The Pearl Ch. 09

"Is everything all right?"

He cocked his head at me and I could see a ghost of his smile. "Well, you appear to have a former suitor who has decided to resort to violence as a means of expressing his displeasure. I don't believe that qualifies as 'all right'." His expression became serious, once again. "However, your safety is paramount in this situation. How is it you planned on handling him should he return?"

I hated to admit I hadn't thought that far ahead. Before I could say anything, a loud pounding sounded at my kitchen door in the back of the house. My heart leaped up into my throat. Chang remained calm.

"Perhaps we should see who that is."

Chang rose, came over to where I was sitting, and extended his hand. I hesitantly took it and got up. Chang looked me in the eyes.

"Do not be afraid. I will not allow anything to happen to you."

I believed him. He was a two-thousand-year-old dragon, what was Chad really going to do to him? Even so, some illogical part of my brain was still afraid, for both him and me. I followed him from the living room into the kitchen just in time to see Chad kick in the door again. He appeared to be a little more in control tonight, but just how much was hard to tell. He was surprised to see Chang blocking his path, and stared dumbfounded for a moment.

From my vantage point, I could see Chang's face and he seemed to be studying Chad. Then with a lightness that surprised me, he said, "Now that was just rude. And uncalled for. We were coming to get the door."

This caused Chad to stare more, his expression turning from dumbfounded to incredulous. He took a step in, but it was cautious.

"And who the hell are you?" Chad asked. I'm sure he meant for it to sound threatening, but it came off as almost timid. Like he knew to be afraid.

Chang paused then answered him, "I am addressed as Chang."

Chad snorted, his incredulity giving way to more aggressive feelings. He squared his shoulders and stood up straight, trying to intimidate. "You are addressed as Chang? Fine. Now get out of my way, Chang."

"No." Without looking away from Chad he asked me, "Dakota, do you want this man to enter?"

The question had a ritualized feeling to it, and I knew my part in the ritual. "No," I answered, my voice firm.

"Very well." He returned to Chad. "There is nothing here for you, go on your way."

Chad kept staring, and I could understand why. Most of the time Chang was not intimidating as a human, this time included. However, I knew that could change in an instant. Though he was about as tall as Chad, he carried himself with an ease that did not speak of hidden power. He didn't give an inch. My curiosity was getting the better of my fear as I wondered what Chang was doing, because all of this felt very deliberate.

"Who are you, Mr. Miyagi?" Despite the situation, it took a lot of self control not to break out laughing at that.

Chang cocked his head, as if trying to place the name. "No, I am Chang."

"Look, I've had about enough of this...." Chad began.

"As have I," Chang cut him off. "So I will tell you again. Your presence is not desired here. Dakota has told you to leave. I would recommend you spend some time in reflection on why it is she does not want your company and why you are so determined not to accept that. Perhaps upon meditation you will find the reasons and how to correct for them."

I could tell Chang was doing something. I could feel the subtle brush of his power as it moved between him and Chad, similar to the time he worked on me. On some level, Chad could tell, too.

I saw it in Chad's eyes before I saw him swing. I saw his eyes harden, then the visceral look from the day before displaced everything else. His fist raced toward Chang. Without seeming to move at all, Chang caught Chad's fist in his upraised hand. I shouldn't have been surprised, but I flinched. At first his expression stayed the same, then saddened as Chad futilely tried to pull his fist away.

"I had hoped you would willingly accept my advice to reflect upon yourself and your actions. I am disappointed, but not surprised. Very well. If you will not take it upon yourself, I will give you the time and space to consider who you are and what you want to be."

To my amazement, feathers began to sprout on the arm that Chang was holding. They traveled swiftly across his body. As they did so, his body compressed in on itself, his head taking a different shape. Chad continued to shrink and reform until standing in Chang's palm was a bird. He was a yellow bird with a black cap on the top of the head, and black and white wing and tail feathers. It's strange the things you think of when something unexpected happens. My first thought was,My car will never be clean again.

The little bird puffed out his feathers and chirped away in a tone that can only be described as angry.

"Even has a bird you are cross." He paused as Chad continued to verbally assault him. "What right? Well, what right did you have to be here? It's all a question of perception." He paused again for a long stream of chirps. "Forever? Not even I have forever. But I can't say how long. It's entirely up to you." Another expressive volley from Chad. "You must determine that on your own."

Chang cupped the Chad-bird in both of his hands and walked over to the door. He pushed against the screen door and tossed Chad into the air. He meticulously traced something in the air and closed the door. Watching Chang, an idea had worked it's way into my head, a delightful thought that I put aside before voicing. Now was not the time, but I told myself to be on the look out for the right time.

Chang worked the main door back into place. He regarded it, checked the locks and the hardware, then announced, "This will need to be replaced."

"It needed to be replaced after the last time he kicked it in." I stood silent for a moment. The events of the last two days caught up with me and I felt drained, but I thought I should say something.

"Would you like some tea?" I asked.

Chang's smile was sad, but at least it was a smile. "Yes, that would be lovely."

I put the water kettle on the stove and poked around the cupboards for tea. Chang sat down in one of the kitchen chairs.

"I have chamomile, mint, and lavender. Oh, and rose hip."

"Lavender, please."

"Cream and sugar?" I pulled the tea down and grabbed cups.

"In tea?" Chang sounded intrigued.

It occurred to me that was more of an English tea tradition than Chinese.

"Uh, yeah. That's how my aunt always took her tea. I picked it up from her."

"Certainly. I would like to try it that way."

I set out the cups, as well as the half-n-half and sugar. I took a seat opposite Chang and waited for the kettle to whistle. Chang and I sat in silence. His appeared contemplative, mine was shock.

"What just happened?" I asked when the silence became too much.

"Something very complicated. And unexpected. I shall have to watch him very closely."

"Sebastian or Chad?"

"Both, actually. But I was referring to Sebastian."

"He had something to do with all this?" I stood to get the kettle as it began to blow. I couldn't begin to see how Sebastian could have been involved.

"Not directly. But he did sow the seeds without realizing it."

I poured the water over the teabags and set the kettle back on the stove.

"How?"

Chang fiddled with his tea bag and I remembered that tea bags were also more English then Asian. He didn't seem to bothered by it, though. It appeared to give him something to do while he gathered his thoughts.

"I have said previously that we leave parts of ourselves in the contact we have with others. You remember that, yes?"

I nodded.

"In the confrontation with Chad, Sebastian forced Chad to back away. He used his power as a dragon to dominate Chad into leaving. A preferable outcome to a brawl, certainly. But in so doing, he opened Chad." He added the cream and sugar to his tea.

"Opened?" I wasn't following.

"All people are more than they seem. And all people have a greater awareness of the supernatural around them. But they ignore it and go on their way. Chad's awareness may have been much closer to the surface. That touch began to awaken it, and the moon called it out. But there is a darkness in Chad, one that he both skirted and reveled in. I think he enjoyed the feeling of power it gave him, but he was careful how much he indulged. Unfortunately, in some the moon calls madness instead of ecstasy." Chang sighed. "It is up to him whether he controls that darkness or whether it controls him." He took a long sip of his tea. "This is very good."

This was a lot to take in, and though I had questions, I was also very tired. "Which do you think he will chose?"

"I wish I could say. But the choice, and the challenge, is for him to master himself. The spell will not break until he does."

"Why give him any chance at all? Why not just leave him a bird?" It came out a lot nastier than I had meant for it to. Chang seemed to understand.

"I would never ask for you to forgive or forget what Chad has done. His actions towards you were despicable. These things are not to be forgotten. But what is also to be remembered is that the ones on the edge need looking after too. He may remain a bird, it's not out of the question. But he may grow. I have faith in that possibility." He reached out his hand and laid it on top of mine. "Whatever will be, will be."

I laid my other hand on top of his and gave him a faint smile. "I guess I'm just not that evolved."

He returned my smile. "I only ask you to be who you are." A bemused look crossed Chang's face and he shook his head.

"What is it?" I asked, thankful for a distraction.

"Sebastian is rather insistent on joining us. However, the choice of company is entirely yours. If you wish, I will leave. I must say, I do not feel comfortable leaving you alone with your door so damaged."

I nodded. "I understand. Actually, I think I would like company. Are you going to tell him what happened?"

"I have to. He needs to know."

"I can see that."

Sebastian arrived in short order. The first thing he did was catch me in a fierce embrace. He held me so tightly I almost couldn't breathe. I was about to say something when I felt him trembling against me. I put my arms around him.

"It's OK," I said softly. "I'm all right."

"I know," he said. "But please, just let me make sure."

So I let him hold me as long as he needed to. I had managed to keep him from being hurt in one way only to discover he was going to be hurt in another. Because once he realized what had happened with Chad, I was pretty certain he would blame himself for setting this in motion. By keeping me safe in one instance, he set the stage for me to be hurt in another. It wasn't his fault. But this situation was getting seriously fucked up.