Leo sat in the carriage with Brandi as they rode down to the city. People along the streets waved and moved out of the path.

"It feels so strange still." She said absently.

"Ma'am?" Leo asked.

"Sorry. I mean all of this royalty stuff. Obviously I am not royalty but when people realize that I stay in the palace they all look at me as if I am...I don't know, more than they are." She shrugged unable to find the correct term she was looking for.

"I know what you mean." Leo replied, his voice a throaty growl. "The guards I worked beside now all look at me as if...I'm different."

"Better kind of different?" Brandi asked.

Leo shrugged. "Hard to say. I did not converse with my fellow guardsmen often. They knew what I was."

"Thankfully with the Queen and King at our backs we have a full reassurance. Have you enjoyed the switch though?" Brandi asked, watching his furry emotions as his lion head tilted in thought.

Leonardo thought about it for a moment. He had no idea what being in the private guard sector would bring. Though being a guard patrol had offered him little excitement but during his week of private sector he found himself more busy.

"Yes." He flashed his fangs happily. "While it isn't quite what I expected, it is enjoyable all the same."

"That is good. And you are feeling more comfortable without your helmet?"

Leo tilted his horned head from side to side, his thick mane flopped along with him. In truth the shy Chimera had enjoyed being visible. He knew not everyone would accept a half-breed. That was just the way of the world. However, since he worked within the palace, there were few that would openly speak out against him or the royals he protected.

"I suppose I am growing accustomed to it, I can't say I feel comfortable yet. Being a half-breed just isn't a comfortable life. But you have made it easier." He smiled.

Brandi returned the smile and then looked out the window just as the sky darkened.

"Wasn't it sunny a minute ago?" She asked. "Does the weather often change abruptly in Vervania?" She looked at Leo. His green eyes were narrowed in wary suspicion.

"No. Not unless the King summons up a storm."

They got off the carriage and the driver, a portly elderly man who had seen many years in the kingdom looked around at the sky in curious wonder. Without warning, the dark sky exploded with thunder that rippled across the kingdom. Brandi looked up to the south just as a bolt of scarlet lightning tore across the clouds.

The sounds of cries and explosions rang out through the south side of the city.

"Get back into the wagon ma'am. We must leave."

*****

Maalceus walked down the black marble hall. Kelly followed behind him. Her long candy corn colored hair flowed behind her as she walked. Her dark tan skin was a shade lighter than Maalceus but plenty darker than it had been a week prior. She followed him to his room and quickly he shut the door.

Kelly grinned, excited for what she anticipated. However, her anticipation died away when she saw the look of confusion and anger on his face.

"My lord?" She asked.

"We need to leave. It isn't safe." Maalceus said.

"What? Why?" Kelly asked, feeling as though his thoughts were coming out of the blue.

"Kelly. You chose to accept both Daemon and Draconic essence." He explained. "The Daemon will know of your...our location if they don't already."

"These Daemon? What are they?" Kelly asked.

"They are...cursed, beings from a lower plane of existence. They are like us but seek only to gather and take over the other planes." Maalceus explained.

"But you and Lucian can-"

"Not kill them. Not all of them anyway." Maalceus cut her off, his voice edging on the verge of anger. "We must leave. Or else the city and everyone inside of it will get hurt or worse."

"B-because of me?" Kelly asked.

"No. Because of us." He wrapped her in his thick muscular arms and held her tight.

"My essence is half dragon and daemon. As soon as I claimed you, I knew that this might happen." He turned toward his room where he had a large suitcase packed up.

"You were...planning on leaving? When I woke up?" Kelly asked.

"If, you woke up." The transition from a human to dragon is dangerous alone. Mix in a daemon transition and there is a likelihood of death."

"I could have...died?" She asked almost as though that had never even come across her mind as an option or possibility.

"But you didn't." He embraced her again. "However, if we don't leave, hundreds of people will."

Kelly let the image and idea of hundreds of people dying float in through her mind. The stores, the bakeries and children. Dead in the cobblestone streets. She knew that if such a thing happened because of her, she'd never be able to live with herself.

"I'll grab my things."

"We need to leave immediately so don't-"

A crack of thunder shook the walls and air. Like the palace itself had been attacked. Both Maalceus and Kelly shared the same worried expression and thought.

*****

Joona, walked behind Melanie and Lucian as they moved through the black marble hall and down the stairs toward the jade hall. Joona had hardly ever stepped foot onto the Jade hall. Her quarters, like many of the palace guards, slept in the marble hall on the first floor.

Only those who were royals or higher working employees of the palace got to move beyond the marble hall.

"Do you think they will be alright?" Melanie asked.

"Maalceus is both dragon and daemon. He is more than capable of handling himself against a couple daemons. Once Kelly gets a hang of herself, I imagine she will become something formidable." He leaned over and kissed her.

That single growl kiss sent a shiver across her body. Melanie felt the subtle hints that he offered through their bond. In her mind she caught flashes of images. Her on the wall, his hands in her silvery white hair and his cock deep inside her. Melanie giggled to herself. She wanted nothing more at that moment than to bow down and feel his everything on her and in her.

"I'd like to revisit that idea you brought up a few days ago. Since we have a moment." Lucian gestured for her to take to the stairs first and she did with a grateful nod.

"Which conversation do you mean?" She asked. "Over the last week we have had far too many."

"I'm talking about the Kuri collective."

Joona paused between steps, caught off guard at the mention of Kuri. There were many terms used in derogatory description to point out a half-breed. Among those terms was the word Kuri which truly meant a mongrel or an unsightly being. However, the inflection of her King's tone denoted that he meant it rather as a positive thing.

He glanced back at Joona who eyed him, wondering if he was looking at her for an input. Over the last week Joona had been asked to give her input more often than she had in years working for the patrol guard.

In the patrol she was expected to follow orders and the golden skinned half-breed hadn't expected that to change when she agreed to join the private sector. However, it had. Far more often than she had anticipated.

"Tell me Joona. What do you think of the other half-breeds being rallied into an alliance?" Lucian asked.

Joona stopped at the bottom of the stairs and both Melanie and Lucian waited for her response.

"I suppose it could be a good thing. I think it would truly help shed light on those less fortunate but I also have to wonder if the populace would see it-"

"As an uprising or revolution." Melanie cut Joona off with a nod.

Lucian eyed Joona for a long minute with a smirk.

"I think the Kuri collective would unite people. Especially if we give them a structure." Lucian added.

"A structure, sir?" Joona asked.

Lucian looked to Melanie for further explanation since it was her idea originally.

They followed the jade hall over to the stairs and down to the marble hall.

"I think if half-breeds or Kuri, were recognized by the palace and offered a better standing within society, their stances in the city wouldn't be looked at as lesser but as equal if not greater." Melanie explained.

"That would be a miraculous feat my lady. Me and my kin would be grateful for such an opportunity."

"Your kin?" Melanie asked. "I thought you didn't know many others."

Joona's golden skin paled as she blushed.

"Apologies my lady. I said I didn't know of many in the guard. I know of many within the city."

Lucian laughed and squeezed Melanie. He reached into his robe pocket and pulled out two gold coins which Melanie took. Joona furrowed her feathery brows in confusion as to what just transpired.

"You called it. She is the ideal candidate." Lucian laughed.

Melanie looked back at Joona just before they walked through the doors leading out into the courtyard.

"Someone needs to be the face of the organization. A Kuri collective shouldn't be drawn up by us. It should be brought together by one of their own and I can't think of someone more fitting for that job than you." Melanie smiled.

When Joona didn't smile back she followed her gaze up to the sky and then her own smile faded. The three of them watched as a bolt of lightning crashed down to the city.