Rules of the Road

The road to Hana was beautiful, but driving it was more than a little unnerving. They headed northeast out of the quiet fishing village, navigating a winding road that often had Mike staring down thirty-foot cliffs at the crashing waves. On a couple of occasions, the road became only one lane, which meant driving slow and hoping nobody was coming from the other direction.

Eventually, the cars pulled off onto a small service road that led them up the hillside to an iron gate that was locked shut with a group of ATVs waiting for them on the other side. They all got out and stretched. Ingrid and Wallace were busy speaking with the other members of the Order while bags were loaded onto the ATVs. Francois found a wooden stump to put one leg on, cutting a rather majestic figure as he gazed out toward the ocean, the wind ruffling through his hair.

Mike, on the other hand, was so suddenly bombarded by the forest that he almost blacked out from sensory overload. There was a massive network of life all around him that sang out like a choir, thousands of voices strong. Ratu clung to his elbow, holding him tight against her side.

“Just breathe,” she said, rubbing his back. He nodded in response, trying to gulp in some air and get his bearings.

“Is he okay?” Leilani was staring at them from her place by the Captain.

“Think he’s just a little carsick,” Ratu replied.

“Weak constitution, eh?” Francois chuckled as he tied a bandana around his forehead, locking his hair back. “Don’t make men like they used to.”

Mike vaguely heard Francois through the chatter of nearby spiders. Part of him debated asking if they’d ever tasted French cuisine. Maybe he’d find a cane spider willing to drop on the man’s head; the possibilities were endless.

“Yeah, you know how it is,” Mike wheezed, playing up the pitiful angle. “Winding roads, am I right?”

Francois snorted, but seemed satisfied with Mike’s response. Leilani stared down at the water, sadness in her eyes.

“That’s where it happened,” she said, pointing over a nearby bluff. “The colony was pretty close to the cliffs. There were far more dead beneath the waves, the beach got the ones we couldn’t clean up in time.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Ratu said, still rubbing Mike’s back.

Leilani nodded in response, her features grim as she turned her gaze out toward the ocean. The sun reflected off the iridescent scales that lined her features, particularly around her ears.

Mike stood, letting out another deep breath as he closed off his senses. It was going to take him some time to acclimate to the local flora, along with the spiders. He had been out in the woods of Oregon a few times, but it was nowhere near as busy as the tropical rainforests of Maui.

“It can be overwhelming,” Ratu said as she guided him around the car. “I feel as if a massive heart beats beneath my feet even now.”

“Oh yeah?” Mike looked up the mountain, which was difficult to see through the thick foliage.

“The mountain is alive, and it feels like home.” She smiled sadly, then looked over at Quetzalli, who was standing on a rock and staring at a distant waterfall. The dragon seemed lost in thought, but when she turned around, it was to reveal that she was consuming a bag of chips she had brought from the car.

“What?” she asked when she noticed their attention. “The flavor is Cool Ranch. They are quite tasty.”

“Okay team, here’s what we’ve got.” Wallace waved everybody over to where Ingrid waited. “The ATVs are modified quads, which means two people per vehicle. Our support team will be following us up with our gear, but it will probably be slow going for a bit while you all get used to your vehicles.”

“But if it gets too hard, say something early,” Ingrid added. “The support team includes a couple of spare drivers if necessary. We don’t want to be climbing this mountain all week.”

“As of this morning, we will be able to follow the tracks of…whatever, most of the way back to the point of origin. It’s rained quite a bit, so parts of it will be washed out, but the quads should manage until it gets too steep.” Wallace looked at Mike. “That will also depend on you. Our guys kept getting turned around despite the obvious trail of devastation through the woods.”

“That sounds about right,” Mike said. He hadn’t been able to test it himself, but the Oregon property had a similar boundary. “It should be fine as long as you’re all with me.”

“Or you could grant us all blanket permission.” Francois smirked at Mike. “Go ahead, Caretaker. Say that we’re all welcome to enter. That’s how it works, right? Then we don’t have to worry about being knocked off course.”

Everyone went quiet as the Captain stared down Mike, all signs of humor gone from his sun-washed face.

“That is how it works, you’re correct.” Mike kept his features neutral, pushing down the anger that bubbled up through his chest. “I wouldn’t even have to snap my fingers. I could just think and make it happen. Super easy.”

“Then why don’t you?” asked Ingrid.

“Because I don’t want to.” He turned his attention to Ingrid, being careful to keep the animosity from his voice. “Honestly, that’s the only reason I need, like it or not. But if you want reasons, here’s a good one; I hardly know anybody here. Princess?”

“Yes?” Leilani regarded him coolly.

“If I asked, would you grant me access to your kingdom? Allow me to go in unsupervised, do whatever I want away from sight?”

She shook her head. “Gods, no.”

“Because you don’t trust me, right? It’s okay if you don’t, I wouldn’t trust me either.” Mike looked at Francois, who was frowning. “My home and the people who rely on me, they trust me to make the important decisions. It’s my job to protect them, much like it’s Leilani’s job to protect her people. Every choice we make may have long-term repercussions, so excuse me if I’m not up to meeting the Captain’s standards for the sake of expediency or convenience.”

“You speak of trust. Do you not trust us?” Francois swung his arms wide to incorporate the Order.

Mike took a moment to look at everyone, his eyes lingering briefly on Ingrid’s. “Should I?” he asked. To Ingrid’s credit, she didn’t look away, but he could sense the guilt draped across her soul.

“This is such a stupid discussion.” Wallace shook his head and climbed onto the driver seat of one of the quads. “One way or another, I’ve got to hike this damned mountain, so I don’t give a shit what you all decide.”

The Captain’s glittering eyes bored into Mike, but he didn’t care. He turned away from the Frenchman and looked at the quads. “Who wants to ride with me?”

“I do!” Quetzalli ran over, her breasts straining against the fabric of her hiking shirt. When she hugged Mike’s arm, he felt them squish against his body.

“Your other friend can ride with me.” Wallace patted the passenger seat of his quad.

“Hard pass.” Ratu nodded in Ingrid’s direction. “I want to ride with her.”

“Leilani?” Wallace looked almost hopeful, but the mermaid made a noise in disgust.

“Looks like you’re riding alone, partner.” Ingrid chuckled as some remaining supplies were stacked onto Wallace’s passenger seat and strapped into place.

Wallace shrugged, dropping his sunglasses into place and pretending to play it cool. He turned on his quad and pulled ahead up the trail a short distance, likely to sulk in private.

Mike got in his quad and listened patiently to a woman from the Order who went over the controls with him and some tips on driving and riding in one. He appreciated the advice, realizing soon enough that the thing wasn’t simply an overgrown golf cart. It took a few seconds to get a feel for the accelerator, which caused Daisy to squirm under his collar. When Quetzalli sat next to him, he realized that she was holding an unopened bag of chips.

“Where did you get those?” he asked.

“There was a shop in town,” she replied. “They had these by the front door.”

“Who paid for them?”

Her eyes went blank for a moment. “Oh.”

Mike made a mental note to figure out which shop she had gone in and send them some cash anonymously after this whole thing was done. “Did you grab anything else?”

“Yeah.” Quetzalli looked ashamed as she emptied her pockets. She had mints, gum, and a roll of hard candies. “I’m sorry, I thought it was like Paradise and we could just take what we wanted.”

“It’s okay.” He patted her thigh reassuringly and got a nasty zap for his efforts. “I’ll take care of it later, all right?”

She nodded, then dumped her ill-gotten gains into the cup holder as Mike pulled the quad onto the service road to follow Wallace up the hill. The knight looked back to make sure that everyone was ready. The Captain and Leilani were the last to get started as Francois seemed to have trouble steering his quad. He was getting red in the face and yelling obscenities in French.

Mike watched the man with a long stare before turning away. “What an asshole,” he muttered, then pressed his foot down on the accelerator to follow Wallace up the trail.

----

Cyrus was napping in a hammock behind the greenhouse when he felt something tug at the hem of his pants. He opened his eyes to see a large rat holding a small paper card between its paws.

“This cloak and dagger shit is wearing on me,” he muttered, then took the card from the rat. It had a drawing of an ear on it done in marker.

Well that was easy enough to interpret. He pulled the earpiece from his pocket and shoved it into his ear canal.

“Good nap?” Eulalie asked.

“It was, thank you.” He put his hands on the rope hammock and gave it a push. “What is this material, by the way? Some kind of silk?”

There was a long pause, and then Eulalie chuckled. “A rare kind, actually. I’m calling to let you know that I’ve got movement up the street. The SoS is nearly there.”

“Fuck.” Cyrus got out of the hammock and picked up the bag he had stored nearby. Ever since his phone call with Eulalie earlier, he had been busy putting together some essentials in case things went south with the SoS. When he had asked the Rat Queen about a potential hiding spot for it all, she had directed him to a hidden location in between a cluster of bushes and trees that grew along the west wall of the greenhouse. When he had spotted the hammock, he had radioed in to Laurel to let her know he would be off property for a bit, then settled in for a nap.

“How long have I been out?” he asked.

“A couple of hours. Don’t worry, Jenny’s been keeping your team busy.” Eulalie chuckled ominously.

“I can’t wait to hear all about it.” Cyrus pulled out his own phone and noticed that Laurel hadn’t messaged him at all. That was to be expected, since she was clearly aiming to be in charge. “So you’ve got eyes on the SoS?”

“All eight of them.” There was a long pause, and Eulalie coughed. “Because we’re using drones.”

“You aren’t flying them, are you? These guys will probably spot them.”

Another long pause. “Not really. I landed them in strategic locations to monitor the roads. You’ve got about ten minutes before they arrive.”

“Okay, then.” Cyrus opened up his bag and contemplated the contents. He had raided a local storehouse for the things he needed without anyone being the wiser. Opening up his coat, he started shoving wands, powders, and various magical implements into the stitched-in pockets.

“Aren’t you hot in that thing?” Eulalie asked.

Cyrus took a look around, but didn’t see how he was being watched. “Hardly,” he replied. “This coat is vintage Order construction. Keeps me cool in the summer and warm in the winter. They don’t make them like this anymore.”

“You look like a nerdy Rambo gearing up for war.”

“I kind of am.” Cyrus paused, then patted himself down. It had been a long time since he had loaded himself down like this. “Once the SoS gets here, they’re likely to take lead on the operation. You never know what to expect from these fuckers.”

“Why does the Order hire them?” Eulalie asked. “These guys are big news in the underworld. I’m looking at three confirmed regime changes that they’re responsible for.”

“They’ll do anything for money,” he replied. The Sons of Sin really only had one rule: you couldn’t hire them to kill their own members. They were a team, a group committed to making the impossible happen for the right amount of money. The SoS strongly preferred jobs that challenged their skillset, and they were capable of taking down some powerful cryptids with proper preparation.

They were also disposable in the eyes of the Order. Once the SoS took a job, they guaranteed results, and didn’t hold grudges with the client as long as the task was reasonably described. He remembered a story about a dictator who hired them to take out some monks at a monastery, which turned out to actually be a nest of guerrilla fighters. Even though the SoS had easily exterminated the fighters, they assassinated the dictator the very next week for lying about the target.

If members of the SoS died, it was far preferable to losing knights and mages. There were already so few of them left that the Order was never going to replenish its ranks with their current losses. The SoS could replenish their ranks from anybody with combat experience and the ability to follow commands. Secretly, Cyrus wondered if the men of SoS had a death wish and figured they would wager their lives for some big payouts before shuffling off their mortal coil. They also never took women. Cyrus didn’t know what that was about.

A quick final check reassured him that he was ready for almost anything. Once the SoS were here, he was going to be under tight scrutiny. They weren’t really known for subtlety, either.

“Keep me in your ear,” Eulalie said. “I’ve got eyes on you, but want to hear what’s going on.”

“Roger.” Cyrus crouched down and crawled on all fours to escape his secret haven. He would have to remember this place next time he came to visit, it seemed like a nice enough spot. A pair of rats watched him as he crawled free of the brush, disappearing into the shadows once he was clear. He brushed himself off and strolled along the edge of the perimeter like nothing had happened.

The first thing he noticed was that the groundskeeping staff were gone. The property was quieter than ever, but other than spotting the man who culled the roses, there was nobody else around.

“Did they abandon ship?” he wondered aloud while scratching his jaw in case anyone could see his mouth.

“Went home. They’re cryptids, but not the kind that can take a bullet, if you catch my drift. Your team is over by the gazebo.”

“Thanks.” Instead of heading straight for the gazebo, he continued his walk along the wall. The shrubbery was tall enough in places that hiding from sight was easy. Over by the gazebo, the Order was clustered in a group, so he took the opportunity to move further down the yard before emerging, hoping it looked like he had snuck in through the entrance. He was halfway across the yard before someone spotted him, and Laurel waved him over.

“What’s going on? Where did everybody go?” When he got to the middle of the group, he spotted Bradford, white as a sheet, staring into the distance. “What happened to him?”

“That fucking doll, that’s what.” Blake stood by, his features twisted up in anger. His hands were balled up, a wand clenched tightly in one of them. “The damned thing baited us.”

“Baited who?” Cyrus took a moment to survey the situation. On the ground, a scorched spirit board lay smoldering in the grass. There was a chunk of metal and plastic nearby that he assumed were the remnants of the spirit box. He lifted his eyes to look at Laurel, who was immediately defensive.

“Nothing should have happened,” she declared. “We took the appropriate precautions.”

“I make no accusations,” he said with a soft voice, then gestured for her to continue. “Can anyone tell me what happened?”

Laurel scowled, and looked at Mads, who stood nearby. Mads took this as a signal and stepped forward.

“Contact was initiated by the front door,” he explained, pointing at the house. “We set up the spirit board on the porch, by the swinging chair. Sister Laurel had Bradford help her, since the spirit was most active around him.”

“A reasonable approach,” Cyrus replied, doing his best to make friends. “I would have done the same.”

“We did proper spirit board prep before beginning,” Laurel added. “Just so you all know.”

Cyrus nodded, then looked back at Mads. “Continue.”

“The conversation started innocently enough. The spirit told us her name was Jenny and that she was trapped in the body of a doll.” Mads screwed up his face. “We had trouble getting any solid answers from her, past that, which is when we switched to the spirit box.”

“That little bitch played us.” Laurel’s cheeks turned red. “There was a bunch of interference, and when she did speak, it was too quiet for us to hear. She kept saying Bradford’s name, so with some coaxing, I got him to hold the speaker to his ear and cast a spell to diminish external sound so he could hear better.”

“And then what happened?” Cyrus looked down at Bradford.

“The spirit board came to life and chased Laurel around like a bat. The planchette actually bit her, somehow.” Mads shook his head. “By the time we took it out, we noticed Bradford was screaming. We didn’t hear him because of the soundproofing spell. His eyes were all dark, and it took three of us to get that box away from him.”

“She’s waiting for me in the dark,” Bradford muttered. “I don’t want her to take me apart anymore. It hurts.”

Cyrus knelt down and put a hand to the man’s head. “He’s burning a fever,” he said. “We need to get him out of here, have him properly checked out.”

“A spirit shouldn’t be able to do this,” Laurel hissed, gesturing at the house. As if in response, the curtains on the second floor opened, but nobody was there. “It got into his head somehow, made him see things.”

“You are correct,Ssister Laurel.” He turned to scan the yard. “And what of the grounds crew?”

“They all disappeared while we were dealing with this.” Laurel took a step toward the remains of the spirit box and kicked it, sending it tumbling across the grass.

“Easy,” Cyrus cautioned, then gave a knowing look to the man closest to him. “Getting mad won’t help the situation.”

“This was an attack,” Laurel shouted. “A clear breach of our agreement with Radley.”

“And what would you suggest?” Cyrus cocked an eyebrow and crossed his arms. “Weren’t you the one who wanted to initiate contact? This is the equivalent of knocking on somebody’s door and being mad when they bother you.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Mads replied, but Laurel pushed him out of the way.

“This was an act of hostility. We were lured in, and I won’t stand for it. Nobody here will, in fact.” She gestured at the men and women clustered around her, but more than a few didn’t look so sure.

“I have yet to hear a plan from you.” Cyrus shook his head. “Being mad and shouting doesn’t accomplish anything and certainly isn’t the hallmark of a good leader.”

“I don’t need advice from someone who fucked a cheesegrater with his damned face!” She was about to say something else, but Mads interceded, pushing his mage away from the group. The others looked uncomfortable now, but Cyrus focused on Bradford.

“I’ll help you get him to the car,” he said, looking up at Blake. The mage’s eyes flicked back and forth between Laurel and Cyrus, then eventually settled on Cyrus. He put his wand away and helped Cyrus walk Bradford down to the entrance of the property. The whole time they walked, Bradford stared straight ahead, and either mumbled or cried.

“Are you sure she’s still not in his head?” Blake asked once they were down by the cars.

“I don’t believe so,” Cyrus replied.

“She isn’t,” Eulalie confirmed in his ear. “You all would know. All he needs is time and probably a career change. Jenny can be a bit much, but if she broke this man so easily, he wouldn’t have lasted in your job.”

Cyrus digested this piece of news with a frown. After all, this was a fellow human in pain, a man whose mind was broken. He was conflicted at best, but he also saw wisdom in Eulalie’s words. As if with a mind of its own, he touched the scars on his face and shivered. That particular moment in time would stick with him until the end of his days. If anything could have broken him, it would have been that.

Down at the street, he helped load Bradford into the back of one of the suburbans. The man curled up on his seat and cried quietly as Blake moved up to the driver’s door.

“I’m gonna burn this fucking place to the ground,” declared the mage before he got in and drove off. Just as his vehicle turned onto a side road, a group of white vans appeared.

“And here they are,” Eulalie muttered. “Punctual little fuckers.”

Cyrus stood at the curb and waited to greet the unwelcome guests. Instead of stopping on the street, the white vans pulled into the main drive and headed for the apex of the loop. They drove up onto the lawn itself, clipping a few bushes in the process.

“So much for meeting them first,” muttered Cyrus as he limped his way up the hill. His lower back was stiff, a likely result of his nap. Getting old sounded way better back when he was young.

By the time he made it back up the hill, the SoS had torn up a chunk of the yard getting the vans nearly to the gazebo. Men dressed in black athleticwear emerged from the vans, milling about as they threw open the rear doors and started pulling gear out. Cyrus frowned when he realized that they were pulling out weapons as well as body armor.

Their leader, a man with short white hair and black sunglasses, was chatting amicably with Laurel. By the time Cyrus arrived, he was more than a little out of breath.

“What’s going on here?” he demanded, pretending to be shocked.

The man with white hair regarded Cyrus coolly with one hand hovering over the grip of a gun in a thigh holster.

“These are the other arrangements,” Laurel explained, gesturing to the man with white hair. “This is Dirk. He is the head of this unit. Have you heard of the Sons of Sin?”

“I have,” Cyrus grumbled. “But that doesn’t tell me why they’re here.”

“That’s on a need to know basis.” Dirk looked to Laurel, who nodded her head slightly. “We are planning to coordinate entry into the home and have been authorized to use lethal force if necessary.”

“Excuse me?” Cyrus’ jaw hung open.

“These guys are going to help us break in.” Laurel smirked.

“But they…we can’t…” Cyrus gestured at the lions. “We were warned that any sort of hostile activity would be met with massive repercussions.”

“Magic hostility.” Laurel pointed to the nearest van. A battering ram had been pulled out and set on the ground. “Physical violence won’t activate the home’s barrier.”

“What of the residents?” Cyrus pointed at the door. “That place is swarming with powerful cryptids.”

“We have countermeasures.” Dirk’s lips curled into a grin. “We are well equipped to deal with any sort of physical offensive.”

“And defensive magic won’t trigger the home’s defenses. So if someone comes out throwing fireballs, we’ve got shields at the ready.” Laurel’s eyes were practically sparkling. “The plan is to break in, identify potential assets, then bring them back out.”

“Idiots,” muttered Eulalie through the earpiece. “They’re going to get someone killed.”

“But…would that really work?” Cyrus scratched at his jaw. The question was for Eulalie, but Laurel thought he was talking to her.

“With a high degree of success. The Director needs results within the next forty-eight hours, otherwise he’ll have to lock down the Caretaker on the island until he gives them what we want.”

“And what do we want?” Cyrus asked. “A magical book that’s only rumored to be there?”

“That’s on a need to know basis.” Laurel smirked. “And according to the Director, you officially don’t need to know.”

“Ouch,” Eulalie muttered. “Sounds like you’re officially on the outs.”

Cyrus held up his hands in defeat. “I guess I just question the wisdom of this move, especially so soon after what just happened to Bradford.”

“What happened to Bradford?” asked Dirk.

Laurel gave Cyrus a dirty look, but he ignored her. “Malevolent spirit got inside his head, messed him up.”

“This true?” Dirk asked, addressing Laurel.

“Yes,” she admitted. “About fifteen minutes ago.”

“And I count, what, twelve of you?” Cyrus did another head count. “The SoS are good, but that number seems small.”

“Oh, fuck me,” Eulalie muttered. “We have more incoming, I wasn’t paying attention.”

A van honked at the end of the drive, and Cyrus turned to see six more vehicles pull in. These ones drove up onto the grass, followed by a truck pulling a trailer and a moving van. The trailer came to a halt at the apex of the drive with the moving van behind it.

“Don’t worry about our numbers,” Dirk said. “Okay, people, I want a perimeter around the trailer, nothing outside our teams goes near it without my permission. Once we get the Command Center set up, we will get a debrief from Laurel here, who is our point of contact. Any paranormal contact is to be reported immediately, and I want eyes on the sky with those Barretts.”

“Barretts?” Cyrus asked.

“Sniper rifles. Will blow the wings off a gargoyle from a mile away.” Dirk waved his hand in a circular motion, and the men around him split into teams of three, forming a fractured semi-circle between the Order and the house.

“Shit, shit, shit,” Eulalie muttered, then her voice became distant. “Someone tell Abella to get off the roof, now!”

Cyrus stayed back and watched as the Order fell back, allowing the SoS to take over. Laurel commanded mage/knight teams to join up with the SoS teams, making groups of five that now kept watch on the house.

Realizing that he was being ignored, Cyrus wandered toward the trailer. He recognized it as the kind the Order used, meaning it would be magically warded. The moving van opened up to reveal racks of heavy weaponry, which someone with a clipboard began handing out.

“This is really bad,” he muttered. “They’re going to come inside, you know.”

“We’re not too worried,” Eulalie replied. “But we need to get everybody inside, first. Ah, shit sticks.”

“What’s up?”

“We just lost two drones, and…yep, there goes a third. Looks like they’re on to me. Dana is gonna be pissed. I gotta go, leave your earpiece in.” The call went silent, leaving Cyrus alone with the SoS. He didn’t know what they hoped to accomplish, but more than a few were giving him odd looks now that he was standing nearby.

“Is there anything I can help with?” he asked, approaching the moving van. “I’m more of a consultant on this job, so they don’t need me up there.”

The man with the clipboard stared down at Cyrus, then nodded. “We need somebody to do a double check on the wards in the Command Center once the truck drops it off.”

“I can do that.” Cyrus stepped back and watched as the trailer was leveled and then unhitched from the truck towing it. The truck was parked further down the driveway as a small team started unfolding the trailer, its side walls folding up to become the roof as tent flaps were unfurled from within. Enchantments had been stitched into the fabric, making the Command Center impervious to psychic attacks and scrying. The last time he had been part of an operation that utilized a Command Center was almost a decade back against a nasty coven of witches who were sacrificing people for immortal life in Europe.

A few mages joined him in his efforts, and the Command Center was up and running after nearly an hour. Dirk stopped to check on progress, but spent the bulk of his time surveying the exterior of the house. When Cyrus finished his job, he sat down at one of the tables inside, citing old age. Nobody seemed to question it. Shortly after, he heard a pop of static, and Eulalie let him know that she was back and listening.

Laurel dropped in about fifteen minutes later and sat down across from him. She didn’t say anything at first, but finally broke the silence by sliding a tablet across the table to him.

“What’s this?” he asked.

“A peace offering.” She sat back in her chair and waited while he read the tablet. It was an email from Laurel to the Director, detailing that Cyrus had been instrumental in their early efforts at the house. Judging by the look on her face, it was clear she felt like this was a huge gift to him. “I shouldn’t have said what I did about your face.”

He snorted. “People have said worse,” he replied, then slid the tablet back over. “So what’s the current rumor? About my scars, that is.”

“What do you mean?”

Cyrus chuckled. “I’ve heard at least a dozen different stories about how I got them. Some of them are pretty funny, actually. So I’m curious which one you’ve heard.”

“Wendigo,” she replied. “Someone said it got hold of you and tried to chew your face off.”

“I’ve heard that one. My personal favorite was a rumor about a horny chupacabra.” He sighed and stared at the ceiling. “I was still a young man when it happened. I was hunting a cryptid in the northwest. It was the last of its kind, an Arachne.”

“Wait, that was you?” Laurel leaned forward in her seat. “We’ve heard about that one in training.”

Cyrus nodded. “Yes it was. My partner and I tracked her down to a small town in the middle of nowhere. Was supposed to be an easy enough hunt, but she had seduced a soldier who helped her escape. Tracked her to the middle of the woods and that’s when this happened.”

“She attacked you?” Laurel’s eyes were practically sparkling.

He shook his head. “She commanded all of the spiders in the forest to protect her. Hundreds of them, biting and clinging to my face, all at once. I almost died from all the venom running through me, it was like everything was on fire.”

“Fucking hell,” Laurel muttered.

“Indeed.” Cyrus sat back and crossed his arms. “I guess maybe the point I’m making is that my feelings aren’t easily hurt. I was happy to help here, but am looking forward to going back to retirement. I don’t care who is in charge as long as I get to go home in one piece, you understand?”

Laurel contemplated him for a moment, then nodded. “I really have come across as a bitch, haven’t I?”

Cyrus shrugged. “That’s up for you to decide. You’re the next generation, after all.”

Laurel smiled and picked up her tablet. “Thank you, Master Cyrus.” She took a few steps away, then paused. “If I may ask about the Arachne?”

“Go ahead?”

“What was it like? Taking down a monster like that?”

Cyrus sighed. “Several years ago, I would have told you it felt good. A monster like that is a cancer, you cut it out immediately.”

“But now?” Laurel looked at him with concern.

“But now I’m getting soft.” Cyrus chuckled. “I’ve seen a lot of things die, have been responsible for many of them, and now it just makes me sad. It wears on you.”

He didn’t know how to explain to Laurel that maybe there had been something that could have been learned from the Arachne. That mission had been one of his greatest triumphs and now his largest regret. He and Jeffrey had been so focused on killing the Arachne that they had never stopped to properly question the fact that she hadn’t left a trail of bodies behind. What if she had been different? The Radley house had taught him that the world was no longer black and white, but it was so hard seeing all the shades of gray without questioning the past.

She snorted. “You’re not getting soft. You’re essentially a pillow now.”

“And I won’t pretend to be otherwise.” He stared at his hands, then clenched his fists and pulled them off the table. “So what’s the next step? I don’t need details, just the things I need to know.”

Laurel smiled. “Once the Command Center is up, the SoS will come in and get their orders. There’s a very real fear that someone in the house can scry or read minds, so only the Director and the squad leader know what’s going to happen next.”

“Squad leader? Dirk?”

The mage shook her head. “He’s the second-in-command. The squad leader was supposed to be here a few minutes ago.” Through the flaps of the Command Center came the rumbling sounds of a motorcycle pulling up. “That should be him, actually.”

Moments later, the flaps of the Command Center were pushed open, admitting a slender man in a leather jacket wearing a motorcycle helmet. Cyrus recognized the rune work as Order made, and the cyclist moved to the table and flipped open his visor to reveal blue eyes that were cruel and calculating.

“Sister Laurel?” he asked.

“That’s me. Are you Darius?”

“I am. Is the room secure?”

Laurel looked at Cyrus, who nodded. “Our wards are up.”

“Good.” Darius removed his helmet. The man had dark skin without a single hair on his head. Even his eyebrows were gone. “We can begin as soon as we’re ready.”

“I’ll get Dirk for you.” Laurel stood and left. Cyrus rose and offered his hand to Darius.

“Master Cyrus,” he said. “Spatial anomaly consultant. Let me know if there’s anything I can do for you.”

Darius ignored Cyrus’ hand. “I’ll keep you on comms, then. Don’t go anywhere, it’ll be all hands on deck in the next couple of hours.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t.”

“Good.” Darius set his helmet on the table and removed his jacket. A glittering, tear-shaped pendant hung around the squad leader’s neck, which he hastily tucked beneath his shirt. “Because early tomorrow morning, my team is going in.”

---

It was almost two in the afternoon when the quads came to a halt for lunch. It had been a slow, steady climb up the slope of Haleakalā, and the teams had been forced to stop on numerous occasions to either slash back the undergrowth or find an alternative way up the path. Mike groaned as he slid out of the driver’s seat, his legs feeling like lead.

Quetzalli had informed Mike early on that the trail absolutely looked to be dragon made. The trench they were following back to its lair was likely from its tail, which had flattened out the terrain. Based on her assumptions, this dragon was larger than she had been. The rain had already washed out large portions of the trail, and the quads had gotten stuck on two occasions due to mud.

Wallace had pulled one of the bags from his quad and was handing out lunch to everyone while Ingrid refilled canteens. The shade of the forest kept them cool, but the humidity was a force to be reckoned with. None of the cryptids seemed to have any problem with either, but Mike’s shirt stuck to his skin.

“One hour, people.” Ingrid looked in the direction of Haleakalā’s peak. “I don’t know how much farther we’re gonna get before we have to travel by foot, but we’re definitely camping on the mountain tonight.”

Francois snorted as he took his meal. “Maybe we should just skip the break and keep going, then.”

Ingrid shook her head. “We need to refuel the quads anyway. Also, my ass is asleep. Breaks are good for you.”

Francois snorted again. “Come, princess.” He picked up a spare meal and gestured for Leilani to follow. The princess seemed apprehensive at first, but followed her guardian off into the brush.

Ratu looked around the mock clearing for a moment, then crouched down and dug her fingers into the soil. The ground trembled for a moment, and then stone columns rose from the ground to waist height and formed into small tables. When she saw the Order staring at her, she just shrugged.

“I’ve been sitting all day,” she explained, setting down her food to unwrap it. Mike and Quetzalli joined her, forming a tight circle around their earthen table. Lunch was some kind of fish sandwich with a slightly spicy aioli sauce and chewy protein bars.

“My back is so sore,” Quetzalli groaned, massaging her spine.

“Do you want to switch seats with me?” asked Ratu. “My seat was pretty comfortable.”

“It wasn’t the seat.” Quetzalli grabbed her own breasts and hefted them. “These things kept jiggling around. I should have worn a sports bra.”

“I’m surprised your driver was able to concentrate.” Ratu grinned at Mike.

“Hey, I’m a gentleman,” he replied. “Safety first.”

“I caught him peeking a lot,” Quetzalli said.

“All this natural beauty to look at and you’re still looking at breasts.” Ratu shook her head and laughed.

“It’s a different kind of natural beauty,” Mike assured her.

“Speaking of the terrain, how are you feeling?” Ratu took a bite of her sandwich and licked aioli off her fingers.

“I’m doing better,” he admitted. “It sounds silly, but all the fumes from the quads helped quite a bit. The focus on the drive gave me a chance to acclimate.”

“And now?”

He closed his eyes and smiled. “I can feel it all around me,” he explained. “Almost like it’s an extension of my mind. There’s just so much life, it’s like the island is breathing underneath my feet. In fact…” He opened his eyes and pointed behind Ratu. “There’s a pool over that way if anyone wants to go check it out.”

“I wouldn’t mind a swim.” Quetzalli grabbed the hem of her shirt, but Mike stopped her.

“Let’s walk there first,” he said. “Ratu, are you coming?”

“As lovely as that sounds, I’ve already spotted a lovely sunbeam I intend to take advantage of.” The naga was already unbuttoning her shirt. “And it will allow me to keep an eye on things up here, if you catch my drift.”

He nodded, then ate his last bite of food. “When you’re ready, I’ll lead the way,” he said to Quetzalli.

The dragon promptly stuffed the rest of her sandwich into her mouth. “Ahm reathy,” she mumbled around her food.

He took Quetzalli by the hand and led the dragon away from the group and toward the pool. When he touched one of the trees, the branches shifted, allowing them passage. The forest bent away from him as they wandered into the woods, eventually standing ten feet above a deep pool of water. In the distance, a thin waterfall could be seen dumping water into a stream that fed the pool, which emptied over a cluster of rocks and dropped another twenty feet to vanish in the foliage below.

“It’s so pretty,” Quetzalli declared, unbottoning her shirt and throwing it on the ground before stepping out of her skirt to reveal that she was wearing a bikini underneath. After pulling off her socks and shoes, she made as if to jump when Mike grabbed her arm to stop her.

“Hold on,” he said, then studied the pool below. Tree roots rimmed the edge of the water, so he closed his eyes and reached out to them. Feeling his way through the trees, he finally opened his eyes. “It’s deep enough, go for it.”

Quetzalli jumped, making herself into a cannonball before striking the surface of the water and sending a plume of water into the air. Mike picked his way down carrying Quetzalli’s clothes with him, a process made easier by the abundance of tree roots that acted as a ladder. He would have jumped in with her, but didn’t want to lose Opal’s bottle or accidentally squash Daisy. At the edge of the pool, he stripped down completely and folded his clothes into a bundle.

“Watch those for me,” he whispered, and Daisy waved a hand from the folded bundle. Olivia squirmed free of Quetzalli’s clothes to join her sibling in hiding, and then Mike jumped into the pool.

The water was cold and energizing, seeping into his pores to chase away the heat. He sank down to the bottom, then kicked off the rocks to rocket upward like a cork and break the surface of the water. Quetzalli laughed as he treaded water while they splashed each other.

“This feels so good,” Quetzalli said as she laid on her back and allowed her hips to float upward. Her bikini top had come undone during her cannonball and both of her breasts were awkwardly on display. “It reminds me of splashing around in cenotes down in middle America.”

“Were those big enough for you?” he asked, referring to her original dragon form.

“When I was a hatchling,” she replied. “There were a couple of bigger ones I could still fit in as an adult, but it wasn’t the same. Oh! There was a really deep one I used to relax in, warm water came up through the bottom, it was just like a hot tub for you humans. I could rub my scales on some large rocks along the inside, make myself nice and shiny. The locals would collect the smaller scales that fell off this way and use them as charms.”

“Do you miss it?” Mike asked. “Being a full-sized dragon.”

Quetzalli made a face, then rotated her body to face him in the water. “I’m enjoying my time as a human,” she admitted. “And while nothing will ever replace the feeling of dancing among the rain clouds, there are certain perks I’ve really come to love.”

She wrapped her legs around his waist and bobbed closer to him. Naturally, this caused him to immediately sink below the surface. Holding his breath, Mike sank down low and swam underneath Quetzalli, making sure to pinch her ample bottom on the way up. He could hear her shriek even beneath the waves.

When he broke the surface, she spun around and splashed him.

“I didn’t know you’d sink,” she explained. “I was trying to be…sensual.” Her cheeks turned bright pink and she scowled at the water.

“This is kind of a weird place to do it.” He looked around and realized how isolated they were. The birds were singing in the forest, and the wind caused the trees to dance, their branches sliding through each other and making a sound reminiscent of the shoreline. “Actually, I take that back. This is a pretty good place.”

“It is. Besides, I was just following the rules of the road.”

Mike frowned. “The what now?”

“Lily explained it to me. If someone gives you a ride, it’s ass, cash, or grass. I don’t have any money, and I don’t think you’re interested in grass.” She was far gentler this time, moving close enough that her breasts pressed against him. Her hands slid down his stomach and grabbed the base of his semi-erect cock. “Oh, wow, I didn’t expect you to be so hard in water this cold.”

“I have magic powers,” he whispered dramatically. “I once got a boner at the North Pole.”

“Wish I could have seen it. Missed the whole thing in exchange for dinner with Dana’s parents.” She shook her head at the memory of that disastrous Christmas-Eve meal. The dragon acted as a girlfriend-surrogate for Dana most days, and had traveled home with the zombie in order to help her pretend that her life was normal. Instead, Dana’s parents had made assumptions about their age difference, and it had caused a fight.

“Yeah, well, this adventure is pretty good, so far.” He treaded water, kicking lightly as he moved toward the edge of the pool. Quetzalli caught his hand in her own and he towed her over to the edge where he found some smooth rocks to sit on, his waist just beneath the waves. “We’ve only got half an hour left, so we can’t linger too long.”

“Oh, dear.” Quetzalli stroked his cock. “I’m really bad at telling time.”

Her head disappeared under the surface of the water, and suddenly the cool water of the pond was replaced by the warmth of a human mouth. Mike groaned and leaned back against the shoreline, one hand caressing Quetzalli’s invisible horn. The enchanted napkin ring hid it from view, but it was still a physical presence.

Quetzalli’s horn had healed up nicely in the last two years, but she still wore the protective silver sheath. Mike had discovered nearly a year back that her horn was a huge erogenous zone, and stroking it like he would his own cock would elicit some pretty exciting behavior from the dragon. Even now, he could feel his cock pressing against the back of her throat as she became aggressive.

Still, she didn’t have the ability to breathe underwater, so she surfaced with a gasp, one hand on his shaft while the other played with his balls. Her bubble butt bobbed behind her, making a small, fleshy island. The head of his cock was just below the surface, and Quetzalli pulled herself forward, his cock sliding between her breasts.

“You know, we have a pool like this in the greenhouse,” he said, playing with her hair.

“Oh, I know.” Quetzalli grinned up at him, his thighs keeping her from sinking below the surface. “But that’s a special place for Zel, so we don’t take you there.”

He smiled at the memory of more than a couple moments just like this with the centaur. Zel loved collecting ‘samples’ from him, and liked to stand in the deeper water while jacking him off or even blowing him from the edge. “That’s very kind of you all.”

“We’re a sisterhood,” she explained, then sucked him into her mouth once more. He groaned, letting his magic stretch out inside of him.

“You’ve gotten…so good…at that,” he told her.

“Thacks.” Quetzalli pulled her mouth free and licked the head of his cock. “Lily showed me how.”

“Wish I could have seen that,” he muttered as Quetzalli went down on him again, her head bobbing up and down in the water. That familiar heat filled him from within, but he knew that Quetzalli needed far more.

“Come here,” he said, running his hands down her sides. She slid forward until she could get her legs on top of his, now sitting in his lap.

“This is actually a bit difficult in water,” he told her, then scooted backward until the both of them were at least above the surface.

“I’m not too worried,” she said as she yanked her bikini bottom to one side. “I’m a storm dragon. We’re always wet.”

He groaned as she humped him, pressing her swollen labia against his erection. The heat coming from Quetzalli’s groin was exquisite, and she tilted her hips so that just the tip of his cock threatened to enter her every time she moved.

“Oh, fuck, that’s good,” she muttered, then scrunched up her face. Clouds of vapor rolled off the water and spilled out into the forest, creating a thin fog. “Sometimes, when we do this, it feels like I’m in the sky again.”

“Flying feels like sex?” he asked.

“When you do it correctly.” She licked her lips and then kissed him, sending a good jolt of electricity through him. He casually guided it away, allowing it to disperse through his palm and into the earth. While he couldn’t summon up the sheer electrical power that Quetzalli could, controlling it had become second nature for him. “I miss riding the wind, but I do get to ride you instead.”

Quetzalli lifted herself up enough that he finally slid inside her, causing the dragon to sigh in relief. She held still and allowed herself to acclimate to Mike’s cock while he flexed his shaft. Little gasps came out of her with each flex. He pressed her breasts together and buried his face between them while doing tiny thrusts.

It really was paradise on Earth.

Quetzalli clutched the back of his head, holding him in place as he nibbled and sucked on the tender flesh of her breasts. The cool mist swirled around them, forming a vortex that he only caught out of the corner of his eye. They were creating their own little weather system around the pond.

It wasn’t just about satisfying urges, either. Mike’s magic slid into the dragon with ease, driving her to higher levels of ecstasy while also replenishing itself. He had learned long ago that sexual intimacy didn’t just allow his powers to grow and evolve, but it also strengthened him. Though the Maui property was still some distance away, it felt more clear and defined in his mind. The cacophony of the trees was easier to hold at bay, along with the chittering of its denizens. As his magic filled Quetzalli, he could feel her pleasure as if it was his own.

Guided by magical instincts, he took the time to play with and suck on her nipples. The areola were massive in size, and he loved circling the thick nub in the center of each one with his tongue, stopping occasionally to nibble them and elicit groans from the dragon. By now, Quetzalli had loosened up and was shifting her weight back and forth, causing his cock to slide up against her G-spot.

“Gods, this feels so good. You feel so good.” She clutched him so tight that he tilted his head downward between her breasts to be able to breathe. “Sometimes I wish we could do this all day.”

“You’d have competition,” he mumbled from within her breasts. Though the women of the house typically got along, there would absolutely be grumbling if one of them found a way to occupy him for an entire day. He had even taken to keeping a calendar with reminders to himself to avoid neglecting anyone for long amounts of time. His magic helped him, too, cluing him in when someone was feeling lonely.

He fucked her for another few minutes this way, then dropped his hands to her thighs and squeezed them. Leaning back, he allowed Qutezalli to ride him properly, her hands pressing into his hips and stomach as she created enough friction between the two of them to stimulate her clitoris.

“Oh, gods, oh gods, oh…wait! Wait wait wait wait wait!” Quetzalli was shivering now, her face flushed and nipples erect. “Olivia, I need you!”

“What?” Mike lifted his head to see Olivia shoot toward him from where their clothes lay in a pile. Daisy followed too, a devilish grin on her face.

“I want to try something,” Quetzalli declared, then raised herself off of Mike’s cock, her long labia dripping with fluid. She grabbed Olivia and ran her fingers between the fairy’s legs, causing the tiny creature to shiver in delight. The personal lubricant of a fairy was borderline magical, and easily the best sexual lube on the planet.

“What did you have in mind?” asked Mike as Quetzalli knelt down and started rubbing Olivia across the head of his cock. The green fairy was giggling now, the air shimmering with light and glitter as Quetzalli started the process of stretching the tiny being out, like a pocket pussy, across the head of his cock. She used her free hand to masturbate, teasing and squeezing her clit as Daisy clung to her inner thigh for a closer look.

“Lily told me ass, cash, or grass.” Satisfied that Mike was properly lubricated, she pulled Olivia off of him with an audible pop and scooted forward far enough that his cock was no longer in line with her pussy. “And I intend to follow the rules of the road to the letter.”

She squatted down, holding her large ass cheeks wide as Mike’s cock pressed against her sphincter. The lube did its job, allowing him to penetrate her slowly without any issues. Quetzalli groaned, throwing her head back and staring up into the sky as she eased herself onto him an inch at a time. The process itself probably took a few minutes, but it felt like heaven the moment she finally came to rest in his lap, fully penetrated.

“Oh, gods, my head is buzzing,” she whispered, putting her hands on his shoulders and grinding against him. Though she was shorter than Mike, she weighed more, and the feeling of her thick body on top of him had waves of pleasure radiating through his core.

“We’ve never really done this before,” he said, then gasped when she tilted her pelvis forward.

“Yeah, I know.” She grinned and tilted her pelvis, putting pressure against the base of his cock that had his legs twitching in delight. “It’s called vacation sex, right? I wanted to have something special for you if we ever went on one.”

“I need to talk to you later about your sources,” he muttered. “I’m not sure whether to thank them or punish them.”

“Oh, you should absolutely punish Lily.” Quetzalli made direct eye contact with him now as she swiveled her hips in a circle, then lifted up an inch or so before sinking onto him once more. “I’ve never felt this full before, it’s so…I love it.”

She sat up straight and then curved her back, allowing Mike a wonderful view of her pussy. Quetzalli teased herself at first, then slid her fingers down the middle of her slit and spread her labia apart, revealing a glistening clitoris.

“She also told me that you’d enjoy the show.” She groaned as she fucked Mike with her ass, her hands alternating between her pussy and her breasts. Olivia and Daisy landed on Quetzalli’s thighs and clung to her skin as they climbed toward her crotch, their tongues eagerly lapping up any sexual fluids they encountered.

Mike made a mental note to thank Lily later. He slid his hands behind Quetzalli’s hips and grabbed her ass, squeezing and pulling her forward to allow him a bit more control.

The dragon let out a whimper, her eyes screwed up tightly as she frantically stroked her clit. Olivia and Daisy had scooted in far enough that they were hanging on to Quetzalli’s labia, both of them using their free arms to penetrate the dragon’s vagina and scoop out handfuls of her fluid for eating.

Thunder rumbled overhead, and Mike heard someone shout in the distance. The others probably thought a storm was rolling in, unaware that Quetzalli had triggered it. For now, it was all he could do to hold back his own orgasm, doing his best to be a gentleman and let Quetzalli have one of her own. Olivia and Daisy were now actively crawling inside of Quetzalli’s vagina, their tiny legs kicking as they fought to get closer to their food source.

Quetzalli gasped, then let out a low growl that permeated the forest. She tilted her forward, mouth hanging open with drool running down her chin. A blue aura formed around her invisible horn, created by the massive charge building up inside her body. Her unfocused eyes stared right through him as she cried out, tensing up her whole body and squeezing Mike’s cock with her ass.

She lifted her body one more time, then sank down, gripping his cock with so much force that the dam finally burst. Her lower body shook as a powerful orgasm ripped through her, and thunder roared above in the sky. Quetzalli’s horn was making the air hiss with static. Mike grabbed the horn with one hand while laying his palm on a nearby rock. His magic curled around Quetzalli’s, forcing the charge to disperse harmlessly into the earth instead of turning her into a lightning rod. However, the motion itself had the secondary effect of forcing her to arch her back and shift her weight forward.

That shift in mass was more than enough. Moaning, Mike held onto Quetzalli’s horn and thrust himself into her, his magic blossoming like a flower throughout her body as he filled her ass with magical semen. Motes of light danced along her skin and swirled down her breasts and stomach to collate around her clitoris. The dragon took a deep breath and growled through her teeth as the light sank into her body, causing her hips to buck once more. Mike started stroking her horn like it was his own cock, trying to tease another orgasm out of her.

When Quetzalli came again, more thunder roared through the forest, causing distant cries of alarm from the Order. She clenched her muscles so tightly that both Olivia and Daisy were ejected from her pussy, the fairies sliding across Mike’s lower stomach before collapsing in a sticky heap with each other. When Quetzalli collapsed forward, Mike’s head was immediately buried between her massive mature breasts.

“I’ve never come so hard before,” she whispered. A light rain fell, the drops so small they barely made ripples in the water. “It was so different, I…”

Mike chuckled and gave her left breast a light kiss. “It’s not for everyone,” he said, then hugged her tight. “But if you enjoyed it, we can certainly do it again.”

“Mmm, yes, please.” She lifted her hips away from him until he finally slid free. When his cock plopped down onto his stomach, he felt the fairies shift position as tiny hands and mouths worked to lick all the sexual fluids out of his pubes.

There was a light splash, followed by the sound of an unexpected voice. “Holy shit,” Leilani declared from about six feet away, her hands covering her mouth.

“P-princess?” Mike pushed himself up, causing Quetzalli to sit as well. He tried to adjust the back of her bikini to cover her up a little, but figured it was no use.

“Your cock is absolutely HUGE!” The mermaid was staring at him in awe, her unnaturally wide eyes now like dark orbs. “And it looked so hard!”

“Excuse me, what?” He shifted now, but then became aware that moving too much may expose the fairies. Quetzalli seemed to sense this, too. She adjusted her bikini bottom and then picked up both fairies to tuck them inside the band before getting off of him.

“I was watching you two fuck, and…by the tides, can I try it?” Leilani emerged from the water, revealing bare breasts with erect green nipples.

“Can…you…I’m sorry, back up a second. How are you here? Where is your chaperone?” Mike scooted back into the water just deep enough to clean himself off.

“Oh. OH.” Leilani treaded water and shifted away from them. “I must apologize, I forget that humans don’t view sex as casually as merfolk do. I got caught up in watching you. That was really something! And you lasted so long, too!”

Mike shook his head in disbelief. “How are you here?” he asked, repeating himself.

“There’s another pond downhill from here. There was an underground passage, probably an old lava tube, and when I checked it out, I ended up here.” She turned her attention to Quetzalli. “What did he feel like inside of you? Could you feel it throbbing?”

The dragon frowned and moved to put on her shirt. “You’re certainly chatty,” she noted with a dour look. “And it’s rude to kiss and tell.”

Leilani’s enthusiasm dimmed. “Oh, right. Yeah, I’m usually talkative, but Francois is a creep, he reports directly to my mother using a magical shell that connects them like your phones. He’s probably freaking out right now, I should probably go back.”

“Wait.” Mike stood, his semi-erect cock catching Leilani’s full attention. “I was under the impression you didn’t really like us that much.”

“I’m not supposed to. The Captain, he’s been talking about you for decades now. Telling us about all the terrible things you’ve done.”

“I’ve only been the Caretaker for the last few years,” Mike replied. “I didn’t even know Francois existed until yesterday.”

Leilani screwed up her face. “Yeah, that isn’t the first hole I’ve discovered in his story,” she admitted. “To be honest, I don’t like him much myself, but my mother is absolutely wrapped around his finger. He certainly doesn’t like you at all. You’re supposed to be a witch who forces others to obey her using seductive powers. Similar to a siren, really.”

“And now you know I’m not?”

She smirked, revealing those scary teeth of hers. “Well, you certainly aren’t a woman, that’s for sure. And while I don’t buy the incompetent act you’re putting on for the others, I can tell the people in your care have genuine feelings for you. That’s not something you can fake.”

“My eyes are up here, by the way.” He fought back a laugh when Leilani jerked her gaze away from his cock.

“Right, sorry.” Her cheeks darkened a shade of blue. “I’m acting like such a goldfish, it’s dumb.”

“What’s dumb?” he asked.

She laid on her back, exposing her breasts to the sun. “We merfolk don’t have hang ups about nudity. We certainly don’t when it comes to sex. For some of us, it’s like the way you humans shake hands. Nice to meet you, now stick your cock inside of me.”

Mike felt a rush of blood go to his groin.

“But there’s a bit of a caveat. I’m sure you noticed the men of my species are very…wiggly.” She curled her fingers at him in a come-hither motion. “It can be quite stimulating, having a man caress you from the inside. But there’s a trade-off.”

“Size?” Mike asked, genuinely curious.

“That’s part of it, yes. I’m mostly referring to rigidity. Oh, and duration. How long do people shake hands in your society? Unless I’m with another woman, sex is usually over in a few minutes.” She sighed and languished on her back, gazing into the canopy above. “And that’s if we take our time.”

“You’re being surprisingly honest with me.” Mike moved to where Quetzalli was getting dressed.

“Something killed a lot of my people,” she explained while sinking back into the water, her voice now serious. “And I’ve quickly learned that everybody here seems to have an agenda beyond stopping it from happening again. The Captain demanded to be here when he heard you were coming. And the Order? They’ve been acting weird for months now, making moves that don’t make sense. I find myself in the middle of a mystery and genuinely don’t know who I can trust.”

“And you think that person is me?” Mike asked. “You probably shouldn’t. I have my own agenda as well.”

“Does your agenda include helping my people?” she asked.

He nodded. “Helping your people so that this never happens again is a priority for me. But I’ll admit that it’s secondary to what I’m actually planning here. If all goes well, we’ll both walk away from this happier.”

Leilani shrugged, her body sinking into the water. “Well, that’s just it. In a place where everybody says I should trust them, you’re the only one who hasn’t told me that I need to. So maybe that’s why I’m being so honest with you. So far, you have yet to be dishonest with me.” The mermaid sighed. “I need to go back before Francois has a fit. I hope we can discuss this privately later.” With those words, she vanished beneath the water, her tail momentarily breaking the surface.

“Huh. That was kind of weird.” Mike waited to make sure Leilani was actually gone, then finished getting dressed and double-checked on Opal before tucking her away. Daisy crawled back inside his shirt as Olivia vanished in Quetzalli’s cleavage. The fog was burning off already now that the dragon wasn’t affecting the weather. It took almost ten minutes to get back to the quads, which had been moved off the main trail out of a few muddy puddles that had formed.

“There you are.” Ingrid shook her head with concern. “The way that storm hit, we were worried that you got lost.”

Mike shook his head, one arm wrapped tightly around Quetzalli’s waist. “We were just sight-seeing,” he said. “If there had been trouble, we would have come back right away.”

“Did you see anything good?” asked Ratu with a sly grin. She was busy guiding the table stones back into the now muddy ground, causing water to squirt and bubble up as they descended.

“It’s so beautiful out here,” Quetzalli replied. “Just had to find somewhere nice to sit and take it all in.”

“Well while you were busy sitting and taking it all in, we were up here busting our asses to…” Ingrid’s voice trailed off when she saw the look on Mike’s face. “Is something funny to you?”

“No,” he squeaked, wiping a tear from his eyes. “Not in the slightest.”

“Asshole,” Ingrid muttered. There was a commotion on the other side of the clearing and Francois emerged from the brush, followed by Leilani. Gone was the chatty mermaid from before, her mask of distrust firmly back in place. “Oh, good. Were you sightseeing as well?”

Francois ignored Ingrid and moved over to his quad. He pulled a pocket watch out from his belt and examined it. “I do believe we are back in time,” he declared.

The Order team had cleaned up the clearing with an attention to detail that astonished even Mike. Quetzalli snuck off to exchange her bikini top for the sports bra that Beth had packed for her. When it came time to go, Ratu politely kicked Quetzalli out of the passenger seat of Mike’s quad, forcing the dragon to ride with Ingrid instead. They resumed their muddy trek up the mountainside as the sun emerged from behind the rain clouds. Once the quads had spread out a bit, Ratu leaned against Mike and playfully jostled him with her shoulder.

“I take it your excursion was pleasant?” She chuckled and ran a hand up his thigh. “You had the Order concerned that a monsoon was coming.”

“It was kind of like a monsoon,” Mike replied. “One thing led to another and…” He looked back to make sure that nobody else was close by. The quads made enough noise that his words would be garbled even if they did carry. “Had a chance encounter with a certain member of the nobility.”

“And?” Ratu leaned her head on his shoulder, then took it away when he hit a bump and she got jostled.

“Not what I expected, but in a good way. Sounds like Captain Crunch back there is officially planning to piss in my cereal.”

Ratu winced. “Your modern references are so crude.”

“What about you? Did you get anything out of the queen bee, herself?”

The naga shook her head. “She was deliberately evasive. Unless it was related to this mission, she kept everything to herself. Though if we ever come back, it sounds like the highway that loops around the northern part of the island is really pretty.”

“So you want me to show you the sights like I did with Quetzalli?” He winked and stuck out his tongue at her.

Ratu smiled. “Perhaps. Though I should warn you that I plan on following a certain set of rules regarding road travel. Lily told me about them earlier, and I admit I’m intrigued.” She slid her hand onto his cock and squeezed it. “That is, if the dragon didn’t drain you dry.”

Mike laughed. Hawaii was awesome.

The next couple of hours passed with little incident, but they eventually reached some rocky slopes surrounded by dense foliage. The quads could go no further and were left behind as the Order scaled the rocks and did a brief survey of the area above. Once a route was chosen, everybody strapped on their backpacks and started the long hike into the jungle.

Progress was slow at first, but quickened once a rhythm was established. Wallace and three other members of the Order walked ahead of the group to blaze a trail with machetes. Mike honestly thought he would feel the woods cry out in pain or rage, but it never happened. He suspected that it had to do with the density of the flora, and made a note to ask Amymone about it once he was home.

At one particularly steep slope, Ratu summoned a stone staircase to assist the group in their climb. As the shadows fell, travel slowed dramatically. Leilani stayed toward the back with Francois, casting nervous looks into the woods. The sun was low in the horizon, but there was at least two hours until sunset.

They were navigating a particularly treacherous slope when Ingrid caught her foot in a root and took a nasty fall that sent her tumbling down the hill. Wallace was by her side almost immediately, but the damage was done. Her ankle had swollen to the size of a baseball.

“Fuck,” she muttered, trying to stand unsuccessfully. “That really hurts.”

“Is it broken?” asked Mike.

“No, but it’s not good.” Wallace knelt to examine Ingrid’s ankle. “We’ve got a healing poultice, but it’ll take several hours. Might not be a bad idea to find somewhere flat and set up tents.”

“How much further?” asked Leilani, her eyes on Mike. “To your property?”

“Still several miles out,” Mike replied. “Easy on flat land, but this?” He gestured at the mountain. “Not good.”

“This isn’t a great place to stop, either.” Wallace stood and looked at the other members of the Order. “We can make a stretcher, but that’ll take some time. It will require at least an hour to properly set camp.”

“That sounds excessive.” Ratu frowned. “An hour to set tents?”

“And wards,” Ingrid hissed, her eyes closed. “The insects are bad, but the feral pigs will tear you apart.”

“Pigs, huh?” Ratu had a hungry gleam in her eyes. “Now there’s a thought.”

“You gonna hold a luau up here?” asked Wallace. “Regardless, we’re crunched for time, so maybe we should—” He stopped talking when Mike shrugged off his bag and crouched down next to Ingrid.

“It’s just your ankle, right? Not your leg or anything else?” Mike set his bad down next to the mage.

Ingrid nodded, then wiped some dirt off her face. “Just bumps and scratches,” she said.

“Okay, then. I’ve got an idea. Let’s get your bag off so somebody can carry it.”

Ingrid shrugged out of her straps and winced when her leg shifted. Mike looked up at Wallace, who was watching him with curiosity.

“You gonna levitate her out?” asked Wallace.

“Nothing quite that dramtic.” Mike helped Ingrid stand on her good leg. “But I might need your help getting her up onto my back.”

“Absolutely not.” Ingrid tried to push Mike away, but ended up hopping awkwardly. “There’s no way you can carry me up that hill.”

“He absolutely can.” Ratu looked at the men and women of the Order. “I can personally attest to his stamina.”

“You all are sick,” muttered Ingrid.

“Hardly.” Mike took Ingrid by the hand and stared deep into her eyes. “I can absolutely carry you for a bit. Someone will need to carry my bag—”

“Got it.” Quetzalli had already picked it up.

“And yours.” Mike looked at Wallace first, then the other members of the Order. When nobody offered, he rolled his eyes. “For fuck sake, somebody carry the lady’s bag.”

“I would, but I’m already off balance with my own.” Wallace scowled at the others. “I don’t have a way to carry it and cut us a path forward.”

“It’s fine.” Ratu grabbed the hiking bag and hugged it against her chest. Mike could feel magic circulating through the air and noticed that her arms were now covered in far more scales than usual. “I can carry it.”

“Then that’s settled. C’mon, I don’t bite.” He knelt down in front of Ingrid with his arms wide.

“That’s a filthy fucking lie,” muttered the mage as she pressed herself against his back and scooted forward. Mike slung his arms beneath her legs and rose casually. Sure, Ingrid was heavy enough that his muscles briefly complained, but if he could run for miles without getting winded, this wouldn’t be too hard.

“How do I know you won’t trip?” she asked as the group proceeded up the hill.

“I won’t.” Mike sent his will into the forest. Roots quietly buried themselves further down, or folded up and out of their way.

“You sure are confident,” she replied.

Wallace and two knights moved ahead of the group to find an area for them to set up camp. A knight and a mage blazed a winding trail that everybody else followed. As they continued up, Quetzalli moved to Mike’s side with a smirk on her face.

“I don’t suppose you’re familiar with the rules of the road?” Quetzalli wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at Ingrid.

“Don’t.” Mike swatted at Quetzalli, and she backed down, giggling to herself.

“What are the rules?” Ingrid asked.

“Don’t worry about it,” he replied. “She’s just fucking with you.”

“Fine.” Ingrid let out a sigh of disgust. “I can’t believe I’m letting you carry me up a hill. This feels so ridiculous.”

“Shit happens to everyone. People were there for me when I fell, more than once.” He paused to readjust her weight and then continued. “Does that feel better?”

“Yeah,” she admitted. A few more minutes passed and she cleared her throat. “And thank you. I didn’t think you’d be up to hiking, much less carrying someone. You’ve really surprised me, and I’m not the kind of person who likes surprises.”

“That’s a bit of a shame. Who doesn’t like surprises?”

“People who’ve only gotten shitty ones.”

“He’s had his fair share of both.” Ratu spoke from a few paces back. “He’s kind of a magnet for surprises. Maybe you’ll see some good ones during our time together.”

Ingrid scoffed. “I doubt it.”

“Why, are you some kind of bad luck charm?” Mike asked. He stopped moving when he felt Ingrid tense up in his arms. “Did I hurt your ankle again?”

“No. I just…drop it.”

He shrugged. “Yeah, no problem.”

They continued onward in silence for nearly thirty minutes when Ratu stopped and tilted her head down the direction they had just come. “Does anybody else hear that?”

“Hear what?” Quetzalli, who had wandered ahead, turned around. The other members of the Order stopped as well.

“I don’t hear anything,” said Francois. “It is likely just your—”

“Shut the fuck up or I’ll set you on fire.” Ratu dropped the bag and raised her hand to summon a ball of flames.

“This is outrageous.” Francois reached for his sword, but Leilani grabbed his arm.

“Listen!” Her eyes were wide as she looked down the trail in the same direction Ratu was. Mike didn’t hear anything other than the breeze for several seconds before it finally reached him. It was the steady beating of drums, carried to them by the wind.

“What the heck is that?” he asked.

“A surprise,” whispered Ingrid. “Someone run ahead and find Wallace! We need to set camp right fucking now!”

Two members of the Order sprinted off as everyone else broke into a jog. They were nearly at the top of the rise now, but the final climb was steep.

“I don’t understand. What are we running from?” asked Mike.

It was Leilani who spoke, her voice filled with terror. “Night marchers!”