10. Maldenis
Maldenis
Maldenis woke to the sensation of an iron vice tightening around his skull and a throbbing pain between his eyes.
“What…happened?”
The hoarse whisper sounded familiar to his ears.
“And why is it so loud in here?”
That was definitely Liora.
“Uhh…”
The weight on his chest shifted and he realized she was once again plastered on top of him like the first night they spent together, his tail coiled around her. A moment of panic gripped him because his mind was blank as to how they got to this position once more.
That kiss.
Her brown eyes, vulnerable. Her lips, soft. Her taste, sweet.
Wait, did they have sex and he couldn’t remember?
He was still dressed, though that didn’t really mean anything for basilisks since they only covered their upper halves.
But she was still wearing her outfit from last night, including the hair extensions, though there was barely anything left of her makeup except for the smudges around her lashes and stains on her lips.
He sighed in relief. They didn’t do anything sexual.
But then…what else did they do?
Think, Maldenis.
He would have moved, except when he tried to lift his head, it was like a leaden balloon. Thankfully, she didn’t try to wiggle away. In fact, she seemed perfectly content, lying on his chest.
“We should get up,” he said, after a few heartbeats.
“Do we have to?”
“Yeah.”
She groaned. “Wha…what happened?”
Memories slowly filtered into his brain.
The party last night. Walking back into the reception room and being greeted like they were royalty. Shots.
One.
Two.
Twelve.
Then the afterparty in the honeymoon suite. And fire?
“Fuck.” Maldenis forced his eyes open and lifted his head. They weren’t even in the large nest in the bedroom, but rather, draped across the sectional couch in the middle of the living area.
A very trashed living area.
“What the hell happened here?” he gasped.
Two arm chairs were turned over and a third one was somehow on top of the baby grand piano in the corner. Feathers from torn pillows drifted across the floor. One of the window curtains had a giant hole, the edges singed as if they had been burned.
Liora moaned and stirred, rising up slowly. “Why. Are. You.” She stopped short as her eyes opened and focused. “Holy shit. What are those guys doing here?”
“Who?”
She pushed at his chin, forcing him to look behind him. “Them.”
A large scaly figure was facedown on the thick carpet—Hektor, obviously as he recalled no other Drakkonian guests at the party. He wasn’t alone, however, as Charlie’s prone body lay across his back. Maldenis also noticed three of his other cousins passed out on the floor around them.
“Who’s that hanging from the balcony?”
The doors leading out the terrace were wide open, and he recognized the distinct pattern of his cousin’s tail wrapped around the railing. “Makron.”
“Should we go help him?” Liora asked. “In case he falls?”
“He won’t,” Maldenis replied. “He’s used to it. He says he likes sleeping that way.”
“Oh.”
Something else popped into his brain. “Liora, why do I have a memory of your brother singing karaoke?”
She pushed herself up and rubbed at her eyes. “You have karaoke in Vale Crossing?”
“Hektor brought the machine.” Ah, yes, that he recalled vividly. The Drakkon had been so proud of the portable party box he brought back from the Upperworld. “He was singing a song for your sister. And dancing, too.”
“Right. That’s one memory I wish I could erase.” She rubbed a palm down her face. “Oh my gods, this room is a wreck. How much are they gonna charge us, do you think? Perseus is gonna shit a brick when he sees the expense report.”
“I think the hotel owners will probably consider it an honor.” A chuckle escaped his lips. “Besides, we could probably sell one of the cars to pay for it.”
Her nose wrinkled. “Are we really going to keep all those gifts?”
“It would be an insult to return them.”
“Geez, how much is the upkeep for two mansions in Solkaris?”
He grinned at her. “How about, after the year is over, we donate everything to charity?”
She stretched her arms over her head and let out a yawn. “Sounds great.”
A tiny—miniscule really—twinge plucked at his chest that in less than one year, he would never see her again.
“Good morning,” The brusque, business-like tone that could only be his mother’s, rang across the foyer, interrupting his thoughts.
Realizing he was still wrapped around Liora, he quickly uncoiled and straightened himself. Liora, too, scrambled away from him, all the way to the other side of the sectional.
“How did you get in here?” he asked.
“The door was unlocked,” she said matter-of-factly. “I’d ask if you had a good time, but it’s fairly obvious you did.” There was a hint of amusement in her words. “You’ll be glad to know, our family’s honor has been restored.”
“Wonderful,” he said wryly. “I’m happy for you.”
“But it’s not over yet.”
“It’s not?” He groaned. “But you just said our family’s honor has been restored.”
“And it will stay that way, as long as you remain a happy couple,” she reminded him. “And do not forget, you also have a mission to fulfil.”
Oh right. Finding the children of Zeus. His half-siblings.
With all his attention focused on this whole marriage announcement and celebration circus, he hadn’t really thought about the implication of what he’d be doing the rest of the year. Or the reality that he had to face.
He pushed those thoughts away and plastered on a carefree smile. “Does that mean we’re not going on a honeymoon?”
“You have work to do,” Melora said. “Valefolk to save. In fact, in the last couple of days, I’ve been working with Medusa and Perseus to find more demigods all over Vale Crossing.”
“You have?” Liora asked.
“Yes, child. I’ve built an extensive network over the years and I’ve found—” She clucked her tongue. “I’ll explain later. First, let’s get you all cleaned up and ready for your briefing.”
“Briefing?” Maldenis groaned. “Wait, we’re starting now?”
“Our conference call with Perseus and Medusa is in twenty minutes.” She clapped her hands together. “Let’s get to work. Room service will be bringing up breakfast, including some Orthanian coffee.”
“Your mother has to be the most Type A of all Type A personalities,” Liora groaned as she watched Melora whip around the room and start rousing the unconscious partygoers from last night.
“Yeah, you get used to it.”
She winced as she rubbed at her temple. “Did we have ten shots of that Solkarian whiskeywine?
“Twelve. It was the good stuff too. But don’t worry, that’s what the Orthanian coffee is for.”
In less than twenty minutes, Melora managed to put some semblance of order in the room, kicked out all of Maldenis’s cousins, and rounded up the entire team.
Zara had gone to bed early and was now seated next to the Hektor on the couch, as was Elian, who apparently had fallen asleep naked in the bathtub and was now huddled in an arm chair, dressed in a fluffy hotel robe and slippers.
“Here you go, child,” Melora said, handing Liora’s brother a steaming cup of coffee. “Have some, you’ll feel better.”
“Thank you.” Elian took it with a nod, then lifted the cup to his lips for a sip. “That’s really—whoa.” He sat up straight. “I’m starting to feel good. It’s like magic.”
“It is magic,” Maldenis said, taking a drink from his own cup. The vice around his head loosened instantly the moment he swallowed. “Ah.”
“Wow, gimme some of that,” Liora said, grabbing at his cup then taking her own sip. “I—yeah, that’s the stuff,” she sighed.
“Excellent, glad it’s working.” Melora handed the last cup to Hektor, who gave her a grunt of thanks. “Now, let’s call in to your headquarters.”
Maneuvering around the coffee table, she opened up the laptop she had placed there earlier and faced the screen toward them. Seconds later, Medusa and Perseus’s faces appeared.
“Congratulations to the happy couple,” Perseus said, though his delivery was completely deadpan.
Beside him though, Medusa was trying hard not to smile.
“Now that we’re done with all the fun, let’s get back to business.
Melora has so graciously reached out to her extensive network to find us our next lead. ”
Medusa continued. “Thanks to her contacts, we’ve identified at least two more possible demigods in the same region.”
“Which region?” Hektor asked.
The gorgon hesitated. “In the highlands. Specifically, the Ridge of Nine Horns.”
Hektor’s shoulders sank. “Oh.”
“What’s wrong?” Zara’s arm wrapped around his bicep. “Baby?”
He sighed. “I’m afraid I won’t be of much help. In fact, I may be a hindrance.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Ridge of Nine Horns is home to one particular race of monsters—minotaurs,” Melora explained. “And minotaurs and Drakkons do not get along well.”
“It’s been a long-standing rivalry,” Hektor stated.
“So, you guys hate each other?” Elian interjected. “Will they try to hurt you if you go there?”
“Not quite like that,” Hektor said with a small laugh.
“It was in the early days, back when we lived in the Upperworld. There was violence on both sides. But after centuries and perhaps because we were all cast out together, the animosity has toned down a lot. Now, it is more like the famous sports rivalries of the Upperworld, at least from what I gather from your father’s stories.
Think of us as the Real Madrid and Barcelona of Vale Crossing. ”
“You definitely have spent time around my father,” Liora said. “So, do you need to stay back?”
Zara’s grip around him tightened. “Oh no, we can’t leave you behind.”
“He won’t be harmed while there,” Melora said. “The Drakkons and the minotaurs have a truce in place. But he will definitely be a liability because no one will trust any of you if they see you with him.”
“I can keep my distance,” the Drakkon assured his mate. “I will not allow you to enter that nest of vipers by yourself—er, no offense to the ophidian kind,” he said with a nod to Melora and Maldenis. “But you know my meaning.”