Hiding in the Dark

MADDIE

“Tell me what you feel,” Darshan said.

I’d managed to slip out of the penthouse without Loch or Hael noticing that anything was amiss.

But I didn’t necessarily expect to come back to my old apartment and witness this.

Darshan was on the couch next to Thea, who was wearing a blindfold. He held a stuffed elephant that she was feeling with her fingers.

“I feel something round,” Thea said as she touched the ears. “And soft. Really soft.”

“Okay, good so far,” Darshan replied.

I needed to get rid of the Dragonstone that was literally burning a hole in my pocket with its pulsating magic.

But this scene was just too much to pass up. I didn’t know when I’d get another chance to watch Thea feel up a stuffed doll.

I found a half-empty bottle of cheap chardonnay in the fridge and poured myself a full glass. I settled into a chair across from the two lovebirds.

“Don’t mind me,” I said. “Just here for the show.”

“God, this is embarrassing,” Thea said.

“Focus on what’s in front of you,” Darshan said. “Pretend it’s just you and me.”

Thea went back to feeling the stuffed elephant from trunk to tail. Finally, a glimmer of understanding sprouted on her face.

“It’s Mr. Bubbles!” she shouted. “My little elephant!”

She held the stuffed doll to her chest and hugged it tightly.

~Ugh. I wasn’t drunk enough for this.~

I took a large gulp of the wine and felt its gentle fizzle settling into the pit of my stomach. I was about ready to leave when Darshan pulled out the next object.

“Okay,” he said, smiling, “the last one.”

My jaw dropped.

If I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it. The object Darshan held was…

~A pink dildo!~

I laughed into my hand to muffle the sound. Thea’s blindfolded face turned in my direction.

“What’s so funny?” she asked.

“Nothing,” I said. “Just can’t wait for Mr. Bubbles to meet his new friend.”

“You’re gonna ruin it, Mads!” Darshan said.

Thea turned back to the task at hand and reached out with her fingers. Her face knotted into a mask of confusion.

“It’s an odd texture,” she said. “Feels like rubber. Maybe silicone. Did you bring home one of your cooking utensils from work?”

~Oh, fuck. This is deliciously painful to watch. And I love it.~

“Sure, it’s made from the same material,” Darshan replied. “Maybe feel the whole length of it.”

Thea complied. As her fingers moved to the tip of the dildo, her eyebrows arched in understanding.

“Oh, fuck no,” she said. “Please tell me you didn’t.”

But he ~did!~

Thea ripped the blindfold off her eyes. Her cheeks flushed beet red with

embarrassment.

“Darshan!” she screamed. “You told me you found random objects from my

room. This is not random!”

“I grabbed whatever I could find. You’re the one who left it lying around,” he replied.

I couldn’t hold it back any longer. I rocked in my chair, laughing hard and loud.

Darshan joined in my laughter. Thea lightly smacked him on the arms and legs, but to my surprise, she wore a big smile too.

Soon they were holding each other, their lips locked in a passionate kiss.

It had been hard at first, getting used to my friends being together. Now I could see what made them such a good couple. They were having fun while trying their best to understand one another on a deeper level.

~Shit. What was that kind of a relationship like?~

It was difficult to imagine my two lovers taking an interest in my passions or hobbies. But I couldn’t pretend they weren’t trying. I never thought I’d see the day when they changed their mansion into an orphanage.

I finished the glass of chardonnay and left it sitting on the living room coffee table. Thea and Darshan’s kisses had become wet and sloppy. I was glad they enjoyed one another so much, but their open PDA was starting to make me nauseous.

I entered my old bedroom and closed the door behind me, making sure it was locked. For extra security, I closed the blinds and checked that the mint bracelet was tight on my wrist.

Since I’d been spending so much time at Req Tower, Thea and Darshan had converted my room into storage. Random boxes and knick-knacks littered the room.

It made me feel slightly homesick, thinking that my friends were already beginning to move on without me here.

I opened my closet and dug through the old clothes piled on the floor. After a few moments, my fingers found my old backpack.

I dumped out the contents inside, which included school supplies, an empty water bottle, and a half-eaten energy bar.

This bag would only need to serve one purpose…to safely transport the precious stone.

I only had designer bags back at the penthouse. I needed to hide it someplace normal. Inconspicuous. Maybe my old bag would make me look more like a student, so I could avoid some of that homegrown Xander University tension.

My hand wrapped around the Dragonstone in my pocket. I immediately registered the magic in its touch.

Its milky-white hue filled the dark room with a cold glow. For a few moments, I sat staring at the stone, mesmerized by its beauty.

I wrapped it in a thin cloth and set it into the backpack before zipping the bag closed.

Xander would get what he wanted. But would I finally get to learn about my past and, more importantly, my mother?

I hoped Xander would keep his end of the bargain…

LOCH

Something felt different.

After we arrived back at the penthouse, it took nearly an hour to fully register the disturbance. But the feeling was unmistakable…it was as if Hael and I were missing pieces of our souls.

“What could it be, brother?” Hael asked.

I closed my eyes and tried to pinpoint the disruption, but it was no use.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But we’re going to have to search for whatever’s wrong.”

“Our little mouse is still wearing her bracelet,” Hael continued. “Perhaps if we can convince her to remove it, we’ll have clearer heads.”

I chuckled at his insinuation. Maddie had been acting much differently lately. But as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t quite pin all the blame on her.

My descent into Lochness had tipped the scales of our relationship. Even though we’d recently rekindled the spark, it still wasn’t a full flame.

If Maddie was the reason for our sudden unease, it was cause for concern. Sometimes she seemed as if she’d never entirely give herself to us. I hoped we wouldn’t need to spend the rest of our years forcing her to submit against her will.

“Let’s find this nagging problem,” Hael suggested. “Or I might start to go crazy.”

Hael took the lower floor of the penthouse, searching like a crazed bloodhound for whatever could be throwing us off balance.

I checked the floor above, starting with our bedroom. As always, it was immaculate. It only took me a few moments of searching to realize it was a waste of time.

The sensation was certainly greater on this floor, but I couldn’t yet put my finger on why.

I decided to wander the hallway and passed a few rooms that gave me no indications. I began to follow the steps up to the treasure room when an intense feeling of emptiness seized my heart.

I pressed our code into the keypad at the metal door. When it slid open, I stepped inside, letting the piles of gold and jewels overwhelm my senses. I never tired of the rush I experienced entering this room and laying eyes on all we had claimed.

I walked through the room, touching the silk fabrics and counting the pictures to make sure nothing was amiss. Suddenly, a glint of light from the cabinet caught my attention.

As I approached the case, a terrible knot formed in my gut.

Inside, our collection of Dragonstones glowed with unmatched beauty. Even the piles of gold lost their luster when compared to the magical stones.

But not all of it was there.

One small stone was missing.

Dragonstone was an ancient gem that had the potential to harness great energy and power. Dragons like Hael and I could gain strength from it. But in the wrong hands, the stones’ magic could be used against us.

If someone like ~Xander~ got his hands on the stone, it could be dangerous for all dragons…

Loch

Brother!

Hael

What is it? Did you find anything?

Loch

Come to the treasure room at once!

A wisp of smoke filled the room, and Hael’s figure formed at my side.

“Please tell me you found an intruder,” he said. “I’m starving.”

I shook my head and pointed at the display case.

“It seems as though the intruder already left,” I said. “With quite a haul.”

Hael studied the Dragonstone cabinet until he spotted the same discrepancy I’d discovered.

“We’re missing a piece of the stone,” he muttered. “But who could have…”

He looked at me again with fire in his eyes.

“Was it Maddie?” he asked angrily. “Did that little rat bite the hands that feed

her?”

I shook my head in disbelief.

“She wouldn’t,” I said. “Not after everything we’ve given her.”

But who was I kidding? Maddie had defied us more times than I could count. It would be just like her to try to get the upper hand in a situation.

~Unless…~

“She has been keeping company with some unsavory characters,” he said in disgust.

“The twins,” I replied.

Hael nodded his head.

“Those fucking drug addicts,” Hael snarled. “They’re going to pay for stepping foot in this penthouse.”

I cracked my knuckles and felt my jaw clench tight.

We’d beaten Dane and Aneurin in battle, and it seemed as though they were already begging for another ass whooping.

Those dragon wannabes would pay for this.

And Hael and I would make sure it was with their blood…