Shadow on the Water

by Katya Moore

  With Kitty’s attention on taps and bottles, Dario turned his attention to us.

  "Miss Bellmont. You’re a hard woman to keep up with. Have you been screening our calls?" He crossed his arms and leaned against the bar with a faintly amused expression on his face.

  Sia sighed. "Look, will you cut the Miss Bellmont crap already. Sia. It’s Sia." She growled softly. "If we’re going to have to work together, you might as well."

  His smile broadened. "Sia. Thank you." There was a victorious tone in his voice I didn’t like. My hands tightened on Sia’s hips.

  "Whatever." She rolled her eyes. "And I told you. I was busy. McKinnett’s is important to me. I wanted to help them with the cleanup."

  Dario leaned in closer, his eyes flicking around the room to make sure no one was listening. "The needs of dragonkind have to come first, Sia. Your human friends seem more than capable of handling their own affairs. You need to be ready to rule sooner rather than later. I don’t think you’re taking this as seriously as you need to."

  "I don’t need a lecture from you, Dario." Sia’s voice was sour. "I know that. But I’m not as casual about my family bonds as you seem to be."

  Dario’s smile flickered. "These people aren’t your family. You’re a dragon, not a human."

  "Go fuck yourself."

  The smile vanished, replaced by a carefully schooled apologetic look. "Sia, I understand that you think…"

  "Miss Bellmont." Her tone was ice cold. I cheered inwardly.

  There was a hardness in Dario’s eyes, a sharp contrast to the ingratiating look he was trying to cultivate. "I… apologize. I misspoke."

  "No, you said exactly what you intended to say." Sia crossed her arms, closing herself off. "You and the Elders want me to ditch the people who care for me. That’s not going to happen." She leaned in. "I’ll tell you what’s going to happen, though. You keep trying to drive a wedge in here, and you’ll lose me. Forever. Not just as a potential mate, because you never had a shot at that to begin with. As a willing participant in dragon society."

  "You…" Dario stammered slightly. I boggled a bit. The legendary Dario Beauvais, losing his cool. It was a thing of beauty.

  "Shut it. I’m serious. As far as I am concerned, your people left me out in the cold for most of my life. The fact that I’m even slightly interested in helping out dragonkind is all thanks to my boys." She reached a hand back and squeezed my knee. "My family… my human family… is supporting me in this. The very least you could do is support them back."

  Dario looked like he’d taken a swig of Kane’s Michelweisen. "And how do you want us to do that? Aric has already been funneling money into repairs and security."

  Sia rested her hands on her knees, studying Dario’s face for a long, silent moment. "I want you to work here. In shifts. Making sure that my family is safe."

  "What about the security that’s already in place?" That carefully constructed mask was having a hard time hiding the disdain.

  Sia chuckled. "They’re great. They do a fine job." She smirked. "I want you to work here because you need to know. You need to know what’s really going on here." She waved her hand. "You read your status reports. You lord from on high. You make grand pronouncements about who I need to be." Her voice took a hard edge. "You don’t know the first thing about me. About who I am. About why I am who I am."

  "I don’t need to work in a bar to know that," Dario protested.

  "You need to see for yourself. Firsthand." She blew a strand of hair out of her eyes. "The mob and the Chosen are working together somehow, for reasons we don’t understand yet. We need to investigate this. You need to investigate this. Like it or not, we’re working together. And that means you need to get your hands dirty." Her mouth twisted in a wry grin. "Besides, you need to get to know my family. My friends. The humans who shaped who I am." She snorted. "Dragons are kinda outnumbered by humans. Maybe you should step out of your ivory tower and actually learn something about them."

  Kitty slid Dario’s vodka across the bar. "What’s this about more dragons in my bar?" she asked tersely.

  Sia looked at her with apologies in her eyes. "I’m asking the Alpha Squad to spend some time here. Just as extra eyes."

  Kitty stared down her nose at Sia. "Pretty soon I won’t have room for my patrons, if you keep filling us up with security."

  Sia looked away for a moment with a sigh. "I worry about you. Also, these guys need to get their heads out of their asses about humans. I was hoping you could teach them a thing or two." She looked at Kitty hopefully.

  Dario’s face was an unreadable mask. Kane looked pissed. Jared and Quinn just looked confused. Kitty studied them all, then gave a short laugh. "I might be able to work something out." She waved her hand high, summoning Missi over to the bar. "I’ve been training Missi to help out behind the bar, since you’ve had your hands full being a dragon and all."

  I felt Sia wilt.

  "Don’t take it personally, sweetie. You’re always welcome behind my bar. It’s purely a scheduling thing." Kitty placed a gentle hand over Sia’s on the bar. "But, with Missi behind the bar, I could use someone on tables."

  "Now wait just a minute…" It was Kane’s turn to interject. "I’m not…"

  Dario cut him off. His smile was back, brighter and more charismatic than ever. "Ms. McKinnett, we’d be glad to take the opportunity to help you out."

  Sia eyed him suspiciously.

  "You made some very valid points," Dario conceded to Sia. "We know very little about you as a person. If we are to help you, that’s something that should be rectified. If that means waiting tables, so be it."

  "What the what?" Missi joined the conversation. "Who’s stealing my tips now?"

  Kitty leaned over the bar. "You’re being promoted, sass-mouth. I need you behind the bar. Sia needs these… gentlemen… to learn about humanity by way of McKinnett’s regulars. I figure they can start shadowing you tonight." Kitty looked them up and down. "You’re overdressed, but we can work with that. Take turns so you don’t scare people off. Tips go to Missi until you’re trained."

  My eyes were watering from suppressed mirth. I turned my attention to the dartboard, trying not to visibly shake. Alpha Squad, the golden boys of all of dragonkind, waiting tables at an Irish pub in Southie. It was karma at its most glorious. There was a knot at the pit of my stomach, though. Dario Beauvais was not waiting tables out of the kindness of his nonexistent heart. Whatever he was planning, I didn’t like it.

  "You’re loving this, aren’t you?" Sia whispered into my ear as Dario turned back to Alpha Squad to assign the training roster for the evening.

  "Every. Little. Second. You are amazing, you know that?" I whispered back, nipping at her earlobe.

  She beamed. "I try."

  Missi leaned in. I stopped nibbling Sia’s ear. "So, you’re still not adding these guys to your bevy of handsome suitors, right?" There was a glint in Missi’s eye.

  "I wouldn’t get your hopes up," I remarked. "They’re still hoping Sia will change her mind."

  "I’ll just have to use maximum feminine wiles, then, won’t I?" Missi winked and walked over to the squad. She slung a bar towel over her shoulder and held out her notepad and pen. "Okay, gentlemen, who’s up first? Table three needs refills."

  Chapter Eleven

  Sia

  "It’s eight o’clock," Cass murmured into my ear.

  "Hrmph." I pulled the blanket over my head.

  "Alpha Squad’s going to meet us at nine in Jamaica Plains,” he reminded me.

  "HRMPH." I buried my face in the pillow.

  "Galen’s making waffles."

  Damn it.

  I poked my head out of the blankets. "You win this time."

  Cass grinned at me and gave me a nudge. "Waffles make everything better."

  I sighed. "I doubt that. This is gonna suck."

  "We’ll be right there with you." Slowly, he pulled the covers down, revealing my black sleep camisole. It rode low over my breasts.
He smiled appreciatively, then returned to business. "After you utterly and completely owning them last night, you should be less worried."

  "Hrmph."

  We made our way down to the dining room. Chase was already seated and working on a cup of coffee, eyes intent on his tablet. He perked up when we walked in and shoved the tech aside to make room next to him.

  "Morning. Sleep well?" His lips brushed my cheek as I sat down.

  I made a noncommittal noise and accepted a cup of coffee from Sanders.

  He rested his hand on mine. "I know. They’re dicks, and I don’t want anything to do with them either. But they’re the Elders’ dicks, and we’ve got to put up with them long enough to satisfy their sense of ‘doing things right.’" He squeezed my hand gently. "We’ll be rid of them soon enough."

  "I hope you’re right. I’ve got enough crap on my plate without having to deal with four flexing meatheads trying to get up on me. Especially four flexing meatheads who hate me for pressing them into table service at Kitty’s pub."

  "That’s right! You’ve already got four flexing meatheads. We don’t need more!" Galen grinned broadly as he strode through the kitchen door with a double-armload of plates. Deftly, he placed one in front of me, then dealt out the rest to Cass, Chase, and himself.

  "I don’t flex," Cass protested. He unfolded his napkin and set it on his lap.

  I smirked. "You do, a little." I groped his knee under the table. "It’s cute."

  Galen roared with laughter. "Ouch. Sia, no man wants to hear that his flexing is ‘cute.’"

  I blushed and squeezed Cass’ knee harder. "I mean manly. Rugged and manly."

  Galen cackled. Cass shot us both an affronted look and dug into his waffles. I gave him a worried look. He winked. With a sigh of relief, I took a forkful of waffle.

  "Oh my god," I moaned. "Galen, you are amazing."

  "Hopefully the first of many times I’ll make you make that sound." Galen flashed me a wry grin. "Glad you like them."

  "Like them? I’m running away and making dragon-waffle babies with them." I stuffed another forkful in my mouth.

  "I think I saw something on InterPorn like that once. Hot." Aric sauntered into the dining room and shot Galen a look. "Where’s mine?"

  Galen jerked his head at the kitchen door. "On the kitchen counter. You snooze, you lose."

  Aric sniffed at him and threw himself into a seat across from me. He clapped his hands. Sanders stepped into the room, carrying Aric’s plate and a mimosa.

  "Lazy bastard," Galen snarked.

  "I have people for these things," Aric said with a wave of his hand. He sat up and picked up his fork.

  "Thank you, Mr. Sanders, for being awesome," I said with a pointed glare in Aric’s direction.

  "No need, Miss Bellmont." Sanders bowed.

  "Always a need," I countered. Sanders let a small smile slip as Aric’s attention shifted to his waffles.

  "Do we have to have another conversation about How People In The Service Industry Are Actual Humans Too?" I snarled at Aric after Sanders was safely back in the kitchen.

  "Whatever," Aric muttered through a mouthful. "You turned my brother into someone in the service industry. That is fucking awesome, by the way. I hope he gets callouses."

  I smirked at him. "Glad you approve."

  "Also, drinking at breakfast? When we’ve got to be ready for Alpha Squad?" Chase cocked a brow. "We need you sharp."

  Aric shot him a dirty look. "Why the hell do you think I’m drinking? If I’m going to have to spend the day with my brother, I need it."

  "If we’re going to spend any time with your brother, we need our wits about us. You know him better than anyone. He’s a bigger snake than the Great Serpent, and we can’t let anything get by us." Galen pointed at Aric with his fork. "C’mon, man. Pull it together. Family sucks, I get it, but this is serious business."

  Aric glowered at him, took a hearty swig of mimosa, then shoved it away. He clapped his hands again. "Coffee!" he barked at the kitchen.

  I cleared my throat.

  Aric ignored me.

  Sanders brought him a cup of coffee. I cleared my throat again.

  "Thankew." It was barely audible, but I counted it a victory.

  "Of course, sir." Sanders winked at me as he headed back into the kitchen.

  My cellphone vibrated in my pocket. Reluctantly, I set aside my fork and answered it.

  "Miss Bellmont? This is Ameera Veta, attaché to the Elder Council."

  "Oh. Just a moment." I placed my hand over the speaker and pulled my chair back. The boys looked at me with varying degrees of concern. "It’s the Elder Council. Be right back."

  "Do you need me to…?" Chase began. I shook my head and walked out of the room.

  I ducked into the study. "I’m sorry, as you were saying?"

  "Of course. The Elders wished me to contact you in regards to some recent developments. They felt that, as our future leader, you should be kept up to date." Her voice was brisk, businesslike.

  "Umm, of course." Oh god, what now?

  "There has been a rash of abductions in the dragon community. Five dragons have gone missing in the past two months. All of them were located in New England."

  "What? That’s awful. Anything in common? Bloodlines? Work?"

  She made a soft approving sound, then her voice grew somber. "Sadly, no. Two were water dragons, a judge and an environmental lobbyist. One earth dragon, a pediatrician. One fire dragon, who worked security for a water dragon-owned wind farm. One ethereal dragon, who worked for one of the libraries at the Academy." A pause. "Elder Long was especially concerned about that one. She was taken on her way home. We’re concerned there may have been a breach of the library’s location."

  "That doesn’t sound good." Cass had told me about the Academy, about the vast libraries of ancient books about dragon lore, history, and most importantly, magic. Each book was a treasure in itself, and the magic ranged from healing to augury to darker magics like mind control and death spells. If the Chosen got hold of any of them, it would be a great loss and potentially a grave danger to both dragons and humans.

  "It is not," Veta agreed. "Of course, all of the missing dragons are concerning. Especially in light of your reports of the Chosen experimenting with the extraction of soul essences. We fear the worst for all of the missing dragons. They might be practicing in the hopes that they recapture you. Inform your retinue that they must be on high alert at all times." Another pause. "Both squads, please."

  I stifled a sigh. "Of course. I’ll let them all know."

  "Excellent. Please be sure to take down my number. If I can assist you in any way in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me."

  "Thanks. I’ll probably have a lot of questions for you soon."

  "It will be my pleasure to answer them. If there is no further business, I’ve been asked to notify the Council that you have been contacted."

  "A meeting about a meeting," I chuckled.

  I could hear the smile across the line. "A vital part of my employment. Have a good day, Miss Bellmont."

  I held the phone to my chest. Great. Something else to worry about.

  As I started to head back to the dining room, I saw Sanders dart in. Aric followed him out, looking pissed and miserable. I heard voices in the foyer.

  Mr. and Mrs. Beauvais were home.

  I grabbed a wall and made myself fade. Slowly, quietly, I edged out to where I could eavesdrop.

  "Have you been getting in Dario’s way? I’ve heard disturbing things from the Elders. Very disturbing things." Mrs. Beauvais was on Aric the moment he turned the corner. No ‘Hi son, how are you?’ Jesus, lady.

  "I’ve barely talked to him. I’d like to keep it that way." Aric sounded more annoyed than defiant.

  "She’s relegated Dario’s squad to backup support. Backup support! Ridiculous." Mr. Beauvais stormed around like I’d personally spat in his face. "Her childish attachment to your associates is going to be her undoing,
and you’re only encouraging it! Providing surveillance and security staff to that tawdry little hole in the wall, protecting those humans…" He spat the word. "It’s a disgrace. An utter disgrace."

  "So was tossing her to the humans and losing track of her for seventeen years, Father." Aric spat back. "Every tiny shred of trust we’ve gotten from her, we’ve fought for. We’ve earned. If you think Dario’s just going to waltz in with his charming smile and win her over without even thinking about it, you’re nuts."

  "Don’t you disrespect me, boy." I heard a slap. My dragon writhed. Will running out there and kicking his dad in the balls help him or make things worse? My brain whirled.

  "And she’s mated already? And not to you, I notice." His mother sounded affronted. "The Higgins boy can’t be helped now, unless the Elders find a way to sever that." Her tone shifted, more thoughtful. "But you. She trusts you now, doesn’t she? Now that you’ve helped her. It wouldn’t take much at all for you to…"

  "I’m not going to fuck her because you told me to, Mother."

  That ice-cold laugh filled the foyer. "She has terrible taste in men, of course. But even she wouldn’t contemplate laying with a man-child like you. You think the servants haven’t told us about how contemptuously you treat her?"

  "Sanders," he muttered.

  Mrs. Beauvais snorted. "Sanders has been useless in surveilling you since you were a child. For some reason, he’s fond of you. If he wasn’t as good at his job as he is, we’d have fired him years ago. No, the others. Glower all you want, they’re our people and always will be, as long as we own this house."

  "It’s a testament to her stubbornness that you haven’t driven her back into the arms of the humans. You could learn something from your brother, Aric. He kills with kindness. She responds well to it. That’s why you have to help your brother. Use your position with her to vouch for him," his father urged.