by Ines Johnson
“Your sister?”
“Of course. You’re the mate of my brother.”
Chryssie came and ducked under Ilia’s arms. “They may seem scary at first, but they are the sweetest guys.”
“Don’t call me sweet,” said Ilia. “It messes with my street cred.”
“There are no streets here,” said Chryssie. “Everyone walks, runs, or flies.”
“Everyone?” asked Poppy. “There are other people here?”
“Humans? No. Fairies, lions, wolves, bears, Valkyries, yes.”
“What?”
“Didn’t Beryl explain this? This is the Garden of Eden. The place where God, who is actually a woman, did her biological experiments. You want to see?”
Did Poppy, who’d never been anywhere in the world, want to see a magical land of creatures?
“Yes.”
“You should wait for your mates,” said Ilia.
“They’re in a boring meeting,” said Cardi.
“What? No one told me,” huffed Ilia. He turned and stormed out of the room.
“Besides, those two are claimed,” Cardi said to Ilia’s retreating back. “And no one will touch me because I’m Kimber’s. We’ll be fine.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Congratulations, brother.”
Kimber clapped Beryl on the back. The praise felt good coming from his elder brother. Kimber had often sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as a result of Beryl’s actions with fairies, or fighting with other shifters in the realm, or fighting with his brothers in the castle. Or fighting in general.
“Yes,” said Corun. “She is a beautiful specimen. And it looks as though she didn’t try to kill you. That’s a bonus.”
“Poppy is everything I could ever have imagined in a mate. Smart, beautiful, and strong in body and mind.” Even though she was a bit damaged by what the men of her world had put her through.
Inside his gut, the dragon ground his molars. Poppy was here now, with him. No other male would ever lay a finger on her. Not if he wanted to keep it attached to his body.
“How much did you pay for her?” Kimber’s question was crass, but as the eldest, it was his responsibility to mind the horde of their treasure.
“A sacrifice is priceless,” Beryl hedged.
Corun’s usually serious face cracked a smile at Beryl’s evasive answer. He’d given up his entire stash of rubies to keep his bride. At first, Corun had sent Chryssie back to the world beyond the Veil thinking it would save her from the dragon babies growing in her belly. Only to find that she would surely die back on earth with the fire that ran through her blood. He’d gone to get her. The price for a dragon entering the human world was death. However, he’d skirted that price tag by offering up his entire treasure to the Valkyries. The fierce warriors had squealed like newly hatched birds at shiny beads and left the mines with more than they could carry in gems.
Beryl had thought Corun’s actions mad at the time. But he also adored Chryssie and, if the need had arisen, he would’ve pitched in his own treasure to keep her with them. Now, he had a treasure of his own.
Kimber, on the other hand, was all business. He ran their mining operation with precision, insisting each of his brothers reach a weekly quota. He was the Vince McMahon of the mines. Having taken over the business from their father after the old dragon’s demise, Kimber had exploded the family income. But unlike McMahon, Kimber was not a showman. He stayed behind the scenes and counted the money. Now, his diamond-hard glare flashed at Beryl to know the new price tag.
“I told the Valkyrie to take what she wanted,” said Beryl. “I didn’t look to see what she took.”
Kimber sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. When he pulled his hand away, the spot remained red. That spot got a lot of attention between his brothers, his mate, and his responsibilities in the Veil.
“We are already down by a lot with Corun starting from scratch.” When he’d learned about Corun’s negotiations with the Valkyries, he’d grumbled for weeks. “Elek and Ilia are barely pulling their weight. Rhoyl spends his days sunbathing and his nights hunting, so he is mostly useless. And then there’s this, I hear that you nearly killed one of Leona’s cubs.”
Beryl twisted his lip. He had been hoping to get away with his brother not knowing that bit of information. Kimber knew about Beryl’s participation in the fights Leona organized. Beryl was loud and proud of his winnings. Except for what happened last night with Leander.
“My beast got out of control,” he said.
“When will you learn that when you go Hulk, it’s me that has to go behind and Bannon things up.”
When they’d watched the Incredible Hulk television shows on tape, Kimber and Corun had always identified with the cunning scientist, while each of the triplets had been fascinated by the green behemoth. Of course, he would take Bannon’s side. Beryl long suspected his big brother had cheered for Andre the Giant over Hulk Hogan in their last wrestling match.
“It won’t happen again,” said Beryl. “I have no need to go green. I’ve mated. My hulking beast is calm now.”
His beast hadn’t raised its head since coming from between Poppy’s thighs. For the first time since he was a fledgling, Beryl hadn’t felt the need to run or lift a weight or push his body in any way physical. All he wanted to do was find his mate and hold her close.
“Doesn’t change the fact that Leona is demanding restitution for the life-threatening injury of her cub,” said Kimber.
“Leander is not a cub,” Beryl protested. “He’s a full-grown lion. And he’s alive. I’ve done worse to the two of you.”
“Be that as it may, she went to the Valkyries and petitioned. They agreed. You have been fined.”
“How much?” Beryl had begun to suspect that Leona’s operation might be more than a way to get the aggression out of her own sons. They all knew the only thing that would settle a shifter male was a mate. The fights were bringing in coin, gems, and precious metals from those coming to watch and the bets taking place. Currency given to the Valkyries was the only current way to get mates into the Veil.
Kimber handed Beryl a piece of parchment with a figure written at the center. Beryl’s eyes bugged out at the amount written there.
“That’s insanity,” Beryl said. Now he pinched the bridge between his nose.
“It will take you two weeks to mine that amount,” Corun said. His brother could calculate sums quickly and easily in his head.
“You best get to work,” said Kimber.
“Fine,” grumbled Beryl. “I’ll get it all. Can I at least get to work after I claim my mate?”
“You haven’t claimed her yet?” Kimber and Corun said in unison.
“She just got here.” Beryl shrugged.
Kimber and Corun looked at each other. Kimber pinched his lips. Corun inhaled deeply.
“I marked her,” said Beryl. “But … she’s very small.”
“You won’t break her,” said Corun. “The human body is made to stretch.”
“Tell that to our mothers,” said Beryl.
A low growl started in the throats of both males. The topic of their mothers was a sore spot because neither woman had lived to see their sons grow. They’d all been born into this world as murderers. But Beryl was the worst.
He had ripped his mother to shreds on his exit. Of course, he hadn’t been conscious of his actions as a whelp. But his father had made his son’s deeds plain as soon as he was old enough to understand.
Not only had Beryl killed his mother on entry into the world, he’d also nearly starved his brothers while in the womb. That was why Ilia was born a runt, and Rhoyl barely had the strength to stay in human form.
“Sex is different,” said Corun.
Beryl didn’t want to have this talk with his brothers. “I just need time. I don’t want to hurt her.”
“Claiming her should be your first priority,” said Kimber. “With all the work we’ll need to do to catch up, and get ahead, especially w
ith two men down and two newlyweds, and hatchlings on the way, and more sacrifices likely to arrive soon. I doubt we’ll ever get ahead.”
“At least more dragons will be born,” said Corun. “We are no longer in danger of being the last of our kind.”
“Especially if Kimber ever claims Cardi,” said Beryl.
Kimber grimaced. “She’s still a child.”
“Children don’t have those kinds of curves, brother,” said Beryl.
Kimber’s growl shook the floorboards. “Do not speak of her in that way.”
“Children also don’t elicit the kind of response from their mates,” said Corun.
Kimber turned away from both of his brothers. Beryl had never understood why his brother had waited so long to claim his mate. He’d marked her, but he had never taken her to bed for the claiming.
Cardi had been a child when she’d first come, only seventeen years old in her time. No one would touch a young girl not ready for claiming. Time moved differently behind the Veil. It had been over thirty years on the other side, but in that time, Cardi had aged into a mature young woman. Still, Kimber wouldn’t claim her.
Luckily, everyone knew and accepted that she was his. No one would touch her. And if they did, they’d have to face down the most powerful dragon in the realm.
No one knew Poppy or Beryl’s dibs on her. Claiming her would be necessary for her to move through the town without any of the lions, bears, or wolves trying to stake their own claim.
“I see you didn’t wait for me to start this meeting.” Ilia came to stand in the center of the room, giving each of his brothers what Cardi called the stank eye.
“We’re not having a meeting,” said Corun.
“Talking behind my back, then?” said Ilia.
“Beryl was simply telling us about his new mate,” said Kimber. “You already met her.”
Ilia’s face pinched into a grimace. “I met her second, but I called dibs first.”
Beryl gave his brother a stinky eye of his own before turning his back. “I’m not sticking around for this. If you need me, I’ll be with my mate. Where did you leave the girls, Ilia?”
“I didn’t leave them anywhere. They went into town.”
The hairs at the back of Beryl’s neck lifted. A shiver of ice went down his spine. His wings were already unfurling before he leaped out the window to get to his mate before she could set foot in town and be scented by any other male.
Chapter Fourteen
For a woman who had never been anywhere, this was one hell of a first trip outside the known. Poppy always thought she'd liked small places. That she liked her world confined. Being out in the open of the Veil, she realized how wrong she was.
This place was unreal. It was as though she was walking through a television screen, in high definition. The colors of the trees were so vibrant and bright. Looking up at the sky, she would’ve sworn she was looking at the underside of a crystal ball because it was so clear blue. It looked as though someone had dropped a box of crayons that had melted over the canvass.
Her imagination was having trouble believing what her eyes were telling her. She made sure to walk on the graveled paths because the plants opened their eyes and looked up at her. A few lifted their leaves and waved.
"You know how they say the trees have ears," said Chryssie. "Well, once upon a time, that was true. Here it still is true."
Poppy watched willowy plants walk around on sturdy stems. Some looked more human than plant. A few even had wings like butterflies.
Chryssie and Cardi explained how plants were the first living things to evolve on land. When they did, they were sentient. The Goddess tinkered with their DNA until they could communicate with Her and with each other. There were some plants that uprooted themselves and walked on their stalks during the day, sinking back into the rich earth each night to get sustenance. Those plants, or fairies as they liked to call themselves, crossed out of the garden and into the world of other living beings.
Many of Her original creations still lived here in the garden. Plants weren’t the only beings the Goddess tinkered with. She’d experimented with what humans knew as the dinosaurs. That’s how dragon shifters came to be. She’d also tried to make men out of wolves, lions, and bears.
The architecture within the Veil was also breathtaking. Many structures were built out of the surrounding landscape. There were a few pyramids, many dome-like structures, but mostly massive rectangular structures that resembled the buildings of today’s world. Only not many went much higher than three stories. That allowed for clear views of the pristine, mostly untouched land that went on as far as Poppy could see.
"So, what part of the world are we actually in?" asked Poppy.
"You can't think of it like that," said Cardi. "We're on another plane of existence. You can access just about any part of the world from this point."
"So, I could go anywhere on the Earth from here?" asked Poppy.
Anywhere she wanted? Like Montenegro, or Malta, or even Miami?
"Yup,” said Cardi. “Humans can go out and in because they can exist in both realms. Fairies, too.”
“Wow,” sighed Poppy, feeling that the world was truly her oyster. “So, Beryl and I could take a vacation without flying?” Or maybe he would fly her on his back like Corun and Kimber had flown Cardi. She’d never been on a plane, but she would love to travel by dragon.
“Dragons can’t leave,” said Chryssie. “They're trapped here.”
“Trapped? Why?" asked Poppy.
“The Goddess didn’t create dragon shifters to live in both worlds,” said Chryssie. “If they cross over the Veil into the human world, they’ll get sick and die. That’s why we all were sick when we lived there.”
Chryssie eyed Poppy’s arm. There was a spot peeking out at the edge of the T-shirt she’d pulled on this morning. Poppy was dressed in a Frankie Says Relax t-shirt, black leggings, and Puma sneakers that were a size too small. Poppy tugged at the sleeve of the shirt, but it wouldn’t stretch enough to cover her.
“It’s okay.” Chryssie put her hand over Poppy’s. “You’re one of us.”
One of us. Poppy had never belonged to anyone that hadn’t been her blood, like her mother. Or a pimp that used her, like Bruce.
“There’s fire in your blood,” said Chryssie. “There’s fire in our blood, too. We’re descendants of dragons.”
“Yeah, there was a sacrifice who escaped,” Cardi chimed in. “She made it back across the Veil, but she was preggers. Had two sons. For some reason, the sons only had girls.”
“Because only the daughters survived,” said Chryssie. “You know, girl power and all.”
“Damn straight,” said Cardi, lifting her hand for a high five from both of them.
Poppy slapped her new friend’s hand. The smack of palms sent a shock of power through Poppy. Her shirt sleeve slipped higher. She didn’t reach to pull it back down.
“Anyway,” Chryssie continued. “We weren’t meant to survive in that world. We were meant to be here. This is where we belong.”
For the first time in her life, Poppy did feel like she belonged. She belonged with these two women. Not just because they were redheads. Not just because they’d both had incurable diseases. Because she sensed they’d been outcasts and under-valued in their old life. But here, they were all treasures.
“We’re here,” announced Cardi. “Thank the Goddess because I’m starved. This is my favorite place to eat in all the Veil. I come here all the time when Kimber lets me off his leash.”
Poppy looked up to see a building that looked like a barn. The exterior was comprised of large, wooden slates. Over the door was emblazoned God’s Teet.
The large double doors stood wide open with delectable scents and raucous laughter wafting out. Inside, Poppy saw more flower people. White lilies with purple eyes and green limbs. Stout shrubby males with green bushy hair.
In the far back of the room was a cage. There was a tall male fairy mopping the floors
. The water he used was tinged red like he’d been mopping up blood.
“Are you sure it’s safe here?”
Cardi looked over toward the direction of Poppy’s gaze. “Oh, that. That’s where they hold the cage matches.”
Cage matches? She’d seen those on television when Bruce had guests over. The men were bare-chested and barefooted. They’d be locked inside a cage with a referee who let them beat each other to a bloody pulp. Poppy could never watch.
“Your boy, Beryl, is the title champion of the Veil,” said Cardi.
Beryl? He fought in that thing. Was that his blood? Or did he bleed others?
“Kimber won’t let me come to see those either. Thinks it’s not appropriate for someone my age like I’m twelve or something.”
Cardi walked up to a table of fairies. She put her hands on her hips and stared. After five seconds, the table cleared.
She turned back to Chryssie and Poppy with a glint in her eyes. “It’s good to be the queen.”
“We’re royalty?” Poppy asked, taking one of the vacated seats.
“Pretty much,” said Poppy. “Dragons are at the top of the food chain here. Well, aside from the Valkyries.”
“Kimber is the king?”
Cardi shrugged one shoulder. “He’s the oldest and the strongest.”
Poppy twisted her lip. From the looks of the dragon shifters, she would’ve said that her Beryl was the strongest. But she didn’t voice this opinion. Not to her first-ever friends. But Chryssie caught her eye, like she knew what Poppy was thinking, and winked.
“How long have you both been here?” Poppy asked.
“I’ve been here about two months in human time,” said Chryssie. “But time moves differently on this side of the Veil. It’s probably been half a year or so. Cardi’s been here a lot longer.”
Cardi dressed like she was from thirty years ago. But she didn't look a day over twenty.
“I’ve been dying to know something,” said Cardi. “Back on the other side, did Zach and Kelly actually get married?”
“Who?” asked Poppy.
“From Saved by the Bell,” said Chryssie.