Sirens and Scales

by Kellie McAllen

  “I wouldn’t mind some company.” Devon broke from Burt’s hold and returned to the guys’ table. “I actually have a few business matters to discuss.”

  Burt handed Devon a menu. “As long as it’s okay with you”—he shot a look of caution at Jace and Beau—“it’s fine with me. I’ll get you some coffee.” He turned and walked toward the kitchen.

  Devon sat slowly at Beau’s side without saying a word and just stared at them. Her eyes shimmered and became glassy, as if she were about to cry. “I’ve been so worried,” she mumbled.

  Beau reached under the table and squeezed her hand.

  “How are you? Have you gone back to the office?” Jace dared to speak, but he didn’t trust himself to remain calm or in control for long, and Burt was watching them from behind the coffeemaker.

  “Except for one other ill-fated trip outside the apartment, I’ve been living like I’m under house arrest. I’m on extended leave and ready to turn in my resignation. I can’t go to the office and see both of you every day. How long would it take for someone to notice the way the three of us look at each other? I don’t think I could hide my feelings. It’s been hard enough not to call your apartment just to leave a message.” Devon sounded devastated.

  It was killing him to sit across the table and see the anguish on her face. “Have you been harassed by anyone you’d consider a serious threat?”

  “What?” Devon looked away before answering. “Even if I had, I wouldn’t tell you. Isn’t that what they want, to draw you out in the open? I saw the hate in Commander Vorden’s eyes. I know his plan is to prick me and then stab you. I’m not going to help him by delivering the two of you into his hands. I’m prepared to stay away and wait it out.”

  “Don’t.” Jace groaned and tilted his head back. “That’s not right. We started to bond. I need—” He corrected himself. “We need to be with you. You should be sharing our bed.” He hated how desperate and selfish he sounded.

  “That can’t happen.” Devon gazed into his eyes, making his heart pound. “Everyone’s watching me. Being with you would be the most dangerous thing I could possibly do. I must stay away. We have to be patient.” She glanced around. “I probably shouldn’t even be sitting here with you now. It would kill me if someone saw us and put it all together. The general public has no idea what they’re looking at, but men like Commander Vorden would know in an instant.” She stood. “I should go.”

  Jace grabbed Devon’s wrist and pulled her back into the booth beside him. “Wait.”

  Devon landed next to Jace on the bench seat with an abrupt thud. “What’s up with you?”

  Easing his grip, Jace turned Devon’s palm over and saw the mark had completely faded. No sign of it remained, and that broke his heart. “Damn.” He wrapped his arms around Devon to prevent her from fleeing, leaned close, and allowed his mouth to hover near her throat as he whispered, “I could give you a dragon bite right now that would not only force you to link with me, but make you beg to come home to my bed.”

  “Why would you do that?” She struggled in his grip and gave his shoulder a firm shove. “Let me go. Are you trying to torment me or drive me mad wanting what I can’t have? I already fall asleep thinking of the two of you, and God knows I wake up thinking of you too. You want to make things worse? Force me to do something stupid?”

  Burt hurried toward them, balancing Devon’s coffee mug on a tray. He seemed alarmed by the obvious tension in the booth. “Is everything okay?” He looked wary. “Devon, would you like that private table now?”

  Devon composed herself. “No, thank you, Burt. I’m fine.”

  Burt set the coffee mug in front of Devon. “Would you like your usual breakfast, or do you have something else in mind?”

  Devon feigned a smile. “I’ll take my usual, Burt.”

  “Coming up.” Burt walked away.

  A horrible wave of jealousy over Burt’s protective and sensible actions, left him helpless to prevent himself from saying something petty. “A fucking stranger knows what you like for breakfast and I don’t. That’s not how it should be. Come home with us.”

  “Burt’s not a fucking stranger.” Devon got defensive. “He’s a nice guy, and I eat breakfast here three or four mornings a week, so what about it? I don’t like your tone. If you think for a moment that acting possessive and demanding is going to make me forget my common sense and do something reckless like go home with you, you’re mistaken. I know what’s at stake, and I’m not so selfish or stupid that I would do what you just asked. So don’t insult me.”

  Beau shrugged. “She’s right, Jace.”

  “Shut up, Beau,” Jace snapped.

  Devon rose. “I think I will take a corner table on the opposite side of the restaurant. I’ll eat my breakfast burrito with paparazzi leering beyond the window. I’m sure it will be a lot more pleasant than this.”

  “Don’t go.” Jace was instantly sorry he’d snapped. “The last few days, I’ve been so worried and irritable. I can’t sleep or eat. I haven’t been myself. I apologize.” He glanced at Beau. “To both of you.”

  “I haven’t been myself either.” Devon sat down beside Jace. “Apology accepted.” She brushed her hand across his. “But you have to stop pressuring me to do things that can only get us all hurt. It’s dragon mania out there, and the wrong people are looking.”

  “I know you’re right.” Jace leaned closer to Devon and noticed the fresh fragrance in her hair. It was a crisp, grassy scent that reminded him of the African veld. “I’ll dream of you tonight.”

  “You know what I want, but it’s not the right thing to do.” Devon looked into Jace’s eyes. Her face was filled with conflicting emotions. “Do I even need to say it?”

  Jace knew Burt would see his actions and wonder what was going on, but he dared to graze his fingertips across Devon’s hair and touch her face. The tender gesture was undeniably that of a lover. “As soon as you’re satisfied enough time has passed, come back to us. Beau and I want to share everything with you. We need you, and we will fully commit.” He reached for her hand and kissed her fingertips. “Just don’t wait too long, my love. Being apart will kill me.”

  Devon sat at her computer, looking over the dismal job prospects and feeling defeated. There was nothing in the Bay area that even remotely matched the sort of work she’d done at the magazine. She hadn’t been to the offices of International Explorer since before the trip to Africa, over a month ago, and she dared not go back.

  She wondered if Jace and Beau had returned to their regular jobs and routines. Every day she fought the temptation to call them or wander past their apartment building just to gaze up at their window. She’d even avoided the Explorer Café for fear of another self-exposing run-in. Her world had become small and dull, with only infrequent trips outside the apartment to buy groceries. Her favorite time was the heart of night when she at least had the hope of meeting Jace and Beau in a lust-fueled dream.

  Life was getting a little easier. A few of the most aggressive paparazzi had given up on her. The recent spectacular meltdown of a beloved celebrity marriage had lured their attention away. There had been no more verified dragon sightings, and general interest seemed to be waning in a story that refused to materialize in a substantial way.

  Except for her future employment prospects, things were improving. But there was one important matter that couldn’t wait. She stood, walked into the bathroom, and peed on the second pregnancy test of the morning. The first test stick was just too bizarre to interpret. The stick was designed to clearly indicate a plus or minus sign and a distinct color, but the first test had been between both symbols, and the middle shade of color was vague enough to cause concern.

  Another possibility was all the Marduko pheromones she’d received from multiple dragon bites were messing with her system, and there was nothing to worry about. Perhaps this was normal. She didn’t know what to think or who to ask. Being the female lover to two Marduko obviously came with a few surprises. She�
��d been changed both in body and heart, and now wandered alone in unknown territory.

  She almost picked up the phone and pressed Jace’s number before remembering that was the single stupidest thing she could do. Maybe she should have sent a friend to buy the test, but who? Arcona was the only one who knew the whole story, and she was a plane flight away. Perhaps it would have been safer to order online and have it mailed to her, but she couldn’t be certain her phone and mail weren’t being monitored.

  Damn, it was crappy, always wondering who was watching her and escaping notice. Commander Vorden wasn’t some easily distracted paparazzo with other targets to chase. He looked like the kind of man who was committed to a lifetime of zealous dragon hunting.

  This wasn’t the time to get lazy, scared, or to let down her guard and run to Jace and Beau for comfort. She didn’t believe for a moment Vorden had given up. After the bungled incident at the Nairobi airport, he most likely was being cautious and sending only his seasoned officers into the field as scouts.

  Glancing at the damp pregnancy test sitting on the edge of the sink provided no answers. The color indicator wasn’t blue or white. It was lavender. What the hell did that mean?

  Jace watched from the comfort of the love seat he’d purchased for Devon as Beau placed the last sparkling ornament on a skinny Christmas tree.

  Beau turned to look at Jace. “This isn’t cheering you up, is it?”

  “I appreciate that you tried.” He felt a stab of guilt knowing he’d been an absolute beast to live with. In the past weeks, severe mood swings and physical impairments had increased at a depressing rate. There was a constant tremor in his hands. Yesterday he’d fainted in the shower and smacked his head hard. This morning he’d picked up a plastic jug, lost his grip, and splashed milk all over the kitchen floor. Poor Beau had had to clean it up because the simple act of leaning down had left him too dizzy to stand. The other problems were too numerous to name, but all pointed toward the same inevitable conclusion: his decline had kicked into high gear. “This was supposed to be our first Christmas together as a mated trio,” he grumbled. “And it’s not going to happen, is it?”

  “Devon’s very persistent. Once she gets it in her head that she’s doing the right thing, she doesn’t quit. Do you want me to try to contact her?”

  “No.” Jace shook his head, feeling irritated by the ever-growing swarm of spots swimming in his peripheral vision. “What good would that do? I’ve already put her in too much danger. Devon has to come to us when she’s ready, if ever. This could be one of those things. Maybe fate really doesn’t want the Marduko on Earth. Our time here might have passed.”

  Beau set a delicate ornament on a high branch. “I hope that’s not true.”

  Jace squinted at Beau standing beside the tree; his silhouette softened and blurred. A moment later his vision further darkened and clouded. He waited, not wanting to make the next admission. “In case I forget, I hid a boxful of wrapped gifts for you and Devon in the back of my closet. I bought them a while ago. I think most of them are marked with your names, but I can’t remember for sure. Everything is a fog these days. I’m certain you can figure out who gets what.”

  Beau stepped closer. He knelt and put his arms around Jace. “Why are you telling me this now? Just give me my gifts on Christmas.”

  Jace stroked the top of Beau’s head, taking a moment to savor the silky texture of his hair. “Because I may not be here on Christmas. My body is shutting down. I can feel it. It’s all happening so fast.”

  “Don’t do this again,” Beau pleaded. “You’re scaring yourself and me. I don’t want to hear this.”

  “You have to.” He struggled to sound calm. “I’m not being dramatic. I swear it. It’s time for me to go to our cave on Old Grade Road while I’m still strong enough to make a final shift. I don’t want to pass away in our apartment in a city. That wouldn’t feel right. It’s not the Marduko way. I want to be on a mountaintop, and I need you to drive us there.” His voice faltered. “Because I can’t see a damn thing.”

  “You’ve gone blind? Already? But I thought we had a few more weeks.“ Beau tensed. “You’re certain this is it?”

  A sense of failure settled over him as he said, “This time I’m certain. It feels different.”

  A violent sob rattled out of Beau. “I prepared for this just in case, but there’s something we must do before we leave town.”

  Devon folded her legs beneath her as she leaned over the thick armrest of the couch, indulging in her favorite secret activity. When she felt insecure, she got out her camera and the memory card from the Africa trip, and scrolled past the hundreds of images one by one. She had not dared to post or transfer the photos to her laptop, or anywhere else for that matter. There were too many incriminating pictures to risk that sort of exposure, so she viewed them in private on her camera almost every day before carefully removing the card and hiding it inside the cracked sole of an old pair of running shoes. She knew she should probably destroy the card, but it was all she had of Jace and Beau, and some defiant part of her heart refused to deliver the photos into oblivion, reasoning that if she couldn’t be with Jace and Beau, at least she could look at them.

  She sped past the amazing pictures of lions charging, impalas gliding over the Jeep, and Kibo’s handsome but serious face, and moved straight to her favorites—Jace and Beau seated beside the bonfire in the cave. Their faces glowed with happiness. The orange flames of the fire flattered Jace’s coppery complexion, and Beau too. There was a photo of the guys standing casually without their shirts, sipping tea from aluminum mugs. The logical part of her mind knew they were drinking a hallucinogenic tea on Mount Kilimanjaro and preparing to shift into dragon form, but the scene looked so deceptively normal, almost domestic, as if this was an innocent camping trip—with two beautiful lovers. She wished she could be with them again, even just for an hour or two.

  Just as she drifted deep into thought, something substantial struck her front door and landed on the hallway floor with a thud.

  Devon started and leaped to her feet. It sounded as if someone had tossed a package at the door, but it was Sunday and most professional delivery services she knew weren’t working. To be safe, she removed the memory card from the camera and hid it inside the battered shoe before unlocking and opening the door. She glanced down. A bulky manila envelope lay on the threshold with no one in sight. Cautiously, she reached for the package and turned it over. Jace’s bold handwriting was scrawled across the front in black marker and simply read FOR DEVON.

  With her heart pounding, she brought the envelope inside and drew the safety latch. She walked into the kitchen, cut the heavily taped packet with a knife, tipped the contents onto the countertop and stared at the odd assortment of items, wondering where to start.

  The first thing she picked up was a key ring loaded with tagged keys to Jace’s apartment, car, mailbox, and God knew what else. There were several sealed and official-looking documents from a law firm, a small notebook with a bold, black-and-white-striped cover that contained phone numbers and bank pass codes, and standing out among everything else, a velvet jewelry box.

  She picked up the box, snapped it open, and saw two thick gold wedding bands obviously sized for men, and a slender gold band sized for a woman. Her breath caught. Why would Jace and Beau give her something so personal without a note or explanation? They were still in the let’s-figure-out-what-this-means phase of the relationship. Sending three wedding rings to her was kind of heavy. The overall combination of items was disturbing. “What the hell is this about?” she muttered.

  The phone rang.

  Devon glanced toward the phone dock. She didn’t recognize the incoming number. The persistent ring felt like a scream to her shattered nerves. Impulsively she picked the phone up just to silence it.

  “Devon, is that you? I only have a minute. Did you get the package on your doorstep?”

  “Beau?” She was astonished. “Why are you calling?” What if some
one was listening in? “Is everything all right at the office?”

  “Things at the office are bad, very bad.”

  “I’m sorry.” She had no idea how much was safe to say over a phone that might have been compromised.

  “Jace is leaving the office forever.” Beau sounded somber. “And I’ve chosen to go with him, so I want to say goodbye now.”

  Beau did not sound good. His voice was in shreds, as if he’d been sobbing. True alarm took hold. “Where are you going?” She bit her lip on the wasted question, knowing Beau couldn’t and shouldn’t give her an honest answer over the phone.

  “It’s all in black and white,” he answered dismissively. “I only have a few seconds left. The real reason I called was I just saw several suspicious men near your apartment building. Be very careful, and don’t go out alone. We’ve thought about it a lot and decided that for your well-being it might be best for you to approach the media and go public with any story you like. Our secret’s not important anymore, but you are. Put a bright spotlight on yourself. Vorden and the Order of the Knights of Saint George will be reluctant to call attention to themselves. Running into the open and telling the truth might be your safest choice.”

  “Knights of Saint George? What about you and Jace?”

  “Your safety comes first. Our fate’s written in black and white.” Beau hung up.

  “Beau?” Anxiety rolled through her when she grasped that he’d broken the connection with no further instructions. She set down the phone and reached for the tiny black-and-white notebook, hoping it was what Beau meant. She thumbed past the first few pages, seeing only phone numbers, email addresses, business contacts, and a smattering of pass codes with cryptic notations.

  Many empty pages followed. The rest of the book appeared barren. Her heart sank. Did Beau expect her to check every business address for clues? She riffled past the empty pages and came to the end, seeing nothing until she glanced at the inside of the back cover and saw crudely drawn pencil squiggles, interrupted by short rows of numbers. “What the hell, Beau? How am I going to figure this out?”