“Thanks, Andy. See you in a few days when the dairy shipment arrives.”
Andy nodded. “I will let you know if I get any extras, Dira. See you on Friday.”
Dira smiled and waved farewell. She checked her basket, and when it was all dry goods, she detoured to the Meditation Centre. She had questions to ask, and Teal was a likely source for the answers.
Chapter Three
Teal poured a cup of tea for Dira and smiled. “You look like you are having difficulty making a decision.”
Dira lifted the cup of tea and sipped before she made a face. “You could say that. I am being flirted with, and he is most determined.”
Her friend snickered. “So? Flirt back.”
Dira snorted, a small flame shot out of her nose. It was only when she was with Teal that she let her more dragon-like behaviours out. “Flirt? I am here to run the Open Heart, nothing more.”
Teal gave her a serious look. “You are far more than that. You are the main cohesive source for this dimensional bubble. Without the power you put into it initially, we wouldn’t have the Crossroads.”
“That was a long time ago, Teal. I am used to my role as a host. I like making muffins, cookies and keeping the beds in good condition.” She sipped her tea. “Those things take a pounding.”
Teal had been sipping, and she spluttered as Dira’s last comment penetrated her mind.
The dragon laughed. It was fun to banter with Teal. Even though she was mated to Tony and had been for many years, there was a prudish streak when it came to the animal attraction that many of the races at the Crossroads shared. Bedding was shredded, mattresses were gouged and collapsed under the weight of enthusiastic matings. It was part of the burden of a proprietor of a bed and breakfast. Both were used frequently and savagely.
The amount of bacon that Dira went through was mind boggling, and the eggs that were constantly being brought in were excessively annoying. Years earlier, she had tried to keep chickens, but the temptation was too much for many of the city-bound shifters who hadn’t seen a prey species before. Her little feathered darlings had disappeared one at a time.
“Aside from your beds, you have led a solitary life. You need a companion, and if I am reading you right, the man who is making eyes at you is the very handsome unicorn that came in this afternoon.”
Dira sat back on the cushions in the low seating area of Teal’s sanctuary. “They are always handsome. It goes with the breed. Unicorns are big-hearted, attractive, elegant, and draw members of both sexes with ease. The myth about them being attracted to virgins was written backward. They are the draw and the virgins came running, so did married women and butlers.”
She paused and then sighed. “He is prettier than I am.”
Teal chuckled. “He is.”
“Dragons can’t stand to have a mate prettier than they are. It offends our sense of self.” She sniffed.
“Tough. Embrace it and enjoy his attentions. What would the worst thing be, that he would fall for you and you for him?”
Dira faced her fear. “What if he wouldn’t want to stay at the Crossroads? I don’t know if I can return to the modern world. It has been a while.”
Teal sobered. “Would it be so horrible?”
“The last time I was walking the world, I was wearing a bustle and a corset under thirty pounds of fabric. I have adapted my clothing choices to match those magazines you keep bringing me, but I am never sure that what I am choosing is the right thing.”
“You look spectacular in whatever you wear.”
“As do you, but there comes a time when a woman wants to fit in.” Dira smoothed a hand down the long, gauzy skirt that she wore. Her wrap top was made of the same silky chiffon, and while the emerald fabric did wonders for her eyes, she wasn’t sure of its appropriateness to the world outside. In the Crossroads, everything was fine, but outside, she wasn’t sure what she would be walking into and dragons were not known for their ease at dealing with uncomfortable situations. Prod her temper enough and she would be newsworthy.
Dira closed her eyes and groaned. “Why is this so hard? I used to just grab a knight and leave him with a smile on his face. Getting the head of a dragon had a whole different meaning back then.”
Teal winced at the pun. “So, you had a fulfilling sex life when you wanted it. Why is this different?”
Dira looked at her in surprise. “You haven’t seen any of the ancient creatures here before, have you?”
Teal shook her head. “Not since Tony and I have been on duty. The last thirty years have been weird but no magical beasts that weren’t your regular shifters. What is different about the mythic shifters?”
“Our lives stretch beyond centuries. To mate with another magical creature is to bind yourselves far beyond what most will expect, and it will most likely not involve children. Dragons and unicorns don’t usually cross breed.”
“Then, where do you come from?”
Dira blinked in shock. “We occur randomly in the population. There is always the same number of dragons in the world and unicorns and griffins. Just to name a few. Sometimes they meet, mate and breed more of their kind, but the number in the world always remains the same.”
“You are kidding. They occur randomly?” Teal nibbled at a cookie.
“Of course. The phoenix, for example, is always the only one of her kind. She lives, mates, dies and never has a child of her own that is a phoenix. If she is alive, there is no other.” Dira propped her elbow on the back of the couch and leaned her head against it.
“This is not stuff they covered in the briefing before we took this post.”
Dira blinked. “I haven’t mentioned it before?”
Teal chuckled. “I haven’t seen you this agitated before. Why does Mak get to you where dozens of other men leering down your blouse haven’t?”
Dira buried her face in her hands. “I don’t know! He pushes and I just want to push back until we are plastered together against the wall.”
“Why don’t you?” The deep voice from the doorway brought both ladies to attention.
“Tony, go somewhere else.” Teal’s voice was amused but firm.
“No, I believe that I have a vested interest in this conversation. Dira, why don’t you accept what Mak is offering?”
Dira jumped to her feet and shouted, “Because I have no idea what that is!” Her chest was heaving, smoke was curling off her skin and she could feel her body scaling over.
Tony crossed his arms over his chest. “Give him the chance to tell you then. When I first tried to court Teal, she made a run for it. If she had just stayed in one place, we would have settled in the human world and lived our lives there. She ran, we came to the attention of the Crossroads coalition and then, we transferred here as a mated pair of guardians. Run all you want, but if you want him, let him catch you.”
Dira leaned down and pressed her hand on Teal’s. She picked up her basket and walked past Tony. “Dragons don’t run, but if he is very lucky, he will get close enough to feel the fire.”
She heard her friends laughing as she left the Meditation Centre and walked back toward her home. She felt better than she thought she would, and now that she had exposed some mythic secrets to Teal, she hoped that a few more of her rare kind would find their way to the Crossroads to find the mate of their dreams. It hadn’t worked for her so far, but then, she had long since given up dreaming.
Chapter Four
Mak walked into the Crossed Star and took a seat at the bar. The tattooed man behind the bar smiled at him and asked, “I’m Chuck, what can I get you?”
“One shot of everything you can think of. I plan on getting drunk tonight.” Mak smiled brightly.
“Ouch. Rough day with the ladies?”
The women in the area were showing interest in Mak, but there was a reason he had sidled up to sit at the actual bar. If he kept them from getting a good look at him, they wouldn’t pursue him. The alcohol would do two things, it would drive off women who d
idn’t want to attract a drunk, and it would neutralize most of his active pheromones. Being a unicorn, it wouldn’t make him intoxicated but he was the only one in the bar that knew that.
“Rough day with the owner of the Crossed Heart. Doesn’t she ever date?” Mak started to snap the shots back one after another. The women who had started to approach him went on to find more likely candidates. He smiled grimly.
“Not that I have seen in the years that I have been here. She enjoys her life here, being part of this weird community, so I think she considers a mate as a route out of her life and into the great unknown.”
The frankness of his tone surprised Mak. “What is she?”
Chuck laughed. “She hasn’t told you?”
“Obviously not.” Mak was irritated that this male knew something about Dira that he didn’t.
“She will have to tell you. You know we don’t tell other shifter’s identities. If she wants you to know, you will know.” Chuck grinned at him.
Mak was filled with hostility at this other male who was familiar with Dira. He didn’t seem to have an attachment to Mak’s female, but Mak still wanted to take him outside and beat him into the ground.
Instead of acting on his impulse, he took another drink to camouflage the fists that were involuntarily making themselves known.
“So, what brings a man like you to a place like this?” Chuck was organizing the bottles near Mak.
“Same as every other male here, a compatible mate.” Mak slammed a few more drinks back and watched couples on the dance floor.
The evening’s activities happened around him as he held up his side of the bar. It was fascinating to watch the slow courtship of certain species and the fast collision of others. Predator usually bonded to predator, prey to prey, but there were a few exceptions.
He loved watching the exceptions. They both looked so surprised, but they were drawn to each other.
That was what he was feeling right now. Surrounded by women, he wanted no one but Dira and she wouldn’t tell him what she was. He knew it was powerful and suspected that it was mythical, but her species was not one he had ever run into in his long and diverse life.
His family ran a clothing and accessories line, and all members took their turn being involved in modelling their product. His turn had come a decade ago, and now, he pretended to age by wearing more sober clothing and changing his hairstyle every few months. His parents were retired and his two siblings ran other portions of the company.
When he finished yet another shot, he looked around and noticed that the bar was nearing empty. “Chuck? Can you call Dira over at the Crossed Heart and ask her to come and retrieve her very drunk guest?”
Chuck paused while putting away a tray of cleaned glasses. “She won’t like that.”
Mak smiled brightly. “I am counting on it.”
* * * *
Dira stalked out of her B and B and walked the four minutes to the Crossed Star. The bar was almost empty, but since dawn was arriving in two hours, she wasn’t surprised. Her unicorn was sitting at the corner of the bar, and he beamed at her as she came through the door.
“Dira! Nothing like an obliging hostess to help one get from bar to bed.” He smiled, and the wattage from his grin was almost blinding.
“Chuck, how much has he had to drink?”
Chuck was working to tidy up his domain. “More than anyone I have ever met. Impressive really, he should be unconscious. If you could get him home and keep an eye on him, it would be appreciated.”
Mak dismounted from the barstool and staggered. “Uh, little help, fair lady?”
Dira gave him a black look and headed toward him. She wrinkled her nose at the scent of the varieties of alcohol that had been absorbed by his system. She put his arm around her shoulders and led him out of the Crossed Star.
Outside the bar, she waited until they were clear of any ears that could overhear. “Stop faking it, Mak. No unicorn can get drunk with alcohol. You all get your kicks elsewhere.”
His hand tightened on her shoulder, and he whispered in her ear. “How close were you with unicorns in your past, Dira?”
“None of your business.” She continued to walk slowly at his side, ignoring the feel of heat coming off his skin. She loved being warm.
“I was just wondering, because my family and I are only aware of a dozen more unicorns on earth, and they are all of different races and on other continents, not to mention over two hundred years old.”
“You don’t say. I must have read it somewhere.” She was relieved when she saw the familiar door of the Open Heart.
“I doubt it. Only other mythical beings recognize another, and they are the only ones to know all the lore.”
Dira snorted, and the alcohol swirling around them ignited into a bright flash.
Mak jumped. “What was that?”
“Will-o-the-wisp.” She batted out the last flicker of flame and kept them on their path.
“I don’t think so.”
“What do you know, you’re drunk.” Dira chuckled and eased him up the front stairs to the porch.
“Not that drunk. I have already gotten rid of most of the alcohol.” He leaned on her a little as they entered the entry hall.
She hoisted him up the stairs and to his room. In the doorway, he leaned forward and whispered, “What do I get if I guess what you are?”
“You get to go to bed, alone.” She shoved at him, but his grip tightened and he pulled her inside.
He closed the door and pressed her back against it. “I believe that I deserve some reward for figuring it out.”
She blinked up into his deep brown gaze. “Tell me what I am and I will give you a single kiss.”
He whispered, “Phoenix.”
Her laughter cut through his smugness. “Incorrect. But here is something for trying.”
She went up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek, inhaling the intoxicating scent of him. Before he could turn his head, she shoved him back and opened the door, closing it gently behind her.
Dira walked downstairs and leaned on her desk, getting her racing pulse under control. Once she stopped fantasizing about what it would have been like if he had guessed correctly, she got back to her preparations for breakfast. She had to get back to bed and then up in a few hours to make breakfast for the early risers.
Muffins didn’t make themselves. Not without a kitchen fey anyway, and it had been three hundred years since Dira had a magical maid.
Life back then had been simple, but she had stayed away from humans because the scent of filth and disease had not been particularly attractive to her. The fey were cleaner than humans, but ever since they had outed themselves to humanity in the time of Queen Victoria, they had become insufferable.
It was amusing to her that not one of the shifters that she had met over the years had run into a fey, but she supposed that one sort of magic repelled the others.
Shifters walked through the human world but rarely engaged with them. They preferred to work around the human world and socialize with their own kind for the most part.
There were exceptions to every rule, but as far as Dira was concerned, most humans could not deal with shifters on an equal basis. They lacked the instinct for it.
Shaking her head to reassemble her concentration, she walked into her kitchen and assembled the dry ingredients for fresh blueberry muffins. Her pans were standing ready, the blueberries she had picked that afternoon were in a bowl, and she was off to bed.
Dira yawned as she opened the door to the cellar and headed down to her private quarters.
Mak could take care of himself.
* * * *
He had guessed wrong. Mak couldn’t believe it. If she wasn’t a phoenix, what was she? He was going to have to make a call, but he was going to get to the bottom of this.
Mak looked out at the false dawn lightening the sky. He may as well get a few hours of sleep before trying to find a way to contact the one person he knew who migh
t have an idea about other mythical species, his mother.
If there was one being in the universe that knew things she shouldn’t, it was Mikhela Norwin.
Chapter Five
Last night had been lucky for three of her five guests. They would be moving out in a matter of hours.
While the average transporter could only move someone to the Crossroads during specific alignments, Teal and Tony could deposit a new couple back in a safe area any time day or night.
It was one of the reasons that the candidates had to provide hair or tissue samples from themselves and a few family members. It assisted in the triangulation for the correct area. From there, the specifics could be determined.
Dira went back and made another batch of muffins a moment before she crisped up a pound of bacon with a flick of her fingers.
She had six people eating in her dining room and two more still asleep. The muffin and bacon combo was a winner this morning. It usually was.
She brought out the fifth platter of muffins and slid it into the feeding frenzy. Refreshing the coffee carafe took a few seconds, and then, she was free to do dishes and listen to the conversations of people who were in the early stages of falling in love.
When Mak’s voice entered the conversation, she brought out a new place setting and slid it in front of him. “You are up early.”
Mak smiled and grabbed a muffin. “I have a few errands to run this morning. I need to get fortified.”
The other six at the table smiled at him, and Dira wanted to roll her eyes. Unicorns. Everybody loved freakin’ unicorns.
He ate and chatted with the other guests, congratulating them on finding their mates and wishing them joy and luck for the future.
Back around the corner, she smiled as he wished them luck. When one of his kind wished something, it usually came true.
The clatter of plates, the clink of knives on china and the slurping noises slowly faded. She retrieved the plates as her guests took their leave, hugged two lionesses who had been shy but eventually relaxed enough to leave the Open Heart and left Mak alone as she washed the dishes.
Dragon Around Page 2