mothers called out indignantly, pointing at the leader. Olivia looked at the woman and did a double-take. Of course. It was Maria, a cousin of hers. Typical Teague behavior.
Olivia snorted. “Your Tony is a cowardly bully, picking on children because he’s too scared to take on someone his own size.”
Several of the women nodded. “His behavior really is getting out of hand, Maria,” one of them said.
Olivia spun around to face all of them. “Not one of you came to defend these children. Not one,” she said furiously, and they looked down at the ground, shame-facedly.
“Their father caused us a lot of grief, his whole life,” one of them muttered. “Their uncle too. Vandalizing buildings, breaking into stores…”
“Their father. Not them. Again, I repeat, they are children.” Olivia was so angry that she felt scales rippling over her entire body. “I came back here because I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to provide positive leadership to this town. I wanted to set a good example. What I saw just now disgusted me. If this is going to be how you people treat the weak and the helpless, then frankly, I will step down.”
“Go right ahead,” Maria sneered. “Nobody will miss you.”
“That’s enough!” one of the women, an ice dragon named Bronwyn, said sharply. Several of the other women nodded. “Olivia, you’re right. If we see anything like that happening again, we will intervene. I’m sorry we let it get that far.”
She hesitated. Then she met Olivia’s gaze defiantly. “But just so you know, up until now, going up against anyone from your family has been a risky proposition, and Teague was all the law enforcement we had in this valley.”
“Backstabbers,” Maria spat at them.
“That is completely fair,” Olivia said to the woman. “I want you to know that things are going to change around here. I mean, they already are changing; the town council wouldn’t have voted me in as mayor if that weren’t the case. If my father abuses his authority in any way, I will personally take it before the town council and ask that he be dismissed as chief. And with Henrik Vromme in town, I think he’s going to be forced to mind his Ps and Qs anyway.”
Maria leveled a ferocious glare at Olivia. “I’m going to prosecute you for assaulting my juvenile son.”
“Oh, do let’s see how that works out,” Olivia said. “I’m going to call the police department right now and have these little punks picked up for assaulting those children, none of whom can shift except for that very little girl. I can’t wait to see how this plays out in front of a juvenile court judge.” That meant she’d have to deal with her father, but she couldn’t avoid him forever.
All of the bullies looked alarmed and struggled against the blocks of ice that held them captive.
“Mom, I don’t want to go to jail!” Tony whined. “I was just playing around! It was just a joke!”
“Tormenting kids half your size, who are completely incapable of shifting and defending themselves? That’s hilarious, all right,” Olivia said coldly. “I’m sure you’ll all get probation for your first-time offense – and it had better be the last time, too. You are all banned from this playground for the rest of the summer. I will have a security guard assigned here, and if you put one claw over the line, you’ll be spending some time in juvie.”
“Mooooom!” Tony wailed frantically.
Olivia called the police department and waited for her father to show up.
Once he’d had his patrol officers pile the little punks into a patrol car, he took her aside, turning his back so the assembled families on the playground couldn’t see his furious face.
“Why did you do that? Now I’ll have to prosecute them and ban them from the playground, or it will look like the mayor and police chief are at odds,” her father said, with that whine she so loathed creeping into his voice. “They’re family .”
Olivia shrugged.
Olivia snorted. “Your Tony is a cowardly bully, picking on children because he’s too scared to take on someone his own size.”
Several of the women nodded. “His behavior really is getting out of hand, Maria,” one of them said.
Olivia spun around to face all of them. “Not one of you came to defend these children. Not one,” she said furiously, and they looked down at the ground, shame-facedly.
“Their father caused us a lot of grief, his whole life,” one of them muttered. “Their uncle too. Vandalizing buildings, breaking into stores…”
“Their father. Not them. Again, I repeat, they are children.” Olivia was so angry that she felt scales rippling over her entire body. “I came back here because I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to provide positive leadership to this town. I wanted to set a good example. What I saw just now disgusted me. If this is going to be how you people treat the weak and the helpless, then frankly, I will step down.”
“Go right ahead,” Maria sneered. “Nobody will miss you.”
“That’s enough!” one of the women, an ice dragon named Bronwyn, said sharply. Several of the other women nodded. “Olivia, you’re right. If we see anything like that happening again, we will intervene. I’m sorry we let it get that far.”
She hesitated. Then she met Olivia’s gaze defiantly. “But just so you know, up until now, going up against anyone from your family has been a risky proposition, and Teague was all the law enforcement we had in this valley.”
“Backstabbers,” Maria spat at them.
“That is completely fair,” Olivia said to the woman. “I want you to know that things are going to change around here. I mean, they already are changing; the town council wouldn’t have voted me in as mayor if that weren’t the case. If my father abuses his authority in any way, I will personally take it before the town council and ask that he be dismissed as chief. And with Henrik Vromme in town, I think he’s going to be forced to mind his Ps and Qs anyway.”
Maria leveled a ferocious glare at Olivia. “I’m going to prosecute you for assaulting my juvenile son.”
“Oh, do let’s see how that works out,” Olivia said. “I’m going to call the police department right now and have these little punks picked up for assaulting those children, none of whom can shift except for that very little girl. I can’t wait to see how this plays out in front of a juvenile court judge.” That meant she’d have to deal with her father, but she couldn’t avoid him forever.
All of the bullies looked alarmed and struggled against the blocks of ice that held them captive.
“Mom, I don’t want to go to jail!” Tony whined. “I was just playing around! It was just a joke!”
“Tormenting kids half your size, who are completely incapable of shifting and defending themselves? That’s hilarious, all right,” Olivia said coldly. “I’m sure you’ll all get probation for your first-time offense – and it had better be the last time, too. You are all banned from this playground for the rest of the summer. I will have a security guard assigned here, and if you put one claw over the line, you’ll be spending some time in juvie.”
“Mooooom!” Tony wailed frantically.
Olivia called the police department and waited for her father to show up.
Once he’d had his patrol officers pile the little punks into a patrol car, he took her aside, turning his back so the assembled families on the playground couldn’t see his furious face.
“Why did you do that? Now I’ll have to prosecute them and ban them from the playground, or it will look like the mayor and police chief are at odds,” her father said, with that whine she so loathed creeping into his voice. “They’re family .”
Olivia shrugged.
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