Releasing the Dragon Read online

  Dru squawked at the parrot-man who squawked right back in a questioning tone.

  “Wait—what is he saying? And what are you saying?” Annie demanded. “Can’t you at least translate?”

  “Here.” Dru dug into his pocket and came up with a large pink capsule, about the size of a really big vitamin pill.

  “What’s this?” Annie took it hesitantly and held it in the center of her palm, examining it.

  “Translation bacteria,” he growled. “Swallow it and you’ll be able to understand what’s being said around you.”

  Annie thought of protesting but the look on the big Kindred’s face was so foreboding that she just popped the pink pill into her mouth and gulped it down—with some difficulty since it was so big. The pink pill seemed to lodge in her throat and she started to cough, though she tried not to.

  The parrot-man squawked again and rushed to hand her a small, flexible bottle of some bright blue liquid.

  Annie looked up at Dru.

  “Can…can I drink this? What is it?” she asked in a choked voice.

  “Terza cider. It’s safe enough,” he said briskly.

  Nodding her thanks to the parrot-man, Annie took a sip from the strangely flexible bottle—it felt like Play-Do in her hand—and swallowed. The blue liquid had a tart, sweet flavor not unlike fresh lemonade. Unfortunately, it also had undertones very much like ketchup, which made for an odd combination. Still, it was better than choking on the pink pill so Annie made herself drain the bottle and then, nodding her thanks, she handed it back to the parrot-man.

  The parrot man nodded genially and folded the bottle in two before snapping it up in his strong beak and swallowing it down.

  “Oh!” Annie took a half step back involuntarily. She’d heard as a child that you should never put your fingers into the parrot’s cage at the pet store because they were strong enough to break a broom handle in two—so a finger bone would be no big deal. This had given her a fear of birds and their beaks in particular. So when the parrot-man squawked at her again, she was almost ready to run…until his squawk turned into words at the last minute.

  “…better now, my pretty pet?” he was saying in a high, scratchy voice that really did sound exactly like a parrot talking.

  “Oh, um…” Annie looked at him incredulously. Had she really just heard him speak? The translation bacteria pill must work almost immediately!

  “She’s a lovely little x’aan-chow, my lord Drugair,” the parrot-man squawked to Dru. “But if you don’t mind me saying so, she doesn’t appear overly-bright.”

  “Hey!” Annie exclaimed. “You—”

  “Well, a x’aan-chow isn’t exactly used for conversation, now is she?” Dru said to the parrot-man, smoothly cutting her off. “In fact, I always say it’s better if they are seen and not heard.”

  He directed these words at Annie, glaring at her as she spoke, and she realized he was telling her she’d better keep her mouth shut. Part of her wanted to protest his sexist treatment but she remembered that she was literally here to be a “sex-pet.” The Shadow Palace was a sexist place and if she wanted to fit in, she would have to do as the big Kindred said. Reluctantly, she held her tongue and said nothing.

  “Very true, very true,” the parrot-man said. “So I suppose you’ll need to get her fitted for a tail and ears. Am I correct?”

  “Correct.” Dru nodded. “And could you make it quick please, Pio’ter? We have a meeting with Slo’vv himself in less than an hour.”

  “Oh yes—yes indeed!” the parrot-man shivered like a bird ruffling its feathers. “Lord Slo’vv himself,” he whispered to himself. “Oh me—oh dearie, dearie me! So then…” He gave a cawing cough and looked up at Dru. “What kind of appendages do you favor for your pet? Reptilian? Canine? Feline? Equine? Avian? Drixian, perhaps?”

  “What?” Annie wondered what in the world he was talking about but Dru seemed to know at once. He gave Annie a long, considering look and then nodded to himself.

  “Feline. Most definitely feline.”

  “Very well, very well…” The parrot-man busied himself at the multi-compartment storage bin and brought out a headband with two sleek, black, pointed ears attached to it.

  Annie, who had been watching him with a mounting sense of apprehension, abruptly relaxed. She’d been worried she might have to go through some kind of alien body modification after seeing all the half-man/half-animal looking hybrids around here—first the Doggers and then the parrot-man. But apparently all she had to do was wear a headband with cat ears to look the part of a x’aan-chow. Really, it was almost too easy!

  “How cute!” Annie exclaimed. She started to reach for the headband herself but then she caught a dark look from Dru and remembered his warning that x’aan-chows should be seen and not heard. Biting her lip, she was silent.

  “Here you are, my dear,” the parrot-man squawked at Annie, ignoring her remark. “If you would please just jump up on the fitting platform…” He gestured to the rectangular platform padded with thick, pink foam beside him.

  Annie thought she could just as well have put the headband on herself but since the parrot-man seemed to want to have a formal fitting, she might as well comply.

  She started to climb up and stand on the platform but Dru shook his head.

  “Not like that.”

  Picking her up as though she was light as a feather—which Annie knew for a fact was not the case—he sat her down on the rectangular platform on her hands and knees.

  Well, I guess I am supposed to be a cat, Annie told herself. Though she felt incredibly exposed in this position—the shimmery silver top she was wearing was gaping open, practically showing her nipples and the short silver skirt was riding up almost high enough to reveal her ass and pussy. And of course since neither she nor the Pairing Puppet she’d stolen the clothes from had been wearing panties, she was completely bare down there.

  She started to lift one hand to readjust her clothes but found to her consternation that she couldn’t—her hands and knees had sunken into the thick, pink foam-like padding and now she was stuck.

  “Dru?” She looked up at him, feeling panicked. “Dru, I can’t move.”

  “Of course you can’t, my dear.” It was the parrot-man who answered. He nodded at the pink foam. “The stay-put holds you in place so we can get a proper fitting.”

  “I don’t like this—don’t like not being able to move!” Annie yanked at her hands and legs and looked up at the big Kindred. “Dru?”

  There was a troubled look in his black eyes but he came to her and knelt down so they were face to face.

  “I told you, Annie, that you must do whatever is necessary to act as a proper x’aan-chow,” he reminded her in a soft voice. “Much depends on it.”

  “But…but I can’t move,” she protested.

  “I know you cannot but it is only for a little while.” He cupped her face gently in his big hands and held her eyes with his. “I will not let any harm come to you. All right?”

  Annie still didn’t like the situation she found herself in but she realized she would have to put up with it. After all, she had brought this on herself by stowing away and now she was part of Dru’s mission—she couldn’t let it fail just because some of the alien customs freaked her out.

  “All right,” she whispered at last, nodding. “I…I’ll be okay.”

  “That’s good.” He smiled and straightened up. Looking at the parrot man, he nodded. “Very well—she is ready.”

  “Ah, good. Now then—the ears first.”

  The parrot-man placed the headband with its two, pointed black ears on her head and pressed down firmly—so firmly it almost hurt.

  “Hey, you don’t have to—” Annie broke off abruptly as the strangest sensation stole over her. She no longer felt the wire headband on her head. But what she did feel was…

  “The ears,” she half whispered. “Oh my God, I can feel the ears like they were my own!”

  “For they are your own, my