by TJ Nichols
“What about humans from Tariko?” It was easy to forget that humans had also lived in Tariko. There hadn’t been many of them in his city, and after the collapse they’d been able to blend into the human world.
Narv glanced up a little too sharply. “What do you want to know?”
“I want to know why a mermaid wants dragon eggs and elvish armor.” While hard to obtain, they weren’t the kinds of things mermaids usually requested. Why hadn’t Edra seen it before?
“She’s testing my love. How many things have you done for the human cop? Will you hand us all over to him just to hook him?”
“My job is to protect mythos.” From humans and themselves. At the moment, the mermaids were not accruing a whole lot of good faith. “Try not to destroy any more police boats. They really don’t like it. They don’t like losing divers either.”
Edra shivered and shifted. He wasn’t going to get the truth out of Narv, so he wasn’t going to wait for a reply. He might not get it out of Narv’s mermaid lover either, but he needed to try.
THE STREGA lived on the other side of the bay. Helena came with him, which gave him a chance to talk to her about the man responsible for her son’s death. Her chin was raw from plucking, but she seemed glad to be out. If she wasn’t happy, at least she wasn’t distraught.
“Have you visited her before?” Helena asked as they walked up the street of a very well-kept suburb that Edra had thought exclusively human.
“Not since before. A long time before. The night before I accepted my sword.” He’d had to go. It was part of the process to make sure he was on the right path—and he had been. But he’d been terrified of being told something he didn’t want to hear or know. He still felt that terror. What if it wasn’t Jordan… what if it was?
Helena squeezed his hand. “You have nothing to worry about.”
There were about a hundred different things he needed to worry about. “There’ll be a storm on Monday. There are already warnings.”
“I know. I hope the mermaids don’t mess it up for all of us.”
“I should be asking about that.”
“That is not in your control. You did as you were bid. Sometimes that’s all you can do.” Resignation filled her voice.
Somehow Helena made it feel as though Edra hadn’t done enough. He wanted to apologize again, but not while she was actually smiling. So he broached the more delicate subject of satyr mating seasons. If he didn’t, her husband might bar him from the den. “Leonaris—”
“I know what he wants. I’ve never missed a rite yet, and I don’t plan on starting now. Sometimes it’s nice to watch him be as skittish as a kid. It’s nice to feel wanted.” Her smile widened for a heartbeat.
When Jordan turned up on his doorstep, it was everything Edra wanted… for about thirty seconds. He could smell the lust on Jordan’s skin and see it in his eyes, but the shake of his hands and the dryness of his lips were a giveaway. “Is there a way to speed up the process of getting rid of Bliss cravings?”
“Of course, but you have to replace it with the real thing. It’s a substitute between rites.”
Curse it all. As much as he’d like to screw Jordan, that wouldn’t help in the long run.
The street didn’t change, but there was something in the air, a ripple of power that made Edra’s hair stand on end as they approached. Then he shimmered, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t bring back his visibility. “I need to get off the street.”
“We’re almost there.”
He growled. He hated being nothing more than walking clothes. And while it was tempting to strip off his jeans and T-shirt, it would be his luck to regain visibility as the Strega opened the door.
Helena turned up a path that was lined with toxic plants—lilies and foxglove and nightshade. It looked like a lovely cottage garden, but there were enough poisons to kill a dragon a hundred times over. He was definitely not eating or drinking while he was there.
Helena knocked, and they waited. “Did I tell you she wanted to see you?”
Edra glanced at Helena, not that she could tell. “No.” He’d remember something like that.
“Oh. It must have slipped my mind. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.” He could strip and run and pretend he was never there. The Strega wanted to see him. That wasn’t a good thing.
The door was opened by a young woman. She wore black, and her bright red hair was twisted into a low bun. If he’d come at a new moon, she’d have been in her crone aspect. The full moon brought out the best in her, though she wouldn’t think that was a compliment. This was her low power time.
“Knight Tendric, it has been a very long time.” She held out her hand, and he bowed and kissed it. She’d be able to see him even if no one else could.
“Strega, I am glad to see you well.” She would’ve had a name once, when she was human, but she’d given that up to became part of the Strega. After the collapse, many Strega had died, and the surviving Strega had been wounded.
“Helena.” She held her hand out to the satyr, and Helena kissed her hand. “Come in.”
If the garden was a tribute to poisons, the interior was light, with mirrors and wind chimes that jangled in an unfelt breeze. “The mermen are stirring a storm.”
“To put out the fires,” Edra said.
“Hmm.” She walked through the house to a table out back in the sun.
There were three chairs, and the table was set with tea and delicate little cakes. Lavender cake? Edra flicked his tongue out.
“I remembered how much you liked them when we last met. The honey is inferior here.” She sighed. “But we all made sacrifices.” She sat and, without her lifting a finger to the teapot, served them.
Edra waited for Helena and then took his place. He knew it was his because there were two gold rings there, engraved with the city emblem. Fuck. He hadn’t said a word, and she knew why he was there.
“Have some tea, knight. It makes it easier if we can all see each other. You should like it—chili and chocolate. The chili will raise your heat again.” She patted his hand as though he were a child still learning his abilities.
The ginger cat, sleeping in the sun, woke and glared at him. Edra wasn’t sure if it could see him, but it didn’t matter, because the cat turned away. Edra was beneath consideration.
“I brought you a gift,” Edra said as he handed the suit bag to the Strega.
“I know, and I don’t know quite what to do with such a suit. I will, however, keep it for you until you need it. Which you will.”
She hadn’t even opened the bag, and she knew what was in there. Edra suppressed a shudder and forced a smile. “It came from an LA-based vampire.” He wasn’t going to LA, so he doubted he’d ever need it.
“I know. I’ll keep it for you.” The suit in its bag moved to the side, all by itself. That was the magic humans expected to see. He’d only decided to come last night. She might have known for a week or even longer.
Edra picked up the cup and breathed in the scent. Helena was already sipping her tea, but one wrong plant and he was dead. But the house was peaceful and the company was… well, not awful. There were worse ways to die. He took a drink, and his skin warmed and shed its silvery tone.
He poked the rings and they gleamed prettily. The silver knotwork in the center of the gold bands was unique to his city. Edra had never bothered with such things before. They hadn’t been needed between lesser dragons. “You know why I’m here.”
“The lines of fate are clear.” She lifted an eyebrow. “You doubt your fate.”
“Why? What other fates are there for me? Humans—”
“Are just another sort of being with the same flaws as any of us. You might fly, but you are no better than the mermen in the depths. Be warned, knight, I see your contempt.”
Edra leaned forward, about to argue, but he pressed his lips closed at the last moment. He didn’t want to be a lizard in her poisonous garden for any length of time. Once again h
e was glad it was the full moon and her powers were still growing.
“Other fates exist. But you will not find another mate. Without him, you will have great success, guard the rookery, and increase the clutch of lesser dragons—which will bring you joy. There are other less happy paths, but you have always protected your people, and I would not see you harmed. I will not point to those paths.”
“Am I serving my people by mating with a human cop?” Or was he sating his own desires and ignoring his people’s needs? “Is a human cop even—”
She lifted a hand. “He would not be your mate if he weren’t capable of being your mate. But it will not be like it was with Lyo.”
Edra winced at his dead mate’s name being spoken aloud.
“Perhaps it is you who is not ready.”
Maybe. He spun the rings and watched until they fell over. He could walk away and still be happy with his own kind in the rookery. Or he could stay here. “When do I go to LA?”
“Not yet. The lines have yet to converge. One more question, Knight. I grow weary.”
The gold glinted in the sunlight. He glanced at Helena and then at the Strega. They both waited. Helena had eaten her lavender cake, but his was still on the plate. He picked it up and took a bite. It was as good as he remembered, but she was right about the honey. The bees here were too small to make good honey.
“Why are the mermaids making such odd requests?”
“You surprised me.” Her eyes turned white as she scanned the web that connected all things. Her skin paled and grew tight, and then she opened her eyes. “The lines aren’t clear. They are too far for me to see. But they are there and they reach out a distance. Consult with your cop. He knows more.” She reached into her dress and pulled out a blue packet. “Give him this.”
“What is it?”
“A little of this and that to counteract Helena’s magic. Just one cup a day.” She pulled out a red packet. “The tea we drank today for you.”
“And what do I owe you?”
“Nothing at the moment.”
But there would be a cost later. Refusing her gifts would only displease her. The lines of fate had trapped him. She smiled as he accepted the packets of tea. “Thank you.”
“Helena, is there something I can do for you in exchange for bringing the knight?”
“Is justice coming?”
“As sure as the storm, but like any storm, the debris will cause damage. Are you sure you still desire death?”
Helena nodded.
“Then it will arrive soon.”
The air chilled, and Edra shivered but remained visible.
“I must rest.” The Strega was gaunt now, her beauty translucent. She stood and led them to the door. “A favor, knight. When you are sent to LA, you will return with this man.” She pulled a sketch off the wall and handed it to him.
“Who is he?”
“The one I need so I can bear another Strega. We need to lift our numbers to increase the magic here.”
“Does he know?”
“Not yet, but you aren’t going to LA yet. Don’t forget your suit when you go.” She smiled and gave a little wave. Then she shut the door.
They stood on the step for a moment.
He wasn’t sure if his questions had been answered or if he’d been given a pile of answers that he had to assemble himself without instructions. He’d never been good at making things. He checked the time on his phone and saw a message from Jordan, asking him if he was coming tonight.
Edra considered for a moment. They weren’t mated yet. If Jordan’s friends hated him, he could still walk away. Besides, he had to give Jordan his tea.
What time should I be at your place?
Helena pulled a lavender cake out of her pocket and ate it as they went down the path.
“Did you grab one for me?”
She pulled a second one out of her pocket. “I was hoping you’d forget. Can I plan the wedding?”
“There is no wedding.” He’d left the rings on the table. Since the Strega had gone to the effort of having them made, she could look after them.
“You’re leaving?”
“I don’t know, but there is no wedding to plan.”
“Mark my words. Your cop will want a wedding.”
There was no point in saying Jordan wasn’t his anything. He didn’t want to step off the path to happiness in either of its forms. If there were only two happy outcomes, how many terrible ones were there?
Helena took his hand. “Don’t throw it away.”
Edra was just tired of fighting. If it was meant to be, shouldn’t it be easy?
EDRA DIDN’T have a wide range of clothes, so he put on dark blue jeans and gray T-shirt and hoped that would do for the party. He made the short walk from the station to Jordan’s apartment in the Mission district, two raw chickens in the bag swinging at his side. The whole way he’d been dwelling on what the Strega had said. The golden rings glinted in his memory. He could’ve taken them there and then, and she wouldn’t have cared.
If he’d taken them, he’d have been committing to that future, and once that was done, the other futures would fall away.
His city or his own kind. Jordan or lesser dragons.
No other mates were in his future. This was his last chance. Unless the mate-for-life thing didn’t apply here. But it had hurt so much to be alone after the collapse, to have lost Lyo, that he didn’t believe that.
The cat watched him as he pressed the buzzer. She didn’t hiss, but it was clear that she’d eat his face off if he fell asleep unguarded. The feeling was mutual, though he was sure she’d scratch his throat the whole way down.
“Come up.” Jordan’s voice was scratchy on the intercom.
Edra opened the door and glanced at the cat. She followed him in and then raced up the stairs. He could’ve taken them two at a time, eager to get to Jordan’s door like he usually did, but today he needed the extra few seconds to himself. When he knocked, Jordan opened the door immediately, a smile on his face that was enough for both of them.
“You look… amazing, elf.” Jordan’s green shirt did something to his brown eyes… or was it the eyeliner? His hair was styled differently too, and gold hoops hung from his ears and a stud glinted higher in the very lickable shell of his ear. Jordan was dressed to party, not work. He looked entirely too kissable, enough that Edra wondered why he was doubting what he wanted when it was right in front of him.
Jordan hooked his finger into Edra’s belt loop and tugged him close. His lips brushed Edra’s cheek before Edra turned his head, wanting more. He wasn’t sure how it would be between them after Jordan’s visit, but it seemed they weren’t going to talk about it.
“We’re doing this now, aren’t we?” Jordan murmured against his lips.
Edra put his tongue to good use as he kissed Jordan, so he didn’t have to answer. He was sliding off the cliff and wasn’t even looking for ways to hold on. His wings would catch him if he fell. When his back hit the doorframe and Jordan pressed against him, he let Jordan take what he needed, because it was nice to be wanted when Jordan was sober. He moved his hips, liking the friction and knowing it was safe. He could enjoy without it being more.
“Tease.” Jordan eased back. He rubbed his thumb over Edra’s lip. “You had a little lipstick.” That was really the least of his problems. He was liking kissing Jordan too much. “You look a little worried. My friends won’t bite.”
Edra peeled himself off the wall and shut the door. “This is for you from the Strega.” He’d had a cup of his tea before he left home. The last thing he wanted to do was accidentally become invisible at the party. “It’s to help with the craving.”
Jordan took the packet of tea, his smile gone. “I’m fine.”
Today. Tomorrow. But by midweek? By next weekend?
“I’m sorry about the other day. I just….” Jordan glanced away.
“It’s fine.” But it wasn’t fine, and Edra was worried. He needed Jordan to get his he
ad together, to stop using Bliss. He’d already vowed to get no more—not that he’d told Jordan. When it ran out, that was it.
Jordan glanced at him from beneath his lashes, unconvinced. “I’m not normally like that. How long does this dragony thing take to work? What’s going to happen?”
“Nothing has to happen. We just wait and decide if we want to proceed.”
“You said I need the real thing, real sex.”
“You do.” He wasn’t going to say it aloud, but it didn’t have to be from him. He was sure a man who looked like Jordan would have no trouble finding a willing partner for sex. But he didn’t want to think about Jordan having sex with anyone else.
“That complicates things, since I only want you.”
Really? Edra bit back a smile. The bond was forming. “Yeah. I didn’t ask for the tea. She knew you needed it, and one doesn’t turn down gifts from a Strega.”
“There’s a cost. I read witches don’t give away things. How much was it?” He glanced at the bag in Edra’s hand. “You didn’t need to bring your own food.”
“Yeah I did. No cost to you for the tea. I owe her a favor when I visit LA.” He put the chickens in the fridge. It had been a two-for-one clearance because they had to be cooked today. The sales assistant had made sure he understood that. He didn’t tell her he planned on eating them raw for breakfast. He’d have to watch what he ate tonight, so he’d be famished by morning.
“When’s that?”
Edra shrugged. “No idea. Could be next week, could be in twenty years.”
“You’re forced into accepting a gift you don’t want so you owe her a favor. You know that’s not right.”
“But it’s a gift you need even if you don’t realize it.” The same with his tea. Aside from liking it, it gave him the control over his visibility he hadn’t been able to master since the collapse. “One cup a day will help clear the Bliss from your body.”
“What’s in it?” Jordan held it as though it were possibly poisonous.
“I didn’t ask.” He probably should’ve. But he trusted the Strega not to poison his potential mate. “But I did ask about the mermaids.”