“Love, this doesn’t look like any place even beyond Merlinian borders,” Dini whispered in my mind. “And there’s something else, something that troubles me greatly. I feel odd, not right somehow.”
I knew what he meant. Even the air in this peculiar area smelled different. I didn’t let it unsettle me, and I tried not to think about what it might mean. As we got up, I tried to figure out where to go from here. For the moment, it didn’t seem like anyone had noticed my mate and me appearing out of thin air, which was definitely a point in our favor. However, other than that, we had very few things to help us in our unfortunate predicament.
As I scanned the park, though, my eyes fell on a group of people dressed in a manner similar to Dineiro and me. They seemed to be celebrating since there were jugglers and all sorts of showmen around. Perhaps they were putting on a show. Either way, seeing them made me think that we might not be so far away from our homeland after all.
I felt Dineiro’s relief at the more-familiar sight, and we immediately headed our way. I’d intended to mingle with the group and perhaps try to figure out if they could give us some information without making it obscenely obvious how out of place we were. However, before I could go through with my plan, we were intercepted by a stocky man wearing a monk’s outfit. “Finally!” he shouted at us, sounding pissed. “I thought the agency wasn’t going to pull through this time.”
Thank the Gods, I could understand him, or at least, the words he spoke, because I had no idea what he was talking about. He was glaring at us now and seemingly awaiting a response, and I assumed he’d confused us with someone else, perhaps a person he’d been waiting for. “Let’s play along,” I told my mate. “It can’t hurt.”
“I’ll do my best,” Dineiro promised.
I smiled at the stranger, summoning all the courtly manners that had been engrained within me. “You have our deepest apologies. We will endeavor to mend our transgression.”
Instantly, the man lit up. “Oh. I think it was worth the wait. I love how you’re already so used to the role. A knight, right? Which one are you, Mark or Joseph?”
“Joseph,” I replied with a smile, “and yes, a knight.”
“And what of your shier friend?” The stranger gave my mate a curious look.
“I am a very powerful mage,” Dineiro replied without missing a beat. “My abilities are way beyond the comprehension of normal mortals.”
If anything, our apparent employer seemed even more thrilled. “Excellent. Love the hair and the contacts. Very nice touch. Now come on. Follow me. Your costumes are awesome, but I’ll need to see how well you do with the people.”
Costumes. Of course. We weren’t anywhere near our homeland. For them, this was only an artful display, more surreal to them than Victor Frankenstein’s dimension had been to me.
What could we do? We followed after the stocky man and hoped that no one would think to question our presence too closely. If they did…Well, my sword certainly wasn’t a prop, and if it need be, I would defend my mate until my last breath.
As if ushered by my ominous thoughts, our employer suddenly said, “Oh, you do have the paperwork with you, right? I mean…We trust your agency, but it’s better to be completely clear.”
I nearly panicked, but my mate intervened. He grabbed the other man’s arm and beamed brightly. “Oh, I’m sure it won’t be a problem. My…friend and I are so eager to begin. Perhaps we can settle things at the end of the day.”
Honestly, I wouldn’t have expected such a thing to work, but I felt the wave of love surrounding us and pooling into our unexpected boss. “Uh-huh,” he replied, sounding a little dazed. “I’m sorry, but if you’ll excuse me, I have a phone call to make. It’s my wife’s birthday, and it completely slipped my mind.”
The stocky so-called monk fled, leaving us to our devices. I arched a brow at my lover. “Wow. I didn’t know you could do that.”
Dineiro laughed nervously. “I didn’t either. But, hey, it worked, didn’t it?”
Grinning, I watched as our employer attempted to fix his faux pas with his wife. He might not know it, but his soul had been touched by the essence of love today. “That it did, baby. That it did.”
Chapter Nine:
In Which Dini and Kirril Find an Unlikely Ally
As it turned out, the party of performers we’d suddenly been hired with proved to be quite helpful. On occasion, they showed some skepticism regarding my mate and me, but a discreet nudge from my powers made them become much nicer.
Bit by bit, we managed to piece together the fact that we were in a city called Los Angeles, in a country by the name of USA. Beyond that, everything else was a mystery, but I suspected Stiltskin’s spell must have sent us to yet another dimension, perhaps one that held very little resemblance to my own world. As far as I could tell, though, there was some sort of link between my world and this one, because we had no trouble communicating with our supposed coworkers.
I’d have felt guilty about using my abilities to manipulate people, but I found that I wasn’t actually inducing emotion, but rather making them more aware of what they felt. There was an astounding potential for love in all of them, but it seemed like they pushed it aside for all sorts of reasons. Forgetfulness, random arguments, a desire to advance in their chosen profession or in studies, all of them created distractions that separated them from their loved ones. If I could become a bridge helping people come together once more, I was happy. Oddly enough, the humans seemed to be drawn to me, and soon enough, Kirril and I drew quite a crowd.
Naturally, I hadn’t forgotten our need to find a way back. In fact, with every person I approached, I tried to find out something new, as did Kirril. Unfortunately, these men and women were clearly humans, and even more magic-less than my mate. Nothing they said gave me any real assistance, beyond assuring me that, indeed, I was a long away from home.
And then, something strange happened. A few hours after our arrival in this strange land, I experienced a peculiar sensation, as if I was being watched. And no, it had nothing to do with the people crowding around me and Kirril. It seemed darker, more secretive somehow.
“I feel it, too,” my mate told me through our bond. “Can you tell who it’s coming from?”
I discreetly turned away from the woman I’d been talking to, nudging her to approach the fiancé she’d had a fallout with. As I looked around, my gaze fell on a tall, dark-haired stranger leaning on the trunk of a tree and just watching the performers without getting involved. In fact, he was watching me and Kirril in particular, and his expression unsettled me. A smaller man stood by his side, holding what seemed to be a treat of sorts.
The stranger didn’t say anything, but he didn’t have to. When he made a gesture for me to come to him, I excused myself and decided to comply. Kirril was right by my side, and I recognized the tension in his body as him getting ready for a possible conflict. The stranger’s companion placed a hand on his shoulder and kissed his cheek. There seemed to be a silent exchange between them, but neither of the two lost sight of Kirril and me.
Nevertheless, it seemed that whatever the smaller man had said had calmed the waters a little. As soon as we reached the tree, the taller stranger said, “I don’t mean you any harm, but if you continue playing your little games, that’s going to change. We don’t need hunter attention on us, not right now.”
“Pardon?” I arched a brow, confused. “There are spirit hunters here?”
Honestly, I couldn’t imagine the gargoyles traveling through this place, but perhaps they had been sucked in by our foe’s spell. Anything was possible, right? Another option might be that they had been instruments of Stiltskin’s plan, and they’d assisted him in trapping us here, but I really didn’t want to think about that. I liked the strange creatures.
It seemed that our new companion wasn’t referring to the gargoyles, though. “Human hunters,” he amended.
“As in slayers?” my mate inquired. He wrapped an arm around my waist, obviou
sly thinking about the possibility that I might be hurt.
The second stranger sighed. “You’re not from around here, are you?”
I bit my lip, deciding to take a chance and trust the peculiar man. “Actually, no, we’re not. As far as we can tell, we’re from a different world entirely. Someone cast a spell on us,” I explained. “The next thing we knew, we ended up here, in this park. It was only luck that made us fit in with that party of performers.”
“Indeed,” the first man offered. “And I don’t suppose you had any clue on what to do after you left here?”
“Actually, I expect that we might have earned a sum of money from our work here today,” my mate replied. “I’d hoped we could find accommodation with it. If not, I have my seal ring which I could trade at a local merchant.”
The stranger hummed thoughtfully. “You’re a noble, then? Well, there’s no need for such measures. A seal ring is very valuable. My name is Orion Walker, and this is my mate, Grier Adams. It would be our great pleasure to receive you in our home until we figure something out.”
I could tell Kirril was suspicious of the man’s motives, and honestly, I couldn’t be sure our strange benefactor could be trusted, either. “We thank you for your offer,” I said slowly. “But why would you want to do that?”
“Oh, it’s not only for your benefit. Like I said, the relationship between humans and paranormal creatures is carefully monitored here. Normal people don’t even acknowledge the existence of magic or the supernatural, and the hunters make sure things stay that way. They don’t like us and we don’t like them, so we do our best to keep the balance.”
“Well, we certainly wouldn’t want there to be a problem because of us,” my mate said. “But please excuse us. We’ve been rude. I’m Prince Kirril of Arthuria, and this is my mate, Dineiro.”
“It’s a pleasure.” He grinned at us, displaying strikingly sharp fangs. “Welcome to Los Angeles. I do hope you’ll enjoy your stay.”
* * * *
It took a while, but my mate and I managed to excuse ourselves, abandoning the rest of the performers in the park. In the expanse of a couple of hours, my little dragon had become so popular that there were numerous demands for his phone number and e-mail address, whatever that meant. I assumed they were referring to something similar to what Victor had shown us, but we had no such thing, so we could only avoid all the pleas.
When we at last made our escape, Orion Walker was still waiting for us by the same tree. “Ready to go?”
I nodded. “Where are we headed?”
“My coven,” Orion answered as we started to walk out of the park. “I contacted a friend of mine who I think might be able to give us a clue regarding your situation.”
“Someone with magic?” Dineiro guessed.
“Yes,” Orion confirmed. “He and his mate are very discreet, and as a bonus, his brother-in-law is a former hunter. They can help us control any problem that might emerge.”
“He is the Alpha of my pack,” Grier piped up. I must have looked confused, because he released a small laugh. “But you have no idea what that means. Don’t worry about it. We’ll teach you everything you need to know.”
I really didn’t understand the dynamics of life in this strange world, so I decided to go with what Orion and Grier said. It didn’t mean I trusted them, but I did believe that our presence had the potential to shatter the balance Orion had mentioned. I was more inclined to think he meant to help himself, not us. True, I was less wary of Grier, perhaps because his open, sweet manner reminded me a little of Dineiro. However, that didn’t mean I would let my guard down. I had a mate to protect, after all.
We did notice that some people were giving us long looks, but I didn’t think we’d done anything to warrant that. I made a mental note to ask Orion about it once we were somewhere more in private.
He finally stopped in front of something like a large carriage. There were no horses around, though, and I watched in puzzlement as he gestured us inside. “I take it you don’t have cars in your world,” Orion said.
Similar vehicles passed all around us, oddly without any horses at all. “We have carriages,” I answered, “but nothing like this.”
“Ah,” Orion replied. “Well, no worries. It’s quite safe.”
We slid into the back seat of the car, as he had called it, while Orion took position in the front, where there was a wheel much like the ones used for our ships or dirigibles. As Grier took the seat by his side, Orion inserted a key in a small hole under it and turned it.
All of a sudden, the machine—it was clearly a machine of some sort—roared to life. My mate held on to my hand, obviously startled. We didn’t say anything, though. Instead, we waited as the car started and rolled away from the park.
Trying to distract myself from the strangeness, I asked, “Why the long looks from those people?”
“You’ll find that in our world, humans aren’t exceedingly open to same-sex relationships,” our unexpected friend said. “Some species of paranormals are against it as well. Just holding hands draws attention. And it’s not just you they were staring at. Grier and I are quite open in our affections. Don’t pay them any heed. We have more important things to worry about.”
“Who exactly are we seeing?” Dineiro inquired.
“Incubus prince Julian Hayes and his mate Mackenzie. One warning, though. His mate is pregnant, and I urge you to be careful with the way you’re treating him.”
I almost couldn’t believe my ears. “A pregnant man?” I couldn’t help but ask.
At that, Orion’s lips twisted into a small smile. “Yes. And I’ve been lucky enough to receive a similar present from my own mate.”
He threw Grier a look that was so sappy it didn’t seem to fit on his serious face. Grier beamed back, and I’d have thought the moment touching had the information not short-circuited my brain. So Grier Adams was going to have a child, as well? “Wow,” I breathed out. “And I thought Merlinia was weird.”
My lover twitched but said nothing. His thoughts were a jumble, and I could make out very little from it. I gave him a puzzled look, but he just smiled. “You don’t have to be concerned,” he told Orion. “We wouldn’t harm an innocent child.”
“I didn’t think you would.” Orion stole a look at my mate through a strategically positioned mirror. “Prince Kirril is a little more…brusque. It was best for him to be advised before having to face it, especially since he’s human.”
In a way, the comment felt a little derogatory, but I admitted my own attitude had been less than accepting regarding what he’d said. Orion’s words also held a warning, and I made a mental note to school my tongue, specifically around my hosts. Truly, I knew better now than to judge other peoples or cultures, and these strangers had been quite welcoming. Even if I didn’t trust them, I at least had to be careful so as not to upset Grier. In the end, we didn’t discuss it further, and by the time we reached our destination, my anxiousness had increased quite a lot.
Orion’s coven, as he had described it, turned out to be located in a large sprawling mansion that reminded me a little of my own estate. He drove into a part of the building that seemed specifically designated to hold his vehicle, somewhat similar to a carriage house.
When he stopped, both Dineiro and I eagerly abandoned his “car” and stepped out. Orion and Grier led us out of our current environment, through a side door, and into the main house.
A group of people intercepted us, much like my servants would have done when I arrived in Arthuria. “Prince Julian and Prince Mackenzie are here,” one of them said. “We’ve directed them to your office.”
“Good,” Orion said expediently. “While I speak with them, prepare one of the rooms in my private wing for our guests, Prince Kirril and his mate, Dineiro.”
The men didn’t even blink at the request. “Yes, Your Lordship,” the same one answered. “Your Highnesses, I do hope you’ll feel right at home here.”
It might have seemed a l
ittle strange that Orion’s address had less weight than mine, but it all depended on rank. In that regard, this place seemed similar to my world, and to a certain extent, it relieved me.
As soon as the servants disappeared, our hosts led us through the long hallway that seemed to stretch out for miles and miles. Perhaps it just felt like that to me because I was eagerly anticipating the meeting with Orion’s friends, hoping for a solution to the situation.
At last, we reached the office, and, just like the servant had said, found two men already there, sitting on a comfortable-looking couch. “Greetings,” Orion said. “I hope we haven’t kept you waiting for too long.”
“Not at all,” a handsome, muscular man replied as both of them got up. “We’ve just arrived a few minutes ago. Now, what’s this about needing our help?”
The second man, a smaller redhead, looked toward us, seeming a little concerned. “Is everything all right?”
“Please, don’t be concerned,” Grier hastened to say. “An unexpected problem has popped up, but it’s nothing bad.”
In the meantime, Orion turned toward us. “I’d like to introduce you to our guests, Prince Kirril of Arthuria and his mate, Dineiro of Merlinia.” In turn, he told us, “And of course, these are my friends, Prince Julian and Prince Mackenzie.”
“It’s a pleasure and an honor,” I said. “We’re in a bit of a predicament.”
“Well, we’d be happy to help if we can,” Mackenzie answered. Like Grier, he reminded me a little of my own mate, the same aura of peacefulness seeming to engulf him.
We all sat down, and I proceeded to explain in more detail what had happened. “So let me get this straight,” Julian drawled after I finished. “You come from a land called Arthuria, bordering Merlinia and Morganna. Your mate here is a dragon-shifter, and you accidentally ended up in another dimension because of a sentient road. Your friends, a pixie, a carnivorous bunny, and a talking mare, were taken away by some gargoyles you later met when you reached the castle of Victor Frankenstein. And let’s not forget his assistant, an elf named Igor, and your foe, Rumpelstiltskin. Did I get all of that right?”
My Mate's a Dragon Slayer? Page 8