Chapter 16
Kelan
The die was cast. Michelle had agreed to fly, using Kelan as her ride, if he was able to use his wing properly. She stepped into the doorway, giving him room to transform. Like a child, she crossed her fingers behind her back and made a wish. "Please, let him fly. Don't let him suffer because of me."
Kelan's skin shimmered and turned emerald green. Scales began to cover him. His nose and mouth elongated into a snout. He grew to fill the balcony. There were no wings in sight. His hands and feet became deadly claws. The dragon turned his head toward Michelle, opened his great mouth and roared. One wing appeared from the unscarred shoulder. The skin under the scar began to stretch. Michelle yelled out, "I believe in you!" Dragon fire shot into the night sky as his second wing sprang forth. Kelan rose into the air, testing the injured wing. He swooped down to the city and straight back to the clouds.
Michelle was clapping her hands and jumping up and down when he landed. His mighty head flattened on the balcony floor. His wings spread to his sides. The invitation to climb aboard was obvious. Michelle placed a kiss on his snout and dragged her fingers over his scales in a caress as she walked along his neck. One dainty foot on his wing was all it took. He lifted the wing and she slid onto his back. Holding on for dear life, she closed her eyes. Kelan rose once more, keeping his body even and centered.
The mist filled air was stirred by Kelan's wings. It was cool and refreshing. The dragon's voice rumbled, "Open your eyes." Michelle obeyed. Her nervousness evaporated. They were hanging over a canyon surrounded by waterfalls. The ground far below was green with vegetation. The sky was red. Michelle was mesmerized. Kelan dipped lower and took her between a waterfall and the mountainside. Mist soaked her, and she loved it. She squealed with delight. They flew over the city, the crops, and the oceans. Kelan satisfied her desire to see all of Talonia the way he saw it. Too soon, they had to land.
Kelan, returned to the form of man, swung Michelle around in circles. "I can still fly! Did you have fun?"
"It was the most spectacular flight ever! No plane or spaceship could give me such freedom. I didn't want it to end. I was safe with you, as always. I'm so happy for you! No more worries!” she declared.
Kelan wished that were true. Tomorrow, he would go back to work in the mines. There would still be skeptics who would show their anger in destructive ways. Soon, the citizens would vote on Michelle's fate, and they didn't know about the baby. There was a lot to worry about.
Kelan
The next week was difficult for Kelan. He worked in hostile territory. Many blamed him for their coworker's incarceration. The black dragon was being held underground in a space too small to transform. He was serving a three-month sentence for the attack on Kelan. Though the attack had been unprovoked, most of the miners held Kelan responsible. The ones who placed themselves firmly on his side were constantly at odds with those who didn't. Kelan stayed neutral, quietly performing his duties.
Relief to be whole once more was overshadowed by the upcoming vote on Michelle. The healer had advised them to announce the pregnancy, but there hadn't been a window of opportunity. Now, it was too late. The leader was to speak to the citizens this afternoon, and the vote would be held immediately afterward. Kelan and Michelle would be allowed to make a plea for her acceptance. Thankfully, the pregnancy could still be hidden under loose clothing. If necessary, the announcement of it could be used as a means to keep her on Talonia until the birth. It would give her more time to win over the population.
The city sirens sounded, calling a halt to all work. In one hour, the ordeal would commence. Kelan barely had time to rush home for a shower and appropriate clothing. Michelle would already be in the custody of the commander at the leader's palace. It was for her protection; however, Kelan saw it differently. It seemed more like an arrest.
Michelle searched the crowd for sympathetic faces. Though few, there were certainly more than there had been the first time she stood in this spot. The commander showed less antagonism, as did the leader. The healer was here as well. His friendly greeting went a long way in calming her. Others in the crowd had taken notice of his smile and the hug he gave her. Their anger became curiosity.
Kelan climbed the steps and came to her side. He lifted her shaking hand and kissed the palm. "We've got this. It will all work out." The lump in his throat denied his words. He was unsure of anything except his love for Michelle and their unborn child.
The leader began his speech, "The time has come for a vote on the human's fate. She is less of a stranger to us now. We know her story. We've heard from her own lips of the physical and mental abuse she suffered on Earth. Kelan has informed us of his rescue of Michelle and the issues that followed it. He has been punished, so his mistakes are not to be considered in this vote. The choice we are making today only involves the safety of Talonia. Will Michelle's presence bring an end to our anonymity and make our existence known? Is she loyal to us rather than Earth?"
The commander declared, "The skies have been swept to the farthest reaches, and no spaceship has been discovered. Kelan wasn't followed from Earth. Michelle hasn't tried to make contact with any planet. She has remained in Kelan's home, secured by guards, and obedient to the commands she was given. She hasn't proven to be a threat."
The healer added, "I have spent many days in Michelle's company while Kelan was healing from the unlawful attack he endured. She is a kind and gentle soul who cared tirelessly for him. She slept little and watched over him. It is clear to me that she truly loves him."
A gruff, angry voice from the crowd shouted, "She's been locked up tight. If you let her loose, she could easily send a distress signal to Earth or any planet she chooses. The ships that fly over us as a threat would enjoy getting inside information from her. She knows all about the new weapon. She's seen the plans. I say she is a threat." Heads nodded throughout the group.
A miner spoke up, "Of course she took care of Kelan. If he died, she would be without a keeper. She wouldn't have survived very long. It was herself she was protecting."
A softer female voice added, "She wrapped the healer around her pretty little finger the same way she did Kelan. She pretends to be vulnerable and weak, and our men find that attractive because weredragon females are powerful and strong. The human makes them feel needed. Careful, or she will bind more men to her."
Murmurs began sweeping the crowd. The voices of dissent had stirred the anger of the citizens. This could easily become a mob if no one calmed them.
Kelan decided it was time to address the crowd and give them a few surprises. "I assume you think Michelle and I lied about her abuse. I can prove that we didn't. Everything that happened in my company on Earth or in my home there was recorded for the leader to see. The spaceship also had recorders. The leader was kind enough to provide photographs from those recordings as evidence." All the screens in the city flashed vivid pictures of Michelle. Her distorted, swollen face and bruised neck filled the screen and brought gasps from many.
"That could be any woman!” someone in the crowd argued. "The face is too messed up to tell if it is this woman."
The pictures changed. Michelle was on the spaceship, still bruised and battered. The swelling had receded to reveal her face, and it was clearly the woman who stood before the Talonians.
The female weredragon retorted, "That only proves she was beaten. It doesn't prove her loyalty to us. Remove her from Talonia or execute her. Give her to our enemies. Earth can attack them, instead of us!"
Michelle replied, "I gave up my ties on Earth for Kelan. There is no one there who will search for me. The only one who would consider it wants me dead. He doesn't have the resources to find me. Those he controls don't have the money or enough intelligence to search farther than Earth. I willingly give my loyalty to Talonia."
"More lies! She told the leader that she left Earth to save herself from men who would hunt her down. Now, she claims they won't search for her. She lies!"
Kelan answered the shout, "She doesn't lie. If she had stayed on Earth, they would have hunted her down. Their search wouldn't have ended. In fact, they're probably scouring the world for her as we speak. But, she spoke the truth. Their search will not reach into the skies. Earth's space exploration is limited to special agencies. Common men don't have access to spaceships or the knowledge to find other planets. We don't exist, not even to the planet's leaders. Michelle will be loyal to us. She is my mate. I chose her above all others. Our souls are joined. The ceremony isn't necessary. We have performed the ritual in the privacy of my home."
"She stole you from Shara! We heard the rumors. You were to mate with the leader's daughter!"
