Chapter 31

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

B efore stepping out of the mists, Jaxxon and his group quickly disassembled the motorbikes, placing them inside sizable carrying nets. They would go the rest of the way on foot.

“ Kylo, send dragons to carry the motorbikes until we need them again. ”

The dragons were flying in formation with Kylo in the lead and Galan in the rear. Several powerful dragons landed as men rushed to attach the nets to their backs and other items the dragons would carry on their behalf. Dragons were strong and muscular, easily able to carry what Jaxxon and his men would need on their mission. The dragons launched back into the air just as quickly as they had landed.

Casting their shadows wide, Jaxxon took up the front with Zade on his side as they passed the crumbled wall. Their dragons flew overhead, casting shadows as well. They would be seen only once they revealed themselves.

“Stay within our shadows until I say otherwise,” he told the women. They then marched into the port city with the females in the middle of their entourage.

“Port of Genihe used to be a bustling gateway to the world,” Jaxxon said as they entered. “It’s hard to imagine it was once a marvel of eclectic architecture and vibrant culture, where towering walls shielded this community.” The women looked about the rundown city before them as they walked quickly toward their destination.

“I came here on trading missions as a child with my father. This place had the most amazing villas with beautiful stained glass windows that told stories of mermaids and sea battles. Now, the windows are broken, and the bohemian hues of the buildings are dirty and dull,” he said, shaking his head.

He pointed to several signs written in the various languages spoken around the port city. Like his father, he was a linguist. He and Zade had spent countless hours learning multiple languages to help them navigate other worlds.

“Ships and spaceships alike once docked in the harbor here, symbolizing a convergence of both Crelentian and cosmic worlds.” Jaxxon smiled at memories of the spaceships his father flew.

“From my trips here as a child, I knew the hidden location of the Villagio fortress nearby.” His father taught him everything he knew. Jaxxon remembered coming with Zade when they were students. As the sons of kings, they studied night and day. He sighed, thinking about the once great city.

“But the towering city wall fell under the weight of the Vralgari’s invading army. Only the mists of the Villagio Mystic Mountains stopped the Vralgari from gaining ground and finding us,” said Zade. “The Vralgari don’t know where we live, and we must keep it that way.”

Zade pointed back toward the mountains. “The Vralgari know breaching the mists is difficult. If they ever entered, they know they would quickly fall prey to our dragons, who would come out of the darkness and rip them to shreds. Though the Vralgari can fly, it’s difficult for them to reach the altitudes of the Villagio mountains where our fortress stands, but not impossible.”

“Which makes the Port of Genihe a dangerous place for us! It’s beyond the protections of the dragon magic that spelled the mountains. ”

“Who lives here?” asked Tiara.

“People and creatures you can’t trust. The once-lively streets of the port city are a shadowy labyrinth filled with desperate souls. Shady figures now haunt the alleys, driven to beg, prostitute, or steal.” Jaxxon watched Tiara’s expression as they entered the city’s outer rim. They began to see its inhabitants as they moved further into the city center.

“In this eerie new order, the Mermaiden reigns supreme—the dangerous pirate Mer Queen who commands the Sea of Cadence with an iron will.”

“A mermaid?” said Lori, her eyes wide. The women began chatting with excitement.

“Not a mermaid. A mer shifter. The Mermaiden is feared and revered in equal measure. Under her watchful eye, transportation across the treacherous sea is tightly controlled, ensuring that only those who pay her exorbitant price can hope to escape the sea’s sinister grasp,” said Zade, his voice filled with warning.

“Unless you’re courageous and cunning enough to find another way across the Sea of Cadence.” He pointed up to where they knew their dragons flew. “But...for this voyage, we must pay like everyone else.”

“Are the mer shifters your friends?” asked Tiara, but he knew she likely had her answer, given they were still cloaked as they ventured further into the labyrinth.

“Hell no! Even in her underworld haven, the Mermaiden and the mer have fallen prey to hard times. The struggle for survival dances in the shadows of this once-great port city. Everyone here is vying for a place to live in the underwater paradise the Vralgari haven’t been able to invade.”

He furrowed his brow, anger radiating off him. “A paradise that could have shielded some of our people when the Vralgari attacked.” He bristled, hating many of the mer.

Zade spoke up, “They could have provided sanctuary to our people when the war happened, but they swam far below the oceans, seas, and rivers of Crelentia. Still when they venture onto land, as every mer shifter does, they become subject to the same horrors as every other inhabitant of Crelentia. They must bend the knee to Prince Aeralis. And that makes them our enemies.”

“An enemy we must work with often,” said Jaxxon, relinquishing his shadows. The rest of the men and dragons did as well. As the shadows fell around them, they heard people scream at the sudden realization the shadow raiders were in the city. Some pointed to the dragons flying overhead, running for cover.

As instructed, Tiara and the women stayed in the middle of their group as they walked through the port city. Yet, they nearly fell over themselves, gawking at the mer and other people with magic.

Street performers played flutes and harps while others juggled seashells in the air effortlessly with eight tentacled arms. Groups of mer rushed around, dressed in all forms of fashion, going about their day. And some wore absolutely nothing at all, creating quite a show for Tiara and her friends, who bumped into each other as they stopped, pointed, and giggled.

Jaxxon couldn’t help but overhear their occasional, ‘ Well goddamn, look at his —’ before they would see Jaxxon or Zade furrow their brow at them. It didn’t stop the women from staring.

Vendors peddled trinkets everywhere. Others called out to them to have their portrait painted with paintbrushes that moved magically in the air. Street vendors prepared seafood kabobs on grills on the corners. Others chopped raw meat, wrapped it in seaweed, and sold it at exorbitant prices.

“Their skin is scaled! And they have gorgeous, colorful skin tones,” said Maya.

“And don’t forget the sharp teeth and nails,” said Zade quickly.

“Let’s take some pictures!” Maya reached for her coms, but Zade pulled her along before she started taking selfies with the mer.

“Can we go shopping?” asked Tiara, whispering to the women about the various clothes worn by the mer. Without waiting for an answer, she opened a shop door and entered it before being pulled back into their group by one of Jaxxon’s men .

Several times, Jaxxon had to remind the women to stay on task. But the city’s sights, sounds, and smells overwhelmed their senses. They were pointing, and the gap within their group grew dangerously wider by the minute.

“Can we see more of the city? Please, Jaxx?” Tiara grabbed his hand to halt him. She fluttered those long eyelashes at him, her full lips curling into a smile that she clearly thought would seal the deal.

“We’re not strolling into Mermaid Central! We’ll wind up on the menu if we’re not careful.”

“I don’t plan to be anyone’s sushi!” Her sultry voice was smooth like honey as she rubbed against him. “But for the right male, it could be arranged.” She winked as a mischievous grin spread across her face.

He raised an eyebrow, watching her play the game, her high cheekbones catching the soft light as she turned her head.

Jaxxon chuckled, shaking his head slightly. Damn, if this woman wasn’t getting her claws into him. “Nice try! Seduction won’t get you a city tour or a shopping trip!”

“Argh! This is the first time we’ve been out of the fortress. Let’s have some fun!” This time, she turned to Zade. Lori and Maya were also hammering into Zade’s ear about having a little fun.

“We need to keep a low profile,” growled Jaxxon.

“Too late for that, Jaxx. They’ve already got half the city’s eyes on them, wondering who they are.” Zade hunched his shoulders.

“So long as they keep their tattoos covered, they’ll be fine. But stay close,” Zade told the women. “You’ll see more than you ever imagined on this mission. But right now, we can’t afford any kidnappings.”

Zade flashed his pretty boy smile, making the women blush. Jaxxon shook his head, walking forward as people hurried out of his way. They continued walking, tightening up their group.

“We can’t trust anyone here. Those fuckers will shoot our dragons from the sky and put a knife through our chests.” He looked up at the mer watching them from balconies. Their faces were haunted. “No one respects Crelentians or our Celestial dragons anymore. We used to fight to maintain the balance of power. We died for them! But no longer. We only die for Crelentia. Fuck everyone else.”

“Is fuck your favorite word?” Tiara smirked.

“It depends.”

“Depends on what?”

“On who’s on top!” Jaxxon chuckled at Tiara’s outraged expression.

“You’re a real jackass, you know that?”

“And go on, finish your thought?—”

“What are you talking about?” She paled as he whispered in her ear.

“I can read your mind. You’re thinking I’m a sexy jackass you want to ride.” He looked her up and down. “And I would let you be on top!”

Her eyes widened as he winked at her before moving up ahead. He chuckled, knowing he had it right as she blushed. They continued walking, checking out their surroundings.

“Eleven o’clock,” said Zade, cocking his head slightly to the left where they were headed.

Jaxxon wasn’t impressed. “Look at those mer shifters eyeing us. Some are scuttling away, but I bet the ones watching are sizing us up for a fight.”

That was enough to get Tiara and her friends back on task. The mer shifters watching them were heavily armed, loud, and rowdy as they smoked their reeds. Jaxxon ignored them as he walked toward them, forcing them to disband and cross the street. He knew others would be bolder.

Coughing, Tiara’s eyes teared up as they walked through the smoke-filled haze left by the reeds the mer were enjoying. “What are they smoking?”

“Ask Zade,” said Hassan, eliciting a look promising murder from Zade. Hassan laughed, giving Zade the finger.

People in tattered clothes begged for coins, while a brazen pickpocket walked through their group and nearly reached the women. One of Jaxxon’s men kicked him senseless, stomping him on the cobblestone. Drug-induced madness or desperation didn’t justify such a bold act of aggression where shadow masters were concerned. Two mer helped pull the dazed man away, yellow blood trailing behind him. Jaxxon had no doubt the mer were all part of a pickpocket gang.

The women held on to each other, locking arms and staying near the middle of their group. That had been too close, and Jaxxon didn’t like it. He knew the mer were falling on hard times, but the poverty and desperation were worse than when he last visited.

Jaxxon and his group headed to a restaurant and bar where smugglers and traders were known to gather. The place was crowded and noisy. Some ignored them as they entered, but others nodded and greeted them by name. Jaxxon clasped arms.

Zade pulled the hostess close, whispering into her ear. She hung onto his every word, her girlish laughter bordering on flirtatious as she rubbed against him and whispered back. Soon, she had them seated at the tables in the back. A mer band sang as some danced.

Casting a dampener around the table made it difficult for anyone to see the women well. It took nearly an hour to order their food. Tiara and her friends wanted to sample everything on the menu. Jaxxon had to remind them they were rationing and money wasn’t something they had in excess. “Unless you want to wash dishes,” he said. To which Tiara quickly countered, “We could sing and dance to earn our meals!”

“You’re as hardheaded as the sea is salty!” he growled, ordering her what she and her friends desired. And he made it clear this wasn’t a place for karaoke.

She licked her lips before diving into the platters of food being served. Every minute she ate, he thought about other uses for her tongue. She looked up, and he swore she was reading his mind as a mischievous smile spread across her face.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a man enter, going to the bar. His entourage was already seated, making room for the tall, muscular man with striped and scaled, silver skin. The man turned, raising a glass at Jaxxon and Zade. They raised their glasses in return, signaling they wanted to talk.

“Tiberius Seafangs got word quick that we’re in town,” said Zade. “Supposedly, he knows every hidden cove and shortcut across the Sea of Cadence. And his boat’s damned dependable.”

“And expensive. The Mermaiden must have sent him.” Jaxxon swore. “Is he discreet?”

“For the right price, he’ll get us across.”

Jaxxon and Zade rose from the table to follow Seafangs to a back room.

“Stay out of trouble,” he whispered to Tiara and Maya as he began walking away. “It’s your pretty little head I’ll take off if they don’t follow orders,” he growled at Lori, whose jaw dropped.

“Why me?” she blurted out with alarm, but Jaxxon and Zade walked away.

Zade laughed. “That was cruel, Jaxx. But smart. I’m sure they don’t want to get Lori in trouble for their shenanigans.” Jaxxon hoped he was right.