How do you explain leaving Earth to go help an alien dragon king without sounding insane?
To: Dr. Morrison
Subject: Emergency Leave
Dr. Morrison,
I need to use my two weeks of vacation time immediately for a family emergency. I know this is extremely short notice and completely unlike me?—
She paused, biting her lip. Richard Morrison had been her supervisor since she’d started at the clinic, and he knew her patterns better than anyone. Lila Reyes didn’t do spontaneous. Lila Reyes planned every detail of her life six months in advance and color-coded her calendar.
—but the situation is urgent and requires my immediate attention. I’ll be traveling out of state and may have limited communication access. I’ll do my best to check emails when possible.
I apologize for the inconvenience and will ensure all my current clients are properly transferred to Dr. Webb before I leave.
Sincerely,
Dr. Lila Reyes
The lie tasted bitter as she hit send.
Out of state.More like out of the solar system. But what was the alternative?
“Sorry, Richard, but I’m off to treat dragon royalty on an alien planet. Could you water my plants?”
She’d be lucky if they didn’t have her hospitalized immediately.
Lila quickly sent another email to Dr. Webb and then closed the laptop, tucking it into her suitcase alongside enough clothes for two weeks and her entire collection of psychological assessment tools.
Thirty minutes later, Lila stared out of the taxi’s window as she made her way to meet Gerri at the downtown power plant. Downtown Santa Monica at dawn was a study in urban loneliness—empty streets reflecting neon signs, the occasional jogger, and the persistent hum of a city that never truly slept.
I’m leaving all of this behind.
Her phone beeped with a text from Harper:Call me when you get to wherever you’re going, you adventurous woman. And don’t you dare get yourself eaten by whatever’s there.
A pang of guilt twisted in her chest. She’d told Harper and Liam that she’d only be gone for two weeks but she still felt like she was abandoning them.
But Mom won’t even notice I’m gone.
The thought carried its usual sting. Since Dad’s death, their relationship had become a careful dance of polite distance, both of them too damaged to bridge the gap grief had carved between them.
“You sure about this address, lady?” The taxi driver’s gravelly voice cut through her spiraling thoughts. “Power plant’s not exactly a tourist destination.”
Lila glanced out the window at the imposing industrial complex ahead. Chain-link fences topped with razor wire surrounded massive concrete structures, steam rising from cooling towers like dragon’s breath.
Dragons. Everything comes back to dragons now.
“I’m sure.” She hoped she sounded more confident than she felt.
The facility looked exactly like what it was—a place that generated electricity for a major metropolitan area. Not the kind of place where interdimensional matchmakers typically set up shop. But then again, nothing about the last twenty-four hours had followed normal logic.
Maybe that’s the point. Maybe normal logic doesn’t apply when you’re dealing with Gerri Wilder.
As the taxi pulled up to the main gate, Lila spotted a familiar figure standing near the security booth. Even at this distance, Gerri’s white bob caught the early morning light like a beacon.
“That’ll be thirty-seven fifty.” The driver turned to face her, his expression curious. “You meeting someone important in there?”
You have no idea.
