The Mark of the Phoenix [The Triplet Mermen Trilogy] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove)

by Casper Graham

  “Take your own sweet time, Ed,” Jefferson called out before leaning against the back of the chair he was seated on and picking up the cup of steaming hot coffee closer to his lips. “Gavin and I have plenty of time to burn. Don’t mind us.”

  Edwin refused to face either of his friends, who were snickering out loud at him. Those bastards. “I have no idea what you’re trying to imply, Jeff. I’m busy.”

  Gavin gestured at the three other customers inside the bakery aside from him and Jefferson before speaking up in a dry tone. “Of course. You must be swamped with billions of orders and people clamoring for your undivided attention.”

  Edwin halted in his movement and turned toward his best friends. “Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit. Besides, why are you sitting idle in my bakery? Don’t you have companies to invest in? New business ventures to sink your billions in? Unlike you, I don’t have as many zeroes in my bank account. I need to work for a living.”

  Jefferson snorted. “Liar. You’ve been alive for just as long as the two of us. I’m sure you’ve accumulated as much wealth as Gavin and me.”

  Edwin narrowed his eyes at Jefferson. “Is that so? Then, why have you chosen to continue working as a healer? You could have lived off your billions for the rest of eternity instead of bothering me at my bakery. I’m a busy man, you know?”

  Jefferson chuckled. “I like healing the sick.”

  “You should start by curing your annoying personality,” Edwin muttered under his breath before heading back to the kitchen.

  He should have known his best friends well enough after thousands of years of friendship. They wouldn’t be deterred from what they wanted until they got it. Edwin sighed when Jefferson and Gavin followed him into the kitchen through the connecting door behind the counter at the bakery.

  “Is this merman really that beautiful?” Gavin asked the moment the three of them were inside the kitchen.

  Edwin hesitated for a couple of seconds before nodding. “His name is Drake Pelagius. He has the most enchanting silver-ish gray eyes and the most beautiful platinum-blond hair. He’s ethereal.”

  Jefferson rolled both eyes. “You certainly like your men pretty. How old is he?”

  Edwin shrugged. “I don’t know his exact age, but he doesn’t look a day over twenty.”

  Gavin whistled. “Damn. You’re ancient by comparison, old man.”

  Edwin narrowed his eyes at Gavin. “Watch it. Besides, you aren’t that young yourself.”

  Gavin threw out an unrepentant grin. “Never claimed I was. This isn’t like you, though. You can date this merman, but you should still complete your mission. The council members won’t be pleased.”

  Edwin checked the cake that was currently baking inside the oven before responding. “They can lick my ass for all I care.”

  There was a brief moment of silence before Jefferson chortled out loud. “You really like this merman, don’t you?”

  Edwin’s first instinct was to deny it, but he was certain his best friends could see right through him. “Yeah, I do. Very much.”

  “Why?”

  He stared at Gavin in confusion. “What do you mean?”

  “Why do you like him so much?” Gavin clarified while stepping closer to Edwin. “What’s so special about Drake? We’ve been friends for thousands of years, Ed. I know you and your conquests. You fucked them and left them without a second thought. What’s different this time around?”

  Edwin didn’t reply immediately because he had no idea either. The three of them remained quiet for a while. He was about to answer Gavin’s questions when Jefferson spoke up, eyes widening at him.

  “Holy shit! He’s your mate, isn’t he?”

  Edwin almost choked in shock. “What? Fuck no! There’s no such thing as predestined mates for supernatural beings. That’s a bunch of bullshit that those pathetic ordinary humans come up with because they let their idiotic imaginations run wild.”

  Gavin clapped him on his right shoulder. “But we are attracted to some people or beings more so than others.”

  “It’s called lust,” Edwin protested in irritation. “I’ve fucked enough ordinary humans and supernatural beings alike to know what I’m talking about.”

  “Yet you’ve never failed to carry out your duty in ridding the world of those abominations regardless of the circumstances,” Jefferson pointed out before grinning triumphantly. “Admit it, old man. Drake is special to you.”

  Edwin glared at his best friends for a moment before his shoulders slumped in defeat. “You’re right.”

  Gavin squeezed his right shoulder as a show of support. “Do you want me to take care of the siren for you? I know you, old friend. You won’t be able to kill the siren.”

  “I can deal with—”

  “Not doubting your capability, Ed.” Jefferson interrupted him midsentence, effectively silencing him. “You fell in love once a long time ago with that female werewolf. It almost killed you when her clan betrayed you and you had to annihilate them all, including the woman you loved. It took Gavin and me almost a hundred years to pull you out of your funk. That was when you changed and became the man-whore you are now.”

  Edwin snorted, but he didn’t bother with a rebuff. The three of them had been best friends for too long. There was no secret among them.

  “Something is different about this siren, though.”

  Gavin heaved out a tired sigh. “Ed, come on. Your judgment is—”

  “No, I’m serious.”

  Jefferson leaned with one hip against the kitchen counter and folded both arms across his chest. “Fine. Convince us.”

  “The siren’s name is Baltic Pelagius.”

  Gavin raised his left eyebrow. “Brothers?”

  Edwin chuckled and shook his head. “Triplets. They have another brother, Caspian.”

  Jefferson whistled. “Damn.”

  Edwin mock-punched Jefferson on the chest. “Keep your mind out of the gutter, man. The triplets don’t have that kind of relationship with one another.”

  “How can you be sure?” Gavin challenged while waggling his eyebrows.

  Edwin rolled both eyes at his best friends. “They’re mermen. Merpeople keep themselves pure. They will only have sex when they’re mated, remember?”

  Jefferson blushed. “Oh, right. Can’t blame my imagination, though. Can you picture them in your head? Three identical men in bed with you? Shit! I’d lose my load before I even begin to have sex with them.”

  Edwin guffawed in amusement. “I thought you elves are supposed to remain virginal until you’re mated.”

  Jefferson snorted. “That’s a fucking stupid myth. Elves are sensual and sexual beings.”

  “And you’re the worst of the lot,” Gavin teased, earning himself a rather hard punch on the shoulder from Jefferson.

  Edwin laughed at his best friends’ antics. “You’re one to talk, Gav.”

  Gavin stood up straight and puffed out his chest. “I’m a water dragon shifter. My kind isn’t hindered by those silly ideas of purity and chastity. I’ll fuck whoever strikes my fancy as long as I’m not mated yet.”

  Edwin snickered. “And the two of you dare to label me as a man-whore? You’re just as promiscuous as me. Or worse.”

  Jefferson shrugged. “Sex is awesome. I’m not denying it.”

  Gavin cocked his head at Jefferson. “What he said. Anyway, back to the siren. Ed, please explain what you meant earlier when you told us that Baltic is different from the other sirens.”

  Edwin thought about Baltic and the astonishment he’d felt during their brief encounter. “All sirens used to be merpeople. Their broken hearts twist their magic and turn them into sirens. The only way to cure them is for them to find love once again. They—”

  Jefferson tapped Edwin on the shoulder. “We know all those, professor. Can you just move it along? I have a patient to see at four, and it’s already half past two.”

  Edwin stuck his tongue out at Jefferson. “Fine. Baltic doesn’t smell
like a stinking, rotten fish.”

  “Sirens are able to mask their scents for a little while, especially when they’re attempting to lure men and women to their deaths,” Gavin reminded while folding both arms over his chest. “That doesn’t make him any different from—”

  “He can use his water magic.”

  Jefferson and Gavin gaped at Edwin, who smirked at them in return.

  “No fucking way!” Jefferson exclaimed while shifting even closer to Edwin. “You’re lying.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  Gavin stared at Edwin in silence for a moment before speaking up. “Does he turn ugly and frightening?”

  “Nope. He’s gorgeous. I mean, not as beautiful as Drake, but almost as good-looking.”

  Jefferson shook his head. “Your judgment is biased.”

  “Whatever. The point is there’s something about Baltic that I can’t understand. I intend to find out more before I take the next step.”

  Gavin gazed at Edwin for a few seconds before speaking up. “I hope you’re not asking Drake out on a date just for that purpose alone. He will be pissed off at you.”

  Edwin glared at Gavin. “Of course I’m not. I like Drake. He’s hot.”

  Gavin raised both hands in the air. “All right. Cool it, lover boy. Just making sure.”

  “Whatever.”

  “You need to be careful, Ed,” Jefferson interjected right before the bell dinged, which prompted Edwin to rush toward the oven with a couple of mitts to take the cake out before it got burnt.

  Edwin placed the cake on the cooling rack before facing his best friends again. “I’ll be fine.”

  Gavin nodded. “I think I’ll leave for home now. Let me know if you need my help, Ed. Later.”

  Immediately afterward, Gavin disappeared into a portal of water.

  “And you? Don’t you have anything better to do other than disturb me at my bakery?”

  Jefferson shook his head. “Nope, but I know when I’m not wanted. I’ll be going home, as well.”

  Edwin gave Jefferson the middle-finger salute before tugging his best friend toward him and hugging the man tightly. “I love having you around, you oversensitive asshole.”

  Jefferson sniffed and pretended to wipe the tears from his eyes. “You hurt my feelings.”

  Edwin stepped back and mock-punched his best friend on the left shoulder. “Save the drama for your mama. Now, scoot. I have a business to run.”

  “Fine. Later, man.”

  “Okay.”

  Edwin continued grinning for a moment when Jefferson shimmered away and disappeared from his sight. He loved his best friends, but he was a ball of anxious nerves at the moment. He had a date with Drake for that evening, and he needed some alone time to gather his thoughts and wits around him. When he was ready, he went out to the bakery for a minute or so. He exited just in time to take care of a couple of new customers. Afterward, he returned to the kitchen to start decorating the cupcakes that had been left on the cooling rack for a while. He couldn’t do the same to the cake because it was still too fresh out from the oven. He loved the decorating process almost as much as he loved baking the pastries or preparing the sandwiches. It gave him time to think, and he certainly had plenty of things to ponder.

  * * * *

  “This is so weird and awkward.”

  Drake nodded at Edwin. “Kind of.”

  “Right.”

  “Yeah.”

  The two of them were seated across from each other at a small diner. The other patrons were chattering away with one another while they were barely able to exchange a few words here and there. The tension grew after the server had taken note of their orders and left them to their own devices. Drake had gone out on a few dates in the past. He had existed for nearly two centuries after all. He simply hadn’t found the right mate for himself. He still had no idea what topic to talk about with Edwin by the time the food and drinks were placed on the table between them.

  “So, how are you liking the food? You haven’t touched your fish burger at all.”

  Drake glanced down at his palms for a few seconds before looking up at Edwin. “I’m a vegetarian.”

  Edwin appeared to be mortified. “Shit! I didn’t know. This diner is famous for its fish burger. I wanted you to try it, so I ordered without checking with—”

  Drake burst out laughing in amusement, cutting Edwin off midsentence. His whole body shook as he guffawed at the bewildered expression on Edwin’s face.

  “I’m just kidding.”

  Edwin remained quiet for a moment before chortling out loud himself. “You got me. I was so embarrassed. I thought I had committed a huge blunder.”

  Drake shook his head. “Nope. You’re doing great so far. There are various types of merpeople. I share almost the same genetic makeup as the sharks, but I love eating vegetables, too. I guess I’m more of an omnivore. Some merpeople are pure vegetarian, though.”

  Edwin heaved out a huge sigh, obviously relieved. “Great.”

  “Yeah. What about you?”

  “I’m a phoenix shifter, but I’ll eat both vegetables and meat. I’m not picky.”

  “Glad to hear that.”

  “Cool.”

  The two of them beamed at each other. After that, they felt much more at ease with each other, so they were able to converse better without any strange tension between them.

  “A penny for your thoughts.”

  Edwin leaned closer over the table and lowered the volume of his voice. “I’m wondering what you look like in your original form.”

  Drake chuckled. “My upper half more or less remains the same, but the rest of me is covered in silver-ish scales. I have sharp fins on my forearms and along the center of the back of my upper body. My caudal fin is actually very sharp, as well.”

  “Caudal fin?”

  Drake nodded. “That’s the part at the end of my lower body. My fins are powerful enough to cut through diamonds.”

  Edwin whistled. “Remind me not to piss you off. I still remember your claws and fangs, too. They’re intimidating.”

  Drake snickered. “The strength of my fangs and claws will make diamonds seem like baby powder.”

  Edwin gasped for a moment before responding. “Duly noted. I’ll be sure not to antagonize you.”

  “Good idea,” Drake said before winking at Edwin. “By the way, there’s something I’m curious about.”

  “Shoot.”

  “Is it true that a phoenix’s tear can heal all wounds?”

  “Yes, but it can’t turn a siren back into a merperson.”

  Drake smiled at Edwin. “I know. My brothers and I have done our research.”

  “Talking about your brothers, there’s something else that I need to ask you.”

  Drake inhaled deeply and shut his eyes for a couple of seconds before opening them and gazing straight into Edwin’s eyes. “You’re curious about Balt, aren’t you?”

  “I am.”

  Drake hesitated for a moment before making up his mind. “He’s able to remain as a merman from sunrise till sunset because Cas and I have been feeding him our blood.”

  Edwin’s eyes widened. “What?”

  “A merperson’s blood not only gives one the ability to remain young and live forever, it also prevents the one drinking it from completely slipping away into the dark side. It has to be given freely, though. Killing a merperson and taking the blood by force will render the blood useless. Well, unless you hypnotize him or her into giving it up willingly. Moreover, the blood has to be consumed directly from the merperson.”

  Edwin stared at him in silence for a moment before responding. “Isn’t that risky?”

  He shrugged. “It is, but I love my brother. I’ll do anything in my power to help him out.”

  Edwin nodded. “Okay. I think I understand your situation better now. I hope you don’t mind me asking. I have to know.”

  “It’s fine. It’s better for us to get that particular issue out of the way if we’r
e going to continue hanging out.”

  “Dating.”

  Drake could feel the heat creeping his neck and face. “Right. I just don’t want to assume anything in case you change your mind after knowing about the lengths Cas and I have to go through to keep Balt with us on the side of the light.”

  He was startled when Edwin reached out for his hands and grabbed them tightly.

  “I…I like you. I know it’s rather awkward for us to be dating after the battle between us and the fact that I tried to kill your brother for being a siren, but I’m asking for a chance here. Let me prove to you that we can be good together.”

  “But—”

  “I’m not promising happily ever after. We can go out on a few dates. Whatever issues we face in the future, we can work through them.” Drake hesitated. He was terrified about the upcoming days, but Edwin intertwined their fingers together. He could feel the warmth between their hands. “Please.”

  Drake remained quiet for a few seconds longer before responding. “Okay.”

  Edwin beamed at him. “Thank you.”

  He shook his head. “Thank you, too.”

  They continued to hold hands for a moment longer before letting go almost at the same time. Afterward, they switched the topics of conversations while they consumed the food in front of them. They chatted about Edwin’s bakery and the more interesting regular customers who frequented the place. Drake was rather reluctant to inform Edwin about his ability to see into other people’s future, except for his own. He felt as if they were moving too fast, but he couldn’t avoid mentioning it, especially after telling Edwin about his fortune-telling business. He breathed out a sigh of relief when Edwin didn’t appear to be disgusted by his extra ability the way some of his previous dates had seemed to be.

  “I’m not narrow-minded like your dates in the past,” Edwin informed him, accurately reading the fear on his face. “It may sound crazy, but I trust you. I trust that you won’t use your ability on me without my consent.”