Paxizu. Paxizu. It’s not Latin, it isn’t a language of any form I can determine. What in Hades could it mean?
I stared at the book, frustrated. So far, no answers to the question of how to unlock the Paxizu entry. If there was one. So much of the dragon’s existence was shoved aside. And to be honest, that bugged me. The pattern felt way too familiar, and I’m stuck with shadows and bull.
Grrr.
Shoving the book into the cupboard and palming it closed, I grabbed Daisy’s leash.
“Let’s take a quick stroll, puppers. I need to clear my head.”
We wandered along the pier and into the parking lot, Daisy tugging and pulling me toward a pickup truck that’d seen average days a decade ago. Better was a considerable stretch. Daisy whined.
“Was this Drago’s?”
She jumped and put her front paws onto the tailgate. In the moon’s light, a tote, a suitcase, a bunch of banana boxes, and a backpack huddled against the front of the truck bed. Leash in hand, I climbed into the pickup and popped the lid off the tote. Books. A ton of them. The suitcase and boxes were an anchor, too. I understood the value of a library, and this half dragon carried his books to the end.
“Let’s grab the hand truck, Daisykins. We’ve got books to investigate.”
Two trips and twenty minutes later, we huddled in the office while I dug into the tote. A lot of it was schlock, but he’d acquired several books of note, a couple that I held in my library. With a sigh, I shoved them back inside, snapped the lid, and palmed back into The Boogey. Time to send Parks home. Daisy settled in on the floor near the taps, and I assessed. A few fae who, I’d bet my cheeky shorts, were here for an info swap, and Pook and Bingo. That was it. No other forest folk, not a single witch. Even Dionysis was MIA.
I’d spent the afternoon with a full-fledged dragon and a walking flare gun, but looking around my bar, fright gripped my heart for the first time.
They weren’t going to try. Dammit. I freaking thought they’d get it, but nope. I’m solo. The fae reconnaissance was no fluke. Any info I let slip would be used to thwart my efforts, hedging short-term safety for them over long-term balance for the creation. This war started without me.
En venterim, rest in peace.
Chapter Fourteen
“Where are we?” Drago peered around the enormous cavern, filled with water in the basin. Sunlight gleamed on the surface ripples, slanting through several small openings at the top.
“A cenote in Mexico,” Campe replied.
“Nice enough place, but Mexico? Why fly that far from Florida? I ain’t got a passport. Not a fan of spending time in a Mexican jail.”
Campe snorted. “I’ll train you here; the instability coursing through your veins is a problem on several levels. If you figure out how to connect with the symbiont and shift, allowing wings to develop, you’ll fly around the entire world in a single flight. The cenote offers a superior location to determine your capabilities. Now, jump.”
Drago shrugged and jumped. “Cool. I’m walking on the moon.”
He bounded along the perimeter of the basin with exaggerated leaps, covering ten feet at a time, and circled back to Campe.
“That’s new.”
“Promising,” Campe replied. “Try running across the water.”
“Hell no, I can’t swim. I ain’t doing that.”
Campe swung an arm wide, caught Drago by the bicep, and flung him toward the basin. “Run!”
Drago ran, feet skimming the surface, flapping his arms in terror before bouncing against the rocky wall of the cenote on the other side and landing on his ass with a hard bounce.
Campe shifted and flew across, dropping onto the path next to Drago. “As your Master, I’ll train and solidify your symbiont immersion. You’ll attempt every task requested, learn the lore, and live by that lore until death. Your opinion is irrelevant. Understood?”
“Yes,” Drago muttered.
Campe lifted the scaly equivalent of an eyebrow.
“Yes, Master Campe.”
“How nice, you’re a quick study, Aegeus. Are you ready for lunch?” Dracena closed the book with a smile.
“Mmm, yummy. Leftover pizza is fine.”
“Dracena,” Ballard swung by the kitchen. “I’m heading out to run errands. Patra wakes between eleven and noon, and I should be back before she leaves for The Boogie. Can I pick anything up for you?”
“Me? Oh, my, that’s very sweet, but I can usually cast for most needs.” Dracena rose, tugging a ringlet, then ran a hand along Ballard’s forearm, squeezed it, and smiled.
“Um, great. That makes sense. Kiddo, I’ll see you in a few and we’ll swim after lessons when it’s cooler.”
“OK, Ballard!”
“Let’s get your pizza warmed up, Aegeus,” Dracena said, as the front door closed behind Ballard. With a wave, the pieces on the plate shimmered with warmth. “Try this.”
“Pu-fect,” Aegeus proclaimed around a mouthful.
Dracena waved a finger, and a hot tea appeared on the island countertop.
“So tell me about Ballard, honey. He seems very attached to you.”
“Oh, I love Ballard. He takes care of me and Mommy, and he loves Justice, too.”
“How nice! What a great guy.”
“The best!”
“Bet it’s strange living with Mommy after so many years of being ignored.”
Aegeus reached for more pizza. “I could always feel her love, and Daddy only hid me to protect me.”
“Well, I can understand why. Your Mom takes risks.”
“Daddy says good Keepers do, and that moves the creation forward.”
“Too bad we’re moving into a terrible place now. But, I’m sure your Mom will realize that before it’s too late. At least, I hope so.”
“Mommy and the Vapors can handle anything!” Aegeus stopped chewing and stared at Dracena.
“Of course that’s possible, sweetie. When she has magical help, she accomplishes tasks.”
Aegeus chewed and swallowed, then pushed the plate away. “I’m finished.”
Dracena snapped, and the kitchen tidied itself, plates washing, drying, and zooming back into the cupboard as a clean, damp towel wiped up the crumbs.
“Witch Dracena, I’m going to lie down with Mommy for a while,” Aegeus announced. She marched into the bedroom, Justice on her heels, and closed the door with a quiet click behind her.
“That child is too smart by half,” Dracena stared at the ocean, waves crashing in a continual tick of watery time. “That man, though, is worth a tumble. I could have fun here.”
“High Priestess, I appreciate the opportunity to converse.”
“As do I, Loboli, we dwell in unusual circumstances.”
“Did you convene the covens?” Loboli gestured to the seating on the patio, then poured ice water for them both. “Please, help yourself. I imagine we’ll be here for a while.”
Chelsea loaded a plate with fruit and cheese and leaned back in her seat.
“Are the shifters united?”
“No, which surprised me, to be frank. No bird shifters, including the owls, joined us, and the fairies disagreed. It’s problematic to lose our flight options. I found the fae the most surprising, but they spent the evening at The Boogey with the Keeper and announced they would not align with us.”
“Nobody fucks with the fae by choice,” Chelsea said, selecting then chewing a slice of melon, letting the silence stretch. “To choose divergence from the Keeper doesn’t sit well with me, but as protector of the lore of the covens, I must guard our knowledge and protect future learning. The covens are not in total accord, but agreed to join you with a significant caveat.”
“And what might that be?” Loboli leaned over and loaded steak tartare onto his plate, adding a pile of blueberries.
“Loyalty to the Keeper flourishes, and not just from my coven. The developing threads binding the world are real; witches worldwide view these changes as positive and great opportuni
ties for learning. Many are reluctant to abandon this opportunity in its infancy and question the viability of the Triune if we join your alliance. We must discuss this between our races.”
“A fair point,” Loboli conceded. “We too have seen rapid improvement with our lot, and not having to hide while controlling swaths of forest for our sole use is significant.”
“The gamble’s stakes loom for both parties. Why do you prefer to fight?”
He leaned back, fingers drumming the tabletop. The silence built out, but neither budged. Loboli barked a growl and shook his head. “I’d rather not to say.”
“Then we cannot join you.” Chelsea, surprised, rose to her feet. “Disrespect lies within a hidden agenda not shared by the parties.”
“Witch Chelsea, wait.” Loboli paced the patio with animalistic grace as Chelsea stood in the doorway, watching for clues.
“We fight now because we were instrumental in their imprisonment. We choose aggression because the dragons will exact revenge and reign terror for centuries. If no member of this generation survives to rebuild our culture, the Triune is lost forever. ”
“I appreciate the honesty. Have you discussed brokering a ceasefire with the Keeper? That conversation could save many shifters. Patra’s got an obvious stake in saving the humans.”
“We do not see including the Keeper in our discussions and plans as a practical choice. These wounds go deep into our history; shifting races consider them sacred.”
“Until you have open discussion, it’s impossible to grasp your options. Based on this new information, I’m tabling our tentative acceptance. I’ll reconvene and return with our answer.”
“Your magic cannot turn the dragons from you if they choose to engage… and they will.”
“We can handle ourselves, but I question the wisdom of continuing to stir this pot. It’s been thousands of years. A refusal to broker peace, preferring war, brings the deaths of far too many onto your shoulders, Loboli. I encourage you to reopen this conversation with your magical brethren.”
“Shifters are, by nature, violent. It is our code.”
“In the time of deep voids between worlds, choosing violence provided the best protection. That Earth no longer exists, Loboli. Shifters live in the world they’re born into, not the gory, gloried one of the past. Leadership,” Chelsea tempered the criticism with a thoughtful smile, “is knowing when to lay aside old weapons and forge new strengths. I’ve struggled with this myself.”
Loboli growled.
“I’ll come back with our update tomorrow after the reconvention. I wish you well.” Chelsea walked with slow deliberateness to the front entrance and let herself out. Behind her, a frustrated howl shook the dawn.
“Mommy?”
I cracked an eye to find Aegeus’ face against mine. A rumbly purr told me Justice lay between our knees. I smiled and kissed her little nose, laughing when Daisy licked my foot. So far, uneaten.
“Are you OK? Did you read a scary book?”
“Oh, no. It’s not that.”
I sat up, pushed back until my spine rested against the headboard, and pulled her in for a cuddle. Daisy eyed Justice and rethought jumping on the bed, spinning instead into a circle and plopping on her plushy dog cushion with an exaggerated sigh.
“Tell me what’s going on, sweet girl.”
“Dracena isn’t being truthful, Mommy. She likes Ballard, but she doesn’t like you at all. Plus, she only wants to help me and him. Her heart has hidey holes.”
Crap. Hidey holes were Aegeus’ name for subterfuge in someone’s vibration. It’s why she adored Sadie and Glenna. When humans or magicals manifested negativity, she wanted nothing to do with them. Her sense of people was uncanny. The Vapor shred within her, I supposed.
“I’ll talk to Chelsea when I see her, honey. But understand that this dragon problem is pulling friendships apart. Some seek to live in peace together, while others feel fear and choose to fight. I believe the true path requires learning how to accept one another and forgive the past. But when lore is involved, magicals worry that I’m asking them to break the law. I’m not, but it takes time to help everyone learn.”
“I can’t feel Daddy. That worries me.”
“Do you remember when we had that water balloon fight at the inlet last month? How some balloons were bigger than others?”
“Yes, the smaller ones were easier to throw; the heavier ones splashed better.”
“Imagine holding a big and a small balloon, one in each palm, and trying to hold them level. The longer you hold their weight, the harder it is to keep them balanced, right?”
Aegeus nodded.
“Destructive energy and behaviors do the same thing to the creation. Over time, keeping the world level grows difficult because the weights are unequal.”
“Oh! The heavier weight is the dragons, because they aren’t free.”
“Plus the energies of the magicals who took their freedom away. When you add it together, it’s a great heaviness.”
“So helping dragons fills more positive energy into the little balloon?”
“Very good. It’s complicated, and choosing to do the right things causes problems and struggles. Changes are tough for humans and magicals both. But pursuing what’s right is worth it, sweet girl. The reason you can’t sense Poseidon is that the fire weight of the dragons has tipped him away from us. I’m working hard to make it so Daddy can come see you again.”
“I love you, Mommy.”
“I love you with every bit of my heart, Aegeus.”
Chapter Fifteen
Parker glanced up at the shriek.
“Ack! Crabs, hundreds of them, all over my feet!”
Gloria, Parker’s aunt, trotted over to the table. “Ma’am, let me help you. I’m so sorry they disrupted your meal.”
A few minutes later the happy vacation vibe returned as crabs, dropped by the dust pan loads, hit the ocean, and the woman with the tickled feet held her ‘on the house’ jumbo margarita under a big grin. Gloria caught Parker’s eye, holding up four fingers.
For the fourth time today, the tiny crabs swarmed the pier. Parks wondered what their visits meant, but it was midday. Ergo no free time to consult the record. He delivered tequila shots with beer chasers to the pair of forty-something women, whose hair was waaay down at 3 o’clock, with a flirtatious grin.
“We keep this up, we’re taking you home, hottie.”
Lemons bit and their shots landed, Parker turned away, pausing when the hairs lifted on his forearms. He peered through the transparent wall into The Boogey. It was packed with patrons and every one of them was smokin’ hot. Who they might be was a mystery. Parker glimpsed Charlie heading to clock in and trotted after him.
“Can you cover a couple minutes? I’ve got the mother of all dumps on deck.”
Charlie laughed. “Hell, Parker, it’s not busy, take fifteen.”
“Much appreciated.” Parker trotted out of the kitchen toward the bathrooms, past them, out the main door and palmed into The Boogey.
“Ladies, welcome to The Boogey. How may I help?”
Fifty pairs of eyes in every shade of blue Parker knew existed blinked above blazing smiles.
“Ooh, it’s the new Keeper!”
“We’ve heard of you.”
“How handsome. And young. Yummy.”
“I’d love to keep you under the sea with me.”
The babble rose, and Parker held up a bottle with a grin. “Wine?”
“Fish ale,” one said, fluttering her lashes.
“Oh, yes!”
“Let’s have ales!”
Parker tapped, and tapped, and tapped as the minutes ticked. As he pushed the last ale across, he lifted a finger.
“The Boogey isn’t open during the day. I gotta return to tend bar on the human side. Can I help with anything else, ladies?”
Two gold pieces landed on the bar. One woman, cerulean blue eyes blazing over her smile, nodded.
“Oh yes, Keeper. The
crabs tell us the water prison holding Dad and Poseidon is failing. The work to resolve the dragon fire takes shape.”
“Sounds good, right?” Parker glanced back at Charlie, who was filling up. Happy hour commencing in three, two…
“We just, mmm,” a breathy exhale punctuated the next word, “desire, a little help.”
“If I can, I will.” She was the most exotic creature Parker had ever seen. He lounged against the bar, attempting nonchalance.
“We require you to kill Loboli.”
“Oh, yes!”
“Please do.”
“He’s become a problem.”
“The sooner the better!”
Parker blinked as all fifty of Nereus’ daughters drained their beers, walked to the windows of The Boogey, climbed over the wooden sills and dropped twenty feet to the sand. The last ones landed as Parker ran to the open window, staring at the sea of crabs moving en masse to the surf, oblivious to the shrieks of chasing kids.
“Weird, and pretty much an actual dump. Stoll in here, chat me up, and request a murder? Sure thing, babes, Patra can add assassinating damn near impossible-to-kill wolves to our job description. Un-freaking believable. They were serious, too. What the hell.”
After dropping the glassware to soak, Parker scrawled a note and set it under the taps.
Talk to me about the Nereides and their non-starter offer.
With an epic eye roll, he palmed out and headed into The Boogie to hustle out a happy hour.
“Again,” Campe’s wings, flapping over the water, made ripples.
“At least I learned how to swim,” Drago muttered, kicking to the shallows and climbing the submerged rocks back to the path.
Drago slapped his thighs and crouched, skin glowing as he eyed the holes at the top of the cenote. Toes gripping, he squatted low and leapt, flinging his arms and shoulders up, then forward, repeating the motion, as his toes rose off the rocky edge, suspended.
Twenty feet over the water, he plummeted, steam rising as he vanished below the surface.
“Close. He’s missing a trigger. His body’s gravitational dependence shifted, but the emerging wings are only stubs.” Campe landed and paced, continuing to mutter as Drago rose from the basin and stood on the path, rubbing his back against the stones, resembling a pent up, itchy bear. As the idea landed, Campe halted, turned, shot a blast of fire across the water, and then eyed Drago.
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