Everchange 13

There was a crash from the kitchen, waking Simmy up immediately. She blinked in the dark, rubbing her eyes of sleep. She found Randy alreadt awake, sniffling and looking very forlorn. She reached out to comfort her brother only to find they weren't alone.

    "Simone!" a cheerful voice laughed.

    "....Simona." the little girl corrected.

    "How good to see you!" the woman continued, "Wanna go on a trip?"

    "No." Simmy growled, her brown eyes turning blue and spark bouncing off her hair.

    "Behave." the woman growled. 

There was a commotion and someone was thrown down the stairs. The groan at the landing told them it was Brandon. He let out a snarl, but was pinned on the ground by the person who had thrown him down the flight of stairs. Lacey sat on the couch, the woman placed a
hand on her head. 

"Good. All the hatchlings are accounted for." A man held onto the arm of the shifter, dragging her into the livingroom. His clothes were soaked with rain water and coffee. The woman's nose was gushing blood and her lip was busted as well. 

"I hope you didn't break her fucking jaw!" The woman removed her hand from Lacey's head to inspect her partner's work. 

Simmy and Randy whimpered on the couch. The pair noticed the children's distress, a smile played on the man's lips. The woman held the shifter's chin, looking over her nose and her split lip. She couldn't very well believe this was the person who had gouged out her Alpha's eye and didn't die. 

"Get your filthy hands off of her!" Brandon snarled from the floor. 

"Calm it Bran." the woman snickered, withdrawing from her, "Or Al will snap her tender little neck."

Randy hicked softly on the couch, struggling not to cry. Someone was irritated with his crying and moved in to strike him. Simmy hugged her brother close, her hair lighting up with sparks. 

The shifter struggled against the man, clawing at the hand that held her bicep. "Don't you fucking touch him!", her voice came out hard, edged with what sounded very much like a canine snarl. Her noises were cut short when his hand enclosed her throat. She let out a gurgling sound that made the children in the room even more panicked.

"Sam!" 

"Miss Sinclaire!"

Sammy!"

"So we're all in agreement." Al shifted slightly, Sam let out a strangled gasp. "Everyone should calm down. Or Miss Sinclaire neck gets snapped."

Sam tugged at his fingers, eyes wide and mouth agape like a fish out of water. Simmy and Randy shouted they would be good, Brandon stopped struggling on the floor, and Lacey sat frozen in place, eyes wide.

Al smirked, and slacked his grip. Sam sucked in as much air as possible. His fingers were like a vice, but not as suffocating as before.

"Good. Cosma." Al turned to the woman, and the Cosma motioned to the door. "Everyone, Out."

*~*~*~*

Donovan adjusted the tie around his neck, loosening it and unbuttoning the collar of his shirt. Eileen and Sidra stood up from their spot in the hallway to come and meet him at the door. Looking up and down the halls, Donovan was reminded more of a grand hotel or palace than the other worldly court house it was.

The ceilings and flooring was cream white with matching gold floral motifs.There were patterns of swirling ivy in the large arching areas, braced with charcoal black granite that had thin spider web veins of slate. The walls had panels of mahogany to bring the the entire interior together. To give it a grand impression, but to also make it warm and comfortable. The sitting areas (dispersed throughout the building) had matching mahogany chairs or benches.The cushions dark green with the same motifs as the ceiling and floor tiles. 

Sidra held up a large bottle of water. "How was the Counsel meeting?"

"They're hands are tied." he unscrewed the lid and drank more than half the bottle. He gauged the entire thing was 50 fluid ounces, he drunk between twenty five and thirty. "Unless Alister and his groupd actually break any laws, or makes a public declaration they can't do anything."

"Bureaucrats." Sidra growled. 

Eileen straightened out her clothes, reaching in her satchel for something to drink herself. She pulled out a can of Puck'R grapefruit and was able to crack the tab just as someone ran up to them. She withdrew and fell into a sit on the bench, avoiding collission with the messenger girl in red. 

"Message for Malinda." she said, pulling out a parchment. A stiff blue and gold envelope, Donovan's family name written in perfect cursive on the front. He looked at the envelope, and pulled a few pieces of currency from his pocket. Red and pink bills that had metallic numbers and words in a language that most people couldn't speak any more.

The courier exchanged bills for the envelope, then went on her way. He set his drink down besides Eileen as she drank her own grapefruit flavored pop. He tore open one end of the envelope, and reached in to be greeted with a folded bit of parchment.

His lips pulled in a thin line as his jaw set. ".....Cosma has the kids." he said, reading the letter over again. "Miss Sinclaire and Brandon are also with them." 

Sidra gently tugged the letter down so she could read it as well. She read the letter carefully, her brow furrowing as she finished. "I didn't think they would pull any punches."

"What does it say?" Eileen finished her drink and put the can in a bin marked for recyclibles. 

"Basic ransom spiel... Alister raided the house, they'll be fine until we reach the terms they want." Sidra said. "Which is land and alliances. I'm going to beat that cow's ass."

"Alister?" Eileen tugged her coat's collar up and followed Donovan as he began his determined trek. His fingers were already armed with claws and armored over the knuckles with scale. 

"No. Cosma." Sidra ground out. 

Donovan shoved open the doors and was greeted by the blinding winter light. The biting air cut into their skin, but Donovan was barely effected. Heat radiated off of him in waves, steam billowed off his form in the cold and rage boiled under his skin. Fabric shredded and bones shattered. New skin reformed, and spikes jutted along his spine and newly formed tail. 

A dragon stood on all fours before them, wings pulled close to his spine and nostrils streaming with smoke. Tatters of his expensive suit and coat were in at his feet. Donovan flexed his claws, digging into the rock and ice on the mountain. 

Eileen clucked her tongue at him. "You should have worn the clothes Imigawa gave you." 

Donovan snorted in reply. He inclined his head, meaning for them to climb on. Sidra gave a look and held her stomach. 

"We'll meet you there. We have to inform the others, right?" Sidra looked at Eileen for confirmation. 

"Devonny will need to know the status of her children, and then there is the fact your Mother would need to know about Lacey's abduction." Eileen said as she watched Donovan. His large eye studied the women, nodded his head once, then turned to the mountain scape. 

"....Don't do anything rash like rush in there without backup." Sidra said watching as he spread his wings and catch a gale in the sail-like webbing. He snorted then took a running start to get airborn. ".....Donovan's smarter than your average bear, right?"

Eileen tugged her scarf over her nose. "Are we taking a Doorway, or a Horse to get down the mountain?"

"Doorway. Duh, hate this damn weather." Sidra puffed into her hands.