by Macy Blake
Asher exhaled. “Yes, I feel it also, but we can’t. You know that.”
“But—”
“Quillon, a human has seen our forms. That means a hellhound will be coming soon. Better we be gone by the time he gets here,” Asher whispered.
The air began to crackle as the restroom door opened and Mikey stepped out. In the opposite corner, a ring of flames appeared and a huge hulking man stepped out of them, his eyes glowing with the inner fire of the hellhound protectors.
“Too late. Hello, boys. I’m Solomon. I’ll be your hellhound today. Now, where’s the human?” Solomon asked, turning to survey the area before zeroing his gaze on Mikey. He clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “Ah, that must be him. Hello!”
Mikey’s eyes went wide as the color drained from his face. Quillon dropped his coffee and darted across the room as Mikey’s body began to quake as it had earlier.
“No. No,” Mikey repeated over and over as he backed away, his body trembling before his eyes fluttered back again as the seizure struck.
Quillon growled and the shift started to take over as he caught Mikey in his arms, making sure to keep himself between Solomon and their human. He wasn’t surprised to find Asher standing right by his side, eyes ablaze, willing to face down a hellhound to protect Mikey, or to die trying.
“Interesting,” Solomon said with a tilt of his head.
Asher
“Very interesting, indeed. Simmer down, gentlemen,” Solomon said.
Solomon’s eyes flared orange in warning, rings of fire in his pupils. The message was very clear: stand down or be taken to the underworld. Asher brought his dragon to heel and reached out to squeeze Quillon’s wrist. It took an extra couple of breaths for the manticore to recede, but his amber eyes still glowed.
“You can’t take him,” Quillon pleaded. “He doesn’t really know anything.”
“Maybe,” Solomon shrugged. “But that’s not up to you, now is it?”
“Please—” Asher started but was cut off with a wave of Solomon’s hand.
“Just let me talk to the human.”
Asher didn’t want the hellhound anywhere near his human, but he also knew he had no choice. He also didn’t want to evaluate the fact that he already thought of Mikey as his. He’d unpack that later, after he’d made sure Mikey was safe. And he really needed to talk to Quillon about this. It wasn’t uncommon for dragons to take multiple mates. Manticores usually did as well, but Quillon…well, Asher just didn’t know. Quillon’s dark past made him sensitive to issues Asher couldn’t anticipate. They hadn’t had this conversation yet. Asher always assumed they would when the time was right. It seemed that assumption was coming back to bite him in the ass now.
“He’s coming around,” Quillon said.
Mikey hadn’t completely lost consciousness as his body shook this time, but that didn’t keep Asher from wanting to claw the hellhound’s eyes out to keep him safe. That Solomon would be able to wipe the floor with him, dragon or not, made no difference to his instincts.
“Just stay down, Mikey. You’ll be okay,” Quillon murmured.
It was clear he was also in the middle of a panic attack. He clutched at Quillon’s shoulder, his eyes wide and terrified and his breath coming in short, choppy gasps. Asher had exactly zero idea of what to do. Luckily Quillon could be counted on. He gently lifted Mikey once more, shooting a warning glare at the hellhound, and then carried him back over to the couch where he carefully laid Mikey down.
Asher had turned as they moved, keeping his body between Mikey and the hellhound, but he couldn’t help backing toward the couch slowly, then kneeling down. He reached out and gently laid a hand on Mikey’s shoulder. Immediately, Mikey let out a deep breath, comforted, it seemed, by the tender touch. It was very telling for Asher. Apparently, Mikey liked receiving his caresses as much as he enjoyed giving them.
“Hey, Mikey. It’s all right. Nothing’s going to happen to you,” Quillon said with a glance back at Solomon, almost daring the hellhound to contradict him. Solomon, for his part, simply observed the exchange almost clinically. Nothing in his posture or expression betrayed his thoughts.
“Crap. The day I’m having.” Mikey muttered under his breath. He rubbed his hand over his forehead, his head clearly throbbing in pain.
Quillon sat beside him on the couch, running his hand along Mikey’s arm, petting him slowly and steadily as his breathing calmed. Asher wanted to go to him, but his dragon insisted he stay between Mikey and the hellhound.
“Jesus,” Mikey mumbled after taking a few deep breaths. Mikey looked at Asher quickly before turning to catch another glimpse of the hellhound. He stared at Solomon for a beat before huffing out a heavy exhale. “I thought for a second that— but no. I’m okay. It’s just been a while since this happened. I panicked for a minute, that’s all. You guys were great. Really. Thanks for being so understanding, but I’m fine now if you need to go. And, uh, sorry if I scared you or made you uncomfortable.”
Solomon’s gaze softened and he seemed charmed by Mikey’s awkwardness. “No apology needed.”
Asher wasn’t convinced Solomon wasn’t going to whisk Mikey away, and he was even less sure Mikey wasn’t actually hurt. “Are you sure? I think we should get you to a doctor.”
Mikey gave him a real smile as he stood up, even though he wobbled a bit. Quillon steadied him and Mikey squeezed Quillon’s forearm in return. He met Quillon’s concerned face with a confident nod before squaring his shoulders.
“I’m fine. It just took me by surprise, that’s all. I need to go start on the bread for the lunch rush.”
“How about you rest for a little longer?” Quillon suggested kindly.
“No, I need to get to work,” Mikey said firmly. He gave a quick nod to Solomon before turning back to Asher and Quillon. “Will you guys let me know before you leave?”
“Of course,” Quillon said with a smile. “Don’t worry.”
Mikey nodded and took a breath before turning and heading into the back of the coffee shop.
Asher’s power ripped the air around him as he struggled to keep his dragon under control. Trust Quillon to be able to keep calm after Mikey made such a ridiculous statement. Go work on bread when he’d been on the floor moments before. Asher’s dragon paced, furious that his mate was sick and Asher stood there doing nothing. There was no reason for Mikey to work so hard. He would find someone to come here and help. To do the work. Mikey didn’t even need to work. Asher had plenty of money to care for his mates. Quillon insisted upon working, but Mikey didn’t have to. He would—
“Asher.”
Quillon’s voice broke through his internal rant.
“What?”
Quillon did that head tilt, eyebrow raise thing he did when he really didn’t like Asher’s tone.
Asher sucked in a breath then released it. “Can I do something to help?”
Quillon nodded his approval, and then glanced at the hellhound who remained standing impassively by the entrance to the shop.
Right. Deal with the immediate threat, and then he could get Mikey out of this place. He could fly him to their home and let him rest. They had a big enough bed. Mikey could settle in the middle, propped up on extra pillows, and Asher could curl up with him, keeping him warm and chasing away any other seizures which thought to harm his mate.
Quillon cleared his throat.
Right. Focus. He turned his attention to Solomon and glared. “You can’t have him.”
Solomon smirked and Asher’s ire rose again.
“Dragon, you are testing my will and I do not like it. I am going to speak to the human, even if I have to remove you from the premises to make it happen.”
The threat hung heavy in the air between them. A normal enemy wouldn’t worry Asher. His dragon was practically invincible, with his impenetrable scales, ability to breathe fire, and the wings which allowed him to maneuver his way through the sky. All of that was useless against a hellhound. All Solomon would have to
do is touch Asher and he would be flung into the underworld, separated from his mates for eternity.
He did have one weapon to use against Solomon. He met the hellhounds fiery gaze. “We met our mate moments ago. My dragon is feeling very overprotective as he is unclaimed.”
“And it gets more interesting,” Solomon said. “I’ll stay back, but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m going to talk to him.”
Mikey
He never got to make the bread. The big scary looking guy turned the sign to CLOSED on the front door, and then dead bolted the lock into place. The four of them gathered in the back of the shop, with Mikey pretending he wasn’t completely scared out of his mind over what his flicker had shown him.
When he’d seen the creatures beneath Asher and Quillon’s skin, Mikey had freaked out a little. They were both pretty intense and it had been a while since he’d had a flicker. But then… he’d never seen something like… it couldn’t have been real. Could it? Had Asher actually… become what was hiding beneath his skin? Impossible. But what else could have knocked the tables and chairs over? No. Whatever he’d glimpsed before he passed out couldn’t be….
Mikey rubbed his hand over his chest, trying to reassure himself even as his heart beat frantically, terrified over the huge men surrounding him. This wasn’t the first time he’d had a flicker, of course it wasn’t, but it was the first time he’d had such a strong reaction. Part of him had always known his diagnosis was wrong. He didn’t have epilepsy. But another part of him, a tiny part that lived in the back of his mind, doubted. That part told him maybe they were right when they called him crazy. Visions of impossible monsters? That meant something was actually wrong with his brain. They weren’t real.
His breath tightened into a choked wheeze when he remembered seeing the beast hidden within this Solomon guy. Mikey had never been more terrified in his life. A huge black dog, but more like a rabid dog from some super freaky horror movie if you added flames all around it and fire in its eyes and breathing smoke and….
Just remembering it made Mikey start to hyperventilate. He turned to Asher and Quillon, but didn’t have to turn far. They were right there beside him, arms around him and gently whispering to him. He hadn’t even noticed, so lost in his panic and fear. They seemed determined to not only keep him safe, but also to help him make sense out of what was going on. And there was so much weirdness at the moment, even though Mikey didn’t exactly understand what the soft words they were whispering in his ears— mate? What exactly did that mean? Was it the way the British guys who sometimes came in called their friends their mates? Yeah, that actually made sense— but whatever it was, he knew he was in a world of trouble. But why now? He’d never drawn the interest of any of the other creatures he’d seen when he flickered. None of them seemed to notice what happened to him when he saw them. Except these two. Who were holding him close and soothing his fear. His panic eased, the security of their hold breaking through the gut twisting terror that had held him locked up inside his own mind.
“We’ll make sure you’re all right,” Quillon whispered the vow against his ear.
“Thank you,” Mikey said as his breaths returned to normal. He then turned to Solomon, staring up at the terrifying man and searching for any sign of what he’d seen beneath the surface. He looked normal and somehow it made it easier to breathe. “I know you need to talk to me,” Mikey said carefully, “I do appreciate you giving me a little time.”
Solomon bowed his head slightly in agreement.
“Maybe…” Mikey began, but then had to suck in another shaky breath. “Maybe I should just keep the shop closed for a few minutes and we can maybe go up to my apartment and… uh… talk? You know, not right here in the middle of my shop with the big windows where anyone can look in and… I don’t know. This is so surreal.”
Solomon did the head bow thing again so Mikey smiled— a fake smile but they didn’t know him well enough to know any different— and lead the way to the far back corner of the shop where the staircase up to his apartment was tucked away behind a locked door. Asher moved with him, shadowing him, keeping his bigger form between Mikey and Solomon. Quillon quickly followed.
Mikey unlocked the door and started up the stairs to his apartment, refusing to consider what was about to happen. He didn’t stop until he was in his small kitchen, where he took three bottles of water out of the fridge, set them on the chipped table, and sat down at one of the old chairs he’d thrifted and recovered himself. He sucked in another breath and looked at the giant of a man who had him so terrified. The others… Asher and Quillon… were scared of him, too. Mikey could tell from the way they kept glancing nervously at each other then back at the… what was he anyway? Everything was so foggy and unreal.
Quillon and Asher took positions side-by-side next to his chair, across from Solomon. Their posture was tense, as if they were preparing themselves for a battle. He had no problem picturing them as Roman sentries, spoiling for a fight. At least he was ninety-nine percent certain they were on his side. At the very least, they made him feel better, like mythic warriors destined to keep him safe. He tried not to snort at his romantic fantasies. No one was going to save him but himself. He’d learned that lesson young and it had never left him.
Solomon pulled out the chair across from Mikey and spun it around to straddle it backwards, draping his wrists over the back.
Figures, Mikey thought. Classic tough-guy pose. Like he needed any help looking like a tough-guy. Mikey had been waiting for this moment most of his life, once he’d accepted the possibility that maybe he wasn’t crazy. It had happened when he was still in high school. He’d seen a new guy in his class shift into something that looked an awful lot like one of the werewolves he loved to watch on his favorite television show. And he thought… if someone who made those shows actually knew what a werewolf looked like and used that knowledge to make great creature effects… then maybe what he was seeing was real after all. It had been a kind of stupid rationale, but it had worked for him at the time. It made sense in a way that nothing else could. Guys like this? Powerful creatures who’d lived for however long and kept themselves hidden and secret… well, there was no way they were going to let their secret out. But maybe one or two of them had enough of a sense of humor that they’d use their knowledge and make a great TV show out of it.
Then again, when you were Mikey, a human who could actually see them? They couldn’t let him live. It just… it didn’t make sense to let someone like him walk around free. He was too big a risk. He’d come to that conclusion not long after he’d accepted that maybe he wasn’t crazy and maybe the creatures were real. If they were… then he knew what was about to happen to him.
“Make it quick, okay? And I’d prefer it to be as painless as possible. This is going to kill my brothers, so if you could make it at least appear natural then maybe they’ll be able to get over it sooner?”
“What?” Quillon nearly shouted as he moved even closer to Mikey, his thigh and hip brushing against Mikey’s shoulder as he sat in the chair.
Mikey appreciated the shocked sentiment, but it was unnecessary, really. He thought he’d be okay, after the flickers stopped. He’d hoped that part of his life had passed. Now he knew it had just gone dormant, waiting for today.
“You don’t have epilepsy,” Solomon said.
“No,” Mikey replied.
Mikey could understand why Asher and Quillon were spooked by the guy. Power rolled off him that was so strong, he wouldn’t be surprised if the neighbors could feel it.
“Why pretend?” Solomon asked.
Mikey shrugged. “When you see monsters, everyone wants to find a reason why you don’t. So they keep trying to squash it. Pieces of the flickers fit well enough that some doctor could claim to have found a cure. Or an ‘advanced management plan’ anyway. Drugs to prevent seizures, to stop the hallucinations, to deal with the hysteria.”
“They drugged you?” Asher asked, horrified.
“What
do you think they do to kids who see things that don’t exist?”
“Yet, we do exist,” Solomon said.
“Well, I know that. And you guys know that, but the public at large? Can you imagine the shit show that knowledge would cause? That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? To eliminate the leak?”
“Eliminate?” Quillon snarled. His eyes burned as he stared down Solomon.
Solomon, for his part, simply raised an eyebrow at the display.
Mikey grabbed Quillon’s hand nervously as he stared into Solomon’s eyes, trying to be at least a little brave. It was easier when he had a connection with the man standing beside him.
Solomon kept looking at Mikey like he was a puzzle whose pieces didn’t quite fit. He probably was.
Quillon growled again and Mikey gave his hand a gentle squeeze. He was touched this magnificent warrior was willing to fight for him, but he also knew it didn’t matter. Mikey knew the score— the freak always died in the movies. He just hoped he wouldn’t take Quillon or Asher out with him.
“I am a hellhound. We are tasked with keeping the supernatural world secret. Dealing with creatures who reveal themselves and create a danger to the rest of us.” Solomon glanced at Asher and Quillon when he spoke and Mikey bristled.
“Hey, wait a minute. They didn’t do anything but walk in my shop. It’s not their fault I have some sort of ESP or something,” Mikey said, defending the two men.
“Extra sensory perception,” Solomon said with a nod. His gaze lingered around Mikey’s neck. “What is that charm you wear?”
Mikey’s hand covered the charm protectively. “Nothing. Just a gift from my Mama Thea.”
“A gift?” Solomon asked.
“Uh, yeah? She gave it to me when I moved out.”
“May I?” Asher knelt beside him, his eyes focused on the cord that held the charm. Mikey moved his hand away and nodded. Asher reached forward and rubbed the charm between his thick fingers. His eyes blazed and Mikey could see the translucent image of his other form superimposed over his body. A big, gorgeous dragon filled the room. Mikey stared at it in wonder, even as Asher sucked in a sharp breath.