Page 24 of Hot for the Dragon
Hugo set down his spoon, his green eyes turning serious. "Back when he was still with his wing, there was an incident where?—"
Suddenly, a deafening roar cut through the air outside, rattling the vintage espresso machine. The floating menu board flickered and dropped a foot before catching itself. Daphne's heart lurched as screams erupted from outside the café.
She and Hugo rushed to the window. Three massive dragons circled overhead, their scales glinting in the afternoon sun. One swooped low, sending pedestrians scattering.
"Get people inside," Hugo ordered, already heading for the door. "I need to get to City Hall."
"But—"
"Now, Daphne!"
She sprung into action as Hugo disappeared into the chaos. "Everyone inside!" she shouted, propping the café door open. The bell chimed frantically as people streamed in. "This way!"
A mother clutching two small children stumbled on the threshold. Daphne steadied her, ushering them toward the back of the café. The floating menu board had given up on changing specials and now just displayed "SEEK SHELTER" in bold chalk letters.
"Under the tables," Daphne directed, her voice steady despite her racing pulse. "Away from the windows."
Another roar shook the building. Through the window, Daphne caught glimpses of dark blue scales. Carmen. Her stomach clenched as she remembered watching her flower shop burn.
"Is anyone else out there?" she called, scanning the street. A teenage boy huddled behind a parked car, frozen in fear. The plants in the window boxes stretched their vines toward him, responding to her worry.
"Hey!" she shouted to him. "Run! Now!"
The boy bolted for the café door. Daphne pulled him inside just as a shadow passed overhead. The magical lanterns flickered as people huddled together, the air thick with fear and the lingering scent of coffee and starlight.
Daphne looked over and saw Nina's hands dancing through the air, purple energy crackling between her fingers as she wove protective magic around the Cauldron & Cup. The vintage espresso machine hummed in harmony with her spell, its copper surfaces reflecting the mystical light.
"That should keep the fire-breathing menaces out," Nina declared, her constellation-speckled apron twinkling. "Though I'd like to see them try breaking through my barriers. They'd get quite the surprise."
Daphne pressed her palms against the window, watching another building burst into flames down the street. The same helpless rage that had consumed her when her flower shop burned bubbled up inside her. A potted fern next to her sprouted thorns in response to her emotions.
"I hate this," she muttered, her reflection scowling back at her in the glass. "I should be out there doing something."
"What you're doing is keeping people safe," Nina said, directing a trembling elderly man to a cushioned booth with a gentle wave of her hand. "Sometimes that's the most important thing."
"Well, that pompous, selfish woman…" A blue dragon – Carmen – swooped past the window, and Daphne's words dissolved into a frustrated growl. "She's destroying everything just to prove she can."
"Honey, you're making all my plants look like they belong in a haunted forest," Nina pointed out, gesturing to the now thorny and twisted greenery throughout the café.
Daphne forced herself to take a deep breath, willing the plants to return to normal. "Sorry. It's just... I thought working with Archer meant we'd actually be doing something to stop this. But here we are, watching it happen all over again."
The floating menu board flickered anxiously above their heads, its chalk letters spelling out "REMAIN CALM" before switching to "TRY OUR SOOTHING CHAMOMILE BLEND."
Movement suddenly caught Daphne's eye through the window. An elderly woman crouched behind a newspaper stand across the street, clutching a cane with trembling hands.
"There's someone still out there!" Daphne rushed for the door.
"Don't you dare—" Nina's fingers crackled with purple energy. "The barrier?—"
"Break it! Just for a second!"
Nina muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "stubborn green witches" before gesturing sharply. The magical barrier shimmered and parted just enough for Daphne to slip through.
The scorching air hit her lungs as she sprinted across the street. Debris crunched under her feet, and the smoke made her eyes water.
"Come on," Daphne reached the elderly woman, helping her up. "Let's get you somewhere safe."
"My ankle," the woman grimaced. "I fell when everyone started running."
