Dragon Soul

Chapter 6

6

The wind tugged on my jacket as I finally left work. I braved the rain to the bus stop and shielded myself behind the glass frame. At least it wasn’t freezing yet.

My usual bus turned the corner and the doors puffed open. The dry and warmth invited me in, but my legs wouldn’t move. The driver gave me the stink-eye for making him stop and put his vehicle in motion. It wasn’t until the doors slid closed, I realised what I did.

Mother would be fuming that I didn’t come home straight away, but I had something I needed to do.

I caught a different bus, one that took me to the opposite direction to home and dropped me off in a deserted area. I’d never been in this part of the city. What was I thinking?

The cold tugged on my sleeves and I hugged myself. The address on the card should only be a couple of streets away. I could still turn back and grab the next bus home. If I told Mum there was a traffic jam, she’d believe me.

The wind played with the corner of the business card and I pulled my jacket tighter around me. It couldn’t hurt to just have a look. In two weeks, I wouldn’t be living at home anyway.

With the cold breeze in my neck and the lights of the street lamps casting my shadow, I left the main street. The address took me back to an old warehouse that looked like one more gust would collapse the whole thing.

I double checked the address, unsure if I got the right place. There was no sign, no hint of music, no drunk dragons despite it being past five.

Hmmm. This was definitely it.

I tugged on my jacket and followed the cobbles to the warehouse. Either I was going to find an awesome bar or I was about to be brutally murdered by Mariah. Both sounded more appealing than my upcoming marriage, so I had nothing to lose here.

The scent of stale beer drew me closer to a set of wooden doors. A faint whisper of music could be heard from inside mixed with the low chatter of people. That was more like it.

“Come on, JJ,” I encouraged myself, before pushing the doors open and setting my first foot into Dragon Soul.

A dark but cosy atmosphere immediately clung to me. I didn’t need to enter further to be overwhelmed by the diversity and randomness of the place. Besides the massive bar and liquor cabinet, nothing fit. A jukebox from ancient times, a tattoo parlor in the corner, a bunch of poker tables to the side, and rows of computers on the other end.

“Excuse me.” A random person brushed past me and even from the brief contact, I knew he was a dragon. Actually, the man tattooing was a dragon and so were the poker players, the small child at the jukebox, and the guy serving drinks. I couldn’t pinpoint what types they were, but it was clear there was an eclectic mix. So, Mariah was right. A place where any species of dragon could gather without it causing a stir or uproar. Dragon Soul. How unique.

"What can I get for you?" a pretty brunette with mismatched eyes asked from behind the bar.

I hadn't even noticed I'd gotten so close. "Water, please," I responded.

"Colour?"

"I'm sorry?"

She shrugged. "Some dragons like to colour their drinks." She indicated to the bottles behind her on a shelf. One blue, one red, one green, and one a weird pale colour. That one still looked sealed, which sounded consistent with everything I'd heard about Air Dragons. Assuming that was what she meant by colouring water.

"I'm okay, thank you."

"No problem." She stepped away for a moment and returned moments later with a glass. "First time here?"

"Is it that obvious?" My voice shook as I asked but she seemed friendly enough. I didn't think I needed to be on my guard.

"I remember the first time I came in here. Everyone gets the same expression. Like they never realised there was somewhere they could be themselves."

"And that's what Dragon Soul is?"

She beamed. "That's what Dragon Soul is. There's nowhere like here."

"Does it matter..." I trailed off, not wanting to voice the thought in my head.

"What kind of dragon you are?" she guessed.

I nodded.

"No. We have a don't ask, don't tell policy. Of course, it’s almost always possible to tell what kind someone is. You just have to watch how they act. But no one will pry if that's what you're worried about."

"Not particularly. I only heard about this place today, I wasn't sure if it could be real," I admitted.

"Then I expect you'll find yourself here a few more times. Who told you about us?"

"Mariah James?" Doubt crept into my voice. Maybe that was the wrong answer. Or just not a good one. Maybe I shouldn't have admitted to a name at all.

A warm smile spread across her face. "You know Mariah?"

"Do you?"

She nodded. "She's my partner's best friend's sister-in-law, which sounds way more complicated than it is."

"Isn't it always with dragons?"

She laughed. "I'm Zara."

"JJ," I responded instantly, sticking my hand across the bar.

She took it, her hand warm in mine, and gave it a firm shake. "Welcome to Dragon Soul, JJ."