He glanced around. "I have some news, but Val isn't here yet. I want to tell her, too."
"Sure," Fox Lisa said, making herself comfortable on the stool at his side. Griffen ordered her a drink. "Is it something bad?"
"No, I think it might be great . . . but can I wait?"
"Sure, no problem," Fox Lisa said. A native of New Orleans, she embodied the easygoing mood of the city. "Want to go to the clubs?" she asked. "I've been thinking all day about some live music." She gave him a wicked look from under long eyelashes. "Got me in a good enough mood to share."
Griffen grinned. "Sounds great," he said.
"What does?" Mai asked, at his elbow. Griffen watched cautiously to see how Fox Lisa would react to Mai. The two of them were Griffen's lovers, even joining him in the same bed at times, but both had let him know they liked their private time with him. He felt fortunate that they were on such good terms, but he did not like to push it. Even considering bloodlines, no man wanted to stand between two strong-willed women.
Fox Lisa tossed her head. "We're gonna go out and listen to some music in a while. You can come, too, if you like." So her good mood extended to others that evening. Griffen relaxed. No matter how it ended, it should be enjoyable.
"I am hanging out with Val this evening," Mai said, tilting her small head toward the tall blond girl. Val had not made it in past the doorway before she was greeted by friends who sat at a table near the door. Griffen glanced at his sister. She had been more tired than usual lately. He didn't like the shadows under her eyes. "I will ask what she wishes to do."
"What do you want to drink?" Griffen asked. It was a Saturday night. His week's pay was still in his pocket from the day before, and he felt generous. The gambling operation was doing well. Five games in various hotel rooms around the city were going on that evening, and so far Jerome had not called him with any problems. Val's drink was diet cola, as it had been since she found out she was pregnant. Mai asked for a Cointreau. She liked fine wines, but he knew she felt liqueurs were more reliable in bars. It wasn't really true in the Irish pub, where the bartenders were careful about corked or bad wines; but when Mai got an idea in her mind, he had never been able to persuade her to shake it.
Val looked up and waved to Griffen. She squeezed the hands of the friends in farewell and made her way around the bar to them. Unusually, she barged in between him and Fox Lisa. The redheaded girl made a face but said nothing.
"I've got something to tell you, Griffen," Val said, in a low voice. Mai sat poised on her bar stool. Fox Lisa's annoyance turned to concern.
"Me, too," Griffen said. "But you first."
Val glanced past Griffen to Mai. Mai nodded encouragement to her. She wished Fox Lisa hadn't been there. Val got along with her, but she didn't want anyone else involved in what might turn out to be nothing. Still, Lisa had been a friend to her, too, and she didn't want to upset the balance. Griffen was so oblivious to the byplay between his two lovers. They got along, but each was determined to be the last one standing on the ground. But they did like each other. It was a complicated relationship. Griffen was wise not to inquire into the specifics. He would not want to know them.
Hers were just as complicated, but she didn't have a choice. And she needed help.
"That . . . that woman!" Val sputtered out.
"What woman?" Griffen asked.
"Melinda," Mai said. "She is here. She wants to see Val."
"Where is she?" Griffen demanded, looking around.
"Not here, here," Val said, exasperated. "She is in New Orleans. I don't know where. But she knows about the baby. She wants to be involved with it."
Griffen looked furious. He clenched his fist on the edge of the bar. "She doesn't get to make that choice. You do. What do you want?"
Val had been scared to pieces at the Halloween ball, facing Lizzy. Though Melinda's daughter had been tiny, she had the strength of the completely insane. Their fight was as fearsome as a nightmare. Lizzy was strong and faster than a normal person--all right, dragon--but Val had won out in the end. On the phone, Melinda sounded as sane as the US Constitution and just as firm on her rights. But did she really have any? Val hardly knew what normal human family life was like, let alone dragon. Val and Griffen had been orphaned while still young. Their uncle Malcolm had stepped in to raise them, but he had been a distant guardian, leaving them in the care of nannies and housekeepers as he took care of his extensive business interests. As a result, they had developed little family feeling or loyalty for anyone but one another. To have a mother come in to fight for her child . . . Val frowned. She had probably better think about that a good deal herself. Would she kill or die for this unknown lump she was carrying?
The answer surprised her: an unequivocal yes. It wasn't just biology. This child hadn't chosen to be conceived; she had been tricked, but it was helpless, and it was hers. One day it would be out in the world and able to make its own choices. Val had to give it that time to be born and live and learn. To her surprise, she felt deeply about nurturing it and loving it. She had never had a little brother or sister, but she looked forward to experiencing all the baby things, the sounds, the feel of silken infant skin, the tiny hands that reached out for her. She found herself smiling stupidly at the bar mirror and took a hasty drink of her soda. The bubbles went up her nose and made her sneeze. She could not wait to be able to go back to whisky and soda. The fizz did not take the edge off her feelings. Those experiences were hers, and not to be taken away by the mother of her unscrupulous seducer. She resolved to withstand Melinda and her demands. She was a dragon, too! She was powerful . . .if untrained. Lizzy had been the one who attacked her. Didn't she get any points for that?
"Absolutely not," Val said. "I don't want anything to do with her."
"Then she had better leave you alone," Griffen said. "I'm behind you."
"And I," Mai promised.
"Who's Melinda?" Fox Lisa asked.
"The mother of the crazy girl who attacked Val on Halloween," Mai said.
Fox Lisa's eyes flashed. "You can count on me, too, Val." She had a little dragon blood as well, though as yet Griffen hadn't found the appropriate time to explain it to her.
"Thanks," Val said, her throat tightening. She didn't know what any of them could do, when Lizzy had had no trouble finding her. Melinda undoubtedly had resources her crazy daughter didn't. "All right, I'm ready to talk about something else," she said, turning to Griffen. "You said you had some news. Good news, I hope?"
Griffen grinned sheepishly. "Well, I think so. But I'm not sure if it's something I'm going along with."
"Enough with the prologue," Mai said, pushing his shoulder impatiently. "What is it?"
"Well . . ." Griffen found that he was enjoying the suspense. He glanced at each one in turn. "You know Mardi Gras is coming up in March."
"Ye-es," the three of them said in unison. Fox Lisa caught the others' eyes and giggled.
"Well, a man named Etienne de la Fee asked me to be in his krewe's parade."
"Big deal," Fox Lisa said. "Thousands of people ride on floats. It's fun, but it's their way of raising money. Cost you between two hundred and five hundred for a year's membership. Maybe more if it's a big krewe. You'll have to supply your own throws. Maybe another three hundred on up for those."
"But that sounds like fun!" Val exclaimed. "You get to ride on a float! That'll be awesome. I'll have to tape it."
"Oh, he'll have to wear a mask," Fox Lisa corrected her. "Riders are anonymous in most parades."
"Well, what fun is that?" Mai asked, waving her hand. "I would not pay sums of money for the privilege of anonymously flinging cheap plastic toys to screaming hordes."
"A lot," Fox Lisa said, her nose turning red in annoyance. "People enjoy being generous at Carnival."
"Useless," Mai said. "If you want to give charity, pick something worthy. Junk means nothing. Don't waste your time, Griffen."
"Are you dissing our festival?" Fox Lisa asked, dangerously. "Bein
g a krewe member is fun, and it makes you feel good, no matter that no one knows who you are!"
"No." Griffen felt that he had lost the momentum he had been building up, and he had to get between his two lovers before they raised the argument further. He raised his voice over theirs. "I'm not going to be a plain krewe member. Etienne asked me to be their king!"
"The king? Really?" Val asked, her eyes bright. "Why you?"
"He said everyone in the krewe had some dragon heritage," Griffen said, dropping his voice down. "They want me because of my bloodline."
"That sounds much more reasonable," Mai said, nodding.
"Wowee!" Fox Lisa exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him. "That is fantastic news! What an honor! You have to do it! You can't turn it down."
"How difficult is it to get to be royalty on a float?" Mai asked, speculatively.
"Just about impossible," Fox Lisa said. "Unless you have been a member of the krewe for years and years, and it's come around to your turn, then maybe if everyone is willing to vote for you. Or you drew the lucky ticket in a random drawing. It varies a lot how krewes pick the king. The only outsiders who are ever asked to be king are usually celebrities." She beamed at Griffen. "That means you've been accepted as a local, Griffen. Congratulations!"
"What's the congratulations about?" Maestro asked, coming up for air from his discussion.
"Griffen's going to be a Mardi Gras king!" Fox Lisa exclaimed. "Oh, I am so happy for you!"
"What krewe?" Maestro asked.
"Fafnir," Griffen said.
"That one's been defunct for years," Maestro said, with a lift of his eyebrow. "Did they say why they're reviving it instead of starting a new krewe?"
Griffen shook his head. "I guess I can ask all that at their meeting on Tuesday," he said. "I don't know much yet, only that it's going to cost me a bundle."
"Do it anyhow," Maestro advised. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I can't believe you're even hesitating."
"Neither can I," said Val. "It's not like you."
"It's a pretty expensive proposition," Griffen said.
"So what is money for?" Mai asked. "If it is something you will enjoy, spend it. I would."
Griffen looked at the eager faces around him. "Well, okay," he said, with a huge show of reluctance.
"You phony!" Val said, laughing. Griffen grinned back.
"That's better," Mai said, studying him critically. "If it does you good in the community, it sounds like a worthwhile opportunity."
"Well, it's got responsibilities, too," Griffen said.
"Purely ceremonial," Maestro said, sitting back with his drink in his hand. The second and subsequent drinks of the night were always Diet Coke. He raised the glass. "Cheers, King of Fafnir. Just one question: Who's your queen?"
Griffen felt his eyebrows lift. "Queen?"
"Yes. Not all krewes have 'em, but if I recall correctly, Fafnir had both a king and queen."
Griffen frowned. "I don't know anything about that. Won't they ask someone, just like they asked me?"
"Not necessarily," Fox Lisa said, her eyes shining. "Sometimes the king gets free choice. Did Etienne tell you?"
"No," Griffen said, though he wasn't a hundred percent certain. The conversation he had had was a faint noise in his memory underneath the sounds of saws, planes, hammering, and shouting. He had been far more interested in the intricate floats.
"Maybe he just didn't mention it," Val said. "He probably thought you were going to go away and think about it."
"Wow," Griffen said, sipping his whisky. "Maybe."
"Who would you choose?" Mai asked. Griffen almost choked on the mouthful. That had not been a casual question. He looked up. The eyes of all three women drilled into him. Griffen, a practiced poker player, concentrated on looking noncommittal.
"Me?" he asked.
"Well, they usually choose a local," Fox Lisa said eagerly. "I've lived in New Orleans all my life. I'd do it if you wanted. I'd love it."
"But they want a highborn dragon for king," Mai said. "That means they would want the same for their queen. I would be an excellent choice."
"But I'm your sister," Val said. "My bloodline is the same as yours, Griffen. You should tell them I'm interested."
"The king and queen as brother and sister? That sounds like incest," Mai said, her eyes aglow. "It would be far more logical to ask me."
"It might not have anything to do with that!" Griffen said. He realized what kind of a minefield that Maestro had led him into, and from the amused glint in the older man's eyes, he had done it on purpose. "Look, it's premature to get into a discussion about it. I hardly know a thing. Why don't we just forget about it for now and talk about it after I've had a chance to ask Etienne."
"That's right," Fox Lisa said. She ducked under Val's arm and cuddled up against Griffen's shoulder. Her fingers played with the top buttons of Griffen's shirt. She looked up at him coyly. "We were gonna go listen to music, then go home. Why don't we get going?"
"That's a good idea," Mai said, taking Griffen's other arm. "We'll go and have some fun."
Val looked disgruntled. Griffen remembered that Mai had come in with her and had been planning to spend the evening with her.
"We could all go," he offered. "I hear Beth Patterson's on tonight. She said her new CD might be ready by this week."
"No," Val said, her eyes sparking. "I'm going home. If I can't count on support from my own brother, then I just want to be by myself for a while." The air trembled with tension.
Griffen had had his fair share of Val's melodrama when they were teenagers, but with the advent of her dragon powers and her pregnancy, the pout took on a more frightening attitude. She had enough control not to grow to giant size right there in the bar, but the resident dogs rose from under Griffen's bar stool and retreated to the corner, whimpering. He had better intercede before the human denizens joined them.
"Come on," Griffen said, with his most persuasive smile. "I don't have a clue whether I have any say in the decision. I bet they have some society woman with a pedigree dating back to the real Fafnir. Etienne knows all about me. I bet he has something special in mind for you. For all of you," he added, knowing how lame the evasion sounded.
"Griffen, I have known you for many years, since we were freshmen, and you know me," Mai said, not taking his hint at all. Her small face was as expressionless as a mask, which had always boded trouble for him. "The least you can do is say that you know I would be a wonderful queen."
"I . . ."
"What about me?" demanded Fox Lisa. "This is my city! If anyone, you ought to consider me."
"I'm going home," Val said, standing up suddenly. Her eyes were very bright. The glasses hanging from the frame above the bar began to crack one by one.
"Val, no . . . !" Griffen said, alarmed. "Come on, calm down. We'll talk about this."
"What's to talk about? If what's important is being a dragon, I can't believe you wouldn't ask me, your only sister." The glass in front of him let out a snap! A thin crack appeared in its side. A thin drop of whisky and water seeped down the side and onto the bar.
"But it doesn't have anything to do with that," Griffen protested, mopping up the liquor with a paper napkin. "At least, I don't think so."
"But you didn't even say you'd nominate me if it was pertinent," Val said. Now a tear had started in each eye. Griffen knew that Val only cried when she was really angry.
"Or me!" Mai said.
"How do you think you figure into this?" Fox Lisa demanded, standing up to Mai. She was a couple of inches taller than the Asian woman, but her anger made her seem much bigger. One would think she would be frightened considering what she knew about Mai and the others, but as she had accepted Griffen's dragonhood with little more than a "hey, cool!" she had much the same reaction to Mai's trying to prove she was superior. Griffen admired her easy attitude and her courage. "You barge into this town, like you're some kind of big deal. Who the hell do you think y
ou are?"
"Uh, guys? Do you think you could keep it down a little?"
The bartender leaned over the counter toward them. Griffen ducked his head apologetically.
"Sorry, Fred," Griffen said. "The discussion's just getting a little, uh, emphatic."
"Look, Griffen, I sympathize, but your ladies are scaring the customers," the bartender said, tilting his head in the direction of the door. The groups that had been seated at those tables were pushing out of the chairs and scrambling in their pockets for money. "I'm real sorry, but I think you ought to take it somewhere else for a while. No offense."
"None taken," Griffen said, embarrassed. He was suddenly aware how many people were looking at him. A few were strangers in the French Quarter, but most of them were people he knew. Many looked sorry for him. "Mai . . . ?"
"What?" Mai exploded, turning to him. Her eyes were all but glowing green. Val had grown five inches taller in the last few minutes. Fox Lisa's complexion just about matched her hair.
"We've got to go," Griffen said, firmly. "Come on."
Fox Lisa looked annoyed but triumphant.
"They're kicking her out?" she asked.
"You, too," Griffen said, taking no prisoners. "And us, Val," he added.
At once, Val subsided. She looked shocked.
"I've never been kicked out of a bar in my entire life!" she said. "This is your fault, Griffen!"
"Yeah, it is," Griffen said. He shot a grim glance at Maestro, who had the grace to look abashed at the results of his mischief-making. Griffen plucked bills out of his wallet and put them on the counter. "Come on." He took Val's arm. She started to yank it away, then let him hold on to her as he marched her firmly out onto Burgundy Street at the corner of Toulouse. The two other women, still arguing, followed in their wake.
As soon as they were outside, Fox Lisa poked him in the chest with her forefinger.
"This isn't over," she said. "You're gonna have to figure out what your priorities are, Griffen McCandles." She marched away up Toulouse. Griffen watched her disappear into the evening crowd, feeling dismayed.
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