John and Ryan stayed longer than they had expected; he went to the laundromat and placed his clothes in the washing machine. The whole place was lined with dryers on all three walls. In the middle of the room, there are four rows of washers, back to back. The small dragon was on his shoulder and was the size of a medium iguana. It had a collar and a small leash that hung from his side.
Two demons were in the laundromat; they had escorted him into the place. One was six feet, which Ryan had gotten to know. She was feeding the dragon with raw pieces of meat. Her human complexion stood out just like her sister. They were both half human and half demon; they had been brought up by both parents, their demon father and their mother. Rachel wore a sundress with pastel colors of the native flower of Hawaii. Rachel’s snow white skin brought out her auburn hair and the colors on her dress. Rachel’s twin sister Faith was opposite; her dark skin was ebony and her hair was white. She wore a pink laced dress that went to her mid-thighs. Her dress had black lace around the bottom and around her shoulder straps. The back had black lace string tying and holding in place. It was more for decoration than anything else.
“So tell me, what do you want for dinner tonight?” Ryan said as he opened the washing machine to throw in the fabric softener.
“Mmm, I was thinking we could get Chinese." Rachel said while playing with Dagron, “Faith want some Chinese for dinner?”
"Yeah, that’s fine; I’m not picky.” Faith said this while sitting in the chair and reading her spell book.
“What about you, Dagron? Do you want to eat some chicken teriyaki?” Rachel said this while making a ducky face.
“Come on, leave him alone.” Ryan said, looking at the small dragon, who at the moment was trying to escape the death grip Rachel had on him.
"Oh, come on, he’s so cute. How can’t you just not love him?” Rachel said she was letting go of him.
The small dragon ran to Faith, who looked up at Dagron and, with a malice look, stopped the iguana-sized creature in its tracks. Everyone looked at Dagron and started to laugh. The small dragon ran to Ryan and hid in his pile of folded clothes.
"Ok, let’s get these clothes into the dryer and go eat.” Ryan said to throw his and Rachel’s clothes in the dryer.
"Alright, come on, Dagron, let me hold you, please." She asked with a sweet, innocent smile.
The small dragon looked at Ryan and back at her and back at Ryan. He climbed to his right shoulder and jumped into Rachel's arms. She caught him and embraced him without squeezing too hard. The trio walked to the glass doors, said an incantation, and the doors glowed black and white. The light began to dissipate, and before them was a new glass door. Chinese calligraphy was painted on both doors, and they read, Wongs Chinese, try our fried rice.
They opened the doors, and the smell of a Chinese cousin hit them right in the face. They stopped and inhaled the intoxicating scent. They entered, and the two women began to speak Mandarin. The door behind them closed, and behind the glass was the city skyline of San Francisco. The night sky was dazzling in the background.
“Hey dad, can we have some food? Ryan and Dagron are here as well; come say hi.” Faith shouted, “媽媽、瑞安和達格隆來這裡打招呼.”
The first person to come out of the kitchen was their dad; he was six feet, eight inches tall, and black with what looked like graying hair on his sides. She wore a white chef’s jacket and black pants. Many tattoos on the right side of his face had Chinese characters. They glowed red when his emotions were heightened. He may have looked young, but to Ryan, his instincts told him he was around twelve hundred years old.
Their mother came out of the manager's room. She was doing today’s count and was impressed with today’s sales. She had a full set of black hair and her white button-up dress shirt, and her black pants matched her Lou Vuitton shoes. She had an aura that Ryan felt was impressive; he knew she too had to be the same age as her husband.
“Hey Ryan! I’ll be there in a bit; let me finish with today’s sales,” Mei said with a slight accent. "Girls, I need you to go and help in the back; there are dishes you need to help with.”
"Xiaobo, how are you?” Ryan asked, “Looking fit as always, I see. Mei, don’t worry, I’ll be over her with Dagron eating some food.”
“Help yourself; don’t worry about paying; it’s all going to be thrown out.” Mei shouted.
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Ryan walked to the buffet table and grabbed a plate; he pilled on noodles, rice, and chicken. On another plate, Ryan filled it with teriyaki chicken and drenched it in the sauce. Dagron had huge, thankful eyes, and his mouth was gaping and drooling with saliva. He liked his lip and looked at Ryan, who looked at him with stern eyes and said, Wipe your mouth better. He took both plates and woke up at the family table near the office and kitchen door. Two drinks sat on the table; both were green tea, and a bowl of water was next to one of the teas.
Ryan sat the plate of Teriyaki chicken and placed it next to the bowl. He placed his in his spot, where he sat. Rachel came out of the kitchen door wearing a white apron around her dress and sat next to Ryan. She gave him a kiss, leaned over to Dagron, and kissed his head.
"Well, that was certainly a surprise.” Ryan said, “What was that for?"
“Why does it have to be anything?" She said back, “Can’t it just be a kiss?"
She went back to the kitchen, and her father walked with a huge plateful of food. His appearance had changed to that of a human demon. He looked similar, but his skin changed to ebony, and horns grew from his forehead. He took the chopsticks and shoveled food into his mouth. Ryan did the same and used the chopsticks to shovel food Dee into his mouth.
The two sisters finished with the dishes and joined in on the feast. They pilled on food and sat next to Ryan and their father. Their mother finished, grabbed small portions, and sat next to her husband.
“So Ryan, tell us what you and John have been up to recently.” I asked Mei, “Anything fun, is he treating you well?"
"Well, I can’t say specifically, but it’s important.” Ryan tried to say, “But John is a bit hard, but he is a good teacher.”
“You know me and John once fought over a hundred years ago.” Xiaobo said with a grin, “We never got to settle our match.”
“Mom I was wondering if I could go to New York City for a few weeks when Ryan and John Dee go back.” Asked Rachel, “I was hoping to see the library.”
"Well, you’re four hundred years old, so it’s up to you.” She replied, “Just remember, get married before you do."
The table began to laugh, and Rachel pushed. Her pale skin made it even more noticeable, which made her even more embarrassed. Ryan just laughed and stuffed his face. The small dragon also ate and ignored everyone else. They all finished eating, and the three of them and the dragon returned to the laundromat. They saw the dryer was done and opened it. Rachel and Ryan pulled clothes out, and they both began to fold them on the table. Faith sat in the chair reading her book, but she had the dragon on her lap, petting him.
The trio had finished and opened the door to exit the building. They exited the cool night air of Las Angels. The orange SS Camaro was parked in the same spot where he left it. The black leather interior was just detailed two days ago and was still shining from the street lamps. He opened the trunk, and they threw the clean clothes in the back. The clothes were neatly placed, and he closed the trunk. He opened the door and unlocked the other door. They got in, and he started the car. It turned over, and he put it in reverse and backed out. He turned the radio on and listened to news talk radio. He placed the car in drive and drove back to the motel room. He wasn’t driving far; it was right down the road. They pulled in and parked, got everything out, and went to the room.
The motel room was a studio, with the bathroom in the very back. The kitchen was in the middle, close to the back, and the small fridge was empty. The electric stove was broken, and the sink spat green water. The living room had red love seats and a folding chair. John Dee sat in the chair, and Ryan and Rachel took the chair. Faith took the floor, and Dagron took his cat perch.
“So I managed to identify our mysterious assassin.” John said, “He is in West Hollywood.”
"Really, well, what should we do? Should we go and stalk out his place?” Asked Ryan.
"Yes, I think you and I should go.” John said.
"Sure, let’s go tonight, Dagron, you’re coming with.” Ryan said this while thinking.
“What about me? Can I come?” Asked Rachel.
"No, you have to go and wait back somewhere safe.” Ryan said.
“Ok, fine.” She threw a small tantrum. “How long are you going to be?”
Ryan looked at her and kissed her. She shut up and kissed him back. John Dee looked away and groaned. The two separated and laughed.
"Sorry, sir, later.” Ryan said, looking at her.
“Ok, anyway, faith and I have to go anyway.” Rachel stood up and grabbed the keys. They left, and the door closed.
“So tell me this relationship isn’t serious." John Dee asked.
"Why, Master, is it because she’s a demon?” Ryan said it angrily.
"Ryan, that’s not what I’m saying at all.” John Dee interjected, “And you should mind your tongue.”
“Whatever, I’m going to get ready for tonight.”
Ryan stood up and marched off to the bathroom. He took his shirt off and slammed the door closed. A loud crack sounded in the motel. Dagron jumped and hid under the covers.
“He’s getting too big for his own good.” John said as he crossed his arms together and thought. He looked over at the dragon and said, “Don’t worry, little one, he is just going through withdrawal; a demon’s scent is extremely intoxicating. Maybe I should have been the one to enter there.”
John Dee stood and walked over to where the dragon was. He sat down and pulled out a small piece of rodent meat. Here you go, little one. The dragon jumped around, and its body was transformed into an elongated body that looked like a snake with legs and a long white mustache. Dagron got to the rodent meat and ate it from its hand. John Dee petted the dragon and pulled out more meat from his pocket. The paper was unwrapped, and he tossed it in the air. The dragon jumped in the air, and its feet grabbed a cloud it created and held on to it. He used the four individual clouds to fly through the air like an eastern dragon. The ground then hurried itself and tucked its feet close to its body, and now it looked like it was a snake spear flying through the air. He opened his mouth, and in an instant, he caught the meat. I used the ceiling to rebound to the front wall before landing on the floor with a flip and gulp.
Ryan opened the door, and steam bellowed from the bathroom. He was wearing new pants and a towel around his neck, drying his hair.
"Sorry, master, her scent is too intoxicating.” Ryan said.
“It’s ok; I’ve been in the exact situation you have been in before.” John explained, “Don’t worry, the toxins aren’t too dangerous.”
“So what are we going to do with them?” Ryan said, “She wanted to gain access to the library.”
“That is definitely not good; what exactly is it that they wanted?” John said, “Was it the Book of Solomon?”
“I’m not sure, but I think so. Why is it so important?” Asked Ryan.
“The book holds the spirits of demons that King Solomon trapped during his reign.” John said, “At least that’s what I’m told."
“You don’t know something that’s scary.” Ryan said as he sat down, “All right, I’m easy. Are you ready? Dagron?”
"Yes, let's. I’ll let the others know.” John Dee said, as they all got up and walked to the door and to the car.