by Willa Okati
“Classified,” the sergeant insisted. He took on the look of a bulldog, his jaws set. Not going to budge, so far as Gina could tell.
But Dakarai, moving too quickly for the policeman to stop him, let go of Gina and Randall and darted to the front door of the magic shop, the door screeching as he opened it. He prodded at the lump that had once been an incandescent fireball. It had retained its circular shape, but when he touched it, it dissolved into a pile of dust under the nudging of his toe.
With nothing but pure innocence on his face, Dakarai turned back to the group watching him. “It’s just ash,” he said, sounding puzzled.
The sergeant huffed indignantly. “How many times do I have to tell you? Even if I had clearance to talk about it--”
“You’re just guessing right now?” Dakarai pried shrewdly.
The bulldog expression hardened as the sergeant snapped his notebook shut. “Look. As far as I can tell, you three were just having a nooner when all this went down. But you’ve got a whole store full of suspect chemicals--”
“Herbs,” Dakarai interjected.
“--and powders and flakes and things we’re going to be checking out,” the sergeant went on, riding right over Dakarai’s comment. “I don’t want a single one of you going anyplace. I don’t care if you’re going to miss a meeting or you had plans for a movie or a pride parade, or whatever you threesomes like to do.” He gave Dakarai a doubly suspicious look. “Someone will be by, Mr. Dakarai. Until then, you stay put. Am I making myself clear?”
Dakarai nodded humbly. “Of course.”
“Doesn’t make you nervous?” the sergeant prodded. “We’ll have dogs down here. If you have the makings for a bomb or drugs, we’re going to know about them, and then all of you are culpable.”
“I’ve done nothing wrong.” Dakarai seemed totally at his ease. “There’s nothing I need to hide. And as for spending more time with these two...” He glanced at Gina and Randall. “It’s not what I’d call a hardship.”
The comment got him an eye roll. “Yeah, I just bet.” The sergeant stuffed his notebook under his arm. “I’m putting tape across the door. If it’s broken when we come back, or any of you are missing, I’ll put out an APB.”
“Your tape will remain secure, and we’ll be right here. Now go about your business. I’m sure there are dozens of citizens directly affected who need your help.”
A faint glimpse of puzzlement crossed the policeman’s set expression, his piercing gaze going momentarily cloudy. He wavered for a moment, then snapped back to attention. “As long as we understand each other,” he warned. “I’ll be back.”
“We’ll be waiting for you,” Dakarai said pleasantly. “Good luck.”
“Yeah, right.” The sergeant shot them one last disparaging look and strode through the entrance, past Dakarai’s, careful to avoid the remains of the fireball. Once the door squealed closed behind him, he pulled a roll of yellow police tape from his pocket and blocked the door.
When the cop had walked away and the sound of his feet heavily stomping up the stairs finally faded, Dakarai exhaled a rattling breath and leaned against Randall, pressing his head to Randall’s strong chest and waved Gina closer. “I haven’t had this much exercise in years,” Dakarai muttered. “Talk about a tough customer.”
Gina stared. “You were pulling a trick on him!’ she exclaimed, surprised. “What, ‘these aren’t the droids you’re looking for’ Jedi mind tricks? That kind of thing?”
Dakarai cracked a grin. “Something along those lines. A normal subject would only need a little prompting, but this one...” He whistled softly. “The man had a mind like a steel trap.”
“I can’t believe you messed with his head.” They’d be having a discussion about ethics, but later -- after the city was safe. Gina took Dakarai’s hand, twining their fingers together. “So he won’t be back with sniffer dogs or bringing in the troops?”
“Possibly. But the spell covers everything in this shop. They won’t find anything dangerous.”
“But there are a whole bunch of things in those jars with the potential to go boom,” Gina guessed. “Mix a little of this, a pinch of that, and pow?”
“Of course.” Dakarai straightened up with an effort. He winced as he twisted from side to side, popping out a kink in his spine. “I’m a mage. Nothing about magic is safe. Remember, if you please, the dragon is well aware of this himself. He’ll use it against us if he can -- and you see how he has.” He reached under the neckline of his sweater and tugged out the heavy ankh necklace beneath. “Help me sit down, would you?”
Gina let go, quickly searching the front of the store for anything that would do in a pinch. She found a flattened, taped-together vinyl stool behind the shop counter and rolled it forward, squeaking all the way. “Randall, here,” she directed. “I’ve got one side of him if you’ve got the other.”
Dakarai let himself be manhandled down onto the stool. “Thank you,” he breathed, dropping his head between his legs. “This won’t do,” he muttered. “This just won’t do.”
Randall knelt beside his lover. “What do you mean?” He squeezed Dakarai’s thigh, a movement Gina recognized as his way of lending comfort. “What’s wrong?”
The long curls on Dakarai’s head waved to and fro as he moved his head in denial. “This isn’t normal for me. I should have been able to cloud the man’s mind, mulish as it was, without breaking a sweat. Yet here I sit with my heart pounding. Something’s wrong.”
Gina’s muscles tensed. Oh, no. Oh, hell, no. If they had a chance at all against the dragon, her mage, the one who fed her power, couldn’t be running on low batteries. She dropped into a crouch next to Dakarai. “What do you think is going on?” she asked urgently.
He made a gesture of uncertainty.
“Not good enough.” Gina pushed at him. “Think, Dakarai. What drained you? Was it purifying yourself from the dragon flame? It would make sense. A session like the one you’ve been through would put anyone down for the count.”
“No. It’s more than the flame that’s eaten... is eating through my magic. I feel... like a sieve.” Dakarai spread his hands, fingers wide. “The power flowing through me would normally be contained, a reservoir to draw on. But now it leaks away, trickle by trickle.”
“So there’s a hole in your bucket. We look for a way to plug it back up.” Gina looked expectantly at Randall. “He’s been teaching you. Do you know what to do?”
Randall looked alarmed. “We’ve only done meditation, basic energy transfers, trance states. Crossing over into your dream was like an explosion. I’d never managed anything like that before, and it totally threw me, or would have if I hadn’t had Dakarai to hold onto. Which pretty much tells you what kind of magic expert I am.”
Most of his answer wasn’t helpful, but Gina seized on part of what he’d said. “Energy transfers. Dakarai’s juice is low. Can you help boost him back up? Are you strong enough?”
Randall flexed his arms. “I can try.”
“No.” Dakarai indicated they should wait. “Randall has the power, yes, but he’s not skilled enough to fight against this. I think I recognize it for what it is now.”
The realization settled heavily as a ball of lead. “A dragon attack,” Gina said flatly. “He’s come after me with dragon flame, against the city with the rain of fire, and now he’s poking holes through your magic. What’s next? Who’s next? Randall? Is he going to shrivel up and collapse?”
“Not if we stop the dragon first.” Dakarai looked up with a bit of the vitality Gina becoming accustomed to seeing spark to life in his eyes. “If I have my magic, I can protect my Randall, and you, my -- Gina.”
“But how?” Gina argued. “You said you’re leaking.”
“Rapidly.” Dakarai took a deep breath. “Soon, I won’t even be able to float a pencil. And I have to concentrate. I was spreading too widely, covering a full city block. The dragon punched through my shield with his fireballs as easily as poking a twig through a
tissue.”
“You were trying to protect the city.”
“Yes, but at what cost? If I’d failed to keep you safe, either of you, the dragon would have won and laughed in the remains of our faces. No. I have to regain my strength, and I must focus it on the three of us.”
“While the city suffers?” Gina protested.
“I don’t think there’ll be another such dramatic attack. It was meant to get our attention and to shatter my concentration. Which it did, admirably, on both counts.” Dakarai sat up a little straighter. He arched back, stretching out his muscles. “Movement helps me think,” he explained. “A bit like Sherlock playing his violin.”
“Whatever does the job for you,” Gina urged. “Put your brain to work. Figure out a way to stop the drain and get yourself back in shape.”
“I’ll do anything I can to help.” Randall bent to rub his cheek against Dakarai’s. Dakarai turned his head to a side so their lips could meet in a kiss, another lingering embrace glowing with the affection they felt for one another.
When Dakarai drew back, parting reluctantly, he gave Randall a heartbreaking smile. “I know you will. You’ve always been by my side, giving me everything I need.”
“And you, me,” Randall replied, cupping the back on Dakarai’s curly head. “When I needed someone the most, there you were. And there you’ve remained.”
“We two,” Dakarai murmured.
“The pair of us,” Randall agreed, tipping their heads together.
Watching them, Gina began to feel very much like an extraneous part of the equation. What these two shared went beyond what she and Randall had had together. Even when they’d been young and she was full of zest for her destiny, she’d hidden the worst from Randall to keep him safe. But Dakarai knew everything, and he shielded both Gina and Randall.
What would life have been like if she’d known how to tap into the resources just now opening up before her? Would she have kept on fighting the dragons? She felt a shaft of resentment. Maybe Dakarai should have interfered. But no, she wouldn’t have listened to him at the time; she’d been so crazy to get away from it all.
But if she’d stuck around? If Dakarai and she’d been together to guide one another through damage control, shoring each other up with the powers that flowed through their twin lineages, there was no telling what they could have accomplished.
Huddling close to Randall, Dakarai began to speak. “There is a way we can conquer this, I think. Gina? The solution lies in the energy streaming between us. Can you feel it? Open your mind and let yourself sense the cords of power tying our physical bodies together.”
Gina felt doubtful, but closed her eyes and let her mind go blank. She saw nothing at first but the back of her lids -- then, suddenly, a whiplash of color that made her flinch. The flickering light solidified into what looked like a cable, a rich dark red trailing off into the distance. It seemed to be solidly anchored in something strong and tough.
“You’re seeing Randall,” Dakarai encouraged. “It’s natural you would pick him out first. Now me. Find the second cord.”
Trying to search for another stream of light while holding on to the red one was like attempting to hack her way through a choking tangle of briars. Gina persisted, feeling her body tense with the effort.
At last, she saw it. A thin string, royal purple, floating off. It wavered, as if it were barely attached to whatever held it on the opposite end. “Is that you? The indigo?”
Dakarai sighed in relief. “It is. You see me. Am I as weak as I thought?”
Gina concentrated. “The cord is barely there. Looks like a kite string in the wind. Randall’s is holding like a power cable. Am I supposed to look for my own, now?”
“No. You can’t see your own, but I see it. Pure white light, slightly singed, but strong enough to repair any damage done to me and fuel my own resources. You can open your eyes, Gina.” As she did, she felt Dakarai take her hand. His fingers were cool and dry as he lightly chafed her own. The grin he gave was half-wicked, half-earnest. “You are the champion, Georgina. Our healing comes from you.”
Gina felt the truth of what he was saying, a rock-solidness in her heart. “All right. I have what we need. How do we get it to you? And what’s going to stop what I feed you from leaking out again?”
“We stop the drain by sealing the holes. A blast of power should cauterize them and let me build up my resources again.” Dakarai’s hand slowed. “There are powders, there are herbs, there are potions, and there are spells. But, Gina, do you see this ankh I wear?”
She looked at the heavy thing, carved out of some dark, heavy wood. Picking it up, Gina felt the weight, and a surprising tingle of energy. “Is it enchanted?”
“In a way. It’s an ancient symbol representing life and death, male and female, light and dark. I wear it as the expression of who and what I am. Of my power. It has the ability to heal.”
Gina frowned. “So I channel my energy into the necklace? Is that how it works?”
“No. When the ankh is restored, I will be whole again. But it can’t be replenished until the rest of my body is.” Dakarai hesitated again. “Gina, look at me now. Do you like what you see?”
Puzzled, Gina examined Dakarai’s face. It was sober and pale with concern, but still one she was growing fond of. She touched his skin delicately. “You’re a good man,” she said after a moment. “Confusing, but good. What do you have in mind?”
“Your willing cooperation and your eager participation.” Dakarai drew in a deep breath. “The only way to channel your power directly into me with the force we need is if we share our essences. Randall, too, as an added layer on his shield.”
Gina’s mouth went dry. “You mean sex,” she said after a moment. “The three of us fucking makes a power conduit?”
Dakarai nodded, deadly serious. Randall’s hand tightened on his lover’s leg. Both of them looked at her, waiting on her answer.
“Are you willing?” Dakarai asked softly.
Gina opened her mouth, then closed it.
She didn’t know.
God. After all they’d shared, why didn’t she know?
Chapter Nine
As Gina hesitated, Dakarai rose from his stool, weariness making him clumsy enough to stumble against her. “Don’t think,” he ordered. “Don’t question. Just feel.” Awkwardly, he put his arms around Gina and pulled her hard against his chest. “Let it be.” His breath tickled her hair. “This moment is ours.”
Gina searched for her inner equilibrium and, to her relief, was able to find it right away. Talk about a head rush. Two men at once, two hunks ready and eager to do whatever she desired. They’d obey anything she told them, whatever she chose.
Dizzyingly powerful. It should have put her on top of the world. So why did it make her feel as if she were going to quiver into pieces?
Yes, a voice whispered inside her head. Gina stiffened as she recognized the dragon man. See how shaken you are? You will never be able to overcome my moves in this game. You are a coward. Frigid. They are too much for you to handle. Give up, Georgina. Your mage and bodyman cannot hear us, but you can tell them how I will overpower you. Concede this match to me.
“No,” Gina said, blinking hard. No way would she give in to the dragon, not now. “I can do this.”
“Yes, you can,” Dakarai replied against the top of her head. “You have the strength to face something new. You are a warrior queen. And is it so bad, really?” he teased. “Your aura tells me you want this. Have craved this.”
“Both of us,” Randall said softly, coming up behind Gina and twining his arms around her waist, touching both her body and Dakarai’s. “Even if it weren’t for the dragon, I’d want you. I always have. Now both of us do. Let us in, Gina.” He nuzzled his cheek against her own. “We need you.”
With the three of them connected, Gina felt the strength of the bonds between them. In her mind’s eye, Dakarai’s fragile violet thread grew a little stronger, taking on power from
just a simple embrace.
More, she felt a spark of desire awaken within her. Memories flooded back -- the springiness of Dakarai’s curly hair between her legs, tickling her thighs. Randall touching her breasts, his thumbs teasing her nipples until her body shook with orgasm.
She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, thinking of the two men together. Oh, yes. Randall the strong, the quietly tough, bent over that desk, its contents scattered everywhere in his mad rush to be filled. Dakarai behind him, hands on Randall’s hips, plunging a gleaming cock in and out of Randall’s body.
The spark grew into an ember, glowing brightly. The firmness of Dakarai’s chest against her own and the warmth of Randall at her back no longer seemed frightening, but reassuring. More, exciting.
The dragon faded from her mind. Not forgotten, but temporarily gone, pushed to the background, where he disappeared from this moment.
Gina’s heart quickened, the blood racing through her body. Her nipples began to perk up and her pussy started to tingle as she imagined all the things the three of them could do. Just them, two men and a woman, caught in a triangle of love, lust, and desire.
She opened her eyes to see Dakarai gazing down at her, his clear blue gaze watching, waiting for her reaction. “All right,” she said through her dry throat. “I’m game.”
“You have to be more than ‘game,’” Dakarai murmured, beginning to swing her to and fro in a gentle dance. Randall followed, his groin rubbing against Gina’s ass. She swayed, caught between the two of them, her heightened senses picking up the shower-fresh, yet still musky, scent of their bodies, the nearly twinned beats of their hearts, and their slow, rhythmic breathing. “You have to want this, Gina. Want it with all your heart.”
Gina hummed as she held on. “I do,” she said without hesitation. “Only... I don’t know where to start.”
“Here is good enough,” Randall said against her ear. “Look this way and kiss me, Gina. Please.”