Dragon shapeshifter with an Attitude

 Balance by Dee Dreslough

Another Dee Dreslough artwork from www.dreslough.com. This shows a picture of Balance--something a shapeshifter must attain to live in both the human world and the Dragon world. Something Jody Waldon is having a difficult time achieving.

Stockholm

Jody shoved open the hallway entry, the ring of her high heels echoing around the marble surroundings. Heaving the door to her office open as hard as she could, she was disappointed in the lack of noise.

“Hideous quiet-closers.” She looked up and glared at the mechanical device the maintenance crew had been instructed to install on all the entrances to her offices. Some anonymous someone had complained her outburst were too ‘uncivilized and raucous.’

Me? Don’t be ridiculous. I’m just—honest.

Sailing past the disconcertingly calm receptionist in the outer room, she thumped into her office, tossing the stack of files the supervisor assigned her onto her desk. They skittered across the smooth blonde top and landed in a jumbled pile next to the rubbish can.

“Darn it. Should have aimed better.”

Jody dropped into the sleek black leather chair and brought her legs up to the waist high windowsill. She crossed them at the ankle and gazed morosely into the darkening sky of Stockholm, her eyes, chocolate brown with large golden flecks, not seeing the spires and rapidly rising mosques. She knew why she was here.

“I’m being silenced.” Templing her fingers under her chin, she furrowed her brow and stared at the sky in hopes of catching a glimpse of the aurora borealis.

“Must’ve been that last kerfluffle in Pakistan. Don’t know why they’re so grumpy. They found him. Took them a little bit longer, but the end result was what they wanted.”

The phone on her desk jangled and Jody dropped her feet from the sill to the floor. She contemplated letting the call go through to the answer machine but her disgustingly honest receptionist wouldn’t lie about her whereabouts. The woman worked directly for Jody’s supervisor and was, truth be told, only around to keep tabs on her.

“Jody Waldon.” Silence met her greeting. “You’ve got five seconds to state your business or I hang up. If you haven’t heard, I have no tolerance for games. Starting now… one, two…”

“If you don’t pursue your current line of inquiry, you’re secret will be revealed to everyone in your agency.” The soft male voice ended the command by hanging up, the audible click an irritation in Jody’s ear.

She looked at the instrument in her hands and quietly swore. “Idiot. Threats don’t scare me.”

But the caller rattled her with his knowledge. To the best of Jody’s understanding, no one in the embassy had awareness of her true status. She belonged to a unique group of individuals who shared their forms with mythical creatures; she was a dragon shapeshifter. Not having the identification of who fathered her, she’d become aware of her ability to shift into the form of a dragon only when her mother imparted the facts as she was dying.

~ * ~

Belinda Kingfisher begged her daughter to keep the family secret. She was so adamant; she insisted Jody find the family bible and swear she would never tell a soul. Her final request was for the young Cherokee woman to legally change her name.

“One day you’ll thank me, daughter. No one can know this curse I burdened on you—no one.” Belinda pointed to the top drawer of her dresser.

“You’ll find a diary from before you were conceived. The explanation is written in the pages. Know what is there is the truth. You’ll find it difficult to believe, but it is the truth. There is a name and number on the last page you must contact to get instructions on how to live your life in the world of the two-leggeds.” She smiled slightly. “Your father was very fond of using the term to keep me in my place.”

Belinda began to cough uncontrollably and lost consciousness. Three days later, she died and Jody finally opened the diary. The contents turned her world upside down.

~ * ~

Having been thoroughly chewed out, and now threatened, Jody was ready to call it a day. Her current assignment was to stay low and not cause any scenes.

“I can do that better in my house.” She leaned over and gathered up the scattered folders. Locating an empty file drawer, she deposited the manila containers inside with the silent promise to organize—tomorrow.

“I’m heading home for pizza and beer. The rest of the world can go hang.”

She picked up her briefcase and nodded at the surprised receptionist on her way out.

Her anonymous caller may have been annoying, but his insistence she follow her current line of investigation let her know she was on the right path.

“You can count on the fact I’ll continue with the questions, Mr. No Name.”

As the door whooshed shut, Jody strolled to her 1955 Chevy Belair. It was the one extravagance she’d insisted on bringing with her from the US. The next few months would probably be the only time she’d be able to drive it here in Sweden. By the time autumn rolled around, her baby would be safely tucked away in the garage of the home the embassy had provided.

A quick sigh and she turned the key to bring the engine to life.

“Home.”