Dragon Mirror- Ties Between the Veil

“Do you have a new boyfriend?”

Tito jerked her head up, startled out of her thoughts to see her best friend leaning in over her desk.

“What the fuck? No- Mickie, why the hell would you ask that?”

Michelle pouted her lips and raised a pencil thin eyebrow. She glanced down meaningfully at the phone Tito held under her desk.

Tito rolled her eyes. “Don’t be so fucking nosey. I just got this shit back from my mom for good behavior, or whatever that means.”

They both laughed quietly, trying to avoid drawing the teachers attention. It was a study period, so he usually didn’t care what his students did. But he would care if they got too loud.

Mickie leaned forward again. “No, seriously- what's up? You’ve been straight ignoring me.”

Tito chewed her lower lip, then stopped to avoid eating her black cherry lipstick. She liked how it fit with her magenta and green striped wig, and the brand was expensive.

The truth was that she had been in a group chat with Moon and Zhao, and they had been going back and forth with speculation about what had happened and if they could or should attempt it again.

Moon was considering packing up his RV and driving up to Michigan to be closer and mentor her in the ways of witchy bullshit. Or shaman ish? She didn’t really care.

Mickie’s large dark eyes stared at her in a peak puppy esk beg. Tito blew the breath she had been holding out.

“Shit. Ok. I don’t have a boyfriend, but I recently found out I have an uncle.” Mickie straightened in her chair.

“On your dad’s side?”

“What? No. My mom- Apparently G’ma had a secret life none of us knew about.” She tried to bury the smoldering resentment towards her dad. She preferred not to think about him.

“Oh shit- Granny had a spicy life? Give the deeds.”

Tito shifted uncomfortably. She hadn’t really thought it through before telling Mickie, and now she had to scramble to hold back information while also admitting she didn’t know that much.

She was saved for a moment when Mr. Bradford came into the room to call for the RATZ backstage team. She stood up with two other students and slung her backpack on with a mumbled goodbye.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket.

You gonna tell me later, right?

-Mickie

“Fuck.” Tito whispered under her breath, slipping the phone back into her pocket. She left her on read and hurried to the auditorium.

Zhao stared at his laptop with his chin in his hand. He had finished and submitted all of his work for the college classes this semester, including a whopping two hundred and forty page dissertation on research he had completed the year before Raina’s disappearance.

It was based on the neurogenetic manipulation of opioid receptors using three different types of drugs. Unfortunately, Zhao didn’t think it was his best work.

He’d had most of the bones completed before Raina had been sucked through some type of magical portal, but he knew he was going to hear from both of his parents after they finished reading what he had submitted.

“I am trash.” He closed the laptop with irritation. “And I just can’t bring myself to care.” Almost eight years of work, starting his sophomore year of highschool, and he couldn’t find the energy to care.

His phone chimed again, and he dismissed his agitation with his impending failure of a doctorate from his mind.

-I’ve packed up and should be there in two days. Hope you like dogs.

Zhao groaned and laid his head on his warm laptop. He knew if his parents found out what he was up to, that he would be disowned. Or worse, shipped to China in a box.

He still couldn’t believe that he had set up an area on the back end of his parents property for Kiishthwa to park his RV. The property was more than a hundred acres, but he still felt more than a little paranoid.

He heard a knock on his door and sat up quickly. “I am working, but come in.” He called as he pulled one of his notebook folders toward him. He swiveled, expecting the housekeeper to be checking on him.

What he did not expect was his mother to come sweeping into the room.

Mrs. Nuan Xiu Wong was gracefully approaching her late fifties, yet currently looked as if she had bitten into a sour crab apple. She stopped at the edge of the desk, her fingers tracing the edge of the notebook he had hurriedly pulled out.

“Last semester’s work?” She raised an eyebrow as she looked down on him. Not often was she afforded the view, considering that she barely topped five feet.

Zhao rocked back in his chair, closing his eyes in irritation. He had no words to convey to this iron souled woman the level of exhaustion he was currently experiencing. He had not had his parents ride his back this heavily since middle school.

“Johnathan, I need you to drop this foolishness.”

The use of his first name made his insides cramp, especially as his first thought was that she somehow knew of Mr. LongShadow’s impending arrival.

His mother laid the backs of her fingers on his cheek. “You will complete your education and choose a residency in California.” Zhao blinked, startled.

“I-” She suddenly gripped his face, cutting him off.

“While in California, during your residency, you will be presented with several options for a wife.” She released him as he sputtered in shock, looking down at him. Her face softened.

“I understand that you loved the girl. But this entire interlude in your life must end.”

The rage that boiled up inside of him was as swift as it was unexpected. Zhao burst up out of his chair, causing his mother to stumble back a step in surprise.

“NO.”

His mother straightened, the momentary shock slipping from her face in favor of contained outrage. “You dare-”

“No!” He stepped forward, grabbing his mothers arms. Her lips parted in startlement. “Raina was not just an interlude and I wont tolerate you treating this as if it's just an inconvenience to your plans for my life!”

He dropped his hands as if burned as his mother stared up at him with a blank face.

He quickly stepped back as years of parental conditioning crushed down his rage. He could see the suppressed anger in her eyes, but he could also see the cold calculation. His face flushed and he bowed his head.

“I don’t have a problem taking a residency in California, or wherever. I’m just not- I won't-” He trailed off.

His mother turned her head, sweeping her gaze across the unkempt room. When her eyes came back and locked on his face, she sighed.

“I will leave you to your work.”

The door shut behind her heel before he could react. He sank back into his chair, his hands shaking as he clutched his hair. He was stunned at his own temerity.

He had his own apartment if he were kicked from his parents home, but he swiftly realized that being several hours away from where Kiishthwa was going to set up shop was a very bad idea. He needed to reign it in and pacify his parents.

He still had several months before giving his dissertation, let alone even knowing if it would be accepted. So worrying about his residency was a moot point. He tilted his head back, squeezing his eyes shut in a futile effort to staunch the tears of frustration.

Tito put her cigarette out in the mountain dew can next to her, staring intently at her laptop screen. She was sitting on the porch roof, the charging cable snaked through her open window. A wary eye kept watch on the road that led to their driveway, watching for her mother’s return.

-I don’t see why you can’t just tell me why you aren’t coming with me. >:(

“Ugh, Mickie, get off my dick.”

Her best friend was miffed that she wouldn’t explain exactly why she wasn’t going on the spring trip Mickie’s family had planned. Her own mom was leaving on a trip with her current boyfriend that night, and Tito planned on spending every moment the woman was gone with Moon.

She lived about an hour away from where he was setting up camp, which meant if her mom asked where she was if she came home early, she could give a bullshit excuse and get home in a pinch.

She closed out one of the tabs on reiki healing and scrubbed at the stubble on her head. Half the shit she found on the internet was new age wicca bullshit.

And the power Moon described, along with the astral projection in dreams, was damn near supernatural. Bullshit.

“Bullshit, bullshit, BULL shit.” She snapped the laptop shut and tossed it onto the bed just inside the window.

She almost kicked the can with her cigarette butts off the roof when she spotted her mom’s truck turned into the drive. “Fuck.” She snatched it up and ducked inside.

When her mother was placing groceries on the counter, Tito nonchalantly sidled into the kitchen. As she grabbed another soda from the fridge, her mother made a rude noise in her throat.

“This man thinks I’m going to marry him, just because he taking me to the Seneca Casino and Niagara Falls.” Tito popped the top on her can and slurped loudly.

Her mother turned a jaundiced eye on her youngest daughter. “What ya think? You want a new step daddy?” She laughed at the look of disgust that washed over her face.

“I got ya groceries to last the week. And I’ve left you an advance on your allowance since ya cleaned out the garage.” Tito grimaced. Cleaning out their two car garage had been a test in patience, separating out many of her dad’s things for Goodwill, along with her grandmother’s and storing Raina’s things.

It had been frustrating and painful. She had wanted to throw it all into a pile and burn it while simultaneously wanting to keep every memento.

She realized her mother was staring into her face with concern. She plastered a sardonic look and sat down at the counter.

“I want to tell you to not do anything stupid, but I know ya’d take that as a challege.” Tito put an innocent face on and then bared her teeth.

“Am I allowed to drive the mini cooper if I fill the tank?”

Levinna Holliday Vasquez sucked in a breath, staring at her brazen daughter. “Bold of ya to assume I’d leave the car behind, let alone the keys. Ya’d probably try hotwiring the damn thing.”

Tito groaned while rolling her eyes. “Mooooom.”

Her mother put up her hands, making soothing motions. “For fucksake, ya turd- I didn’t say no.”

Tito’s eyes lit up, and it was her mothers turn to roll her eyes. She pumped her fist while her mom began putting away the groceries again.

“If you keep the tank full, and drive safely, and I’m not going to bother asking ya what you’re up to- because you’re a goddamn adult.” She slammed a bag of flour and a tiny white cloud rose upward.

Her finger swung around to point in Tito’s face. “I’m not fucking stupid, Tanya Marie. If you’re going to be running around with that boy, ya need to let me know. I realized that you gonna do what ya wanna do. All I can do is trust your judgment ain’t complete shit- and pray ya don’t disappear on me like your sister.”

Tito’s mouth dropped open and she stood there slack jawed.

Her mother had tears in her eyes and Tito rushed forward to embrace her.

“I don’t know why ya believe he’s innocent- but I- I believe- I believe- in you.” She was sobbing and Tito squeezed her eyes shut, desperately trying not to cry herself.

“Momma, I promise, I will be safe. He’s helping me figure out what happened- I-” She stopped, on the precipice of telling her suspicions about G’ma Pani. She knew what she had to say sounded crazy.

Her mother controlled herself and leaned back. “You need to know that Zhao’s mother called me.” Tito blanched.

“The woman threatened me. And you. She doesn’t want ya near her son, otherwise she will make it her life's mission to complicate ours.”

“What a bitch.” Her mom smirked at her.

“I assume you will sneak around no matter what I do.” Levinna tenderly tugged at Tito’s bangs. “So be your sneakiest, and text me regularly so if ya disappear- I can send them straight to where ya were last.”

Tito looked down. When she looked back up she smiled sheepishly. “I can change the settings on the family GPS app on our phones so it sends notifications every hour…”

Her mother blinked in surprise at the offer, then smiled. “Deal.”

Zhao was not prepared to be greeted by two very large wolf dogs and one very small chihuahua mix when he pulled up the service road at the back of his parents' property.

It was a low, partially swampy area with large pine and spruce, and the road was pot-hole pocked packed dirt that hadn’t been graded properly in a few years.

He still couldn’t see Kiishthwa’s RV when the first dog materialized out of the bushes and directly into his car's path. It had been the small chihuahua that looked as if it had been beaten with an ugly stick and an unfortunate mix of genetics.

Screeching to a halt that had likely dug another pothole, Zhao had stared incredulously as the small dogs bug-eyes had glared a challenge at the vehicle, teeth bared and hackles raised. It looked like a demented hedgehog.

He was contemplating calling Moon and scooping up the likely lost dog when the two massive wolf dogs padded silently out behind it. Zhao inadvertently found himself locking his doors, only taking a moment to berate himself for being an idiot, and a coward.

Not like they’ll open my car door and rob me.

His phone rang and he jumped. Fumbling for the answer button on his steering wheel, his voice came out in a shaky whisper. “You said dogs, not giant werewolves and a tiny demon.”

Moon’s laugh was deep and hearty.

“I figured you were here when Gidget ran off with the Boys.” Zhao scowled, his lips parting to say something rude.

He stopped himself, and instead asked, “You named that hedgehog after the Taco Bell dog?”

More laughter put him at ease as he realized he was just wound up because of the confrontation with his mother and the past two days of eerie silence. “I love Taco Bell. Best trash food I’ve ever had besides the In’N’Out! But pull forward, I’ll whistle them back to the camper, I’ll be on the right.”

A moment later both of the wolf dogs raised their heads and looked behind them. Gidget continued to bare her teeth at the car for a moment, then all three turned and hauled off into the brush.

“She likes you.”

Zhao glanced down at the tiny snarling dog under the fold out table in Kiishthwa’s surprisingly clean and fancy RV. Gidget had not stopped eyeballing him with her slightly skewed gaze, nor had she lowered her raised upper lips.

“I think I’d rather fight the Boys.”

One of the aforementioned Boys raised his head from where they were both laying and gave a soft Buh. Moon smiled and lowered his hand to scratch behind the dog's ears.

“My lil cuz had a malamute that got busy with the local wolf pack. These two were offered to me out of the litter. They’ve got three sisters that were given to the elders of the local tribe of Shawnee.”

Zhao looked at him quizzically, “There’s Shawnee in those mountains? I thought they’d all been forcibly moved to Oklahoma?”

Moon scowled. “I have a small group of absentee Shawnee that live on my land. What the white men did and continue to do is possibly the one thing that drives me to be a hermit.”

He sighed, bringing his hand up from the larger of the Boys. Zhao had another thought. “How do you own land? You have a job?”

The man across from him raised his white eyebrows and waggled them. “He comes for my secrets like the white man came for the land.”

Zhao felt a moment of embarrassment. But then he scowled. “If you’re as old as you say you are- there’s no way you have identification or…” he trailed off as Kiishthwa pulled his wallet out and flipped it open to show his drivers license.

“SUNDANCE? Sundance LONGSHADOW? Are you kidding?” Moon let out a snort and laughed.

“Kids are born on a Rez, hey? Often they never get a birth certificate or an ID until they’re adults. This is my third, my great grandson.” The grin that split his face was devilish.

“Want to know his old man’s name?”

Zhao closed his eyes briefly, holding back the manic chuckle he felt building. His phone pinged from a text message, and after glancing at it, he stood. He nervously edged toward the door as Gidget partially lunged towards him.

“Uh, Tito is trying to find the turn off, she’s here.”