by Esme Addison
“And you were going to just let Celeste go to jail for a crime you committed?”
He stared at her for a moment, like he didn’t understand the question. “Someone had to. Why not?”
Dylan’s words came back to her then: Moral compass … lacking. “And Montgomery Blue. Where does he fit in all of this?”
“Who, Monty? That fellow?” He chuckled. “He’s very, very, very rich. And he’s very helpful.”
“But is he—”
“One of us? Part of the old gang?” He paused for dramatic effect. “He’s a Mundane collaborator. He answers to me. Does my bidding. Like when I told him to help fund this small-town festival celebrating the mermaid.” Again, his mouth twisted on that last word. “So, I could get Neve here. I knew she’d been here earlier in the year, and she hadn’t even stopped by to say hello.” He thumped his chest. “You don’t think that hurt?” His eyes flashed with anger. “I wanted to talk some sense into her. But apparently she had other plans. In hindsight”—he laughed, a hard and brittle sound—“I guess she was always team mermaid.”
He snorted, an ugly sound, and a curl of smoke floated out of one nostril. He turned and stared out his window. “It was obvious with that mural. She’s been the bane of our existence—that Mermaid of Warsaw and her descendants. Do-gooders, all of you. We get rid of one, but you just keep coming back.” He looked over his shoulder at her, his face contorted into a mask of scorn.
Get rid of one? Her mind was stuck on the words. Get rid of who? Her mother? Wait. What? More fear, slippery and icy cold tingled inside Alex.
“Always thwarting us at every point. Making it your business to check our power. Like you mermaids could ever triumph over Dragon Descents. We rule the world; you’re just a fish in our oceans.” He jabbed a finger toward the window. “Her mural wasn’t just a message for you and your kind. It was a message for me. And when I saw it”—he returned to his desk, placing both palms on it, and leaning over it, he bared his teeth in a grin. “I knew I had to stop her before she did something stupid.”
“And what did you do?” Alex prompted, knowing the narcissist in him couldn’t wait to explain.
“When it was clear she wasn’t going to tell me what she knew, I did a spell for trouble, made myself invisible and entered the coroner’s office to find that blogger’s personal effects. I thought that Neve had given him the location of the shield and other weapons. But I couldn’t find it.” His fists clenched at his sides. “We need that shield. It was made from our sacred mineral. She had no right to keep it from us.” His hair fell into his eyes. “Did you know that a very long time ago, dragons—real dragons—protected sea caves where that mineral was found? But some sneaky Mer went and stole it from us and created that shield. Created a weapon to use against us!”
One of his fists came down hard on his desk, shaking his pen holder. “And she was worried what would happen if it fell in the wrong hands.” His laugh was harsh. “I can’t tell you how many destructive mythological weapons she’s found for us, how much chaos she helped create. She never cared before.”
“That’s because she was pregnant,” Alex said softly, “and I’m guessing she wanted her child to grow up in a world of peace.”
Suddenly, the feeling of coldness slapped against her like a wave of cold water and wrapped around her. The sensation was frightening, and she felt like she was freezing and suffocating all at once.
“Don’t. Mention. Her. Pregnancy. Again,” he commanded in a choked voice.
Alex was rooted to her chair, recognizing the feeling. That coldness. That anger. It was the icy-hot feeling of his rage. And as he moved around the room, Alex could feel it licking at her body like a serpent’s tongue flicking in and out. “It was you at the beach, slipping inside my head, trapping me in your vise.”
“I tried to warn you,” he said, a reasonable expression sliding over his features. And just like that, the icy grip disappeared. “I don’t hate mermaids per se. Take your cousin Minka, for example. She’s such a sweet, good, whimsical little creature.” He smacked his lips like he was tasting something delicious, and Alex’s face wrinkled in revulsion. “Those are my favorite types of mermaids. It’s fun to turn them and watch them go.”
“Turn them—what?”
“Turn them bad.” He sneered at her. “And then there’s the other type, the warrior princess mermaid who wants to kick butt and take names. Make the world a safer place for all the non-Dragon Descents. Mermaids like your aunt, your mother … you.”
Alex leaned forward, her heart suddenly racing. “My mother?”
His eyebrows shot up in mock surprise. “Oh, right. She’s dead, isn’t she? Interesting, that.”
Her throat tightened. “What do you know about it?”
He shrugged, sat back in his chair, suddenly relaxed.
And Alex was frustrated. At every turn, when she tried to get answers about her mother’s death, she was stopped. She fought back tears—angry tears—frustrated tears. Not today. Not in front of Jasper.
“It’s been nice talking to you, but I actually have work to do.” He picked up a pen and wrote something on a pad. He looked up and pretended to be surprised she was still there. “Was there something more?”
“Do you think you’re just going to get away with murdering Neve?”
His grin widened. “I think I already have. Your boyfriend charged that poor woman with two counts of murder. I am so glad she killed her husband. Saved me the trouble. He was on my to-do list, right after I finished with Neve. The wife has an abundance of motive, wouldn’t you say? And I found security camera footage that places her at the museum the night in question, and I’m sure she doesn’t have an alibi. Your boyfriend would like to see that, no?”
Alex really hated the conceited look in his eye. It reminded her of Montgomery. Of Bryn and Tegan… She looked at him. “You need to turn yourself in.”
“Or what?” he said, a look of real interest on his face. “Who’s going to make me?”
Just then the office door flew open. “I am,” Minka said, with a fierce look on her face. She stepped inside the office.
“And me!” Celeste added, storming in, hands and arms waving around her, causing papers and framed photographs to whirl violently in the air before crashing to the floor. “How could you? I knew there was something up with you!”
Alex exhaled in relief. Celeste had made it, and brought along Minka. She quickly telepathed the biggest news to them: Jasper was a Dragon.
Minka stared at him. OMG, she responded. Like fire breathing?
When Jasper saw the rage burning in Celeste’s eyes, the slick grin slid from his face. “Celeste, look—I’m sorry. I actually really—”
“Shut up!” she thundered. “I loved you, and you’re nothing but a liar. And a murderer?” She looked back at the women behind her. “I’ll take care of him.” The sky suddenly darkened, casting shadows over the museum as lightening crackled overhead. “You. Don’t. Play. With. My. Heart.” With every word, a zing of energy hit Jasper. He winced like he was taking a solid punch to his gut, but remained standing.
Angry tears ran down Celeste’s cheeks as she pressed both hands out before him, muttering something in … French? No, like French, but not exactly. Beams of light, one white, the other red swirled together to create a fiery pink energy that sprang from her palms and ran straight into Jasper’s chest.
He struggled against the pressure like he was walking against a strong wind, his face contorted with the effort. He narrowed his eyes, and the pink energy turned red and finally a bright orange.
Alex stared in amazement. His magic curled from his nose in two steady beams of fiery red energy. They coiled in front of him into a ball that he began to mold with his hands. The room was suddenly sticky with humidity and smelled of sulfur. The temperature increased in the room, and everyone, especially Celeste, had sweat rolling down her face. Like a fast ball, he pitched the energy toward Celeste, who screamed when it made impact aga
inst her chest.
Her body was engulfed in a red-hot flame of energy. A large purple snake, ethereal and mirage-like, appeared around Celeste’s shoulders, wrapping her in a tender embrace and slowly curling around her body, seeming to absorb the brunt of the flames. It slowly lowered Celeste to her knees, on the floor, and then slid away from her and toward Jasper, who stared transfixed, a silly smile on his face.
“Mami Wata, as I live and breathe,” he said in whispered awe. “Serpent to serpent, I must tell you how lovely you are.”
The snake raised up almost level to his face and hissed a foul smell that enveloped him in a swirl of purple vapor.
He closed his eyes against the heat of the snake’s breath and the odor for a moment. “Yes, Mami Wata, yes, I see it, I see it.” A moment passed and he opened his eyes. “Thank you, goddess for showing me your long line of priestesses, and I know Celeste is the daughter of your daughter.” He looked past the shimmering snake to Celeste, who lay on the floor, still writhing in pain. “Celeste, you have so much potential. I can help you overcome your mermaid side, embrace the serpent within, and help me destroy this mermaid. You’re a rare creature, a mixture of both light and dark. Choose the darkness, and I’ll show you a world you never even imagined.”
Weakly, Celeste shook her head. “We’re family,” she whispered, then passed out, her body limp on the floor. The snake returned to her body and disappeared.
Alex watched in horror as outside the dark clouds scattered, the thunder and lightning stopped, and sunlight once again poured into the office.
Minka burst into tears, ran to her and sank to her knees, immediately covering Celeste in healing energy.
“Did you kill her?” Alex chucked a burst of white energy his way. Any Mundane would have fallen to the floor, contorted in pain, but Jasper only glanced at her, his nose wrinkled in revulsion.
He caught the ball of energy in his hand, tightened his fist around it until it vanished in a puff of gray smoke. He closed his eyes as if he was listening for something. “No, she’ll be fine.” His eyes opened. “I can sense her pulse, her heartbeat, her breath. The spirit of Mami Wata is inside of her, healing her from within.” He held his palm out, watched as a bright red flame lifted into the air. “But you will not. There’s no spirit of the mermaid to come save you—that’s not how your magic works.” Grinning, he blew the red flame toward her. With his breath, the flame became a torch that rushed forward.
It should’ve hit her square in the face, but she ducked and caught the flame on her leg.
She let out a yelp of pain and stared at her leg, throbbing in agony as black smoke rose from it.
I’m descended from dragons, he said, his thought hissing its way through her mind. My element is fire. I grow stronger when fear and anger are near me. Be afraid—I’m feeding off it. I like it.
Alex folded over, trying to heal herself as fast as possible. It hurt. She was weakened by his attack, and the very act of healing herself made her weaker. And she thought she could hear Athena barking and growling, fighting against her leash, going crazy trying to get lose and inside the museum to help her.
With one hand still hovering over Celeste, Minka reached out to Alex with the other. “Let me help you.” She directed a pure white energy toward Alex. The divided effort was quickly draining Minka, who’d grown pale, a sheen of sweat covering her brow.
With a loud gasp, Celeste sat up, panting, grabbing at her chest, her face, her legs. She looked at Minka, then Alex. “I’m okay.”
“Thank goodness.” Minka exclaimed, before returning to help Alex.
“And that was amazing.” Celeste said, her eyes blazing with life. “I’ve never felt the energy of the goddess in that way—wow!” She breathed deeply before turning back to Jasper.
He looked mildly annoyed. “Oh, goodie. You’re awake.”
She tossed bursts of pink energy his way.
They fell short, and he laughed at the effort.
“Sorry,” she said, turning to Alex and Minka. “I’m still really weak.”
Jasper sneered at her. “I see you’ve made your choice. I really don’t want to kill you, Celeste,” he said with a bothered expression. “You have such a pretty face.”
“Oh no, you don’t,” Josephine said rushing into the office. “Not my baby girl. Come on, Lidia.” She threw a glance at Alex. “Sorry we’re late.” She tossed her purse onto the floor and aimed her right finger at him, muttering something low and guttural while Lidia helped Minka swiping healing white energy over Celeste to restore her strength, and over Alex to help hasten the healing of her leg.
You called Aunt Lidia? Alex telepathed to Minka, who nodded.
Sorry. She looked embarrassed. And I called Kamila like you told me to before I came in. They should be here any minute.
Jasper made a face. “One thing I’ve always hated about devotees to Mami Wata. You can’t make up your mind: Are you good? Or are you bad? We both like snakes, Mrs. Thomas. Why can’t we just get along?”
Something sickeningly sweet and purplish-black sprang from Josephine’s finger like a long plume of smoke, but it wafted through the air like a slow-moving snake, growing in size and length.
“Josephine,” Lidia began in a cautioning voice.
But she shook her head. “Don’t worry. I haven’t used any black magic this month. I’ll be careful.”
Alex watched in awe as the wispy purple snake, similar to Celeste’s but bigger and stronger looking, moved toward Jasper, floating on the air. It hesitated and then began to curl around his neck. Jasper’s hands went to his neck as if could wrench the snake away, but his hands went through the snake. However, the choking and gagging sounds Jasper made were real.
Josephine’s gaze was steady, and the string of words, similar to Celeste’s, only caused the choking effect on Jasper to worsen, until Celeste climbed to her feet and grabbed her mother’s arm. “Mom, please, don’t kill him. You’re not a murderer.”
His face was turning red and was on the way to becoming a dark purple as red veins sprouted in the whites of his eyes, but Josephine refused to lower her arm. “After what he’s put you through? What he’s done to this town? He killed Neve Ryland. He deserves this and much more.”
Alex whipped a vise around Jasper’s torso, which he struggled against, until Minka and Lidia added their own strength to the magic, and then he stopped fighting.
“Josephine,” Lidia began in a gentle voice, “we’ve got him. Let go of his throat. He’s not going anywhere. And wouldn’t it be nice to know he’s rotting away in a jail somewhere?”
Finally he stopped fighting against his vise, and Josephine lowered her trembling arm.
Alex heard the sound of running footsteps in the hallways and Kamila entered the office. Shaking her head, she assessed the situation, her nostrils flaring at the thick scent hovering in the air. “Jeesh, this place reeks of magic—and not all good.” Her eyes widened in alarm when she saw Jasper’s physical condition. “What the heck is going on?”
“He confessed to killing Neve,” Alex said. “And he just assaulted Celeste. And me.”
“Also,” Minka chimed in, “he’s a dragon.”
Kamila shook her head. “Freaking Dragon Descents,” she said as she pulled a set of handcuffs off her belt.
Alex watched with concern. “Is that going to hold him?”
Kamila laughed. “Yeah. These aren’t your normal handcuffs.’ She held them up for Alex to read the logo etched in the silver bracelets that shone with a blue-black finish in the light.
It read “Wesley Defense.”
Alex grinned, shaking her head. Dylan. She watched as police flooded the office. But no Jack. She turned to her cousin. “Where is he?”
“Detective Frazier?” Kamila asked, and Alex nodded.
“I’m right here,” he said, stepping into the office, his gun drawn and his eyes scanning the room until they landed on Alex.
Kamila stood taller. “It’s all under control, sir
.”
Once Jasper was handcuffed, Kamila grabbed him by the wrists and shoved him hard out of the room. So hard that he stumbled but caught himself on one knee. “That’s for messing with my family.” She looked at her mother, sister, and cousin. Grinned at Josephine and Celeste.
Then telepathed to them: Taking him to the Council for a hearing, where they’ll shackle him so he can’t practice magic, and then I’ll bring him to the station so he can get a nice helping of American justice.
Nodding, Alex suddenly felt light on her feet. She wasn’t able to help Neve, but at least her killer would not go free. Until she caught Jack’s eye. He didn’t look pleased.
He crossed the room to stand before her. “You decided to confront a murderer on your own?”
She turned back to look at her family and friends. “I’m not alone. My family’s here.”
His gaze was steely. “You know what I mean. When I got the call to come here, I really hoped I wouldn’t see you.” The vein on his right temple pulsed. “I have to leave for a few days, a special assignment, but when I come back, we need to talk.”
He began to turn away, but she grabbed his arm. “You’re not breaking up with me, are you?”
“I can’t do this now, obviously. I’m working, but this thing where you keep showing up at crime scenes, it can’t continue.”
From across the room, a crime technician waved him over.
He looked at her. “See you when I get back.”
Alex watched him walk away, suddenly feeling deflated. Lidia appeared at her side, wrapping an arm around her. “You okay?”
She nodded. “Yes. Absolutely. Thanks for showing up.”
Minka appeared, and Lidia placed one arm around her as well. “That, my dear, is what family is for.” She swept a weary but satisfied look around the office. “Now let’s go home and have some tea.”
