“Sixty? You’re sixty? Damn woman, you look as young as the students at my school. Whatever is keeping you like that, I’ll take three bottles of it.”
“My appearance was a magical gift from my mother.”
“Lucky you,” Lena said.
“Do you think you might like living here? Magic is one of the few places on Earth where you will never have to hide what you are… and you’d have help adjusting to your new situation.”
Lena groaned and put her face in her hands. “I don’t even know who or what I am anymore. Yesterday I did, but today I don’t.”
Topper sighed as she patted the woman’s arm. “I know this is hard. You can think about it and let me know if you want to pursue staying here. It might take a bit to convince the town to let you. I’ll have to do some talking.”
“And if I wanted to leave Magic tomorrow and forget I ever came to visit?”
“You’re completely free to return to your regular life, but Stark said you had to show your ID to the men in black…” Topper shrugged and let the implications sink in. “They’re going to be watching you now. And if they find out you’re a dragon, or even suspect you of something unusual, you’ll become their experiment just like Nate and his parents.”
Lena groaned. “Great. The government hates me now. Guess I can kiss that 1.2 million dollar grant goodbye.”
“Or you could do your own research, log the results, and sell your knowledge to earn the money you lost through the grant.”
Lena shook her head. “That money wasn’t for me—it was to build the dome.”
“You’re still thinking like a human, Dr. Verglas. This is Magic, New Mexico. Stark and I could build your dome for you in an afternoon. All we need is the specifications for what you want.”
Marveling over the bizarre offer, Lena stared at the witch. “Right now I’d be happy to find some clothes so I can walk to the bathroom without flashing my naked human booty to the world.”
“Done,” Topper said, waving a hand.
Lena looked at the new dress now covering her. “It’s beautiful. How…”
“Magic,” Topper said firmly, interrupting. “Consider the dress an early holiday gift.”
“What can I give you in return?”
“Your pledge that you will never tell the truth about Magic to anyone.”
“Done,” Lena said. “That’s the easiest promise I’ve ever made. The people in Magic are crazy, but they’re also wonderful. Except maybe for the diner that served me that peyote pie…”
“Peyote pie?”
Lena climbed from the bed. “Just a joke. Guess it’s getting too old to be funny. Where’s your bathroom?”
Chapter Fourteen
Lena was astounded by how well the dress fit and that a pair of matching sandals had appeared on her feet before she exited the bathroom. She had to hand it to the woman. The witch had fashionable tastes.
Before looking for the others, Lena went to the front door to look out at the night sky. When the itching started on her arms, she ran deeper into the house. In the kitchen, with no moon in sight, the itching quickly subsided.
Calix found Lena seated at Topper’s kitchen table with her head in her hands. He sat across from her. “Do you hate me now?”
“No, but I probably should,” Lena said, lifting her head to glare. His hair was shaggy, and he was wearing someone’s old t-shirt and jeans. Calix looked sexy as hell. Damn it. “Are those your clothes?”
“No,” Calix said, looking down. “I was naked from shifting. Theo handed them to me, and I put them on. I think they might have belonged to Theo’s brother.”
“You look like a teenager.”
“Guess that’s not surprising since I feel as foolish as one,” Calix said. He used a finger to draw invisible patterns on the table. “I didn’t mean to turn you into a dragon, Lena. My grandmother thinks it was the sex, but I don’t really know how it happened. What I do know is that it can’t be undone. Topper consulted the Fates to find out for sure.”
“You made me stupid, Calix. I was trying to fly to the damn moon and attack it for turning me into a dragon. I don’t know why I didn’t come after you as a target. That would have made a lot more sense.”
Calix burst out laughing. He grabbed Lena’s arm so she couldn’t stand and walk away. “Sorry. I’m so sorry. It’s… you’re so brilliant… and that’s so...”
Lena flipped his arm over, broke Calix’s grip on her, and punched his shoulder with her fist. She was happy when he bounced away to rub it. “Well, at least becoming a dragon made me as strong as you.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” Calix replied with a grin. “I can be really strong when I need to be.”
Lena sighed. She’d known the man—the dragon—for three effing days, yet it felt like a lifetime. “We bicker like some old married couple.”
“If that’s a mating proposal, I accept,” Calix said.
Lena huffed as she glared. “It was not a proposal. It was me thinking out loud while I try to solve my seemingly unsolvable problem.”
Calix nodded. “Is that the problem with going back to your old life and how challenging it will be during full moons? You could always come to Magic and stay with me during those times.”
Lena crossed her arms, refusing to be charmed by his offer. “We’ve only known each other for three days.”
“Theo tells me it works like this for some dragons.”
“I’m not a drag…” Lena stopped and glared again. Guess she couldn’t deny it. She changed course in her argument. “What I mean is love doesn’t work out that fast for me. I’m going to need time… and space… and a way to deal with this shit you’ve caused.”
“I’ve been thinking of how you might be happy here,” Calix said, lifting a shoulder while he snuck glances at her. “Maybe you can write books. Once you’ve mastered your dragon, you can fly around the world and do research. Then you can come home to Magic… and to me.”
“Is this about the sex, Calix? I admit that’s astounding, but sex is only part of what makes a relationship great.”
“This is absolutely about the sex,” Calix said with confidence. “With what I’m planning to do with you tonight, I’m thinking two—maybe three—days for you to come around. Stark says you’re more brilliant than your bio reveals. Perhaps you could do your own calculations.”
Lena gave him her best stink-eyed glare. “How can I do anything? Last I heard, I was going to be locked in a cage until the full moon passes.”
“True, but it’s a very nice cage now,” Calix explained. “My family helped Theo fix it up, and they have prepared a Greek dragon feast for us when we return. Hopefully, Theo and his mate are keeping them from doing real harm to the facility. After you’re out of danger, I’ll see that the roof gets repaired.”
“What about the fact that I tried to roast your mother, Calix? I heard what she said, and it made me madder than I already was. She probably hates me now.”
“You'd be wrong then, Dr. Verglas. My mother’s actually quite pleased that I’ve found a strong female. She’s happy that you’ll keep me in line—whatever that means. I don’t understand why my family doesn't see me as a great guy. I even load the dishwasher. Sure, I’ve broken a few coffee tables banging my fist while watching football. But my house is paid for, and I earn enough to buy my own steaks. Are these not the traits of a good guy?”
She’d heard all she could handle while keeping a straight face. Lena started laughing at Calix’s teasing. “Are you saying all this stuff just to try and charm me?”
Calix leaned over the table and lifted her hand to his lips. He kissed her fingers and cupped her hand between his. “Live with me and love me back, Lena. I promise to adore you until my last breath. I will even help make all those human dreams you have come true. You’ve changed your life for me. I will change my life for you. I want you to be my mate.”
Lena sighed. “You know something, Deputy Dawg? That was a very proper proposal. How c
an I refuse?”
“You can’t really,” Calix said with a snort. “Ask my family. Everyone knows I would never accept a negative answer from the woman I love. I consider you mine.”
“Great. You’re a dragon, a good guy, and a caveman. I’m tired. Can we argue about this again tomorrow?” Lena asked.
“We can debate it every day we breathe, but I imagine you have more important things to work out than whether you will love me or not. I’ll be as patient as I can while you come to terms with your changed life.”
“I just don’t know about of this, Calix. I just don’t know.”
“That brilliant mind of yours will figure everything out. I think you should trust it.”
They sat at Topper’s kitchen table until the silence begged to be broken with activity.
“So…” Calix began, squeezing her hand. “Are you ready for a Greek dragon feast?”
Lena sighed. She was never in her life going to be ready for that, but it would have been rude to say it aloud. “I’m afraid to go outside. The moon makes me itch. I think I’m allergic to it.” Her eyes narrowed when Calix’s chin dropped. “If you laugh at me for being afraid of the moon, I’m going to use my new dragon strength and kick your laughing ass.”
“I wasn’t laughing—at least not much. Let me get Topper,” Calix said as he stood. “I think she knows a way we can completely avoid the moon on our way back.”
Lena rolled her eyes. “If that witch turns me into a rabbit, you will be a very, very dead dragon.”
Lena felt guilty when Calix kept looking at her with so much concern.
“Was the food not good? You didn’t seem to eat as much as usual.”
She shrugged and looked off. “It was very nice of your family to go to all that trouble.”
“Stop being polite and answer me. I want to know the truth.”
Lena chuckled as she went to lie down on the bed. Calix was sharper than he seemed. It was one of the reasons she liked him so much. “I liked the roasted pig okay. I didn’t really like the stuffed grape leaves. I ate them so I wouldn’t hurt their feelings.”
Calix grinned as he climbed in beside her. “Those were my Grandmother Petra’s idea. She said your human side would be looking for something other than roasted pig. Her mother ate human food all her life.”
“I think it’s going to work that way for me too. I could have used some mashed potatoes or a salad to go with my roasted pork. Or some warm bread with butter—I’m a big carb girl.”
“You’re not big—you’re perfect.”
Chuckling, Lena shook her head. “It was a figure of speech about my food preferences not a description of my size.”
“I hope I learn to sort out your confusing speech. Will you expect that before you allow yourself to love me?”
“Guess not,” Lena said, grinning at the genuinely confused look on his face.
“I was actually impressed with how my whole family made an effort to welcome you. My father cooked the pigs more done than usual. My grandmother wanted you to have human food. Even my mother refrained from being snarky about your attempt to incinerate her.”
“You just had to remind me, didn’t you?”
Calix laughed and slid his arm across her waist. “Next year, once you have mastered your dragon, perhaps we could fly to Greece for a visit. You’d love it there. The sun bouncing off the Aegean Sea is breathtaking.”
“We can fly to Greece? You mean, without plane tickets?” Lena asked in surprise.
Grinning, Calix nodded his head. “Dragons can fly anywhere. You just have to know how to avoid the flight paths of all other things in the air. I will teach you. It is a tiring journey though. We’d probably want to do it over several days since you’ll still be new to flying.”
Lena lay back on the mattress. She stared at the stars through the giant hole in the roof. “Looks like an asteroid fell through the building.”
“It was the two of us in dragon form. We fought until we landed.”
“Changing into a dragon has complicated everything for me, Calix. Now I have to stay away from my family on full moons. I have no idea how I’m going to return to my teaching work. There are so many decisions I have to make. It’s overwhelming,” Lena complained.
Calix hugged her close. “Luckily, they don’t all have to be made tonight. Let’s save some for tomorrow. Rest now, Lena. Your body must be very tired.”
“I’m exhausted, but my mind isn’t willing to let go.”
“Maybe you need some dessert. Do you want me to go fetch you some peyote pie for a snack? The diner might still be open. They don’t close as early as all the other places in Magic. Of course, you may decide to go after the moon again… peyote pie seems to have that effect on you.”
Lena attempted to shove his arm off her. A snickering Calix wasn’t letting her escape his grip. “Now you’re just making fun of me.”
“Yes. Because I’m trying to make you laugh. I don’t want you to lose your sense of humor. You’re going to need it. Life as the fiercest creature on Earth comes with many challenges.”
“Apex predator. Right. I heard that rumor about dragons,” Lena said, a smile curving her lips.
“Oh, it’s not a rumor,” Calix said.
Lena rolled her eyes then closed them. She completely understood why Stark didn’t want to erase that illusion. The male would have a meltdown. “If you say so,” she told him.
Soon she opened her eyes again, and this time she stared at the stars. Could she make this work? Did she really even have a choice? She’d made everything else in her life work. Her head turned to look at Calix who was still watching her every expression.
“I think the easiest part of all of this chaos is believing I could turn over in bed and find you looking at me. Guess that means I’m starting to love you, Dragon Boy. Your grandmother was right. Love is probably the only thing that’s going to make this okay.”
Calix grinned. “Believe what you want about my love for you, but if you value your ears, never tell my grandmother she was right about anything. That will haunt you until she dies.”
Happy to be with Calix, no matter what he was—or what she was—Lena laughed and put her head on his shoulder.
Chapter Fifteen
The group of them walked the two miles much faster than Lena could have predicted.
“So Lena… did the university give you any problems? Do I need to charm anyone for you?” Topper asked.
Lena smiled at the offer. Having a witch offer magic to help her was just as surprising as seeing her arms scale up in the moonlight. The beast inside had become less demanding now that the full moon had passed. She found herself wondering what next month would be like.
“When I told the science dean about the private backing for the snow dome, he said I could convert my spring classes into online courses and apply for a two-year sabbatical starting in the summer. Having Calix in his deputy uniform hovering in the background didn’t hurt my outcome either. The woman I work for would have probably said yes to anything he asked of her.”
“Handsome dragons do have that effect on humans,” Topper said.
“Now you tell me. Why couldn’t you have been the first person I met in Magic?”
Topper laughed. “I was immune to males of all kinds until Stark came through the portal.”
Lena grinned. “Well, I can see why. Stark is truly brilliant. I can’t believe he made all those great suggestions about how to improve my concept. I can’t wait to see if he was right.”
Hiding her confident smile, Topper nodded. “I’m sure you’ll find Stark is right. It was kind of you to incorporate his ideas. I know he finds living in Magic boring. He’s out-walking us because he’s very excited to get this dome built.”
“I still feel like all this is a dream.”
Topper smiled. “Well, don’t look now, Lena, but this dream of yours is about to come true.”
Many times lately Lena had concluded that she was officially on the ad
venture of a lifetime. Best of all, things kept falling into place with an ease that continued to stun her. Calix had come up with a sheriff’s office report to explain the damage to the rental van and she’d turned it in. It had taken only a few hours in Albuquerque to pack up enough of her personal belonging to get by until she could return for the rest after the first of the year.
Lena had discovered that not many people in Magic even drove cars. Everyone either walked, flew, or magically transported wherever they needed to go. There were several community vehicles that were lent out when they were needed to fool the humans—something no one seemed to consider her to be anymore.
After a couple weeks, Lena had found herself going along with Magic’s unusual flow. She was even starting to feel like this could be home. “Is this the place? Holy cow… it’s beautiful.” The mountain backdrop was amazing, and they were getting ready to create an oasis.
“It is, isn’t it? Stark loves it out here. This land was a gift to me from the tribe that once occupied this area. I found them a more sustainable place to live. They gave me this land in return. This is about as barren a desert landscape as you’ll find in New Mexico.”
“Do you own all of Magic?”
Topper chuckled. “No, of course not. My sisters and I share ownership, but it’s more like caretaking than owning. Land is land. Ownership is a myth. I’ve come to agree with the Native Americans about it.”
Lena watched as Topper moved farther forward to talk to her husband. Stark surveyed the area then pointed. Topper glanced at his notes then turned and lifted her hands. Lena’s breath caught when a giant tempered glass dome appeared over their heads. The group who traveled with them were all now standing inside it.
She felt a tug on her shirt and looked down. “Are we making snow now?”
Lena laughed and nodded. “Sort of, sweetie. We’re making a place to make snow.”
“Okay.” Jessica sighed as she crossed her arms. “It’s very hard being patient.”
Topper's Magical Christmas: My Crazy Alien Romance, Book 4 (Magic, New Mexico 40) Page 13