1
Daifydd Drake had hoped that his very first call-out as a fully-qualified firefighter would be just a little bit heroic.
After all, even if he was the new guy, he was a dragon. Fireproof, powerful, able to walk through the worst inferno as though it was nothing more than a summer’s breeze. Surely a shifter of his talents would be sent to the toughest, most dangerous emergencies.
“A cat,” he repeated, hoping that he’d somehow misunderstood. “Stuck up a tree.”
“Indeed.” Fire Commander Ash glanced down at the slip of paper on his orderly desk. “According to the dispatcher’s report, at a private retirement community just outside the city. She has been stranded for several hours, and her meows are becoming increasingly distressed. The fire service’s aid has been requested in getting her down.”
Dai searched that poker-straight face for any sign that he was being pranked, and drew a blank. Then again, he had yet to see Fire Commander Ash ever show anything resembling an actual expression.
“Er,” he said. “Do we…actually do that sort of thing?”
Ash minutely adjusted the position of the paper, aligning it parallel with the edge of the desk. “When there are no other emergencies ongoing.”
“But there could be an emergency at any moment, right?” Dai said hopefully. “Shouldn’t we keep Alpha Team here at the station in case there’s an actual, well, fire? One of the other firefighters could go instead.”
Ash’s light brown eyes met his. They were clear and calm, and Dai had a sudden intense desire to crawl under his chair and die.
“Are you perhaps implying that our human colleagues are somehow less essential than us?” Fire Commander Ash’s level, neutral tone never changed. “Because we are shifters and they are not?”
Somewhere in Dai’s soul, his dragon whimpered and rolled over to show its throat. “No, sir.”
“Good.” Ash looked down, and Dai started breathing again. “And as a matter of fact, this particular incident requires a shifter.”
2
The kangaroo was the first sign that this was not a typical retirement community.
Dai landed on the lawn a little way off, folding his wings. The kangaroo carried on peacefully grazing, not so much as glancing at him. Then again, even most shifters couldn’t see dragons.
Dai cast a glance around. From the air, this had seemed to be the closest the retirement community had to a central location—a dozen or so small, cozy cottages clustered together in the enclosed, landscaped gardens.
Down here, they all looked like residential dwellings. He couldn’t see any signs indicating a main office. Nobody seemed to be around.
He looked back at the kangaroo.
Well, this is a retirement community exclusively for shifters…
Dai could make himself seen in this form if he concentrated, but people generally reacted badly to giant red dragons appearing out of nowhere. He shifted into human form instead. Thankfully, as a mythic shifter, his clothes came with him when he transformed. He tugged down his firefighter jacket and ran a hand through his windswept hair.
“Excuse me?” He cleared his throat. “Uh…”
Ma’am? Sir? He was not going to try to peer under the kangaroo’s tail to check.
“Hello?” he tried instead. “Are you a resident here?”
The kangaroo twitched an ear. It sat up on its hindlegs. At well over six feet, Dai was considerably taller than the marsupial, but somehow it still managed to look down its nose at him.
“I’m firefighter Daifydd Drake.” Having only qualified last week, it still gave Dai a warm glow in his chest to be able to introduce himself with those words. “East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service.”
The kangaroo chewed in a slow, steady motion. It did not look impressed.
Dai fixed his face in an expression of polite respect. It was his very first call-out as a full crew member, after all. He was going to be professional about it.
“I’m here about the emergency call,” he said, since that sounded a lot better than I’ve come to get a cat out of a tree. “Could you perhaps point me in the direction of the main office?”
The kangaroo gazed regally at the horizon. Dai peered hopefully in that direction, and saw nothing but hedges.
“Er…” He turned back to the kangaroo. “I’m sorry, but would you mind shifting?”
From the look the kangaroo gave him, it minded very much.
Dai tried a winning smile. “I don’t want to interrupt your, uh, lunch, but I’m kind of on the clock here. This would be a lot easier if you’d take human form for a minute.”
“Young man,” said an amused female voice behind him. “Why are you talking to Hopper?”
Dai nearly jumped out of his skin. Whirling round, he found a small, white-haired woman standing a little way off with her head cocked to one side. She wore gardening gloves and a distinctly knowing smirk.
“I, uh…” Dai glanced at the kangaroo. “It’s…not a shifter?”
“Of course not. It’s Talullah’s pet.” The woman added, as though this would explain everything, “She was in movies, you see.”
Dai did not see.
“I’m Lyla Marshal, the head custodian of Green Acres Retirement Village,” the woman continued. She looked him up and down, and raised an eyebrow. “Now, are you actually a firefighter, or have the ladies managed to sneak in another stripper?”
Another stripper?
“Yes. I mean, no!” He could feel his ears burning. “Uh, that is, I’m a real firefighter. Definitely. Yes. Dai Drake, ma’am. East Sussex Fire and Rescue. I’m here about the, uh, cat?”
Lyla gave him a reproving look. “That’s Ms. Cat to you, young man. Just because she’s forgotten how to turn human doesn’t make her any less of a person.”
“Sorry, ma’am. Didn’t mean any disrespect.”