Dragon Kin 2

07

Carmen

"I don't know how to contact the Enedra in Canada," Vlad said as he paced. "I've never heard of Canada before. What is Canada?"

"It's a country," I told him, and wished he would stop pacing because he was my only warmth. Ocean glanced at me, and then sighed and took his jacket off and gave it to me.

"You sure?" I asked.

He seemed to like that I asked, "Yes, I'll be fine. You can keep it until we are in warmer places." I gave him my thanks and put it on over the light jacket I was wearing.

Vlad continued, "Carmen said it's fifteen hundred miles south to get to New Orleans. I can fly that in a day, if I fly all day and all night. But realistically that's three days travel and we have no resources."

"We'll just use the Curtainwall," Ocean said. "You don't have to cross when you use it. You can use it between any two points you are aware of."

"Yeah? Then why are we here? I mean, I know New Orleans. I don't know this Canada," Vlad asked. "I'm certain I've never been here before."

Ocean tapped his lip with his finger, "Did you do something? I mean, something different than you normally do?"

"No," Ocean said, and then to me, "Did you?"

"Me? What?" I asked, wondering what I could have done.

Ocean hummed agreement, but then pressed his inquiry, "You've been here before, right? You knew that sign over there. Knew what it meant." Ocean reasoned. It wasn't an accusation, it was just point of fact.

"Yes, I knew, " I agreed. "I went to college in Montreal. It was the furthest I could get away from grandpa, and still be on this content, and have my degree accepted in the US for the medical field."

"You're a doctor?" Ocean asked.

"I have my degree, not my residency. And I'm not licensed yet," I told him.

"Grandpa?" Ocean asked, lifting a querying eyebrow. I took him to mean if grandfather was the reason I wasn't doing my residency right now.

I nodded, "Yes."

"Women should be at home, raising kids?" he pressed.

I sighed, "Yes."

"Ah, that's why you aren't being more feisty about going home, huh?"

"Yes," I said, a little more forcefully. He looked at Vlad, "She does have a spine under there. I was beginning to wonder about your future, but you'll do alright."

"Now what are you talking about?" I asked, feeling frustrated and abused.

"He's talking about the marks. I take it you don't know what they are," Vlad said, but not unkindly.

"Yes, yes I was," said Ocean, interrupting, "but before you get into all of that, what kind of doctor are you?"

"I received my medical doctorate from the University of Montreal, and did my Post in Trauma at McGill."

"Trauma," Ocean mused, putting his fist to his chin, "Too bad we can't get you back to Woodstone."

"Why?" Vlad asked.

"Well," Ocean said, putting his hands on his hips, and looking at the ground, "the good news is, the King didn't get shot. The bad news is, Alicja did. I'm a little nervous about what the King might do if she were to die."

"My grandfather did that?" I asked.

"Yes," Ocean said, in a thoughtful way, "that, and three children were his butcher's bill. The children are all dead, there's nothing to do for them now. But the guards I blocked for you, said the Mistress was still breathing. Though she is badly hurt."