by TJ Nichols
Jordan put the tea on the kitchen counter. “So did I. You first.”
“Mermaids like shiny things. Dragon eggs aren’t shiny. Nor is elvish armor.” The copper was tarnished and green, the leather dark brown, both for camouflage. A mermaid wouldn’t look at it twice. “Narv is still claiming it’s a love trial, but something isn’t right. The Strega concurred, but she couldn’t unravel it yet.”
“I can. The armor is up for sale.”
Edra frowned. “Same armor?”
“Yep. So how does mermaid treasure end up online for sale?”
“I don’t know.”
“I spent years working in property crime—stolen goods, fence syndicates, and the like. To me this looks like Narv is the thief taking the risks, and she’s giving him a list.”
“Mermaids don’t have Wi-Fi, and they don’t give up their treasure.” But Jordan was right. Narv was getting what the mermaid asked, but she wasn’t asking for a love trial. “So who’s giving her the shopping list?”
“That’s the question, isn’t it? It’s way out of my jurisdiction. It’s international. The cyber guys have been watching it. FBI isn’t interested because it’s not like they’re stealing from museums. I can try Interpol, but the value of these things is to the mytho community and the collector. Someone has to be taking the items from Alcatraz to be sold.”
“No one gets onto Alcatraz. And a mermaid wouldn’t hand over her treasure.” Edra paused. Darian’s dick had been surrendered for a shiny bottle opener. “Unless she’s getting better treasure to hand over these things.”
“They could be paying her in rolls of aluminum foil.”
Edra nodded. “Or the items never made it to Alcatraz and were stored somewhere else. I need to bring in Narv. He may not realize he’s being duped.”
“I need to talk to him. He might be in on it, and I want to talk to the mermaid too.”
“You really don’t like living, do you?”
Jordan put his arms around Edra and pulled him close. “I have a knight on my side.”
“Probably best to say I’m a cop tonight, since I’m playing human.” That still scratched in all the wrong ways. He let Jordan steal another kiss, and Edra wasn’t sure he wanted to leave the apartment at all. But he should take advantage of his ability to pass. “And if they hate me?”
“They won’t.”
Not while he was human, they wouldn’t, but when they learned the truth?
The Strega had told Edra that he had two possible fates, but how many possible fates did Jordan have? Was Edra stealing a better one by being with him? He should’ve asked the Strega instead of worrying only about himself.
“Come on. Let’s forget about work for a night and have some fun.”
Fun. He shouldn’t be thinking about a mate. He should just concentrate on having fun and enjoying what they had. It had been so long that he’d forgotten what it was like to have an in-between where anything was possible. Even what the Strega saw wasn’t final. But the gold rings beckoned, and he had no doubt they’d fit perfectly.
Chapter 14
JORDAN WIPED his palms on his jeans and got out of the cab. It was just a party. It didn’t mean anything. Edra got out on the other side. The doors were barely closed before the driver took off for his next job. It had been a few years since Jordan had introduced a boyfriend to his friends. “You ready?”
Edra nodded, but his tongue darted over his lip. That was the most obvious tell that Edra was mytho. “I won’t do that in front of them. You look nervous.”
Jordan offered his hand, and Edra took it. “I am. I don’t deserve you.”
“Probably not.” He smiled.
A splinter wormed its way beneath Jordan’s skin. Was that the reason Edra was holding off? Jordan had all but asked him to cement the bond. He’d been Blissing at the time, but he’d meant it… mostly. If it was done, then he’d just deal with the fallout instead of stressing about what might be. Or maybe he wasn’t good enough to be a dragon’s mate. He wasn’t a lesser dragon or even a mytho. He was just human and an odd one at that.
The reason he couldn’t keep a guy wasn’t his job. It was him.
Bliss didn’t judge, and he didn’t have to try. But it was becoming a demanding bitch that whispered in his ear twenty-four seven. He’d broken up with boyfriends for far less.
Edra’s hand was hot in his, and he stopped as they got to the top step. “Before we go in.” He cupped Jordan’s cheek and kissed him like he wanted Jordan to walk in with a semi. If that was Edra’s plan, it worked, but Jordan drew back. “I can do this.”
“If they realize, it’s okay.” He shouldn’t have asked Edra to hide what he was.
“I only pass casually. I’m not used to faking it for long periods.”
Jordan embraced him. “You’ll be fine, and they’ll like you as much as I do.” The contact wasn’t enough. He wanted to feel Edra against him, but there was always something between them, along with the knowledge that Edra would pull away before anything could happen.
Was he going through this only to have Edra leave in a few weeks or months when he decided that he didn’t want a human mate? Jordan couldn’t think about that. He didn’t want to remember what it had been like before Edra, when he’d been on a path to self-destruction.
‘Cop Found in Vice Den’ was not the headline he wanted to be part of.
‘Cop Mated to a Mytho’ was another headline he’d like to avoid. But how long could they wait? Jordan glanced at Edra.
Was it his desire, or the dragony chemistry, or Bliss that made him want Edra? If he didn’t know, how could he decide? Edra was right to push him away while he was Blissing. At least one of them was smart. But when Jordan’s fingers brushed Edra’s, Edra held his hand as though it were perfectly natural, and Jordan’s heart flopped over.
It was the first time Edra had held his hand in public. He smiled, unable to help himself. Edra was smiling too. It would be fine.
Mason had a ground-floor apartment. They knocked and were let in by one of the neighbors. Had Mason invited everyone he knew? People spilled out of the apartment and into the backyard, where the barbecue was happening. Jordan made his way through, nodding at people he knew, looking for Mason, who would no doubt be glued to Bud’s side.
Bud was at the barbecue, and Mason not far away, with Sean and Pete. He gave Edra’s hand a squeeze. They were about to get grilled.
“Jordan.” Mason hugged him.
“Happy birthday.” The tension gripped Jordan’s stomach a little tighter.
“And who is this? Tall, dark, and handsome? I didn’t realize that was your thing. Have you flipped on us?” Mason offered Edra his hand.
“Mason, Edra. Edra, Mason. No, I haven’t flipped.” Where was the beer? It was going to be a long night. He’d forgotten what this bit was like, but then he reminded himself they were doing it because they cared.
“What do you do? Where did you meet? Jordan has told us nothing.” Mason took a swig of beer.
“Cop, met on a case,” Edra said, repeating the story they’d decided to use. It was at least close to the truth.
Mason glanced between Jordan and Edra and then shook his head. “Two cops at my party. We should pack up now. Are you an inspector too?”
“Yeah,” Edra said, following the small lie.
Mason shook his head. “I still don’t see it.”
“See what?” Edra asked.
“How we got together,” Jordan added.
“You’re….” Mason pointed at Edra. “And he’s….”
Jordan crossed his arms, daring Mason to say something about his makeup. It wasn’t too much. Just a little because he liked to be pretty.
Edra slid his hand across Jordan’s back. “Looking amazing tonight?”
Mason stepped back and smiled. “I guess it does work.”
“See. You don’t have to try and set me up every time we go out. My boyfriend does exist.” He’d given them barely anything except to say tha
t he was seeing someone. For weeks they’d been at him. And now that Edra was at his side, Mason still didn’t seem thrilled.
“Did they think I was made up?” Edra murmured.
“Just a little. Mason has been a bit overprotective and overzealous in trying to see me paired up since Devon, my last boyfriend.”
“Good friends will hug you close enough to smother you,” Edra said, keeping his arm around Jordan.
The others wandered over, and Jordan did the introductions. “This is Sean. He’s a biologist. And Pete is an artist. This is my boyfriend, Edra.”
They all shook hands and made the appropriate noises about being pleased to meet him.
“Do you want a beer?”
Edra considered for a moment and then nodded. Jordan left him with Sean and Pete, who wouldn’t take the chance to dig for info. He found two light beers and brought them back.
“So how do you become a mytho biologist if there are no mythos teaching?” Edra had a small frown.
Jordan had forgotten that Sean had just finished his masters and was one of the first to graduate in mytho biology.
“Well, it’s not like cats and dogs teach veterinary science.” Sean laughed.
Edra didn’t. “Mythos can talk. They can tell you what you need to know.”
“But there was no science. They were like a primitive civilization. So we interview them and get scans, and we’re putting together data.”
“Which will do what?” Edra spoke as though he were talking to a suspect, and Sean hadn’t realized the shift. He was still smiling and chatting, and Jordan didn’t know how to cut in and change the topic without it being obvious.
“Give us information,” Sean said .
“No, how will that help the mytho refugees?” Edra’s voice was cool and sharp. Dangerous.
Sean looked at Jordan.
Jordan shrugged. “Edra has a point. What’s the use of learning if it can’t be applied and put to good use? I use my criminology degree every day.”
“I don’t know how it will be used. I just do the research. It’s quite interesting. It might even help you one day with the mythos.”
Edra took a drink of beer. He was being polite, but there was a hardness in his eyes that Jordan had seen before.
“I’m thinking I should’ve become a cop. If I’d known they made them like you two, I might have.” Pete shook his head. “Do you work mytho cases like Jordan?”
“Yeah. It will be nice when it’s all integrated. One rule for everyone.” Edra glanced at Jordan.
He nodded. “Don’t hold your breath. Before the collapse the law was never applied equally. I saw it all the time.” And he’d stayed silent when he was new. He’d thought San Francisco would be different from Texas. In some ways it was, but in others it was just the same.
Edra glanced at Jordan, and his gaze softened. “I know. It’s why I’m glad there is Mytho SID. At least that acknowledges there is a problem.”
“I never realized you were so pro-mytho,” Pete said to Jordan.
Jordan had been curious and concerned that crimes were being overlooked because the perps were human and the vics mytho. He hadn’t realized that made him pro-mytho. “Equality matters. Come on.” He tugged on Edra’s hand. “I’ll take you around.”
They moved away. “Sorry about Sean. I’m sure he’d have a million questions if he knew.”
“He did. I remember his name on the list that came to Mytho Servo. I didn’t answer any.” He sighed and gazed up at the stars. “You don’t know what it’s like to not recognize a single star.”
“Bud would. He’s been south of the equator.”
“I overheard him talking about the Europeans now letting mythos into the military. He wasn’t impressed. Jobs for humans. The usual line.”
“Bud’s never outgrown his upbringing.”
“What does that mean?”
“That we’re both from Texas. He was in the next town over. We lived in an area where hatred runs thicker than blood. And they hate everyone who’s different. They don’t care why. Some shake it off, and others wear it with pride. Mason thinks he can rub the edges off, and I think he has, a bit.” People grew up and changed, and for Mason’s sake, he wanted to believe Bud had.
Edra sipped his beer and shook his head.
“Yeah.” Jordan downed what was left of his beer. “Are you all right? Do you need another beer?”
“I’m good for the moment. Just waiting for the food.”
JORDAN DIDN’T know how Edra did it, but somehow he managed to make it look as though he was still on his first plate of food. Jordan knew for a fact that Edra had eaten several extra patties and buns. It probably helped that he swallowed them whole and in a blink while he had one in his hand as though he were still preparing it.
Someone turned up the music, and people were dancing in the backyard. Some were falling over too drunk too early. It was going to be a messy night.
“They’re going to think you’re a slow eater.”
“That’s the idea.” He grinned.
“Did you want to dance? You don’t have to. We can keep watching the Formula One.” And it was just watching. They couldn’t hear the TV at all. He had to read the captions to know what the commentators were saying.
One of the European teams had a mytho driver this year for the first time.
The commentator was suggesting that it might not be fair. The other one was arguing that teams should be able to pick the best drivers, regardless of species. How long until all drivers were elves, in that case?
“The American teams will never have one,” Edra said.
“What makes you say that?”
“The NFL would be drafting some of the ogres if they wanted the best players. If you want to get rid of the plates, I’ll get some more beers and we can dance,” Edra said.
“Are you going to be hungover tomorrow?” Edra was past the usual two-beer limit that he set for himself.
“Yes. How badly is the only question.”
“I have aspirin.”
“I can’t take that.” Edra smiled, and the tip of his blue tongue was just visible.
What did dragons do for pain relief if they couldn’t take aspirin? That was a problem for another day. “I’ll make you an extra strong hot chocolate in the morning. You could’ve told them you don’t drink.” There would have been a few subtle questions, but nothing he couldn’t deal with.
“Beer is bad. Wine is better. Mead is safe.”
“You sound so precious.” Jordan took his plate and kissed him on the cheek.
“I know.”
They met at the edge of the dancers, and Jordan took a beer. Then he put his arm around Edra’s waist. “I’m guessing you haven’t done this.”
Edra leaned in close and whispered in his ear. “Humans aren’t that unique… and I’ve been mated before. There isn’t much I haven’t done.”
He kept forgetting that Edra was older than he looked, that he’d had a life before the collapse, that the only reason they were together was because a disaster had destroyed an entire world. But if dancing was as close to fucking as they were going to get, he wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to grind against him. And Edra seemed to feel the same.
Surrounded by the noise of the party and his friends, Jordan wanted to believe that it would all work out, that he was allowed to find someone and be happy. Edra slid his hands to Jordan’s ass, keeping him close, but there was too much clothing between them.
Jordan put his arms around Edra’s neck. “I would really like to get you home and naked.”
He wanted Edra to agree, to say that was what he wanted too. But he shook his head and pressed a kiss to Jordan’s lips so he couldn’t argue. They were making progress. He should be happy with that and nothing more.
There was nothing wrong with going slow, but he was just so used to jumping to the finish that he’d forgotten to enjoy this part. But it wasn’t fun. It chafed. Even though he had Edra in his arms and they
were spending plenty of nights together, it wasn’t enough.
And Edra wasn’t going to do anything if Jordan didn’t stop using. He’d tried before, but he always went back because it was easy. If he stopped this time, he could have everything he wanted. The gnawing at the back of his brain didn’t stop. He was hard as he pressed against Edra, and Edra was no different. He held Jordan’s hip as though he wanted to grind and come, but then he put just enough space between them.
Jordan rested his forehead on Edra’s. He wanted to say something, but they’d said it all. The lines had been drawn. So he drank instead, drowning the desire in beer, but always finding his way back to Edra like some kind of fucking homing pigeon that couldn’t stay away. And each time, Edra opened his arms and kissed him as though he didn’t need to breathe.
The music was turned down, and they drew apart but not completely. Edra kept his arm around Jordan, holding him close. It was the kind of gesture Jordan wasn’t used to. The men he usually dated weren’t as affectionate as Edra was turning out to be. While he didn’t want people staring, he liked the touches. They calmed the itch in his skin. His friends should be happy for him, and if they weren’t… well, they could fuck off.
Bud tapped on a beer bottle. “There’s some champagne coming around, so take a glass. I don’t like to make speeches, so I’ll keep it short.”
Someone coughed, “Bullshit.”
“Since I’m not here for long, and you’re all here, and it’s Mason’s birthday, I wanted to do something special.” Bud got down on one knee. “Come on, Mason.”
“Oh God, he’s going to do it,” Jordan muttered.
“Do what?” Edra’s lips brushed his ear.
“You fucker,” Mason said with a grin as he walked over.
“Is that a yes?”
“You have to ask me properly.”
“Mason, will you marry me?”
“Yes.” He sat on Bud’s knee and kissed him as Bud gave him some kind of ring.
“Oh,” Edra breathed. “They’re married.”
“Not yet. Engaged.” He glanced at Edra. Were they engaged if they were doing this pre-mating thing?