Drake heard the knock on his door, and quickly shifted to his human form, wearing shorts and barefoot. It was hot outside – not that he couldn’t handle the heat, but he didn’t sweat so he would look conspicuous.
He walked over to the door and opened it as far as the chain allowed, and tilted his head slowly. A yellow-haired girl, about thirteen, stood wearing a Hannah Montana t-shirt, a short pink and black skirt, and pink slightly-heeled shoes. Her bright yellow eyes gleamed at him.
“Stilfor!”
“Karlia,” he said, and shut the door, pulling open the chain, and stepping out into the hallway, giving her a hug. “It’s Drake,” he whispered.
“It’s Carly, then,” Karlia said, smiling. Drake put his arm around her shoulders and led her into the apartment. “Did you fly here?”
“Most of the way, but I changed about two blocks away like you told us.”
“Your hair is yellow. I mean…bright yellow. It should be a little darker.”
“It’s the color of my scales. How could I get my hair wrong?”
Drake went to a box that he had been packing for his sister and took out a picture of Hannah Montana. “That’s the color you should be.”
She frowned, and said, “Where is there a mirror?”
“In the bathroom.”
“You have a bathroom?”
Drake showed her into the small room with a toilet and a shower. “But where’s the bath?”
“It’s a shower, see, here? Like a concentrated waterfall.”
“I know what a shower is,” she snapped, and held up the picture next to the mirror, concentrating. Her hair shimmered, and it darkened to a blond. She also made it shorter. She touched her hair, and said, “It doesn’t feel right.”
“Hopefully nobody will be feeling your hair,” Drake said, and felt it. It was too thick, almost immovable. “Well, what brings you here, Carly?”
“Da asked me to check on you. You didn’t come to see him last week, or even send him a gift.”
“Last week? It was his birthday?”
“It was Father’s day.”
“Since when does he celebrate human holidays?”
“Since he thought that you were spending time among the humans, you would know. But he also wanted to know if you were seeing anyone. You know.”
“I’m seeing a lot of people.”
“We heard a rumor that one of them is of the cunning folk.”
“Yes, one of them is. Want some tea?”
“I’d love some.” Carly followed Drake into the kitchen, and he put on a kettle of water, then set up the tea like his mother used to. “What’s it like?”
“What’s what like?”
“Fornicating with humans?”
Drake smiled, “Well, it’s different. They’re sensitive everywhere.”
“I heard the breasts are.” She touched her own small breasts. “Should I make them bigger?”
“No! I mean, for your age, no.”
“Humans like large mamiliary glands.”
“Humans like large genitalia, also, but you don’t see me waving that around.”
“Why not?”
Drake looked up a the ceiling in supplication. “How did we get on this subject?”
“I want to know, S – Drake. When I spend my time among humans.”
“Da won’t let you because you could get pregnant.”
“Da let you and you could get a human pregnant.”
“No. No, I can’t.”
“Have you even tried?”
“Not females.”
“Not…females? Oh, you’ve been with males all this time?”
“Yes.” Drake took the water off the burner, let the rolling boil stop, and then poured it over the tea leaves.
“Do you like to fornicate with males?”
“I enjoy the males better than the females. They’re not so emotional. They’re capable of emotion, but it’s not as…flaky.”
“Are you saying I’m flaky?”
“Yes,” Drake said with a smirk, as he handed his sister a small round teacup with black tea.
“Hmph,” she said, and looked for a place to sit. Drake brought the teapot with the tea and his cup into the living area and sat on the couch. Carly sat with him. “Can you introduce me to some males?”
“You’re too young for the males, Carly. And don’t change to make yourself older. Mom gave you that form for a reason.”
“Oh, but when will I be able to go among humans by myself?” she whined.
“How long are you staying?” Drake asked, as he sipped his tea.
“A week.”
“Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no. You’re leaving today.”
“Still!”
“I have things to do, Carly. People are coming over and I don’t need to let them see my little sister.”
“But I’m human!”
“And you’re acting like one your age.”
She pouted. “You don’t love me anymore.”
“Don’t start with that.”
“Why do I have to be a human if you don’t even want to see me?”
“Because – dammit, Karlia, because there are dragon hunters here like Da said. Mages who want your blood, and scales, and bones.”
She shrugged and sipped her tea. “Da’s paranoid.”
“Da has lived as long as he has where he has because he’s paranoid.”
She got up, “Don’t you have a TV?”
“I don’t need a TV.”
“Wow, you’re boring.”
“I’m going to school.” Drake made no bones about it – he got up also. “Are you done with your tea?”
“What? I just got here.”
“I don’t want you here alone, Carly. You’re not ready. Have you gone with Mom to her school?”
“No…”
“You need to spend a year with her, Carly. Please. Please do that for me?”
“But I want to meet the humans! A real live human!”
Drake sighed. “Sit down. I’ll see what I can do.”