Chapter 5: Pursuit of Justice

8 years ago...

Fiona looked at the barmaid with narrowed eyes. 

"You mean to tell me that there are shifters living over here? An entire village of them?" she asked with incredulity.

"A whole village, mmm-hmm," the woman agreed as she walked around the bar, setting down glasses of ale and taking orders while Fiona followed after her wanting more information from the smaller woman.

"How did we not know about this?" Fiona asked, her eyes darkening.

"They've been here for about a century, I'm not sure how you didn't know but probably because you live in that posh castle out east. The rest of us dragons live in the real world," the woman said as she stopped at a table and looked down. "What can I get ye?"

"I'll take an ale and a plate of dinner," a man said as he looked curiously at Fiona.

"Oh, pshaw," Fiona said brushing away the words of the woman. "There's supposed to be a family that lives here, they have red-orange eyes, do you know who I'm talking about?"

The woman looked at her uneasily as she gestured toward the front of the bar with her head.

"You should keep your voice down when you talk about the Vilean's," the woman said. 

"So you know them?" Fiona asked, her eyes wide.

"Aye, I know them. Everyone does. Nasty family, if you ask me," the woman replied.

"How so?" Fiona asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"That's not for me to say," the woman replied, shaking her head. Fiona could see a flicker of fear in the eyes of the barmaid.

"They live here?" Fiona asked, her voice firm as she stared at the woman.

The woman walked back and forth behind the bar, getting plates ready and filling more mugs with ale.

"Here, carry this if you insist on keeping up this banter," the woman said, sliding the mugs toward Fiona.

Fiona grabbed the mugs and followed after the woman as she walked through the pub, handing out the goods to the patrons.

"So?" Fiona asked probingly as she looked at the woman.

"What's that?" the woman asked as she handed a man a glass of ale and smiled down at him, tucking the coin he offered her into a pocket on her dress.

"Another coin if you join me tonight?" the man asked with a brow raised.

The woman rolled her eyes and slapped the man playfully on the back of the head before moving on without answering him.

"They live here?" Fiona asked again, prodding her with the question.

"Aye, they live here," the woman replied affirmatively.

"Where do they live?" Fiona asked with exasperation. The woman was frustratingly slow with information.

"They live on the side of the mountain, they have a logging business up there, about halfway between here and the next village," the woman kept flitting around the bar and Fiona stopped to look out the window and see the mountain the woman was talking about.

She could barely make out a few homes along this side, nothing that looked like a logging operation. She turned with purpose and walked out the door, finding her impleva and mounting quickly, turning him toward the mountain.

"Time to find the shifter, Macie," she said as she patted her impleva gently and turned her toward the mountain. 

"They won't talk to you if you come in on a flying horse," a deep voice said as Fiona made to take to the skies. She turned to look at the man talking to her.

Her heart dropped in her chest as she saw a familiar man looking up at her. 

"You weren't supposed to follow," she answered as she glanced around uneasily. "If you're caught here, they'll kill you."

"I couldn't let you go alone, Fi," Bram answered as he held onto her reins and swung himself up behind her. "I had to come to help you."

"It was a foolish move. People around here know you. It will get back to Neil, he'll be furious," she whispered in a hushed voice as she turned on the impleva to talk to him. Her eyes darted between his eyes and his lips as she felt the comfort and peace that came from his presence.

"I'll deal with Neil if it comes to that," Bram said as he leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers, whispering softly as he did. "I'll deal with all of them."

Fiona leaned forward, pressing their lips together with fury as she felt herself being caught up in the feeling of comfort of having Bram close.

He broke their kiss and pulled her close, whispering in her hair.

"Come to the inn with me. We'll figure out how to find the shifters there." He pulled her earlobe between his teeth and tickled the lobe gently between his lips. She moaned in response. "Come with me, Fi."

She nodded her agreement as he jumped from the impleva and pulled her down by her waist. They walked toward the inn hand in hand. Bram paid for the impleva to be stabled for the night, along with his impleva and they headed into his room. He had a lot to say to this feisty blond, and he didn't intend to use words.

---

Cliff paced in the office in front of Neil's desk.

"I came for the treaty but I was pleased to find my mate on my way here. Where is she?" He stopped pacing and turned to look at the Dragon King.

Neil shifted uncomfortably and looked up at Cliff. 

"She went on a trip for the winter months. She will return in time for your Hunt," Neil said firmly.

"She's required to come, does she know that?" Cliff asked, his head tilting to the side. 

"She knows," Neil said with a nod.

"Damn it, Neil, where the fuck is she? How do I know she's going to come next summer when she flies off the first time she sees me?" Cliff's outburst was expected and Neil was surprised it had taken this long for him.

"I've made the decree, she knows her responsibility," Neil said as he stood behind his desk and stared at the shifter. He didn't like being questioned, despite understanding the frustration behind the request.

"Her responsibility? HER RESPONSIBILITY?" Cliff's voice rang through the air. "I'm her MATE, not her responsibility. She's supposed to want to be with me. She's supposed to be happy to have met me. What the fuck happened?" 

"She's uneasy with a shifter, she will come around," Neil said.

"So you won't tell me, then? You're going to stand there telling me half-truths because you don't want me to know the truth?"

"I want you to hear the truth from Fiona. It's not my place to tell you her life story," Neil replied. His voice was calm but there was a small measure of frustration behind his words.

"So you will keep me from my mate?" Cliff asked, standing with his hands clenched in fists as he glared at Neil.

"I will allow her the final months of freedom," Neil clarified.

"Freedom to do what? What is she doing right now?" Cliff asked, her eyes narrowing. "Or should I ask who is she doing right now? Is that the more accurate question?"

Neil's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You mean to tell me you've been a perfect celibate while you wait for your mate?"

"NO! But I haven't touched a woman since I saw her! Can she say the same?" Cliff roared the answer, looking at Neil with fury. "I saw the way she looked at the man at the lake, the way he looked at her. You can't tell me in good conscience they aren't fucking right now."

"What Fiona does before she is mated is her business," Neil replied, shaking his head. "I don't know what she does in her free time and quite frankly, I don't care. It's not my place to tell her who not to fuck."

Cliff's nostrils flared at the crass word.

"One day, you will find your mate, and she will fill you with the same disappointment that mine has filled me with," Cliff said with a shake of his head. He turned and stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him.

Neil watched with trepidation. He agreed with Cliff, but Fiona was his family. His job as her family was to protect her. But, his duty as the king was to keep peace and ensure the compliance of his people. He was torn. He wanted her to be happy. He also wanted Daikon to be at peace with Elail. The recent deaths had put that into question.

He glanced at the man standing in the shadows. "What news do you have?"

Theo walked out of the shadows of the office toward Neil.

"Fiona is in the western country, Bram followed her. Cliff has reason to be concerned. She seems to be going after the man that killed Marial. He was last seen there," Theo said with a sigh. He sat in the chair in front of Neil's desk.

"You sent Bram?" Neil asked, glancing at Theo with frustration.

"I did," Theo replied. "He's the only one she will listen to."

"They will both kill the shifter and start a war," Neil said as he slammed his fist into the desk.

"Bram knows the risks at play, he won't start a war," Theo said as he shook his head.

Neil stood and walked toward the door, gesturing for Theo to follow.

"What do we know about the man that killed Marial?"

"The only thing her nanny remembered was that he had glowing orange-red eyes. She said she saw the eyes of the man and then she was knocked unconscience and when she woke," Theo stopped, his voice catching. Marial's death had been a shock to the entire kingdom and every dragon had been devastated by the attack.

"She was dead," Neil finished succinctly.

Theo nodded. "She was dead," he repeated softly.

"I have to go to Elail," Neil replied as they walked down the hall toward the great hall. "I will have to go at the next Hunt and try to make things right."

"You suspect they will kill the man?"

"I suspect the man may already be dead," Neil replied, his eyes dark.

"Dead?"

"I sent scouts after the man right after she died, about six months ago, and they came back with news a few days ago," Neil replied softly. "They found a body, the man had orange-red eyes."

"You think it's him?"

"I think it may be him, but I have no way to prove it."

"And you still let Fiona follow the man west to find her own retribution?"

"She would have gone regardless. I can't tie her down and force her to accept fate," Neil said as he brushed his face with his hands in frustration.

"She's going to get hurt!" Theo exclaimed.

"Which is why I let you send Bram after her," Neil said with fury, turning to look at Theo with a menacing gaze.

"You knew I sent Bram?"

"Of course, I knew. He would have gone without you giving him permission."

Neil paused before he continued with a resigned sigh.

"He's a good soldier, I didn't want to lose him in the process."

"You may lose her though," Theo said with a sad gaze.

"I've already lost her," Neil replied. "She is not the same girl that I grew up with. She's filled with hatred for shifters and if she doesn't find peace, she will start a war between Elail and Daikon. A war that we may not win."

Theo looked at his king as they walked down the stairs toward the great hall for dinner.

"And what of your cousin? Do you only care about the possibility of war? Do you care nothing of Fiona and her future?"

Neil turned to look at Theo with anger in his eyes. 

"Of course, I care about Fiona. I love Fiona. She is my family, as close as a sister. The same as Marial. But look at all of these people, Theo," Neil said as he gestured around the great hall at the thousands of dragons eating dinner in the hall, the hum of conversation and laughter piercing the dark night sky.

"These people matter, too. These are the people I have sworn to protect and if one woman, family or not, puts all of my people in danger, then I have to put the people first. Every king does."

Theo's eyes darkened with sorrow and he nodded softly. "I understand."

Neil let out a sigh and shook his head. "It's a fucking impossible situation."

Theo nodded. "That's the best summary I could have come up with."

---

Fiona lay naked against Bram, his hand running up and down her back in soothing gestures. Her breasts were pressed against his chest and her head lay against his shoulder.

"I'm going in the morning," she whispered as she ran her hand up and down his chest.

"Where is he?" Bram asked, his head rising slightly to look down into her violet eyes. She lifted her head to look at him before reaching up to kiss him.

"I don't know. The barmaid said there was a family of shifters with red-orange eyes living on the side of the mountain. They run a logging operation," she said as she furrowed her brows and rose to get a glass of water.

He stepped out of bed behind her and put his arms around her waist as she poured a glass of water and drank half in one gulp.

"Thirsty?" he asked with an amused expression.

"Parched," she said with a smile as she turned in his arms to face him. Her blond hair was wild, flying in every direction. Bram had taken her braids out to run his fingers through her hair while they were making love. 

"Neil will make you go to Elail next June," he whispered softly as he pulled her close to him, resting his cheek on the top of her head.

"I'm not going," she said firmly, shaking her head against his chest.

"You risk the start of a war. Your mate is an ambassador," he whispered.

"I'm not going," she said more firmly as she looked up into his dark eyes. He nodded, not willing to fight about her mate when they had so little time left.

"How will you know you have the right man? The only clue we had is that he had orange-red eyes, that's all Martha knew," Bram said.

"That's not all she knew," Fiona said evasively.

"What do you mean?" Bram asked, looking down at her with surprise. 

"Martha was scared, she said she saw his red-orange eyes, and then she was knocked out, but that's not all that happened." Fiona was staring out the window as she recalled what her sister's nanny had told her.

"She reached out to scratch his face and he grabbed her with both hands. He was pushing her back and she remembers grabbing at an earring in his left ear, ripping it out. He reached up to grab at his bleeding ear and she saw a red mark on his arm, shaped like a sword. She said, he had an evil look, she knew he was bad news because she had seen him before."

"Seen him before?" Bram asked, his voice low and confused.

"He was at the Festival of Lights, the winter before," Fiona said with finality.

A memory flashed through Bram's mind as he recalled seeing one of the performers with a similar marking on his leg. 

"He was one of the troupe? The troupe that performed at the festival?" Bram asked.

Fiona's eyes shone brightly as she nodded her assent. "I saw him then. I remember him. I will know him when I see him again. I'm sure of it."

"When we find this shifter, what is your plan, then? What will you do with him?" Bram asked.

Her eyes darkened as she imagined what she wanted to do to the shifter.

"I'm going to kill him."