Greed and Other Dangers

by TJ Nichols

  There were no new gifts on his desk, and the dragon toy was still perched on his computer, staring down at him, judging him. He’d sniffed the Strega’s tea this morning, but there was something about it that he couldn’t quite stomach, a scent that put him off. So he’d had his usual cup of coffee and made a list of reasons why dragons weren’t suitable mates.

  Doesn’t like cats and eats raw chicken were the only things he could come up with.

  He glanced at the people in the office. They would disapprove. Could he actually lose his job for dating a mytho? He didn’t want to be the test case, but for change, someone had to be. There must be other mytho-human relationships. He just didn’t know where to find them.

  He checked his emails.

  “You look like hell.” David leaned on the wall.

  “Coming down with something.” An easy lie. Maybe he was. The tremor was back in his hands, but there was no way he was dragging himself to Creature Hollow to bang on Edra’s door, not after last night.

  “You probably caught something off those creatures you’ve been hanging around with. Who knows what diseases they have? We should be out there with spearguns.” He made shooting gestures. “Killing the mermaids.”

  Jordan opened the news article that Edra had sent him at six that morning. Hopefully the asshole had slept as badly as he had. “Those mermaids you want to kill put out the wildfires.”

  “And they killed two humans.”

  “Two humans drowned. There is no evidence that the mermaids killed them. The fires kill how many each summer?” The words tripped off his tongue. He was rationalizing the kills and the fire. A boat of criminals sacrificed to keep the fishermen safe. Is this what they were coming to? It wasn’t right, but like Edra had said, what else could be done about mermaids? His people had lived with them for millennia, and that was the best they had come up with. “I have a suspect for the boats and things I need to do, so unless you have information or a witness…?”

  “You’ve became a mytho-loving, human-hating freak.”

  “I was always a freak. But I don’t hate humans any more than I love mythos. I’m just applying the law equally as best I can. If you have a problem with that, you need to examine your biases.” Jordan stood. “I need to go look at the boat.”

  THE POLICE boat was up, so Jordan could walk beneath it. The gouges were impressive, the spacing no wider than his splayed fingers, but the metal was shredded. “Not mermaid caused.”

  “No. Definitely not. They have nails and webbed fingers. This fits more with what we know about dragons,” the crime-scene analyst said. “But that isn’t conclusive. It won’t hold up because we’ve got nothing to compare it to.”

  “What do you know about water dragons?”

  “Not a lot. I had to call some friends back east. We’re still building up a library of claws and teeth. We don’t know enough.”

  This was the kind of thing Edra should see, but he already knew it was a water dragon. Edra didn’t need evidence. Jordan did. He needed something that would hold up in court.

  Motive was still a problem. He didn’t know if mermaid love trials were going to be a good enough reason to sink a couple of boats. Without the mermaid saying that she asked Narv to do it, they had nothing.

  His phone rang, and he checked before answering. If it was Edra, he was going to ignore it because he couldn’t deal with that at the moment. Another good reason not to be with him—they had to work together. But it wasn’t Edra. It was the captain, and as much as he’d like to ignore those calls, he couldn’t. “Kells.”

  “Where are you?”

  “Looking at the boat and trying to figure out the best way to catch the water dragon without risking more boats and more lives.” He still had no ideas that didn’t involve Edra, and he wanted to be able to do his damn job without Mytho Servo looking over his shoulder.

  Then there were the thefts. They bothered him because, from everything Edra said, the stolen items shouldn’t be ending up online.

  “Andrew Campbell is dead. His father has been on the phone to me this morning. The storm has caused more problems than it solved. I’m calling Mytho Servo in, and I want you there.”

  “Let me know the time.” Campbell’s death was worrying him less and less. If his father had won, the mythos would have been stripped of the rights they’d fought for and possibly locked up. Many would flee to safer cities. Edra would’ve left, or would he have fought until he was shot down?

  He imagined the silvery dragon falling from the sky, and his heart cracked.

  He finished up and went down the docks to stare at Alcatraz and think. There wasn’t much more he could do. The bay was rough as the tail end of the storm unwound, but the sky was clear of clouds and smoke. He used to like storms and the way everything felt washed clean afterward, as though it were possible to start over.

  As an adult, he knew that wasn’t true.

  Nothing had changed. He still had cases he couldn’t close, suspects he couldn’t question, and dragons he couldn’t catch.

  He turned away, not wanting to be late for the meeting.

  THE VAMPIRE walked through the precinct as though he owned the place. His suit and hair were immaculate. It was only when he turned that people looked away from a face that was craggy and cracked like a desert and just as unforgiving. Edra followed his boss toward the captain’s office.

  Jordan stood.

  “’Bout time someone stopped them,” David muttered.

  The vampire turned and stared straight at David, but David was looking at Jordan. Slowly he pivoted, his mouth a silent plea for help as he realized the vampire had heard him from the other side of the room.

  Jordan walked past him without a word. The last one into the office, he shut the door and took the remaining seat, praying that the captain would be diplomatic and not make everything worse. He figured it was a fifty-fifty bet. But he wasn’t sure how things could get better, so maybe it was more like seventy-thirty in favor of things getting worse.

  Edra hadn’t made eye contact. That was fine. Perhaps they were done and all they had to do was work together. They were adults, professionals. They could do that. But the longing was scratching at his veins again, making his fingers curl.

  “Mr. Ardel, Knight Tendric, I’m glad you could come in.” The captain had buried his distrust of mythos deep for this meeting. He was all polite smiles and earnest greeting, bless his heart.

  “We are here to help.” Ardel’s voice was as smooth as butter.

  The captain nodded. “The city appreciates the way you liaised with the mermaids. The fires are out, and Dr. Lew is claiming we’re the first city to have a mermaid fire division.”

  “They would appreciate a shiny badge to that effect,” Edra said.

  Ardel’s eyebrows barely shifted, but Edra leaned back in his seat like he’d just been given a dressing down.

  “Right, yes… of course.” The captain frowned, evidently not sure if Edra was serious. “But while they solved one problem, they have created another. Two men are dead. Two boats have been ruined.”

  “And several items stolen,” Jordan added. He put the file on the table. “The stolen items aren’t staying with the mermaids. They’re ending up online, being sold to collectors.”

  “A minor matter compared to murder,” the captain said.

  “Drowning isn’t murder.” Ardel flicked a piece of lint off his pants. When he spoke, his fangs were visible. Was he thinking about biting the captain? The vampire glanced at him as though he’d spoken aloud. Seated between Edra and him, Jordan started to wonder if Ardel knew what was—what had been—going on between them.

  The captain rested his elbows on his desk. “We have witnesses that say they were pulled into the water by mermaids.”

  Jordan bit back the wince. That wasn’t entirely true, and Edra knew that, which meant Ardel knew that, and lying to a vampire wasn’t a good move.

  Ardel considered the captain for several heartbeats. “The di
ver walked in and didn’t resurface. We have one witness who says the other man was pulled in. Another says he jumped into the water like the rest of them.”

  The captain nodded. “Andrew was an excellent sailor and swimmer. His family has connections and will expect something to be done about the mermaids.”

  He was also a murder suspect, but it seemed that wasn’t going to be raised at this meeting, so Jordan kept his mouth closed.

  Ardel tilted his head. “What would you like us to do? You must be aware that on Tariko we didn’t police mermaids. They ruled the ocean.”

  “You need to remind them that they don’t rule it here. They’re subject to the same laws as everyone else, and I want them brought in for questioning.”

  “Brought in here?” Ardel lifted one eyebrow.

  “If I don’t get answers, I will charge you with obstruction of justice.” The captain’s cheeks turned red. He must be getting pressured from somewhere higher up.

  Ardel leaned forward a little and held up a hand with manicured nails painted a dark blue to match his suit. “Let me see if I understand, captain. You thank the mythos for putting out the fires with one hand, while you threaten us with the other. There is nothing stopping you or your investigators from going to the Alcatraz border and speaking with the mermaids.”

  “That has been tried, and nothing was achieved. I want the murderer brought in.”

  “Yes. I can understand your concern about a murderer left to run loose. Darian’s death shook the mytho community. Such a violent hate crime. The mutilating of a body and then the murder of two humans to try and set up the satyrs.” Ardel shook his head.

  “Are you accusing Andrew of something? Are you accusing me of something?” His voice rose. The captain usually kept his cool. Just how friendly was he with the Campbell family?

  Jordan closed his eyes, breathed out slowly, and then dove in. “Tendric and I are working on getting the water dragon in for questioning regarding the boat sinkings and the stolen goods.”

  “And the mermaids. They need to be held accountable for their part,” the captain added.

  The room was silent. It was Ardel who spoke first. “Have you ever dealt with a mermaid, captain?” He had a way of saying it that made it sound like an insult.

  “No.”

  “Then you should pray it stays that way. There is no being more feared than the merfolk. I suggest you make that fire badge nice and big and shiny and you tell Andrew’s parents that he drowned.” Ardel stood and smoothed his jacket. “Are there any other issues? Is my liaison working out well?”

  The captain stood. “They can’t get away with it.”

  “There is no body. The witnesses are unsure, and I will not send my people into the water on a fool’s errand. You may risk yours.”

  There was nothing that would get Jordan back on the water and heading for Alcatraz.

  Edra was still looking straight ahead, as though he couldn’t bear to even glance at Jordan. His heart was filled with broken glass, and every beat cut and bled. He’d broken up with plenty of people and had been broken up with, but he was sure that nothing had hurt the same way as this did.

  “Do not obstruct a murder investigation, Mr. Ardel.” The captain’s voice was dark and dangerous.

  “I’m not obstructing anything. But you may want to talk to your mayor before you anger the mermaids who just helped your city.”

  “You are content with killers in our bay?”

  Ardel took a step toward the desk, and the captain flinched. “Are you content with killers in the streets? There are still plenty out there who beat, burned, or dragged mythos behind cars. Where is your concern for them? There are killers out there who shoot their partners, who drive intoxicated and kill entire families. Where is your concern for them? There are more killers in the city than there are mermaids in the bay. Now if you don’t mind, I have another meeting to get to.”

  Edra stood and followed Ardel out of the room. Jordan glanced at the captain. Whatever point he’d been trying to make had been lost. His threats had washed away, and he’d revealed that he had nothing.

  Chasing mermaids would be like going after a shark for biting a surfer—you could grab one, but you could never be sure it was the right one. He was starting to understand that Edra wasn’t protecting mythos by not going after mermaids. He was protecting everyone. Jordan had no idea how to make his captain understand that, so he closed his file and stood. He wanted a word with Edra before he left the building.

  “I want someone charged for Andrew’s murder.”

  “If there were a body, we’d be asking for a tox report. He might have fallen overboard. It could be misadventure.”

  “It was revenge,” the captain said, his eyes hard. “Siding with them will do you no good.”

  Maybe it was revenge for Darian. Maybe the mermaids were just taking payment. Maybe it was part of the water dragon’s love trial. Maybe wouldn’t hold up in court. “Making accusations like that is dangerous. I have a dragon to question.”

  But Edra was already gone.

  Chapter 19

  THE HOTEL construction site was at a standstill. Water pooled in what was going to be the underground garage, and debris was strewn across the site from the storm, but that wasn’t the problem. Ogres stood to one side, their fluorescent vests marking them as the workers, while humans blocked the entrance to the site.

  Ardel parked his car across the road and watched the protest. “They want us to work and to integrate. Then as soon as we do, they hate us all over again, but for new reasons. Do they even know what they want?”

  “No. I don’t think any human ever stops long enough to think about what they truly want, because they have such short lives.” Edra’s sample size was one, but it was enough.

  “Ogres don’t live much longer, and they don’t have that problem.”

  “Ogres have simple needs and are easily content.” They liked physical jobs and being useful, and they were loyal. He’d trust a fist of ogres more than a handful of humans. He liked ogres, had slept with a few. They were infinitely less troublesome than Jordan, but Jordan was more intriguing. But after last night, he couldn’t bring himself to look at him. Nothing that he wanted to say could be said in front of others.

  All he could do was put his faith in the Strega’s words. Jordan was his last chance at a mate. He was a second chance that many didn’t get. Maybe he wasn’t mate material now and he needed a few years. Or he’d grow into it if they did mate now. Either way, Edra stood by his demand that Jordan get clean before they do anything. Maybe then the other bits would click into place.

  The humans held their signs proclaiming that ogres had taken their jobs, and they refused to let anyone on the site. It wouldn’t be long until the cops arrived to break up the protest. They’d have to show, because the owner of the site wouldn’t want any delays.

  Ardel tapped the steering wheel, his nails a work of art that a supermodel would aspire to. “This business with the mermaids…. I don’t like to get my hands wet, but it needs to look like we’re doing something more.”

  “We’re going to hand over Narv.”

  “If you catch him. It was very convenient that only Andrew was taken.” Ardel glanced at him.

  Edra forced himself to be calm, but Ardel would hear even the slightest change in his heartbeat. “A traditional offering that placated the satyrs and the mermaids.”

  “But not the humans.”

  A police car arrived and parked, lights flashing.

  “I don’t know if humans can ever be kept happy.” Edra opened the car door and glanced at his boss, expecting him to make another remark about him and Jordan.

  “Be careful. Humans can be full of spite when things don’t go their way. They don’t understand the way things work.”

  “Worked. We aren’t in Tariko. We need to do more to change.” He got out of the car and walked over to the ogres, ready to act as their representative from Mytho Servo. He was glad Jordan wasn’t
there. The need to be with him was at war with the need to be smart.

  But what good was being smart if he was alone?

  Even if he had no mate, he could go north and find other happiness guarding the rookery and helping to raise the young lesser dragons. As he approached, the protesters increased the volume of their chanting, shouting over the cops.

  He was sick of the protests and the hate. Ardel was right. Nothing they did was enough. When was it going to end? When could they just live?

  When the media rocked up to add their spin to the little drama of mythos stealing human jobs, he was almost convinced he was done with San Francisco. If this was supposed to be one of the most forward cities in America, maybe he was done with that too.

  The cops started to break up the protest so the ogres could get onto the site and start work. They were stronger than humans and probably cheaper too. If he were looking to employ someone for construction work, he’d pick an ogre over a human. Elvish race car drivers… what would be next? But it had taken ten years to get this far, fighting for every inch.

  He was one hundred and thirty-four. He shouldn’t be having to fight for a place in society. He’d done that, had earned his sword and his mate.

  Now he had nothing.

  Instead of trying to get it all back, was starting fresh the better option?

  The need would fade away. The bond wasn’t complete. While he’d miss that intimate connection, he could still have fun. Other lesser dragons would enjoy a storm with him. They wouldn’t flinch as he ate whole chickens. But the thought of a passing interlude didn’t excite him. It would scratch the surface itch but not the one that ran deeper.

  The cops came over and Edra stepped forward, putting himself between the ogres and the humans. If he was willing to give his life, he should be able to have the life he wanted in return.

  At the moment he was just as indecisive as any human. Last night’s fight was on him. He could’ve stayed, but he needed to know if it was just the Bliss in Jordan’s blood, or something more. He didn’t want to think about Jordan fucking someone else, but his dreams had been filled with betrayal.