Nebulous_A Reverse Harem Urban Fantasy

by Katie French

“Nope.”

  “So the mother just sits there incubating the egg?” I asked, perplexed.

  “Oh, no. It doesn’t work like that,” Ki said.

  Tom laughed. “Couldn’t imagine my mom waiting for me for an hour, much less eighteen months. Anyway, that’s not the point. The point is that if my mother’s experiments work, Deeploch could double, triple, quadruple their numbers in no time. My mother plans to control these new dragons through magic. And in her mind, they would be expendable, like soldier ants.”

  “Your mom’s messed up, dude,” Santiago said.

  Tom ignored the comment. “But I guess we can’t make a plan based on an if.” He made air quotes. “With luck, she won’t perfect her serum, so getting the lighthouse back seems like the best option at the moment.”

  “And how do we do that?” Fang asked.

  “Well,” I said tentatively, “I sort of have a plan.”

  “Spill,” Santiago said, rubbing his hands together.

  “I’ll need to use the computer to pull up a few details, but it might work.”

  “We’re all ears,” Ki said.

  So I told them.

  Chapter Eleven

  “You’ll go slow, right?” I asked Tom as I adjusted the straps on the air tank at my back. The wetsuit clung to me, accentuation every curve. I squirmed uncomfortably as four pairs of eyes constantly raked the length of my body.

  “For the third time, I will,” Tom said.

  I had scuba dived in the lake before, but it had been a while, so I couldn’t help feeling nervous. The guys had insisted I wait for them, but I had to go. I would never ask them to do anything I wouldn’t do myself. They were in this situation because of me, and I couldn’t send them into danger without risking it all, too.

  Lowering the scuba mask over my eyes, I took a step toward the shore to allow the guys to undress and shift. The weight of the sword around my waist—the length of its scabbard strapped along my leg—felt strange, but I guessed I couldn’t always wear it at my back, so I needed to get used to this as well.

  A moment later, four dragons joined me, two at each flank. Tom, his blue scales shimmering as if bathed with stardust, lowered himself to let me climb. I placed a foot on his bent knee and mounted with practiced ease. I’d ridden dragon back so many times lately that it was starting to feel like second nature. Who’d have thought?

  Except this time, I wasn’t flying.

  I was going underwater.

  Ready? Tom asked inside my head.

  Ready or not. We hadn’t snuck all the way up here, risking being seen by Jimmy, to chicken out in the end.

  I put the air regulator in my mouth, then gave Tom a gentle nudge. He waded into the water one slow step at a time. My heart hammered as the cool liquid touched my toes, then rose to my knees, waist, neck, and over my head.

  Everything went dark.

  Oxygen flowed into my mouth, but I still felt as if I were drowning. A luminous flash flared in my mind. For an instant, I saw my mother caught in an iridescent circle while two dragons fought around her. The memory assaulted me every time I went underwater, but I’d always refused to let that keep me from swimming, from turning me into a coward. I lived in a lighthouse, next to a lake, and being afraid of the water simply wasn’t an option.

  My eyes adjusted slowly, though it wasn’t much help. It was still dark. We’d decided against a lamp for fear of being spotted. Besides, the boys could see perfectly fine with their dragon eyes, so the light would have been only for my benefit. So into deep, dark lake water we went. Whose dumb idea was this again?

  I held on to the spikes at Tom’s neck, squeezed my legs around his wide body, and crouched low against him. The other three dragons followed, moving gently and stirring as little water as possible. Their shapes were but dark shadows with thick limbs and long tails. Air bubbles released through Tom’s nostrils, and we sank lower. With the aid of magic, the boys could stay underwater for about thirty minutes—another of those awesome things dragons could do.

  The idea had come to me last night as I remembered the day Tom had snuck into the submerged lighthouse cave. He’d been trying to steal my sword, but I’d managed to stop him. I was counting on Jimmy not knowing about the underground lair, and if he did, at least he didn’t have a warden’s ring to gain access to it. I’d shared the idea with the guys, and they agreed it was a good way to try to get the lighthouse back. It wasn’t a brilliant idea by any means, but it was the best I’d been able to come up with.

  So, after working out the details and doing a quick search online, we found a place to get the diving equipment and paid one hundred dollars for the rental, along with an outrageous deposit I wouldn’t get back unless I returned everything in the exact shape I’d received it. Otherwise, I’d have to say “bye, bye, puny college fund.”

  As we went deeper, the temperature dropped. Despite the wet suit, a shiver went down my spine. Tom had said it would take us ten minutes to reach the entrance to the cave. Thankfully, we were halfway there. I was not at all for turning into a girlcicle.

  Almost there, Lila, I told myself.

  Suddenly, my vision blurred. I swiped a hand across the scuba mask, thinking it was because of Tom’s bubbles. No change. I blinked, panic growing in my chest for some reason. Then a piercing pain exploded inside my head, lacing through my left eye. My whole body flinched, and I almost let go of Tom.

  Something wrong? he asked inside my mind. He wasn’t supposed to do that in case my rudimentary telepathic skills gave us away—my use of “private channels” was iffy at best—but I’d almost come off his back.

  I didn’t try to answer. Instead, I struggled through the pain and held on tighter. We went deeper as the sting subsided, and I hugged close to Tom.

  It’s the change in pressure. Don’t freak out, I told myself.

  That was the most logical explanation for the out-of-the-blue headache. It wasn’t a brain tumor or anything like that. I was pretty sure the stress of the last few weeks didn’t help any, either.

  When the pain finally passed, I slowly opened my eyes. My vision was uneven, and I blinked several times, wishing I could rub my eyes instead.

  Struggling through the wonky feeling, I peered around. Everything looked… different… wrong.

  I closed my left eye. That seemed normal.

  I switched eyes. What the…?

  Through my right eye, everything was sharper: Ki swimming next to Tom, the bubbles gliding upward, pieces of algae floating through the water. Details I hadn’t been able to see before were clear now. I looked up, wondering if there was more light coming from the surface.

  Sure enough. The bright, searching beam of Peele Point Lighthouse cut through the murk, its brightness barely reaching us, but still there.

  We’re here. Tom’s voice brought me back to the moment. Swim ahead, duck under those rocks, then keep swimming upward until you break the surface.

  I nodded as if he could see me, then let go of him. Treading water with wide strokes and strong kicks, I approached the rocks. Their rough surface scraped my hands as I pushed against them to drive myself downward.

  A hole wide enough for a dragon hid under the rocky outcrop. My vision was still messed up, but I swam in anyway, kicking against the current. I followed across a tunnel and—after the thirty longest seconds of my life—came out into an open area. More than ready to be on firm land, I fanned my arms downward while kicking hard and fast.

  A minute later, I broke the surface inside the warden lair, the boys right behind me.

  It was dark as pitch. At least my messed-up vision couldn’t affect me in the dark.

  I fanned my arms in a circle, rotating toward the guys. Their dragon eyes shone from their human faces, the only thing visible in the gloom. They swam toward the edge of the pool. I followed, guided by their splashing sounds.

  They got out of the pool, and I couldn’t help but imagine water running down their muscular bodies, dripping from their hair and down thei
r sculpted chests. Too bad there wasn’t any light to see by.

  Someone took my hand and helped me out of the water. I spit out the air regulator, then thanked him as I came face to face with a pair of golden eyes.

  “My pleasure, amor,” Santiago said, the ring of a smile in his tone. He was stark naked, and I was no more than a couple of inches away from him. My cheeks went flaming hot, which he could surely see in all their glory. Great.

  “Be right back.” He pulled away, though I could feel his reluctance.

  I stood in the dark, removing my diving gear and listening to the rustle of the boys as they searched for clothes inside the old chest that had held the sword. Stashing boy clothes all over Summers Lake had become a part-time job for us at this point. It was good to see our foresight was paying off.

  A match struck. Ki emerged out of the rear alcove. He held a kerosene lamp and had dressed in jeans and a plain black T-shirt. We’d stashed no shoes, so he was barefoot. His thick black hair still dripped water. A rivulet traced a path down his jaw, and I wiped it away with my thumb, eliciting a smile from him.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  I nodded, then led the way toward the steps. My dragons followed.

  “Shit, I think I grabbed the wrong pants!” Fang’s whisper rang inside the cavernous staircase. “They’re squeezing my butt.”

  A “shh” came from more than one person.

  “All right, all right, but they’re squeezing more than just my butt, and it ain’t fun,” Fang protested.

  “Lovely,” Ki said.

  I stopped as we reached the top of the winding, stone stairs. I’d never opened the entrance from underneath, so I prayed it would work. I listened for steps or any sounds from above. Nothing. Pressing my ringed hand to the cold stone slab overhead, I held my breath.

  With no effort on my part, the slab slid open. I exhaled with relief.

  I climbed out cautiously. The front door was closed. Good.

  There was a small round window high on the wall, which made it somewhat easier to see in the cramped space, but I still was glad when Ki stepped out of the crypt with the lamp.

  Wasting no time, I ran to the far corner where Dad kept a red metal toolbox. I tried to lift it, but it was too heavy.

  “I’ll take it.” Santiago squeezed by me, lifted the box with ease, and smirked with a sideways glance at his bulging bicep.

  “You won’t be smiling in a minute,” I told him, then headed toward the spiral steps.

  We began the 184-step climb. After we made the second landing, I looked back at Santiago. He wasn’t smiling anymore. Instead, his tongue practically hung out of his mouth.

  “Told ya,” I whispered.

  The others laughed.

  A loud clang echoed up the tall shaft that was the lighthouse. My heart skipped. Ki crouched and doused the kerosene lamp quicker than I ever could have. We all pushed away from the railing and toward the wall, crouching low, too.

  The wooden front door smacked against the wall. I’d heard the sound enough times to know someone had just come into the lighthouse.

  Crap!

  My breathing went into overdrive, too loud in own my ears. I pressed a hand against my mouth as if that would make a different.

  God, we’re screwed.

  The thought sent adrenaline into my blood and my heart sprinting. Jimmy would find us here, and if he didn’t kill us, he’d at least call the police and have us arrested for trespassing.

  No one moved a muscle. I listened for the scuff of shoes against the spiral steps. Nothing. Jimmy had already lit the wick, so why was he back? We’d purposely waited for the beacon to cut through the sky before venturing into the water.

  Fang pulled away from the wall and inched toward the railing. I grabbed his hand, but he gave me a reassuring glance. He took a peek. After a frozen moment, he gestured over his shoulder for us to move closer.

  And what I saw next froze my heart inside my chest.

  Chapter Twelve

  Glancing down, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Below us on the main floor, Jimmy stood naked. In the lamplight, his sallow skin flashed white against the dimness of the lighthouse as he stooped to remove his last bits of clothing. He stood, stretching his muscles and swinging his arms around like a swimmer getting ready for a race.

  Jimmy was naked? In my lighthouse? It was one thing to see my dragons in their birthday suits, but another to spy on a grown man that way. Talk about scarred for life. Luckily, we were too high up for me to make out much, but I averted my gaze to be safe. His pants were in a puddle by his feet next to his shoes, letting me know he’d at least worn something on the walk between the house and the lighthouse.

  More than the fear of being caught was this new question blaring in my mind: what in the holy hell was he doing?

  I glanced around the dark stairwell at the boys who seemed as confused as I was. Our eyes shot questions around that no one seemed to know how to answer. Would he shift into his dragon form inside the lighthouse? That was crazy. Not only would he destroy much of the interior, he’d probably hurt himself in the process. But what other reason would he have to be naked and alone? Some sort of weird sexual thing? I might die if that turned out to be the case.

  Forgetting my original idea, I pulled my phone out of its waterproof case, careful to make sure the flash and sound were off before hitting the video record button and angling it down. If Jimmy was up to something, I wanted it on film for Mr. Webb’s enjoyment.

  What are you doing? came Tom’s voice in my head.

  I shot him a look, worried Jimmy would somehow be able to pick up on our frequency and hear Tom. Then, very carefully, I leaned over the railing and aimed my running camera at Jimmy.

  The image on my screen was a blurry zoomed-in mess. From what I could tell, Jimmy was now stooped over, doing something in a crouch. His arms moved up and down like he was folding clothing, his head bobbing in time to music we couldn’t hear.

  Suddenly, a giant flash of light shot up from where Jimmy stood, illuminating the whole shaft of the lighthouse. Terrified, I pulled back against the wall along with the boys, each of us doing our best to flatten ourselves so we couldn’t be seen.

  What would make light that bright? Only magic. I inched forward, the camera still recording in my shaky hand. Whatever was happening, I had to get it on video.

  When I finally got the camera back in position, Jimmy was deep in the throes of whatever it was. The beam seemed to be drawn up from the floor and possibly below, shooting up to the ceiling as a pillar of light. Jimmy circled it like a caged animal, his shoulders hunched and his movements deliberate. While he was not fully shifted, some parts of him had transformed. His eyes glowed brightly, their luminescence visible from here. His shape was bigger, his shoulders broader, and he had scale pant legs like those the older male dragons were able to conjure.

  But it was his movements and the intensity of his gaze that let me know he was conjuring. I’d seen dragon magic before. These were some full-on Harry Potter incantations.

  Keeping my camera steady, I glanced back at the boys. All four were still as statues watching me watch Jimmy. I gave them a waggle of my eyebrows to indicate a, What do you think of this? Santiago shrugged. Ki seemed concerned. It was Tom who looked afraid. I zeroed in on him.

  What is it? I mouthed.

  He shook his head, a dark shadow hanging over his expression. Whatever was happening scared the crap out of Tom.

  While I considered his expression and what it might mean, the light began to fade. As I turned, it died completely. By the time I got the camera centered back on Jimmy, he was collecting his pants and limping out the door.

  Limping?

  When the door below gave a solid click letting us know Jimmy was gone, I huddled in and focused on Tom.

  “What was that?” I whispered, staring at his face in the dim light. The fear was still there behind his eyes.

  He shook his head, gaze on the floor. “I think they�
��ve figured out how to draw power from the beacon.” His voice was hollow and far away.

  I put a hand on his shoulder. “What does that mean?”

  Ki stepped forward. “It means bad news. Only wardens are supposed to be able to draw power from the beacon.”

  “But he is a warden,” I murmured, feeling the shame flare up again. My fault.

  Ki responded with a gentle nod. “Jimmy’s one of us. Dragons have internal power and magic. Humans do not. Beacons were created long ago to balance the power differential. Human wardens can draw on them for strength. Dragons are not supposed to be able to. It would be too much, make them too strong.”

  Santiago pulled his glasses off, then rubbed the bridge of his nose. “A son-of-a-bitch like Jimmy with warden power… Man. Not good.”

  “Not good,” Fang echoed.

  Tom’s eyes stared off, but his voice joined their conversation. “If he can draw on it, then surely my mother can. It’s only a matter of time before she controls everything.”

  All their worry pressed in on me, but I refused to let it get me down. Instead, I held up my cell phone, wiggling it in front of their faces. “You’re forgetting one thing. I have video recording of Jimmy doing dragon magic in the lighthouse.”

  They all stared at me like they had no idea what I was talking about.

  “Guys, we can show this to Mr. Webb. It’s over for Jimmy. I’ll get the lighthouse back.”

  All too quickly they were shaking their heads. Santiago put a gentle hand on my shoulder. “If only we could, amor. But a warden’s job is to keep knowledge of dragons out of the hands of humans, not to give it to them on a silver platter.”

  I was shocked they would be willing to give this opportunity up. “There have to be exceptions. Plus, I’m not warden anymore, right? So, I can bend the rules a little. Guys, it’s our only hope.”

  They continued to avert their eyes when I stared expectantly at them.

  Tom was the next to speak. “If you break the creed, you risk losing everything. The counsel would vote to have your memory magically erased.” Stepping forward, he took my hand. “Lila, you’d never see us again.”