“We need to make sure Mario’s not traveling for at least the next three months. If someone needs to see him, they can come here.” She turned back to Rachel.
“No problem.”
“You don’t need to do that.” Gina looked at them both.
“I do.” Teya met her gaze. “It’s part of my job to make sure we’re all taken care of. That means that you have a healthy little one. Rearranging Mario’s schedule to ensure you and the baby are taken care of is a small matter.”
“Here we are.” Jericho arrived beside their table with one of the armchairs from the walkway outside. He set it beside the table next to Gina’s chair.
“What’s this?” Gina asked.
“It’s for you.” Jericho didn’t mince words. Gina looked at him, confusion clear on his face.
“You can’t be comfortable in that hard chair. You shift every few minutes as if your back is bothering you. This will help.” He reached for her hand. When she gave it to him, he helped her out of the chair she was in and into the more comfortable one then set the old chair out of the way, depositing it at a nearby table where there was plenty of room for it. Once Gina was seated and comfortable, Jericho took his seat beside Teya. She leaned over and kissed his cheek.
Thank you, she sent through their mental path.
Not necessary, he sent back.
“Are you excited?” Rachel asked Gina. “I would be excited. You’re so close!”
“I would be excited—” Gina rubbed her belly “—but I’m so tired I don’t have the energy right now.”
“Then why are you hanging around here?” Teya looked at her friend.
“Free food.” Gina glanced toward the dessert table.
“What do you want?” Rachel didn’t hesitate.
“I can’t decide.” Gina turned toward the desserts again. “That chocolate cake looks really good, but the cheesecake smells divine.”
Teya laughed.
“Not a problem.” Rachel went to the dessert table and brought back one of each and a fork. “There, have them both.”
“I don’t know if I should.” Gina looked at them both with hungry eyes.
“Why not?” Teya grinned. “It’s just one for you and one for the baby.”
“You’re right.” Gina glanced between the two for a moment then picked up the plate and took a bite of cake. She closed her eyes as she closed her mouth around the fork, obviously enjoying the treat. Teya was glad her friend was enjoying at least part of the evening.
Jericho squeezed her hand, getting her attention. “I have something I need to do for a few minutes. I’ll be back.” Jericho kept his voice low as he excused himself.
“All right.” She watched him go then turned back to the table. “Gina, I have a question, if you don’t mind.”
“Sure, what is it?”
“You and Mario are mated, right?”
“Yes.”
“Does your dragon ever talk to him without you knowing?” Teya made a face. She wasn’t sure how to put what she wanted to know into words.
“You mean when I shift?” Gina frowned.
“No, I’ve actually not shifted in front of Jericho yet. I mean any time. Like, right now. She could be talking to him telepathically and leaving me out so I have no clue.” Teya lifted her shoulders and let them fall. Gina’s eyes went wide and her hand froze with her fork poised over the nearly gone cake.
“Your dragon paths to him without your knowledge?” She kept her gaze on Teya a moment then glanced at Rachel. “Did you know about this?”
“No. She never said anything to me.”
“Why would I? You’re not mated. I assumed it was a mate thing.”
“It’s more than a mate thing.” Gina looked back and forth from Teya to Rachel and back again. “It’s a legend thing.”
“What do you mean?” Teya frowned. How could there be a Quetzalcoatl legend she had never heard of?
“My grandmother told me about it while I was growing up, so it was some time ago, but I’ll do my best to recount it as she told it. Just give me a minute to think about it.” Gina dug her fork into the cake and took another bite. When she’d finished the cake, she set the empty plate on the table and leaned back in her chair, her hands folded together on the mound of her belly. “It’s been a long time, so I don’t remember all the details or the story that led up to it, but what I remember was the basic message. Basically, there are mates and you can find your mate and live very happily for the rest of your life if they never speak to your other half. BUT...” Gina stopped and met Rachel’s gaze then Teya’s, holding each for several long seconds before continuing. “For the dragon who finds a non-dragon mate, which I know is not unheard of, that mating will be blessed with much power and happiness if the non-dragon mate can communicate with your other half. If they can do it without your knowledge, more power and blessings will befall the couple.” She leaned forward and picked up the plate with a slice of cheesecake. “I may not be remembering it all correctly, though, so you’ll want to check with someone else.”
Teya watched Gina then glanced at Rachel. “Why have I never heard this legend?”
“I’ve never heard of it, either.” Rachel shrugged.
Gina lifted one shoulder and took another bite of the cheesecake. “My grandmother was the lore-keeper for our clan when I was growing up,” Gina put in. “She told us stories all the time.”
“Who’s the current lore-keeper?” Rachel looked at Teya.
“Jason Murphy. I’ll need to talk to him soon.” She fell silent for a few seconds. “Remind me to schedule a meeting with him tomorrow.”
“Will do.” Rachel turned back to Gina, who was almost done with her cheesecake. “What’s your plan for the rest of the evening?”
“I’m going to finish this—” she pointed at her plate with her fork “—then I’m going to call it a night. I’ll head down to my apartment, put on my big T-shirt, and watch a little television while I unwind before bed.”
“Sounds like you have your night all planned out.” Teya gave her friend an indulgent smile. “And it sounds like a good plan to me.”
They talked about baby plans for the next little while until Gina had finished her dessert, said her goodbyes, and called it a night.
Unsure where Jericho was, one of Teya’s favorite songs came on and she turned to Rachel. “Come on.” Teya took her friend’s hand and stood. “Let’s go dance.”
“I don’t know.” Rachel was reluctant but stood and followed her out of the floor. The song was almost half over when Teya felt someone brushing against her back as she danced. Turning, she found Jericho behind her, dancing in much the same manner she and Rachel were, moving to the beat of the music. Rachel caught her eye, nodded in Jericho’s direction, and then backed away, making her way to the edge of the dance floor. Teya turned to face Jericho and continued dancing. When the song was over, she leaned against him, breathing heavy as they made their way back to their table.
“Where did you learn to dance like that?” Teya was still breathing hard when she sat down.
“I can’t reveal my secrets.” Jericho gave her a sly smile. He pulled his chair close and whispered in her ear. “I hope you like it.”
“I do.” Teya covered his hand on her arm with her own and leaned against him to enjoy just having him close. He reached one arm around her middle and held her there. She loved when he did that. It made her feel wanted and loved that he had made the effort to find out what pleased her and learned how to do it. It was obvious how much he cared for her. She already knew that just the sight of him filled her heart with a happiness she’d not had in more years than she cared to count. Could she put a value on what she felt for him? What she would be willing to give up for him?
16
It was late. Jericho had danced with Teya any time a song she liked came on. Her dragon had let him know which songs were her favorites. Jericho had waited until Teya was ready, and she had waited until there were fewer than a dozen people left to
call it a night. Jericho fought the urge to yawn as they made their way from the ballroom.
“Thank you for tonight.” Teya stood beside him in front of the elevator, her head tilted against his shoulder while they waited for the car to arrive. The doors opened with a soft ding and they stepped inside. Teya hit the button, but not for the floor their rooms were on.
“Where are we going?” He glanced down with a frown.
“There’s something I want to show you.” She gave him a secretive smile. Jericho furrowed his brow but didn’t question her. He’d learned it wouldn’t help. Will you tell me what’s up? he sent to her dragon instead. Sometimes, her other half told her more than Teya did.
Not this time. It’s a surprise from us both. Jericho would swear he could hear a grin in the dragon’s mental voice. With a deep breath, he resigned himself to waiting until Teya revealed what they were up to. When the elevator doors slid open again, there was only darkness. Jericho hesitated to step out into the unknown.
“Come on.” Teya took his hand and stepped into the darkness. The lights clicked on, making Jericho jump. Glancing around, he tried to find what caused them to come on.
“Motion sensor.” Teya pointed to a couple of small, round lenses.
“Where are we?” He spun to take in the small room. It was maybe ten square feet.
“Just an access room.” She hit the long bar on the door with her hip and pushed it open. The lights in the new room kicked on, flickering at first then brightening. “This is the tunnel system.”
Jericho followed her through the door into what appeared to be a huge, concrete-lined cavern that stretched into darkness to both the right and left. The other side of the tunnel was about forty feet away, and the ceilings were nearly half that. He turned to take in the bizarre yet amazing place and saw a small sign over the door that read “MesoAmerican”. There were others, the paint faded and worn. One said “Monte Carlo”. Jericho turned to Teya, confused.
“Where are we?”
“Below the casino, even below the apartments.” She led him across the tunnel to another door. “From these tunnels, you can get to nearly any casino in town, to the airport, and a few other places, but that’s not why I brought you down here.” Teya pressed her hand against the wall, and after a couple seconds, he heard the soft click of the lock disengaging and the door swung open about two inches. Pulling open the door, she went inside. Curious, Jericho followed. Lights came on, revealing sand, boulders, and desert plants. The room was maybe five thousand square feet and filled with similar desert landscaping. It looked like a chunk of desert had been transported into the room
“How?” Jericho looked around, awed.
“Timed lights, automatic climate control, and watering.” Teya kicked off her sandals and unzipped her dress. Slipping her dress off, she hung it on a hook on the wall he hadn’t noticed. Her underwear came off next, joining the dress on the hook. After a moment, she turned and padded barefoot into the middle of the room. Jericho wasn’t sure what was going on, so he didn’t follow.
“This is why I brought you down here.” The air around her blurred for a moment, and where Teya had stood was now a huge, winged snake looking creature. He knew without asking that it was still Teya, but in her dragon form instead of her human one. He approached slowly, not afraid of this shape, but awed by the brilliant turquoise and purple feathers that covered most of her body. He was certain he had never seen anything quite so beautiful in all his time.
“Can I touch you?” He stepped close and lifted his hand but stopped, waiting for permission.
Of course, her dragon’s mental voice said, echoing her own. Touching her, he was surprised by how soft she felt. Not that he had any clue what to expect. He couldn’t begin to guess how long it had been since he’d touched a bird.
“Can you fly?” Jericho ran one hand down her side as he craned his head back to see her face several feet above his head.
I could last time I tried, but it’s next to impossible to keep from being seen these days, so I haven’t been out in years. She lowered her head so it was easier for him to meet her gaze. Jericho glanced around the room.
“Is it not big enough to fly in here?”
I can fly, but the corners make it a pain to try.
“What about out in the tunnels? If the ceiling in here is tall enough, that one will be, too. I’m not sure how big Vegas, is but from the way you talked, you could fly for miles in the tunnels.”
She tilted her serpentine head and watched him for a moment.
Access to the tunnels was restricted to supes, so I wouldn’t have to worry about being seen or recorded and being splashed across the news. She twisted around and rubbed the end of her snout against his arm. Her body shimmered and blurred again, and Teya’s human body once more appeared in front of him. “Well?” She rolled her shoulders and shivered. “What do you think?”
“You are very impressive.” He watched her reaction. “I didn’t know what to expect from the term Quetzalcoatl, but I have to say, both of your forms are beautiful.”
“Thank you.” She stretched up and kissed his cheek before going to where she’d hung her clothes and putting them back on. “Are you ready?” She turned back to ask him.
“What? Oh, sure.” Jericho hurried to the door and followed her out.
17
Teya looked across her desk at Jason Murphy, the clan historian. He wore khakis and a loose-fitting T-shirt, his hair was a little over grown, as if he should have gotten a haircut a couple months ago but had forgotten. Shifting in his seat, he adjusted his glasses and looked worried, as if he was afraid he might be in trouble. She wondered if maybe he felt guilty for something.
“How are you this afternoon?” Teya asked, trying to put him at ease before she got to what she really wanted to know.
“I am well.” He glanced away and licked his lips before returning his gaze to Teya. “I assume you didn’t ask to meet with me to ask about my health.”
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly while she watched him. “You’re right. I didn’t.” She leaned back in her chair. “I recently heard part of a legend among the Quetzalcoatl that I can’t recall ever hearing before. I was wondering what you could tell me about it.” He seemed to relax a little bit, as if relieved that she wanted to know something historical. She made a mental note to investigate him and his activities a little more closely.
“I’d need to know a few more details before I can ascertain how much I know about it. Also, I may not know it by heart, but I do have several volumes I can check to find more details, and possibly the tale itself.”
“It’s about a dragon finding their mate.”
“There are more of those than I can count. You’ll have to give me a little more.”
“The dragon’s mate wasn’t another dragon.” She was giving him little bits of information, hoping that he could draw what she was looking for out of his knowledge. She felt that if he could tell her the legend without all the details, it had a better chance of actually having been a legend and not what he thought she wanted to hear.
“There are fewer of those but still a good number. Do you know anything else about it?” She was quiet for a moment, watching him. He had rolled his eyes upward and seemed to be trying to remember something.
“I don’t have a lot of details, just what someone remembered from having heard the tale long ago. It was something about the non-dragon mate being able to communicate with our other half.”
“Oh. I think I know which one you’re talking about, but I don’t remember the details off the top of my head. Give me a couple minutes.” He closed his eyes and mumbled to himself for several long minutes before he spoke again, his eyes still closed as he seemed to be reading from something pictured in his head.
“For when the head of the Quetzalcoatl finds a mate not of the people, and that mate speaks not only with the leader’s other half but does it without the human half’s knowledge, this shall be a blessed couple
. There shall be much happiness during their reign. Their union shall be blessed with power and young beyond what has been known before.” Jason opened his eyes and blinked a couple times. “Was that what you were looking for?”
She watched him for a few seconds. “I think it may have been. But something is off. The way you phrased it, it sounds more like a prophecy than a legend. What do you know about it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Where did it come from? How old is it? How widespread is it?” Teya tilted her head to one side. “I can’t recall having ever heard it before, and I don’t know why.”
“Honestly, I’m not certain. I have some records on where a lot of the old tales came from. I can check them for this one, but I can’t guarantee I’ll find anything. If I’m remembering correctly, this is one of the more obscure legends, which may be why you’ve not heard it before.”
“I would appreciate it if you would see if you have more details on the tale.” She didn’t want him to think she was too eager, but she wanted the information as soon as she could get it. “You can give anything you find to Rachel.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He scooted forward in his chair so he sat on the edge. “Was that all?”
“Yes, thank you for coming in on such short notice.”
“No problem.” Jason stood, watched her for just a moment, and then left. Once he was gone, Teya spun her chair to face the mural on the wall behind her and stared unseeing at the scene while her mind raced. She needed to figure out how to make sure the legend became known to the clan. Biting the inside of her lip, she considered several options, dismissing each as stupider than the one before it. Her office door opened and she spun back around to find Rachel coming to sit across from her.
“Does he have it?”
“I think so, but he didn’t know where it came from or anything else.”
“So?”
“So, he’s checking his records and he’ll let you know. I’m wondering what would be the best way to make it more widely known, namely to the clan. We can’t very well expect them all to know it if I’ve never heard it in nearly three thousand years.”
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