struck by this admission, I steadied my breathing and tried to calm myself. Why would he want to help me?

“Won’t that hurt Cade Enterprises?”

“Perhaps. Perhaps not. It will depend upon my father and where he stands.”

“You would go against your father for this?”

“I would do more for—” He stopped himself before he finished his thought.

Julian squealed with laughter. He and Jessen had the kite lifting back up into the air.

“She’s a beautiful dragon,” I remarked, heart still hammering from our intimate encounter.

“Yes,” he said, still gazing down at me, “she is.”





Chapter 3





The head of the Chamber of Commerce had gone through all the items on the agenda except one. I’d said nothing the entire meeting. One of the older board members blustered about a slight export tax increase, but then settled down when it was announced the import tax had nearly doubled. Since most of us on the board exported vast quantities of goods to the human province Primus and even to the northern Morgon provinces of Drakos and Cloven, profits would continue to rise.

Finally, the head of the board shuffled his stack of papers to the last page. He cleared his throat. “Lastly, the Icewing clan is presenting a proposal before the senate two weeks from today. The proposal summary reads, ‘Due to inhumane and unsanctioned manufacturing, the Morgon Guild proposes a removal of the Volt gun from the human market and confiscation of the weapon from current distributors.”

“What? The Guild members have lost their minds. Why would human manufacturers and distributors possibly give up millions because a few Morgons have suddenly labeled the gun inhumane?”

It was Terrence Blackwater, a colleague and friend of the Grayson family. He could pretend surprise all he wanted, but he knew about this proposal before he stepped in here.

“Because it is,” I said from my end of the table.

All eyes swiveled to me.

Terrence chuckled. “Demetrius, don’t tell me the Cade family is buying into this.”

“The Cade family will abide by whatever ruling parliament makes.”

“Then there’s no more debate,” said Terrence, leaning back in his chair. “Parliament cannot possibly rule against us.”

“And who is ‘us’?” I asked pointedly.

Terrence laughed with a wave of his hand. “Who do you think, Cade? Whose side are you on?”

“I didn’t realize there were sides.”

He scoffed. “You’ve been spending too much time with your in-laws and that…nephew of yours.”

Leaning forward, I clenched my fist on the glass table. Pierson, a friend of my father’s, pressed a hand to my sleeve to keep me in place. I swept my gaze around the room. “I suggest you all prepare for the banning of the Volt gun. The fact is, it is inhumane.”

“That’s preposterous,” said one of the white-haired members who’d been on the Chamber since I was an infant. “It’s no more inhumane than a handgun or a long-gun.”

Unclenching my fist, I tapped a finger casually, though my blood ran like wildfire through my veins. “Hmm. Let me see. Is there a handgun on the market that guarantees death upon impact? Is there a long-gun that guarantees death upon impact of the deer you hunt, even if it merely grazes a leg?”