Page 8

CHAPTER 8

T he walk and then drive to the pub was slow, with both of them keeping watch for cracks or sinkholes while taking in the damage to the houses. Amongst the ruined houses were new but ruined buildings, as well as new buildings that appeared to be pristine. There were also pockets of human areas, which appeared to be undamaged.

There was no pattern to what was saved and what was damaged.

As they approached the town center, they had to stop at the police barricade. Linda spoke to them for at least ten minutes, then they were allowed through because they had a business to check on and food that could be donated to the emergency accommodation that had been set up. They were given a number to call to report the damage. They were warned to stay away from any of the new buildings and to also report any sightings of mythological beings.

Noah glanced at Nan. “What are they going to do to the mythological beings? Like, why do we need to report sightings?”

“I don’t know what they’re going to do. Maybe they are working on the assumption they are all dangerous.”

“So we report, and they arrest? I think we’re going to run out of room in the jail.”

Nan pressed her lips together. “They might treat them like refugees.”

“As I said, we’ll run out of jail room.” How many mythological beings were now in town? Were they confused and frightened of humans? None of this world was familiar to them.

Nan made a noise of agreement. “We don’t have to report. I think it’s more of a friendly request than an order. If we see a mythological in trouble or who needs medical care, then we seek help, but otherwise, we make them a cup of tea and move on with our business.”

“Uh-huh.” It had not sounded like a request from the cops. “You realize it’s only a matter of time before the cops want to knock on the door to the fairy castle.”

“They don’t know there’s a door. And since it’s in my pub, I get to knock first.”

Noah took his gaze off the road for a second. “You’re not actually going to knock on the door?” If she did that and was dragged inside, his uncle was going to kill him. His aunt would kill him.

If Nan went through the door, he had to follow.

“Why not?”

“Oh, I don’t know, a hundred fairytales saying it’s a bad idea? You warning me not to play with things I don’t understand?” It may not be fairies on the other side. He wasn’t sure if that made it better or worse.

Nan lifted her eyebrows. “And who wrote those fairytales?”

It sounded like a trick question, so Noah wasn’t sure how to answer. “We did?”

“And what kind of fairytales do you think they tell about us? How much truth do you think is in those tales? Some of them are hundreds of years old and have been translated and re-translated and edited numerous times…who knows what the truth was?” Her eyes gleamed as though this was the most exciting thing to happen in her lifetime.

His mother had warned him that his grandmother was odd and that the death of her husband had made it worse. His mother had never believed in tales of dragons and mermaids and knockers and elves. They were for children, or they were superstitious nonsense from a time before science.

More like from a time when those beings came to the human world, which begged the question why they stopped.

“Please don’t get kidnapped by fairies. Auntie Mer will kill me.”

Nan patted his knee. “Don’t fret. I’m going to offer them a drink and some of the food before it spoils, that’s all.”

“That doesn’t mean they won’t kidnap you.”

“And what are they going to do with me? Force me to be their guide around town? To do their shopping for them?” When put that way, it did sound rather silly.

Noah turned into the parking lot behind the pub and braked hard in the driveway. He swallowed hard and forgot how to breathe. Sitting next to the rubbish bins was a dragon the size of a bus. Butterflies erupted in his stomach. His heart beat faster with awe—part fear and part wonder.

He wasn’t sure if he should put the car in reverse and get the hell out of there or casually park on the other side of the bins and hope they didn’t look like breakfast.

Nan leaned forward. “Well, will you look at that? Looks like our new mythological neighbors have a pet.”

“Yeah, of course, the castle has a pet dragon.” Nothing that size could be considered a pet. “How about we go through the front door instead?”

“Don’t be silly. It’s only a dragon.”

“That’s kind of my point. It’s a fucking dragon.” Which was super cool, as well as super terrifying. The dragon moved and stretched, and something furry stepped out from beneath its wing. Noah blinked, not sure what he was seeing. It took several seconds for him to realize it was a dark-haired man wearing an ankle-length brown fur coat and bright green Wellington boots. That was a style choice.

The man smiled and waved.

“See, he didn’t get eaten by the dragon. Let’s talk to our neighbors.”

Noah tore his gaze away from the man to glare at Nan. “And where would you like me to park? Right up close to the dragon?”

“Don’t be silly—there’s a spot right there.” She pointed at the spot on the other side of the bins, which was the logical place to park if it had been a bus and not a dragon on the other side of the car park.

Noah eased the car forward, hoping not to spook the dragon, and inched into the bay. He turned off the car. “I don’t want to be eaten by a dragon today. Or kidnapped by fairies.”

Nan opened her car door, not waiting for him to agree. “We’re being good neighbors…and getting the inside track on all the gossip.”

Noah closed his eyes. He didn’t call himself a witch or even say that he practiced Wicca, as that involved far more attention and commitment than he put into it, but that didn’t stop him from sending a short prayer to any listening god or goddess begging for protection.

“If you arrived last night or have always been here, please don’t let anything happen to me or Nan. I’ll try to do better.” Okay, it was a shitty prayer, and Web would laugh his ass off.

“Come on, Noah.”

Noah sighed and got out of the car, slipping the keys into his pocket. He shut the door and walked around to where Nan stood next to the bins.

The man in the fur coat stopped on the other side, leaving a gap of a couple of meters between them. The dragon waited about three meters behind the man. Which wasn’t nearly far enough.

Noah sniffed and wrinkled his nose; the bins had not smelled that bad yesterday.

“Apologies. You aren’t used to the sharp tang of dragon or the way it clings to the back of your throat,” the man said in perfect English. “I am Silas.”

Nan took a step forward. “I’m Linda, and this is my grandson, Noah. Were you inside the castle?” She pointed up at the white spire that reached several stories above the pub.

Silas grinned, his gaze lingering on Noah in a way that kept his heart beating fast. The man was pretty, all dark curls and long eyelashes. But amongst the curls of his hair were the pale curves of horns.

“No. I was hoping to go into the palace…or what remains of it. However, we couldn’t find a door.”

While Nan called it a fairy castle, it was, in fact, a palace. Or part of one. Did that mean there were fairies inside?

“There’s a door inside. We were here when the collapse happened,” Nan said. “That’s what the human authorities are calling the event. Do your people have a name for it?”

Silas’ features hardened for a moment. “The death of our world.”

“We’re very sorry about that,” Noah said. Not that it was his fault. Even the scientists hadn’t expected this. As Nan told him often enough, they’d been playing with magic they didn’t understand. “I’ll unlock the door, and you can come in.”

Noah took two steps towards the back door.

“Great, I need to talk to the vampires,” Silas said.

Noah froze, hoping that he’d misheard. “Vampires?”

“Yes, the lord of the city. They ruled, and the dragon protected it. We need to find our people and help them.”

The dragon made several clicks and coos, which Silas responded to before speaking in English. “We also need to find the dragon’s missing mate.” He nodded at the dragon, and the dragon wiggled like an oversized, scaley cat. “They mate for life, and he is distraught.”

“I’m sure we can help find a dragon. They’re very large,” Nan said. “And hard to misplace.”

Noah shot Nan a glare for involving them in the missing dragon problem. They were so going to be eaten.

“We would be most grateful.” Silas smiled, and the sun broke through the clouds and warmed Noah from the bones outward.

“Can I ask what you are…or are you also a vampire?” Nan gave Noah a nudge toward the door.

Silas laughed, and the heat in Noah’s bones thrummed through his blood and settled in his groin. The man had horns and was committing more than one fashion crime. He should not be getting hard.

He shoved the key into the lock and turned it, but he hesitated before opening the door. What if there were vampires in the pub? They might have opened the door and made themselves at home.

Shit.

Three sets of eyes watched him, waiting for him to step inside.

“Please don’t let me be eaten by vampires,” he muttered.

“Vampires ask first, and most people enjoy being bitten,” Silas said, as if that was somehow helpful. “And to answer your question, Linda, I am an incubus.”

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you and your dragon.” She used her very polite, befriend the newcomer voice so as not to scare him off. Give her a day, and she’d be giving Silas all the gossip like they’d known each other for twenty years.

“He’s not mine. But I said I’d find help search for his mate. Is the door stuck, Noah?”

Noah’s toes curled in his runners. His name on the man’s lips sounded like a purr of pleasure. What was an incubus? He knew the answer; if he hadn’t been worried about vampires, he might’ve been able to yank it out of the dark corner of his mind where it was hiding.

He pushed open the door slowly, and when he saw no one blocking the doorway, he stepped in and punched in the code to stop the alarm from going off. The battery light wasn’t flashing. “We have power.”

“That’s good news. Come on. I’ll show you where the door to the palace is, Silas.”

“Thank you. Your kindness is much appreciated and will be remembered.”

Nan and Silas followed Noah into the dim pub.

“Then I’ll put on some tea in case the vampires want some. They must be in shock. I was when the palace appeared. Do vampires drink tea? Or do they only drink blood?”

Noah stared at his grandmother. Was she freaking out on the inside, or was this a game or an exciting adventure for her? How far was she willing to go to learn everything about the new arrivals?

She paused. “Do you drink tea, Silas?”

Silas paused for a moment as if unsure what to do with the offer. Perhaps he was still in shock or expecting to be attacked, not offered tea. “I do…and so do vampires.”

“Noah, why don’t you show Silas the door, and I’ll make the tea.”

Oh great, leave him alone with the sex demon. He remembered what an incubus was.

Silas gave him that brilliant smile, and Noah’s insides melted as his dick hardened. He should not be attracted to a demon in an ugly fur coat. Maybe the fur coat was the height of fashion where he was from, but the bright green Wellington boots on his feet looked far too human.

“Do you have food to go with the tea?” Silas was still looking at him even though the question was for Nan.

Nan tilted her head. “Of course we do… Oh, you’ve spent all night outside with the dragon and haven’t had anything to eat. Do you need a bite before you talk to the vampires?”

Silas put his hand over his heart. “If you could spare something, I would greatly appreciate it.”

“I’ll show him where the door is and bring him back,” Noah said, not wanting to be near the door to the vampire palace when Silas knocked. Fairies might have been better than vampires.

Nan nodded, her gaze sharp. Could she see the effect Silas was having on him?

Just show him the door. That was all he had to do.

He led the incubus through the pub, and for a couple of heartbeats, it seemed like any other day when he walked in, ready to open up. He almost flicked on the lights and turned on the music out of habit. Then he stepped into the bar area. While the broken glass had been swept to one side, the chairs and tables lay in disarray. He curled his fingers against the cut on his hand.

And the wall on the other side was now that odd, shiny, white marble, except for the oversized and, he now noticed, ornately carved door.

“Well, that explains why I couldn’t find it on the outside.” Silas walked toward it.

“You didn’t think about breaking in?”

“It crossed my mind, but I had hoped the vampires would come out.” He turned to face Noah. “Or that someone might let me into the building. If you hadn’t shown up, I’d have chanced breaking a window.”

“You’d have triggered the alarm, and the police would’ve arrested you.” The cops wouldn’t care about the lost dragon or the vampires stuck in the palace. “The vampires haven’t come out, or they’d have triggered the alarm.”

Silas frowned and then nodded as if untangling the words.

Noah’s gaze flicked from Silas’ horns to the door and back as he realized why this interaction was a little strange. Why did they speak the same language? “Did you speak English on your world?”

The demon laughed and said something in another language. “No. We spoke Tarikian, mostly. I speak Dragon and others. Learning your language was a matter of listening and feeling the words.” He tapped his chest, his gaze on Noah, not the door. “Much like when casting out a prayer. Do you have a god you favor?”

“Um…not really. I guess it’s whoever is most applicable.” Silas was from the other world; he’d be able to answer all of Noah’s questions. “Are you telling me all the old gods are real? And from your world?”

Silas’ eyes lit up for a second. He took a step closer. “Define old god because we may be talking about two different beings.”

“Well, if mythological beings are real. Sorry, I don’t mean to sound rude. You’re obviously real, but I didn’t know that until a couple of days ago?—”

“I understand your intention.”

Noah was pinned by the demon’s stare. “Well, the old, what we call pagan gods are part of our mythology, which suggests that Zeus and Bran and others are real.” Silas’ warning there might be some confusion about the kinds of gods made him pause. “Are there other types of gods?”

“We have old gods. The gods who came before there was anything.”

Noah’s mouth dried. “And what was before?”

“Before anything, there was wild magic. Raw and ferocious, but also lonely. So, it created the first gods to play with. And those gods made the worlds and all the beings who inhabit them.” Silas tilted his head and frowned. “I wonder how they feel about one of their creations being destroyed.”

Noah’s eyes widened, and his heart pattered like a panicked bird against his ribs.

“Kettle’s boiled,” Nan called out.

Silas stepped back as if he hadn’t suggested divine retribution for destroying a world by accident. “I’m starving. Let’s eat.”