Dragon Kin

01

Alicja

"Are you ready to go, Alicja?" Oma asked me, as she headed for the front door of my Aintín Cara's house, her cane stabbing into the carpet, her feet shuffling on beside.

It was late, after nine — which was late for me, during the week. My birthday party was a success, meaning no one lost an eye and I got plenty of presents — and no one mentioned anything like 'exile' or 'outcast'.

I was now twenty. Twenty years old. And I wasn't marked. For an Enedral, this was not a good thing.

You've seen us. We keep to ourselves, but sometimes I think that just draws more attention to us — like the farmer people up north — Amish, that's their name. We aren't much like them, except that we keep to ourselves and try not to bother people too much. We're cousins of the Romany. Distant, cousins – who don't do much in the way of visiting any more.

It was late, after nine — which was late for me during the week. My birthday party was a success, meaning no one lost an eye and I got plenty of presents — and no one mentioned anything like 'exile' or 'outcast'.

I was now twenty. Twenty years old. And I wasn't marked. For an Enedral, this was not ap to ourselves, but sometimes I think that just draws more attention to us — like the farmer people up north — Amish, that's their name. We aren't much like them, except that we keep to ourselves and try not to bother people too much. We're cousins of the Romany. Distant, cousins – who don't do much in the way of visiting any more.

I followed my Oma out into the night, waving good-bye to all of my lingering friends and relatives. Twenty was a big day. For us it was the first day of adulthood. Here in New Orleans I was able to drink when I was eighteen. But now, to everyone in my community, I was an adult.

I didn't feel much different.

However, Oma assured me that any day now, I would have my first adult moment. Someday soon, she said, I would see something happening, and then look around to find an adult — only to discover I was the adult.

It was one of her favorite jokes.

She told it at every twenty-year party. I believe I first heard it when I was five.

I left all of my gifts and the money envelopes at my aintín's house. Sean or Mal would drive me over with the truck tomorrow to fetch them.

I should have been looking around. This was New Orleans, at night, on an empty street. Certainly, I should not have been wrapped up in my woes while we walked back to our house. It was only five blocks away. I could dwell in the morass of my life all night. Five blocks. Only five. Not too much to ask.

What was too much to ask, was that life would, for tonight, not go sideways on me. For one night why couldn't I walk without having to be diligent and paranoid?

The answer stepped out from between the pawn shop and the corner grocer on the third block. Him and a friend.

"Hey now, looky what we have here Ismael. Two lovely women out for a walk on a night like this."

Ismael said something that sounded like part laugh and part "huh".

Oma stopped, and looked at the man blocking our way on the sidewalk. Then she took my hand and guided me across the street.

"Hey, hey, hey," the man said, taking a skipping step to follow, "where you going? We just gettin acquainted."

"Ben, hey Ben," Ismael said, while grabbing at Ben's shoulder. "Those are Enedral women."