Releasing the Dragon: Myths and Legends, Book One (20 page)

Solomon grinned at me. "My father was a human
sorcerer and my mother was a fox shifter. The mask I wear on stage
is an echo of my father. He was in his fifties when he mated my
mother and remained frozen at that age until her death shortly
after the first vampire attack. Once she passed away he began aging
again and eventually joined her in the afterlife. I was born with
her ability to shift and my father taught me everything he knew
about magic. With my supernatural blood I'm stronger than he ever
was, but even my magic is muted by the curse. If that spell ever
breaks I'll be able to access the magic stored in my other half.
Until then, I must draw on magic wherever I can find it. Sometimes
it's in the air, especially around the full moon, Beltane, Samhain.
Other times I have to pull magic from the supernatural beings
around me. It doesn't take much to put on the shows but I also have
to maintain the security panels and wards around the resort."

"Is that why there are so many supernaturals
here, to serve as your backup batteries?" I was getting more
comfortable with Solomon and acted on my urge to tease him.

Solomon chuckled. "That's really just a
positive side effect that I have no qualms taking advantage of.
Dragon built this resort for two reasons. The first is to provide a
safe haven for supernatural beings who are tired of fighting for
their lives on a daily basis. We don't play a lot of the games here
that we'd have to put up with if we lived in other supernatural
communities. The other reason behind the resort is a never ending
food supply. Most of us here need to feed off humans in one way or
another. Vampires and nightshifters need blood, sex demons absorb
the lust in the air when their pheromones drive the humans crazy,
even the empathy demons in the spa feed off the emotions they evoke
when they give massages. Having so many humans coming and going
allows us to take a sip here and there without ever putting our
donors at risk of being drained too much. The beings that choose to
live here have no problem letting me use their magic to keep all of
us safe and well fed."

Rook had told me the resort was a safe haven
but I hadn't really considered the feeding opportunities provided
by the resort. There was so much I needed to learn about this new
world of mine. I remembered something Claire had told me and
wondered if Solomon was one of the people she'd been thinking of.
"You look much younger than Dragon and Claire. Does that mean you
were changed into a vampire sometime before you finished your first
century of life?"

"Someone has been teaching you a lot in the
short time you've been here." He smiled and shook his finger at me.
"To answer your question, yes, I was changed into a vampire when I
was only forty-five years old." He shrugged. "These days it's not
so bad to look like I'm nineteen or twenty. I fit right in at The
Catacombs moshing with the best of them."

I gave an amused snort. "That's the one club
I haven't had the courage to explore. I don't really think I'd fit
in there."

"Well, it's not for everyone, but I enjoy it.
The music is loud and the women are wild." His expression said he
wouldn't mind being there now. "But enough of that; we should
probably get down to business. Rook asked me to make this for
you."

I reached out to take what he was offering
and he dropped a small silver ring into my hand. It had some kind
of runic symbols etched on its surface and when I slipped it on my
finger it disappeared from sight. I could still feel it on my
finger but no matter which way I turned my hand I couldn't see it.
Solomon smiled and took my hand in one of his while he pushed my
sleeve up with his other. "The ring is not the only thing that has
disappeared."

My eyes flashed to Solomon, wide and
astonished. "How did you do that?" I'd worn a long-sleeved shirt to
hide the mating mark, but apparently that was no longer
necessary.

"The ring is infused with a spell that
projects an echo of your former self - you, before you were
marked."

I rolled my sleeve up as far as it would go
and found no trace of claw marks or dragon scales. The crushing
grief that fell over me was unexpected. It felt like the absence of
the mark was a loss I couldn't bear.

"Hey," Solomon said gently as he lifted my
chin with one of his fingers. "It's not really gone, just hidden,
and before you know it, this won't be necessary."

I smiled sadly. "Intellectually I know that's
true, but in here," I placed my hand over my heart, "it feels like
I've lost something dear to me."

Solomon nodded. "I've never experienced
mating myself, but I've been around enough mated pairs to
understand what you must be feeling. Just keep in mind that as a
performer there may be times when you'll have to hide the marks for
the sake of the show. I mean, married people can't wear their
wedding rings when they're playing single characters on stage. We
also use rings like this one to make the costumes in the clubs more
realistic, so the next time you need fangs you won't have to glue
them on. The rings project echoes of actual vampires or demons to
give the dancers fangs, tails and horns." He shrugged. "Or
sometimes we have to use the rings to hide those kinds of
things."

"That will be so much better. The fangs I
used before kept falling out and I had to have Phillip help me glue
them back in at least three times."

"I heard," Solomon said with a laugh.
"Phillip thought it would make everyone's life easier if I just
turned you into a vampire and called it a day."

We had a good laugh over that, then when we
settled down again Solomon explained, "Mostly you'll practice here
at The Gateway for the shows we put on, but there will be times
when I need you to fill in at one of the clubs, like tomorrow
night. We're going to be short a dancer in Mystique and Clarissa,
the entertainment manager over there, has requested that you fill
that spot." I started to protest but he waved his hand and said,
"I've already informed her that, as a human, you may not be able to
dance in Mystique. The mating bond will help you resist the
pheromones but it's not complete yet, and even when it is you will
still be more susceptible than a supernatural. Why don't you take
Dragon there tonight and do a test run, see how you react to the
pheromones now that you're mated. If that works out I'll let
Clarissa know you'll be there tomorrow evening."

"That sounds like a good idea. I don't want
to be one of those employees who need special treatment. I'll let
you know in the morning how it goes."

"In the meantime you should meet with my
assistant Renee and go over the choreography for Garrek's show.
She's leaving tomorrow to cover for Katerina, one of our club
managers in Europe, but she should be able to get you and the other
dancers off to a good start. If you have any questions once she's
gone I'll be here to help you. We'll be putting on a burlesque
extravaganza complete with men in bowler hats and vests, and women
in corsets and thigh highs. Garrek has always been a big fan of
burlesque dancing and humor."

"I think that sounds wonderful. Where can I
find Renee?" I asked

Solomon stood up with a fluid grace that I
was starting to realize all supernatural beings possessed. "I'll
take you to her office."

Renee turned out to be a vampire, not a
nightshifter. She appeared to be in her late teens with very few
curves and a petite five-foot-two frame. Her curly auburn hair was
cut in a short style and she wore barrettes to hold it off her
face. Her outfit consisted of high heeled boots, black pants that
clung to her body and her T-shirt read ZOMBIES MAKE BETTER
BOYFRIENDS. Solomon had changed her over about thirty years ago and
she'd been with him ever since. At first I thought they made a
great couple, but she was quick to say she had never slept with him
and had no intention of doing so in the future. When I looked at
her curiously she explained that supernaturals do not have the same
hang-ups about sex that humans do. Since they cannot contract
sexually transmitted diseases, and most races can only impregnate
their true mates, they don't have any reason to abstain. Apparently
Solomon actively pursues every unmated female he comes across.
According to Renee he has slept with nearly every female in the
resort and he's not shy about where he does it. When I asked Renee
why she wouldn't sleep with him considering their culture's
acceptance of casual sex, she said she didn't know. There was just
something inside of her that knew she should not give in to his
advances.

We went over the choreography for the
burlesque show and started practicing. Around noon two other
dancers arrived and introduced themselves as Vivian and Rita. They
both appeared to be about my age with fit bodies you'd expect
professional dancers to have. Vivian was a wolf nightshifter. She
was taller than me by a few inches and her long blonde hair
spiraled down her back. Rita was a leopard nightshifter, about my
height who wore her shorter brown hair pulled back in a ponytail.
Renee went over the dance sequences they would need to learn and
they got to work. It was so refreshing to work with professionals
who showed up to work and did what they were supposed to do.

At five o'clock Dragon walked into The
Gateway drawing the attention of every female in sight. He set a
bag down on the nearest table and waited for me to finish my
routine. When Renee called it quits for the day I went down the
stairs to join Dragon. I was going to maintain decorum and give him
a peck on the cheek. Then I considered how the other women had
looked at him and decided it would be a good time to stake my
claim. I couldn't show off the mating marks, but I could certainly
make it known that he belonged to me. I sashayed up to him and ran
my hand down his chest. He put his arms around my waist and pulled
me close. When he slanted his mouth over mine our tongues shot out
and tangled in a hot wet kiss that earned me more than one look of
jealousy.

"I could get used to you greeting me like
that, but I don't think that kiss was for my benefit." He whispered
in my ear.

I leaned back so I could look into his eyes.
There were tiny red sparks flickering in the chocolate brown. "I
think the dragon likes my territorial urges."

He grinned at me. "That he does. When we're
alone I'll show you just how much he likes this side of you. I
brought you food since I haven't felt you take a break today." He
gestured towards the bag on the table.

I went to check it out and found Chinese
food. We sat down at the table and ate our dinner. I told him about
Solomon's request that we go on a date to Mystique and he agreed it
was a good idea. He asked why I had been so upset that morning and
I explained what Solomon had shown me and why. He told me he had
come looking for me when he felt the emotions coming through the
bond. Once he realized I was with Solomon he knew I was safe so he
chose not to disturb us. I could only imagine how difficult it was
for him to override his protective instincts and walk away without
actually seeing me.

He went back to work while I went to my
apartment to get ready for our date. We planned to meet at the bar
on the upper level of Mystique at nine o'clock. I was looking
forward to our date. I knew the purpose of the outing was to test
my immunity to the pheromones, but a part of me wanted to let the
pheromones take over as long as Dragon was with me. Either way, I
was sure we would have a lot of fun dancing the night away.

I was sitting at the bar on the upper level
of Mystique sipping a Volcanic Orgasm. No lie, that really was the
name of my drink. When the bartender first handed it to me the red
liquid was bubbling and smoke poured over the edges of the glass.
It reminded me of the fog you get when you put hot water on dry
ice. Once the smoke cleared enough for me to taste the drink I was
happy with my choice - a truly orgasmic experience for my taste
buds.

Upon arriving at Mystique I completed a
circuit around the dance floor stopping to watch the dancers on
stage and soaking up the pheromones in the air. I wouldn't want to
try venturing out on the dance floor alone, but I was pretty sure I
could handle dancing on a stage or pedestal.

I felt Dragon coming closer and looked up
into the mirror behind the bar. He materialized out of the mist and
darkness about twenty feet behind me wearing dark tailored slacks
and a short-sleeved crew neck shirt. I was wearing a short dress
with laces up both sides and the front. I'd wanted to look sexy for
Dragon but unfortunately my dress had drawn the attention of every
male in the vicinity. I looked to the side ready to disappoint my
latest admirer when he abruptly turned on his heel and headed for
the stairs. If I had to guess, I would say he was on his way out
the front door.

When Dragon reached me he swept my hair over
my shoulder and laid a trail of kisses down my neck while his hands
skimmed over my arms. The kisses were soft and his touch was light,
belying the primal need I felt coursing through the mating bond. I
met his fiery red eyes in the mirror and my body responded with a
blast of heat erupting from my core. Dragon's hands tightened on my
arms and I knew he had felt it too.

"Did you send the nice man way," I asked
casually, not allowing any of the desire I felt to leak into my
voice.

Dragon whispered in my ear making me shiver
as his breath skated across its shell. "He's lucky I didn't send
him to the next state for the way he was looking at you. At least I
didn't tell this one not to return. If I kept doing that we
wouldn't have any repeat customers." He spun my barstool around to
face him and spread my legs so that he could situate himself
between them.