Water Dragons

Heathcliff answered as though he'd been holding his breath. "We'd love to."

"Excellent." Kenmei moved inside. "Apologies for the smell. It keeps away the undesirables."

"No problem," Heathcliff said.

After the four of us were inside, Hiro appeared seemingly out of nowhere and barked, "Take off your shoes," as he closed the door.

"I'll be right back," Kenmei said when he reached the end of the hall. "Show them into the dining room and get them some tea," he added, speaking to Hiro.

Hiro bowed. "Yes, Grandfather."

Kenmei disappeared.

I rolled up my pant legs because the ends were wet and removed my shoes as I waited for my eyes to adjust to the dimly lit room.

It'd been dusk outside, but for some reason, it seemed darker in here.

I could barely make out that Gabe and the others were removing their shoes as well.

"Follow me, please, and don't touch anything." Hiro shook his pointer finger at us slowly but seemed to be looking directly at me.

Did I have "klutzy" stamped across my forehead?

Probably, I answered with a sigh.

I followed Hiro.

Gabe and the others followed me.

We seemed to be taking the same route Kenmei had gone.

It looked like the only way to get anywhere.

The floor was covered in plush Oriental carpet, the design intricate.

The walls were covered in cream paint.

Lights ran along with the ceiling, but elaborately painted lamps covered them, which was why the room emitted only a slight reddish glow.

Pictures of ancient-looking people, water dragons, and creatures that looked like they'd been pulled from nightmares hung randomly on the walls.

The air smelled like incense, which was much nicer than the rancid garbage stench outside.

As we padded along, I got the distinct impression I was being scrutinized.

Paranoid much?

It was just that I was in a strange place. It was unnerving.

Abruptly the hallway ended, and we had to either turn to the left or the right.

Hiro led us to the right.

Not too far after that, he stopped in front of double paper-looking doors. Sliding one open, he ushered us inside the room.

A shiny onyx table that could seat at least twelve sat majestically in the center.

Black leather chairs surrounded it.

In the middle of the table sat a rock and bamboo water fountain, gurgling contentedly. Directly above, hung an enormous chandelier.

I couldn't see the ceiling, though.

It just seemed to go up and up and up without end.

That had to be a trick of the light.

Hiro patted a chair at the head of the table.

"You, girl. Sit here. The rest of you can find a spot wherever. I'll be right back." Without another word, he left.

We looked at each other and laughed.

"That kid has more confidence in his little finger than most people have in their whole bodies," Dorian said, taking a seat.

We all agreed.

"I wonder why he wanted me to sit here?" I asked, cautiously pulling out the chair and sitting.

"Probably because you're cute," Gabe said, and the others agreed.

He winked at me.

I blinked, unsure of what was happening.

Gabe shook his head, a half-smile on his lips.

"Snowflake," he muttered, grabbing my hand between his and massaging it.

Heathcliff looked from me to Gabe. "What's going on with you two? Are you a couple now?" He seemed irritated, and I flinched at the question, surprised.

Gabe would have to answer this one because I didn't know either.

Gabe gave Heath a pointed stare. "You've known about my feelings for Snow for quite some time. It wasn't until last night I had a suspicion she might feel the same way about me."

His feelings?

I was in shock but worked to keep my emotions hidden behind a blank face.

Gabe turned to Dorian. "You guys don't have a problem with me asking out Snow, do you?"

Hey, what about me?

As much as I was sure my feelings for Gabe were obvious, shouldn't he have mentioned this to me first?

Dorian shook his head. "It's cool with me, man," he said but his tone was off. Like he didn't mean it.

Heathcliff turned his attention to me.

"How do you feel about all of this? About you and Gabe?" he asked.

I blew out a breath. "I'm not sure," I said, pulling my hand from Gabe's and biting a nail.

Of course, I liked him, but this conversation didn't sit right.

Gabe's green eyes penetrated mine.

"I think we should talk alone, don't you?" I asked in a whisper, though it echoed around the room.

His eyes fell, and I wondered if I'd hurt his feelings.

"You're right," he agreed.

Hiro walked in with a silver tray that was almost as big as him.

On it sat a white teapot and several cylinder-shaped cups.

He set it down to my right.

I watched as he poured the tea in four cups and handed one to each of us.

"Drink," he said. "Grandfather will be with you shortly."

Then he was gone.

I picked up the cup, and the others followed.

I sniffed it, letting the steam hit my face, and it was then that I realized it was quite chilly in here.

The tea smelled good, like ginger and other spices. Carefully, I took a sip and swallowed. The heat hit the back of my throat, and I felt it go all the way down to my stomach.

Contentment fanned through my insides like the sun on a hot day.

I took another sip, then set down the cup.

"Is that sugar?" Heathcliff asked.

I opened the container and looked.

"Sure is. You want some?" I picked up the white container and handed it to him.

My eyes suddenly seemed weighted down with lead. I struggled to keep them open.

I watched Heath put one, then two, then three scoops of sugar in his tea.

Dorian did the same.

By the time Gabe reached for the sugar, my eyes had shut.

What was happening to me?

***

When I opened my eyes, I knew I wasn't in the dining room anymore, but lying on a satin-covered bed.

Thick white curtains sealed me in like leftover spicy tofu in a takeout box.

Sitting up, the slick red sheets fell into my lap, revealing I wasn't wearing my clothes anymore.

Instead, I had on a black silk nightgown with thin straps.

What in the world, I thought, too bewildered to be nervous.

I'd been tired.

Perhaps Kenmei had put me to bed.

But where were the guys?

I needed to get out of here.

Hopefully, they were okay.

We still had a musical to attend.

"Gabe," I called out, trying to find separation in the curtains.

"Hello, Snow White." It was a male voice, low and soft.

It sounded familiar, but it wasn't Gabe's.

"Who's there?" A little more vigorously, I ran my hands over the velvety softness, searching for an opening.

I heard a click, and the room was blanketed in darkness.

"W-What's going on?" My voice didn't sound like my own but was raised an octave.

This was what terror felt like, I told myself, standing up on the mattress, trying to pull the curtains from the frame.

"Where's Gabe? Where's Kenmei?"

"Relax, beautiful. You've been marked by her highness, and the queen always gets her way."

"Marked? What do you mean by that?" My lips quivered.