City of Dragons: Of Flesh and Blood

by Wilder, Adrienne

  Haley couldn’t stand it anymore. “Give me the phone.” She held out her hand. Deshi shook his head. “That wasn’t a request, Deshi. Give it to me. Now.”

  His blue eyes widened, and his hand extended, putting the phone just within her reach. Haley snatched it and caught the tail end of Emily’s rampage.

  “Emily, this is Haley.” The woman went quiet, but Haley could hear her breathing. “Okay, I’m going to make this short and sweet. Deshi isn’t coming back home until you unsubscribe him from the beat-the-hell-out-me-sweepstakes you’ve signed him up for.” The woman drew a breath . Haley cut her off. “Stop right there. I don’t care. I don’t want to care. And nothing you can say will change my mind. This is how it’s going to be. Because if you don’t do as I say, then I’m going to make a phone call to Deshi’s Mother in Jersey City and tell her you’ve been letting a Half-Breed feed off of him. And trust me, the temper tantrum she threw when you had him cut out his Nevus will look like a Disney movie.” Deshi reached for the phone, but Haley stopped him with a glare.

  She put her eyes back on the road.

  After a long pause Emily said, “You have no right. He’s my husband.”

  “Yup. He is. All that holy matrimony death-till-you-part shit will get put to the test, too. ‘Cause let me tell you something, Emily, there isn’t an insult much greater than a Half-Breed feeding on one of us. Especially to a Queen. Especially when it concerns her Son.”

  “Was he with you last night?”

  Even over the phone, Haley could feel her anger. “Yeah, he was. Farley was there too. We all slept in the same bed, took a shower at the same time, even washed each other’s important parts to start off the day.” A small, strangled sound leaked out of the speaker. And damn, if it didn’t put a big, fat grin on Haley’s face. “And you know what else, Emily? Deshi knows you’re pregnant. So don’t do anything stupid while he’s away for a few days. ‘Cause if you’re not pregnant when he gets back, I’ll make sure his Mother hears about that, too.”

  “You don’t scare me! And what I do with my body is none of your fucking business.”

  “You’re right on both accounts. Number one, it’s not me you have to be scared of, it’s his Mother. As for the second part, you’ve got a piece of Deshi inside you, which makes your body his Mother’s business, at least in her mind. So unless you want to wind up giving birth in the belly of the Dens, I would suggest you be a little nicer to Deshi. ‘Cause while he loves you and would walk through fire--or in your case let Half-Breeds fuck him, feed from him, and beat the hell out of him while you watch--I couldn’t care less if you live or die. So if nothing else will motivate you to stop raining bitch all over him, that should.”

  Emily’s breathing hitched. “I want to talk to Deshi.”

  “Only if you’re going to tell him that you love him and you miss him and then say goodbye. Otherwise, this phone is going out the window, and he won’t come home until I let him.” Emily made a sound, but Haley cut her off. “Emily, do not test me. I am not in my happy place right now, and I mean every word I say.” She gave the woman a second or two, then added, “Okay, I’m handing him the phone.” Haley held the phone out to Deshi. His eyes rolled down. He stared at the cell phone as if it might bite. Haley gave it a little jiggle, and he took it.

  “Emily?” Deshi’s face clenched, but after a few seconds he relaxed. “I miss you, too. Yes, and I love you, too. I’ll call you as soon as I can. Yes, I promise.” He closed the phone and stuck it into one of the many pockets of the skaters he wore. The Jersey City Prince stared out the windshield for a while.

  He said, “You didn’t have to do that.”

  Haley didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, I did.”

  “You scared her.”

  “And I’m supposed to feel sorry or something?”

  Another long silence, then, “Would you really tell my Mother?”

  Haley thought about that for a minute. If she did, it would bring a shit storm of new problems. And the chance of Emily’s face winding up on the back of a milk carton was easily nine-to-one odds. Finally she said, “If it meant protecting you from her, yeah.”

  Deshi gave a little nod as if he hadn’t expected anything less.

  Chapter 17

  Farley smiled while Claire picked the mushrooms out of her Mu-shu beef and lined them up on the edge of her plate.

  “Did you get that”—she made a gesture with her chopsticks—“Faerie you were looking for?”

  He almost answered her around the teriyaki beef he had stuffed in his mouth, then thought better of it. Haley was always on him about his table manners. Farley chewed and swallowed. “Naw, Rent-A-Cops kind of broke up my party.

  “So that means you’ll have to go back to the Dens?”

  He nodded and guzzled his soda. “Yeah, and with Haley out of town, I’ll have to stay at my apartment. Better than the alley though. Damn, and I thought the rats in my place were big.”

  Across the table Claire picked at her plate. “How long is Haley on vacation?”

  Farley shrugged. “A week.” Less if we’re lucky. “She got suspended for five days until they finish their INI on the incident.” He stirred the bits of onions and peppers on his plate, then waved his hand at the waitress standing near the doorway. She flashed him a smile and a nod, held up one finger, then two. Farley responded by showing her two.

  Farley piled the onions on his plate into a mound. He pointed to the mushrooms on the edge of Clarie’s dish. “You gonna eat those?” She shook her head so he added them to the onions. “Man, I love this place.”

  “Yeah, but they always make us sit in the storage area.”

  It wasn’t really the storage room. The door looked out into the main dining area, and there were at least two more tables back here. Granted, the ice machine could be a little noisy, but it was clean.

  Farley glanced up at Claire. “At least they let me sit inside. Most of them don’t.” She frowned. He heaved a shrug. “It’s no big deal, Claire, seriously.”

  “I think it’s wrong.”

  Farley shook his head. “They have their rules. It makes them feel safe. I can live with that.” He ate the onions and mushrooms.

  Claire leaned forward. “It’s discrimination. They shouldn’t treat you like that. It’s against the law to treat people differently because of the color of their skin. This is no different.”

  When Farley glanced into the outside room, he saw his two plates of food weaving through the crowded tables. The waitress set both down on the table and took the empties. She asked Claire if she wanted to keep hers, but Claire shook her head. Farley frowned. She’d barely eaten half a plate, and he wanted to watch her eat. It was better than porn and twice as tasty.

  When the waitress left, he pulled the plate closer and dug in. Claire’s eyes practically burned a hole in the top of his head while she waited for him to answer.

  In between bites he said, “It’s not discrimination.”

  “How can you say that?”

  He shrugged. “It just isn’t. I mean, what is discrimination anyhow? It’s putting what you prefer over what you don’t. You discriminated against your mushrooms. Should you be punished for having a preference?”

  Claire made an unhappy sound. “That’s not the same thing, and you know it. You’re a person. You have feelings. You deserve better.”

  “And you sound like you’ve been reading the MKFK literature they keep leaving on everyone’s windshields.” Farley took another bite, chewed, and talked. “Look, I know it bothers you because you think everyone deserves the same.” He made a stirring motion in the air with his chopsticks. “But that’s not how things work, nor how they should work. Your society has just muddied it all up. In the Dens you’re either food or sex, and where you sit on the dominance scale decides that. If you want to be higher up, then you have to fight for it. And if you aren’t willing to fight, then you stay where you are.” He gave a shrug. “Much easier that way.” The look on Claire’s face said she
didn’t agree. Fine. Farley expected nothing less.

  After all, she was only Human. And seeing how Humans were all “save-the-whales”…

  Claire asked,“So you don’t care if you’re not treated as an equal to Humans?”

  “Nope.”

  “Then why do you”—Claire fluttered her hands —“you know, impress our forms?”

  Farley coughed. Okay, there were just certain things you didn’t sit around and discuss with Humans.

  Claire must have read something on his face because she put her hand on his. He froze and looked it. Her peach-colored skin made his tan look darker than it was.

  “Tell me, Farley.”

  He chewed more slowly but eventually had to swallow. “Look, you sure you…” Her hand tightened. Man, that felt nice. “Okay…” He sighed. “Human shapes are efficient.” There, that was easy. Claire moved her fingers back and forth across his hand. The friction made him warm. When he looked at her, she had that look on her face. The one which said she was waiting for him to finish. ‘Cause “efficient” sure as shit wasn’t the only reason. Farley put down his chopsticks. “True forms take a massive amount of resources, which means we have to consume an energy source to maintain them. As many of us as there are now, there isn’t enough food on the planet to sustain our numbers. We’d eat it barren.”

  “And before now? Before there were people?”

  Because Kin were old, really old. Farley shrugged. “Before there were Humans,

  our species survived by eating its own and anything else. When we learned to walk around looking like you, or how we got here? I don’t think anyone really knows for sure. But most agree wearing Human shapes made you easier to hunt.” When Farley looked up, Claire’s eyes were huge. Great, now she was going to get all spooky on him. “You asked.”

  “Yeah, I did.”

  But going by the expression on her face, she didn’t know what to say. What had he expected? A revelation of some sort? No. Humans didn’t like to be reminded they were once food, and in some cases still were.

  Claire pressed her lips together and blinked a few times. “Do you?”

  “Do I what?”

  “You know.” Claire’s hand squeezed his again.

  Yeah, Farley had a pretty good idea what it was she wanted to ask. “I used to.” Her face paled. “But I don’t any more. Human blood and flesh is like alcohol to some of us. Some Kin can eat it, and they’re okay. Like some Humans can have a beer, and that’s it. But there are a few who can’t…” Farley picked up his chop sticks at the same moment he picked up his train of thought. “I just happen to be one of the few who can’t say ‘when.’ Or at least I used to be. I fell off the wagon, but I didn’t have any problems getting back on, so I’m not sure what that means.” Farley shook his head and put the full plate on top of the empty one. “Since I’d rather not find out, I stay away from it.”

  When he emptied his glass, Claire pushed hers at him. He nodded a thank you while he chugged.

  “Farley, why don’t you stay at my place while Haley is out of town?”

  Coke shot right out of Farley’s nose and all over the table. He snatched up his napkin and sputtered into it. Claire unloaded the rest of the dispenser.

  “That’s…” Farley winced. Man, carbonated drinks could be a bitch. When the burn banked a little, he said, “That’s really nice of you, but I don’t think…”

  His words trailed off when he looked at Claire. Her gaze was on a table outside the doorway. A man and women were holding hands, their heads dipped in close, small private smiles on their lips.

  Farley watched them kiss while he blew his nose. “Claire, I’m not going to lie to you.”

  She looked at him and her beautiful cornflower-blue eyes were filled with hope.

  Behind her the ice maker kicked on with a harsh rattle before dying off in a soft hum.

  Farley sighed. “I like you, Claire, I really like you. I think…” You smell great and taste better. “You’re really beautiful, and I love being with you.” That should have probably been loved because it had been a while. “But…” Yeah. Okay. He just needed to say it. Just get it all out. “I can’t be what you need.”

  Claire surprised him by saying, “I know.” The smile curling her lips made his insides liquefy. “And what if I’m okay with that?”

  Farley bit his tongue.

  “What if I’m okay with just the sex? And I can live with you having to go back to Haley?”

  Okay. That was new. Farley blinked and dropped his eyes to his plate. He couldn’t take the way she was looking at him. He shifted in his seat, trying to adjust the ache between his legs. Man, he hated it when Haley was right. “Claire…” God of Man. He shifted again. “I…” I’d love it. “I’m just…” He shut his eyes a minute. Fuck, now his teeth were aching.

  She said, “Can’t we at least try?”

  Aw, man, now why did she have to go say something like that? Farley sucked in his breath, resisting the urge to find out just how anti-sex-in-public she was.

  “Farley?”

  He forced out the words, “I’m not sure that would be a very good idea.” No matter what my dick says.

  Farley risked looking at her. And holy shit, she was sucking on her bottom lip. Claire’s hand moved and her thumb pressed against his pulse.

  “Claire…” He cleared his throat. It did nothing for the furnace in his face though. Or the one down there. Christ…

  “Farley, if it doesn’t work, we can break it off. But what if it does? I mean…”

  The blush in her cheeks went from pink to red, and Farley’s foot hit the table leg as his body responded to her scent when it changed from concern to arousal. If she noticed, she didn’t acknowledge it.

  Closer now, Claire said, “I like being with you, Farley. And I really like the things you do to me. I love how you kiss me, I love how you take parts of me in your mouth, I love the way you lick and nibble.” Her eyes flipped up at him and her hand tightened on his wrist. “Please don’t tell me no.”

  Farley opened his mouth to do just that, but “Just for a few days” fell out instead.

  Chapter 18

  “Are you going to give me the silent treatment the whole time or what?” Haley glanced at Deshi. He stared out the windshield, his beautiful face a perfect vision of tragedy.

  “No, I just don’t know what to talk about.”

  “Well, think of something.”

  Deshi sat back a little in the seat, adjusted the seatbelt, picked at one of the chains hanging off his pants. “Okay…” He continued to pick at his pants. Haley made a sound, and he stopped. “When did you become Medan’s Enforcer?”

  Oh, great. Of all the topics. That’s what she got for complaining about the silence. “After Farley and I saw you last. I kind of didn’t have a choice.”

  Deshi nodded. “You don’t smell like her. Except for…” He tipped his head to the side. “Back then. Earlier. You smelled like her then.”

  “Am I supposed to smell like her?”

  He made a half-hearted shrug.

  “You know, some insight on this would be nice. ‘Cause Justice sure hasn’t been very forthcoming.”

  “Justice — as in The Great White?”

  “Is there another?” When Haley glanced at the Prince, there was a small, private smile on his lips.

  “Do you know him?”

  Deshi shook his head. “Not personally, no. I’ve just heard things.” He tugged at the shirt and adjusted his overcoat. “Has she given you her claw yet?”

  “Her what?”

  “It’s a mark.” Haley instinctively touched her shoulder, and Deshi shook his head. “Not that kind of mark. It’s like a Nevus. She will place it on your body. Her scent and her mark are how you’re identified by other Queens as being her Enforcer. Normally, she gives it to you when she takes your flesh and blood, but not always.”

  Well, that might explain things. “I didn’t exactly give it to her personally.” Yeah, she’d bee
n a little busy being pinned and playing Typhoid Mary meets Bride of Frankenstein.

  Deshi laughed a little. “Well, it has to be you or your…Marked.” He stared at the dash. “Damn.”

  Haley said, “What?”

  “Farley’s your Marked.”

  “Yeah, so?” Deshi’s looked like he was having trouble swallowing.

  “What?”

  “It’s not my business.”

  Haley gave a snort. “Now what the hell is that supposed to mean?” She hit the clutch and downshifted as the long stretch of road approached the edge of town. Up ahead the traffic light turned red. Haley stopped behind an SUV playing Jay-Z loud enough to crack glass. She waited for the light to turn green and the SUV to pull away before trying to talk. The last stretch of Athens highway with its surprise popup red-lights always annoyed her. Just when she got the Mustang going, it was time to stop. “Deshi, if you know something I don’t, I want to know what it is.”

  “Did Farley tell you?”

  “Tell me what?”

  “I take that as a no.”

  “Christ on a cross, will you quit trying to talk around me and answer my question?” Deshi flinched, which made Haley feel like a total bitch. Especially since she’d just threatened Emily’s life for doing the same thing. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you. But I really would appreciate a straight answer.”

  Deshi folded his lovely hands in his lap. “Farley took your flesh and blood.”

  “Yes, he acted as my vessel.”

  “In order for Medan to form the bond, she would have to consume your flesh and your blood. That means she had to cut it out of him.”

  Haley’s thoughts stumbled over what Deshi said. ‘Cause there was no way he meant cutting Farley open in the literal sense. But one look at the expression on the Jersey City Prince’s face confirmed the worst.

  “God of Man…” It was bad enough Farley had gone to Medan, but the idea of her opening him up and…She blinked, trying to hold back the tears. “He never told me.”