by Aaron Crash
“Hey!” Chazzie yelled. “It’s not like we’re the only ones!” She emerged from the monolith to walk across the marble. All the mirrors were gone. The Five Widows had been returned to wherever they’d been plucked from, probably from the Dashell R. Jet, their plane. Thank goodness for autopilot.
Pru glanced up. The water level was dropping. She winced. “So, water certainly appears to be in my future. And I tried so hard to avoid it.”
Mouse ran into Tessa’s arms, held her, and then went to Steven, to grip him hard. “Oh, let’s not do that again. I go from standing on the beach to being caged up. What happened?”
“Long story,” Steven said.
Zoey morphed into a bear to hug both Steven and Tessa to her. It was clear that the bear girl had also been traumatized by her time being imprisoned.
Aria went searching for the Animus daggers. They’d been cast aside in the fight. Aria then approached the newly created table. The knives were back in their torch configuration. The torch floated in the air, its light shining down on the stone eye.
Steven and his Escort went over to the table. They were a collection of clothed women, naked women, and Homo Draconi. Underneath the clasping statues, the eye opened. The scrape of stone on stone filled the room. The table changed into a topographical map of the North American continent. The Americos Chambers blinked on, each a blue star glowing across the map. Then, a purple star ignited, marking the lake temple where they stood. When a red star came to life in Manhattan island, the purple light faded. Another red star blazed up off the coast of North Carolina, on one of the barrier islands. The third and last red star marked one of the islands in the Florida Keys.
The red light swept across the map pointing toward somewhere in the middle of the US. And then then all the lights vanished.
Aria shifted into True Form to pluck the torch out of the air. She returned to her human form and triggered the map, which again showed the three red stars, but while they pointed in the same general direction, they had not coalesced in any one point.
Steven saw the puzzle. “So, these other temples must point to the location of Icharaam’s tomb. I think we need to go there, to all three, then we’ll see where we need to go.”
Aria opened her eyes, and they blazed with light. “I’m the torch now. I will go to Manhattan. I can divide the torch into the daggers, and emissaries can take one to each of the other two locations. Once we are aligned, we can find Icharaam’s tomb. We can find Icharaam’s gift.”
“That’ll mean splitting up,” Zoey growled softly. She pushed her face into Steven’s back and hugged him close. He heard his spine crack.
Pru gave him a long look, and there was definite heat in her eyes. She smiled. He smiled back. What was that all about?
Chapter Nineteen
NOBODY WAS HAPPY SWIMMING out of the temple, but the water had dropped down, and they were forced into the chill murk. The light was fading from the world, and clouds blanketed the western sky, probably the remnants of the storm that they’d driven through. Had it blown out all its moisture, or would it hit them with sleet? Growing up in Colorado, it was either snow or rain most of the time. However, Steven had heard of all sorts of strange weather on the east coast. What in the hell was a “nor’easter”?
When they emerged on the beach, a single woman stood there, frowning. She was three hundred pounds if she was an ounce. Her big meaty arms were crossed, and she glared at them from a red face. Her hair was brown and stringy. Her outfit was backwoodsy, a long-sleeved long-john top covered by overalls. Big hiking boots, size thirteens at least, dominated her feet. She had a down-lined flannel coat tied around her expansive waist.
Steven felt her Animus, and she was a Dragonsoul, powerful and old.
She stepped forward. “I’m Chickadee Hamms, and you all are trespassing.”
The Wayne twins paid both Chickadee and Steven no attention. They traipsed past them, water running off their pink scales. The twins were not amused.
Mouse walked with them. She paused to nod her amber-colored head at Chickadee. “Yeah, you’ll want to talk to my manager.” She then followed them into the woods, where Pru gathered dry wood under the foliage and Chazzie lit it with her Inferno exhalant.
Aria and Sabina, as full-sized dragons, flanked Steven. Tessa stood next to them, her hand on a holstered Peacekeeper.
Chickadee stared at Steven. “I thought you were dead.”
He thought for a minute. “I was dead. Didn’t like it. I have way too much to do for that action.”
Zoey came traipsing up and shook the water out of her fur.
Steven, in his Homo Draconis form, didn’t wince when the water struck him. He kept a straight face. “Hello, Chickadee, I think you know who we are. Chosen Ben sent you out here to talk to us, didn’t he?”
She nodded. “He’s being careful. He came back from Chicago with no memories, and he’s not sure what to make of it. It could be Morty Flint is playing with us. He hasn’t moved on us in a hundred years, but that don’t mean nothing”
Tessa moved forward. “That’s pretty brave of you, to come here all alone.”
“You’re pretty brave, Tessa Ross. You went alone to Eve Downfyre, you and the ’Skin there.” She motioned to Sabina. “Sometimes we have to take risks for the greater good. You know that better than anyone.”
Tessa nodded.
Aria rumbled over them, “We have need of your Prime and his vassals. We have enemies striking at us in Kansas. If you want an alliance, you must commit troops, or we have nothing to discuss.”
Chickadee squinted up at her. “And what do we get out of it? The way we see it, we’re low on your to-do list, but we’re still on it. We figure you’ll go and wipe out Ugly Ellis and his Inferno Dogs, Louis Laloux and his Gris-Gris, and whatever military might Victor Nutgrass has gathered. Then you’ll come rolling through the New England Primacy. Oh, and I forgot about Juice Juice and his army of Sounders. We kind of don’t believe you’ll stop conquering until you own this whole continent. You’ll kill every Dragonlord until there’s no more to kill.”
Steven took over. “I don’t want to kill anyone. You’ll get the same deal I have with Javier Jones and Abner Savedra. You’ll keep everything as it is, only you’ll swear loyalty to me. And you’ll fight with me to end the Zothoric.”
“And you want money, wives, and whatever?” Chickadee asked.
“No, just help.” Steven was tired, it had been a long day, and they hadn’t really slept. A cold wind came out of the west and breezed across the lake. His head was full of new stories, new information, and new reveals. Quinnestri, the Elf Queen, the Lady of the Lake, had given them a lot to think about. The smoke from Chazzie and Pru’s fire drifted over and smelled good mixed with the cold air.
Steven’s mind turned to the evening logistics. They’d brought camping equipment from Nebraska, but they’d have to fly back to their vehicles to get it. They’d also have to scrounge up some food. He was ravenous.
“That’s thin,” Chickadee said. “Hard to believe you’ll let us join you for so cheap.”
Sabina’s eyes winked emerald light. “Then send your six dragons at us, chica. They’re in the forest back there. And there are two snipers in the trees as well. I’m waiting for them to fire, though I don’t think they will. And then there’s wolves to the north. Warlings to the south, and a Magician with them, Lois Burnham. She’s good. But she isn’t us.”
A smile finally found Chickadee’s face. “That’s thick and rich and chocolatey. So, greenbutt, if you know so much, do we say yes, or do we say no?”
“You say yes, of course.” Sabina laughed in a deep voice. “How could you say anything different? You’ve never seen any power like Steven before, and he isn’t in this for conquest. He wants to free us, chica, and change the world forever.”
Chickadee stepped forward. “Can I touch you, Steven?”
He wasn’t sure where this was going, but he held out a talon.
“No, I m
ean, as a human.” She seemed uncertain, and her eyes turned furtive. If this big, tough woman had ulterior motives, she’d hidden them well.
Steven shifted. He was slightly amused at how his nudity made no difference to him now.
Chickadee’s eyes widened and she blinked. “Young, you’re so young. The stories are true of the boy king. You know that’s what they called Attur Dro? Before Tutankhamun and before Edward VI in England, Attur Dro was the youngest ruler the world had ever seen.” She moved forward. She seemed to melt with each step. By the time she touched his arm, she was trembling.
Aria growled and snorted fire. That was a warning. Sabina, though, was quiet; she could’ve sensed if Chickadee was going to do anything dangerous.
The big woman’s eyes turned a dark brown color as magic filled her sight. “You’re not trying to trick us. You’re not hungry for us. You’re just driven, so driven.” Tears filled her eyes, turning the brown light amber. “It’s sad, really, to be so young, and to be so ambitious. No time for games or love, just the work, always the work. You have a serious soul, Steven Drokharis, and my Prime will respect that.”
The Divination magic left her eyes and she stepped back. “I’ll talk to Chosen Ben. We know you ate at Glick’s, and he’s closed down for you. He has cabins out back behind the place, enough for you all. He rents them out on Airbnb, but they’re clear for now. You can pretty much have your run of the place, the diner included.”
Chickadee shook her head. “I ain’t ever thought I’d see the world change in a heartbeat, but seeing you, touching you, things can’t remain the same. That’s sad, in a way, but exciting in the way it counts.” She saluted them with two fingers and walked away, tromping past the Waynes and Mouse until the forest consumed her.
A dozen gray wolves, bigger than anything normal nature could produce, raced by and passed her. They turned, barked, howled, and then continued on.
Zoey shifted human and went up to Steven. Her skin felt so good on his, and he knew he had a night of sex ahead of him. And there was that look from Pru, which had him curious and more than a little horny.
“Those puppies were cute,” Zoey whispered. “But you’re cuter.”
They hiked over to the fire.
Chazzie smiled at Steven. “Was tons of fun duly impressed with you?”
Tessa scowled. “No fat shaming. Not around me. You take that back.”
Chazzie tilted her head, and there was fire in her eyes. She wanted to unload. That was clear. And Tessa, emotionally wrung out from the events in the lake temple, wasn’t about to back down from a fight.
Pru gripped her sister’s shoulder and eased her back. “Easy, Chazzie. We can be nice. So that was Chickadee Hamms? She and Chosen Ben are quite the power couple. They’ll certainly join us. For one, they ain’t idiots. For two, coming back from Chicago with his mind wiped basically means that Morty Flint isn’t on our side. You can take that to bank. Ben knows he can either hitch his wagon to Morty or to Steven. He’s a quiet, withdrawn Dragondick, but he’s careful.”
Chazzie let out a breath and grinned. “Chickadee Hamms. She didn’t give us two looks. She had it bad for Stevie.”
“Right?” Pru shook her head. “She was all shaky when she touched him. It was kind of sweet, a big gal like that, going all soft and gushy. Stevie does impress.”
“It’s Steven.” He squeezed his eyes shut. “So, do you want to try out these cabins or get our camping gear?”
“If we camp, I’ll have to get drunk,” Chazzie said. “And I’m a bit too tired to get my drink on. I don’t much care for being kidnapped by elves. Not unless they look like Orlando Bloom.”
So it was decided. Aria breathed ArcticWind to put out the fire. They left the lake with a new objective—find the red-star temples in Manhattan, North Carolina’s Outer Banks, and the Florida Keys.
Steven couldn’t stop now. And they might have enlisted another Dragonlord to help them with the war in Kansas. He wanted to get set up in the cabins and then contact Javier to see how the fighting was going.
Delegating wasn’t something he enjoyed. He didn’t like the lack of control. He didn’t like not knowing what was happening to his vassals. Even now, the coalition of Dragonlords might be racing into Colorado, torturing, killing, or mutilating any supernaturals loyal to the Drokharis Primacy. And if they made it to Denver? His mom and Tessa’s family would be in real danger.
If that happened, Steven wouldn’t care about the Zothoric. He’d open a portal and rain hellfire down upon his enemies.
The cabins behind Glick’s Café were rustic, or that was the word Tessa used. Chazzie preferred the term “shitholes.” The fake wood paneling was faded. Some of the sections were peeling back, others bowed out from the wall. You didn’t want to look too closely at the shag green carpet or you’d definitely see mouse droppings. The bathrooms were a mixture of mildew and rust and were kind of smelly. Luckily, the pungent odor of mothballs covered up most of the stink. The floors sloped to the walls and creaked with every step. There were three cabins and enough beds for everyone. That was the good news. And the sheets were clean, crisp, and cool. A clean bed was all Steven really cared about, and even then, he could be flexible.
Even the Wayne twins agreed they were too tired to go find a Marriott. The cabins would have to do. Their Walmart camping trip had basically been a nap. And car sleeping didn’t really refresh you. He wanted to have a mattress underneath him and no one driving.
Sleeping wasn’t high on the agenda, however.
Tessa set up her phone on a tiny little desk in Steven’s cabin, and they did a video call with Bud and Javier. It was a tight squeeze to get him, Tessa, Aria, and the twins inside the same cabin.
Even on the little screen, Bud looked terrible. Black circled his exhausted eyes, and his face was pasty.
Javier looked far better. He gazed into his phone, a small smile on his face, though he’d had to be put on mute because the wind was blowing so hard. The landscape behind him was flat and white from the storm. He’d set up his command center in a feed lot outside of Dodge City, Kansas. So far, they were holding the front. Abner Savedra and his Willbreakers had been critical in the action on the ground. As for the air battles, several times enemy dragons had tried to fly over them, but they’d brought in Candy Trix from the former Sin Cities Primacy. Candy was keeping the skies safe along with twenty-five of her sister wives, all powerful dragons. They’d fought for Roy Right during the Battle of the Thousand Steps but had arrived after Steven and his Escort had made it inside the sea cave, so they hadn’t taken many casualties.
Candy had joined Steven gladly. Sir Bedivere hadn’t been a very caring Prime. And that was putting it mildly.
Javier was pleased with how things were going, but he wasn’t a fool to think the worst was over.
“And how are things in Australia?” Steven asked his lawyer-in-training.
Bud nodded. “Good so far. Olivia Bolivia is doing the heavy lifting over there, working her tail feathers to the bone. At this stage, it’s all been a battle in the courts, and hasn’t gotten hot and heavy. With Liam, Skylar, and the other widows flying over to help Javier on the front, we were a bit worried that we’d get hit right away. The Three Queens have been moved to a secret Aerie near Sydney, and Olivia has Warlings guarding them and the kids. We don’t have a Magician that can cast Magica Divinatio spells there, so we’re a little blind.”
Steven thought of Agatha Stipe in the Deseret Primacy. He might have to shuffle his Magicians around. Having someone who could sense the future had become an absolute necessity in their operations. For now, Agatha was in Dodge City with Eve Downfyre.
Javier spoke. “Paulo Hume, the Panama Prime, and the other Central American Dragonlords have been running patrols up and down the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington. They have a Magician, Bubu Cappora, who is in San Luis Obispo, and she has her Divination magic working overtime. No sign of Paanga Komang.”
Steven thought of Niwashi. He�
��d tried to scry the dragon with the tattoo on his neck, but he and Sabina had lost him in Illinois. Niwashi was heading east, which was troubling. Something as old and powerful as Uchiko’s former teacher was an uncertain variable, and they already had so much on their plate.
They ended the call.
Chazzie had fallen asleep on Pru’s shoulder, but the smart twin couldn’t keep her eyes off Steven. She was buzzing from something, and he wasn’t sure what. However, she took a break from giving him steamy glances to get her sister into her bed in their room. Bunk beds! And they were sharing with Sabina, who had already turned in.
Before the Latina Magician had gone to sleep, she’d stuffed a piece of paper into Steven’s pocket and kissed him. He’d taken a look at her note. It made him reconsider a lot of things.
Mouse and Zoey were in their cabin along with Uchiko, which left the last one for Steven, Aria, and Tessa. It had two small beds. He and Tessa would curl up in one bed and Aria would sleep alone. Tessa loved to cuddle more than anything else in the world, and it had gotten to the point where she said she couldn’t sleep alone. Luckily, there were so many bodies for her to hold while she dreamed.
Aria stretched out fully clothed on the bed and fell asleep.
Tessa glanced at Steven. “Are you tired?”
He was. He touched Sabina’s note in his pocket and shrugged. “You want to talk?”
“Need is the better word,” Tessa murmured.
So sleep could wait.
Chapter Twenty
TESSA COULDN’T SHUT off her head, and she was grateful Steven agreed to chat. “Come with me to the diner. I want a cigarette and some ice cream. In that order.”
Steven stood with her while she smoked under the eaves in front of Glick’s Diner. Rain gushed down in buckets. The wet forest around them gave off such a great smell, Tessa almost felt bad smoking. Almost. The nicotine was not going to help her sleep, but the ice cream would. And she had fantasies of smearing chocolate on Steven and licking him to pieces. Sex would definitely help her quiet her mind.
