Drake grinned at the elderly man. “True. She will be waiting for you on the other side.”
Mr. Lee bobbed his head up and down gently before responding. “I can’t wait. By the way, who’s this young man next to you?”
Drake elbowed Edwin on the stomach when the phoenix shifter snickered at being addressed as a “young man.” “His name is Edwin, sir. He’s a phoenix shifter.”
Mr. Lee gaped for a moment before regaining his composure. “Oh, I see. Anyway, it’s getting very late. I think I’ll be going home now. Goodbye.”
Drake and Edwin bade farewell to Mr. Lee. They watched as the elderly man made his way toward one of the apartment buildings and headed inside.
“All’s well that ends well.”
Drake shrugged. “Indeed. This is a fortunate turn of events.”
After that, the two of them slowly walked hand in hand toward the direction of the rooftop they arrived at earlier. They needed to retrieve Edwin’s cloth bag and the piece of cloth that was still spread on the ground.
“Too bad there isn’t any other pearl for Baltic.”
Drake shook his head. “A merperson’s pearl will only appear when he or she finds his or her mate.”
“Oh, like during sexual intercourse?”
Drake smirked at Edwin. “More like during an orgasm. The pearl will be given to his or her mate for safekeeping. It will cease to exist when the mate dies.”
“What will happen to the merman or mermaid who’s left behind?”
Drake tightened his grip on Edwin’s hand before answering the question. “He or she will go beyond the veil into the other side, as well. A merman or mermaid can’t stay on the mortal plane without his or her mate. Instead, he or she will follow the deceased mate over to the other side. It’s not a choice. The heartache will be too painful to bear.”
Drake yelped in surprise when Edwin tugged on his hand and dragged him into a warm embrace. “If I’m lucky enough to have you as my mate someday, I promise to cherish and love you for the rest of eternity.”
Drake’s breath hitched for a moment before he calmed down almost in an instant and wrapped both arms around Edwin’s waist. He had no idea how long they remained on that particular spot in that same position, but he couldn’t care less. He found himself starting to fall for this tall and handsome phoenix shifter. He wasn’t ready to give his heart away just yet, but he had no doubt it was just a matter of time.
Chapter Seven
Edwin shouted out more due to the shock than the pain when he stubbed his pinky toe hard against the edge of his couch in his haste to get to the private elevator in his penthouse, which would take him directly to the garage in the basement. When he’d purchased the penthouse a few years ago, he had also been given a garage that could accommodate two cars. He only made use of one spot since he traveled through his fire portal most of the time. He was about to walk past the living room when he noticed the water portal and the shimmering at the balcony.
He suppressed a sigh and peeked at the time on his smartphone before lowering the magic barrier throughout his penthouse. “Guys, seriously? I’m supposed to pick Drake up for our date in less than thirty minutes.”
Jefferson entered the living room and grinned at him. “This won’t take more than ten minutes. Max.”
Edwin gestured at the couches. “Sure. Have a seat. Anything to drink?”
Gavin shook his head. “We’re fine, man. Since you’re in a hurry, let’s get straight to the point.”
“Okay. Shoot.”
“The siren,” Jefferson said right before he sat on the couch. “Are you sure he’s the one responsible?”
“You mean Wade?” Jefferson and Gavin nodded. “I believe he is. Why? Has something happened?”
“No,” Gavin replied while leaning against the back of the couch. “But it’s so anticlimactic.”
Edwin stopped himself from rolling his eyes. “Some of our cases have been easy. This may be one of them.”
Jefferson cleared his throat. “Maybe I’m being rather paranoid, but I have a horrible feeling deep in my guts.”
“Come on, Jeff. You’re making a mountain out of a molehill here.”
“I’m with Jeff on this one, Ed. Something about this siren case is eating at me.”
Edwin stared at his best friends in annoyance. “Time is precious, guys. Just tell me what you think I should do. I have a date with Drake soon.”
Jefferson snickered. “You have it bad for Drake.”
“I do. Now, spill.”
Gavin chuckled. “Fine. Let us talk about sirens for a minute. Sirens don’t usually stray far from a huge body of water. They may not be welcomed by the merfolk community because they’re considered impure, but sirens prefer to stay in or close to the water. After all, they all used to be mermen or mermaids. One of our duties is to annihilate any impure creatures so they can be reborn and return into the light. Having said that, Baltic is an anomaly because he feeds off enough blood from his brothers to keep him partially in the light. Wade, on the other hand, is a strange factor. Why did he come so far inland just to get a victim? There are people close to the sea, lakes, or any number of bodies of water. The triplets are different. They make the conscious choice to stay far from the sea.”
“So, you both think that this whole thing was wrapped up too neatly?”
“And too easily,” Jefferson added. “Look. Just think about it, okay? Something is amiss.”
“Fine.”
Gavin got up on his feet and gave Edwin a one-armed hug. “Now, go on your date. Jeff and I will raise your magical shield before we leave.”
Edwin glanced at the time on his smartphone and cursed. “Shit! I hope the traffic isn’t terrible.”
Jefferson chortled and slapped his back. “Go, man. Say hi to Drake for us.”
“Will do. Later.”
Edwin did his best not to be distracted by his best friends’ warning about the siren situation, but he found his thoughts drifting away once in a while. Even after he reached the house Drake shared with his brothers and started the drive to their next destination, he couldn’t focus on the funny stories his boyfriend was telling him about. When they arrived, he shut the engine off before opening the door. He was startled when Drake tugged on his arm to prevent him from getting out of the car.
“Ed, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Drake threw him a sharp, piercing gaze. “You’re lying.”
“No, I’m not.” Drake raised his left eyebrow. “Okay, not completely. Jeff and Gav were at my place a few minutes before I left to pick you up.”
“And?”
“They thought I should investigate the siren case further.”
Drake had a pensive look on his face for a brief moment. “I can’t fault them for thinking that way. As a merman, I know the sirens better than either you, Jefferson, or Gavin. I should have considered everything from various angles last night, but I was so relieved that the scrutiny was lifted off Balt that I didn’t really ponder things through as carefully as I should.”
Edwin wiped his palms over his face and expelled a loud breath. “Be that as it may, let’s forget about it for the time being. We’re here on a date. We should be enjoying ourselves.”
Drake beamed and nodded. “That’s true. Okay then. Where are we anyway? No offense, but this building in front of us is…well, dilapidated. One gentle blow of the wind and I’m sure it will crumble into tiny pieces. It’s also located within a gated compound, which just adds to the creepy factor all around. Besides, it’s evening time. Where are the electric lights? Those candles on the ground aren’t bright enough.”
Edwin smirked. “Don’t judge a book by its cover, sweetheart. Come on. Your chariot awaits.”
Drake chortled. “Mysterious, eh? Fine. I’ll play along.”
“Don’t worry. I promise you’ll like it.”
“Sure.”
Edwin felt his heart fluttering, and he could almost feel t
he butterflies flying around in his stomach. He liked Drake very much. It was important to him for this date to go off without a hitch. He had never wanted to impress anyone as much as he did right at that very moment. He had heard of this place for a while now, but this would be his first time here, as well. The fairy he’d contacted earlier that day had reassured him that everything would be planned according to his wishes. He didn’t get the opportunity to check it out himself. He would just have to have faith in the fairy. He reached for Drake’s hand once they got to the front of the building and headed inside hand in hand. He kept his fingers crossed and hoped for the best outcome possible.
* * * *
Drake had no idea how he was supposed to react. An old woman greeted him and Edwin by their first names right after they entered the building. He was astounded for more than one reason. Neither he nor Edwin had introduced themselves. The old woman appeared even more fragile than the building itself. Her hair was so white and brittle-looking, Drake half expected her hair to fall off and disintegrate right before his very eyes. However, the old woman, whose name was Rose, was surprisingly still able to stand upright and walk without a cane.
“Please stand within the circle of red roses,” Rose said while pointing at the flowers on the ground in the middle of the room.
Drake glanced at Edwin, who simply grinned at him before leading him toward the roses. He observed the otherwise empty room in bewilderment. This had to be the most bizarre date he had ever been on. It felt like a magic ritual to him. He was about to question his boyfriend about the place when the roses began to float up. He also noticed the petals peeling off the flowers one at a time. Soon, he and Edwin were surrounded by what seemed to be thousands of petals all around and over them. His first instinct was to summon water from somewhere and defend himself and Edwin from an attack, but his boyfriend gripped his hands and smiled at him.
“We’re all right, sweetheart. Have faith in me at least.”
He relaxed his stance in an instant. “Okay.”
A few seconds later, the petals disappeared. The next thing he noticed was the bright sky and a sea of colorful flowers sprouting high and alive in a wide field.
Edwin slung one arm around his shoulders. “It’s a maze.”
“Yeah. I can see that, too. How are we—” Drake gasped. “Is that…”
He was flabbergasted at the sight of a silver chariot with intricate designs of various sea creatures all over it, but he was even more astonished by the lone unicorn that was pulling the vehicle.
“Go on, sweetheart. The unicorn will welcome you. You’re both pure and clean.”
He turned toward Edwin. “What about you?”
“I can’t. Unicorns won’t have anything to do with non-virgins.” Then, Edwin smirked. “You can have a short moment with that one-horned horse. I promise I won’t be jealous. Much.”
Drake chortled. “You’re acting silly, but you’re also sweet and amazing. Thank you.”
Edwin nodded. “You’re welcome. Now, go ahead before I change my mind.”
Drake threw his boyfriend one more delighted smile before stepping closer to the unicorn. He stopped about three feet away from the majestic creature and gazed into the unicorn’s eyes before bowing his upper body. When he straightened up, he was elated that the unicorn accepted him by closing in and bumping against his cheek gently with its horn. He rubbed the unicorn’s horn before kissing its muzzle with his nose. He caressed the unicorn’s forehead and poll before moving lower to its crest, withers, and back. Then, he embraced the unicorn for a minute or so before relinquishing his hold and bowing for the second time to thank the magnificent creature for indulging him. After that, he made his way back to Edwin.
“That was awesome. What’s next?”
Edwin reached for his right hand and led him to the chariot, keeping a wide berth away from the unicorn. “The unicorn will bring us to our destination.”
Drake knew of his beauty even though he wasn’t narcissistic about it. He remembered being teased by his friends, some of the other merpeople in the sea, about how pretty he was. They even called him “princess” just to get a rise out of him. That was the reason why he loathed most of those stupid fairy tales that the humans were obsessed over. However, he didn’t mind Edwin treating him like the most precious treasure in the world. His boyfriend held his hand to steady him as he climbed onto the chariot before getting up himself.
Once the two of them were safely seated inside the chariot, Drake peeked out through the glass window. “I don’t know where we are, but this place is incredible.”
“This is a whole other dimension. Rose is a fairy. She specializes in creating custom dates for lovers.”
“Awesome.”
Drake watched in amazement as the chariot rushed through the maze of beautiful flowers. The trip lasted for a while, but it felt too short for him. He was enjoying himself so much he wished it could go on forever.
“We’re here, sweetheart.”
He waited for Edwin to alight before stepping down himself. It was a small meadow with several kinds of roses growing all around it. The sky wasn’t as bright as before, but there was enough light. Then, he gasped. There were floating fairy lights all over. A small table was set in the center of the meadow. There was some food on the table along with a chilled bottle of wine. He was touched that Edwin went to such an extent to impress him. However, he was even more astonished when Edwin poured some of the wine into his glass after they were seated across from each other. The bubbles and blue liquid were familiar. He felt the tears welling up in his eyes.
“Is this…” He trailed off. This wine must have cost a fortune. “Wow…”
He observed as Edwin rubbed the back of his head in the most adorable manner. “Rose promised to get us a bottle of the most exquisite Deep Sea Wine. I hope you’ll like it.”
Drake couldn’t speak. The tears were threatening to flow down his cheeks. Instead, he raised his wine glass and waited for Edwin to do the same before sipping on the wine. The burst of rich flavors assaulted his senses. It was sweet and intoxicating, but it was also simultaneously a little salty and sour. There was a smokiness to it that reminded him of home.
“This…this wine is beyond compare.”
“So are you, sweetheart.”
Drake blushed and chuckled at the same time. “Slick.”
“Simply stating the fact.”
He laughed. “Stop it. I’m all warm and embarrassed now.”
“I can never compliment you enough. You’ll never understand how lucky I felt when you agreed to go out with me that first time around.”
He glanced down at his wine glass on the table. “Yeah?”
Edwin nodded. “The more I get to know you, the more I like you.”
Drake cleared his throat before glancing toward Edwin. “I…I feel the same way about you.”
Edwin beamed in an obvious excitement. “Fantastic. I’m glad I’m not the only one.”
“Cool.”
Drake grinned at Edwin in return, but neither of them uttered a single word for a moment. The silence was broken by the sound of melodious music appearing out of nowhere. He eyed his surrounding in surprise. He was astounded when he noticed three gorgeous fairies, each of them sitting on a chair, playing their harps. He had no idea when they had appeared, but it didn’t matter. The gentle music was enchanting, and it helped to set the mood as he and Edwin began to eat their dinner, which consisted of lobster salad and grilled fish steak. Once in a while, he could detect the heady scents of a variety of flowers as the wind blew gently all around them. It was without a doubt the best date he ever had in his entire existence.
He was almost disappointed more than two hours later when the date was over, but Edwin gave him one final surprise. An awe-inspiring griffin landed on the ground right in front of him before crouching lower and permitted him and Edwin to get up on its back before standing upright and flying up high into the air. He would have been terrified about fall
ing down to the ground if Edwin hadn’t been seated behind with both arms around his waist. He calmed down when Edwin whispered reassuring words into his ear.
“I’m a phoenix shifter. I can fly, too. I won’t let anything happen to you. You can count on me. You have my word.” Suddenly, the griffin flapped its wings and climbed up higher into the sky. When they reached a certain altitude, the creature folded its wings and darted head first toward the ground. With each passing second, they sped downward even faster than before. Drake screamed out in shock. “We’re fine, sweetheart. Hug its neck and get ready to enter the portal. We’re going back to the mortal plane.”
Drake turned and glared at Edwin. “You’re an asshole. I hate you.”
Edwin laughed at him. “A little excitement at the end of the date will spice things up.”
He tried to remain stern, but he failed. He ended up guffawing out loud in amusement while following his boyfriend’s instructions to hold tight to the griffin. Seconds later, a portal appeared. The last thing he noticed was the maze of flowers. This was the most unforgettable date of his life. Edwin definitely had kept him on his toe from the beginning until the end. Their journey into the portal was also the exact moment he came to the realization that he wasn’t only falling for the phoenix shifter. He was already in love with Edwin.
Chapter Eight
Edwin knew something was wrong the moment he finished parking his car by the curb next to the house Drake shared with his brothers. He noticed Caspian standing by the front door. It was obvious Caspian had been waiting for them. He and Drake got out of the car in a hurry before approaching Caspian.
“Cas,” Drake shouted to get his brother’s attention. “What’s going on? Is it Balt?”
Caspian shook his head. “Balt is in his bedroom. He can’t pass through the magic barrier. Our combined water magic is powerful. He won’t be able to escape. The last time I checked, which was about three minutes ago, he was rereading his favorite erotic romance e-book on his e-reader.”
The Mark of the Phoenix [The Triplet Mermen Trilogy] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) Page 6