August 30 | Night

The boat captain's fishing camp was in a remote area of the bayou, sequestered by moss-covered bald cypress trees and surrounded on all sides by placid black water. Its uneven boards were grayed by the elements, and its boxy cabin was perched on stilts. We docked at the short pier that jutted out from the front deck, and when we turned off the boat's engine, the sudden quiet sent a pelican that had been nesting on a support beam flapping away.

With a light breeze tugging at my hair, I thought of Abuelita's dream and her advice on teamwork. Unity required trust... Trust felt like a simplistic word. It ignored basic human nature. I knew that the wise healer was challenging us to grow in ways that none of us would find comfortable, given our histories.

Nixie had trusted Edwina Murphy only to find out that the former royal guard member wasn't even her blood relative. Legend trusted no one because he himself was untrustworthy. And I preferred to know more about the people I interacted with than they would ever learn about me. Opening up wasn't my strong suit. I swept flyaway strands of hair from my face and grabbed my bags.

"We're staying here tonight, gang," I called out.

The dragon shifter loped to my side. "Is this place secure, Dex?"

"I'll get you to set up a perimeter. I brought a rudimentary surveillance kit along."

His expression conveyed that we were thinking the same thing. Not only did we have dangerous cargo, but we were also just a hop and a skip from the ring of smugglers who were after the book. Any one of the criminals Director Van der Woodsen had warned us about might show up to test our mettle. We couldn't afford to get complacent.

But then Legend's eyes trawled my body from head to toe, and I saw the drift in his train of thought. Flashbacks to our passionate quickie in the garage back home brought a flush to my face and a blaze of desire to my core. I couldn't figure out how he had such an effect on me. It was like being touched without him ever lifting a finger.

"Don't look at me like that." I wrestled for control of my debauched imagination. We had higher priority concerns.

"I can't help myself. If you could see you..." he trailed off.

I rolled my eyes but smiled.

Abuela was making her way up the pier. The captain had given her the key to front door. The exterior light affixed to the cabin illuminated her colorful skirt studded with rhinestones, and I watched her with deep appreciation that she was braving this perilous mission just to be with me. She wouldn't leave no matter how I begged. She had a smudging bowl and my feather in hand, her lips moving soundlessly as she whispered prayers of protection and fanned thin curls of smoke ahead of her.

Behind us, the captain and deckhand went about securing the sports boat. Director Van der Woodsen circled a finger in the air for a round-up to determine how we would keep the vampire imprisoned. Huddling together, Nixie laid her sleepy head on my shoulder, and I draped an arm around her, as we each pulled to see who would take the first watch.

"Fitz, you're up." I frowned when he got the shortest stick. Nixie stiffened in my arms. I shook my head in doubt. "Maybe we should pull again."

"Come on, I can handle it," Fitz countered. He locked eyes with his friend as he cradled his assault rifle. Nixie looked like she wanted to say something to deter him, but I squeezed her closer. Trust went both ways.

Van der Woodsen reached into his suit coat and came out with his signature Reuger. "I'll remain aboard throughout, as will the captain and deckhand, both armed. Until Delilah's fully perfused, she should be too weak to pose a threat." We gazed at the creature in the coffin. The pig's blood had restored some of her flesh, but the process was slow-going. She still looked uncannily like a zombie. "Regardless, Mr. Palantro, will have backup," the director nodded.

"We'll take three-hour stints until sunrise," I said to Fitz. "Stay alert and keep your weapon trained on her. If you have to use it, go for the head. No sense wasting bullets."

"Alright, but to be clear, after the trouble we went through hauling her in, I'm assuming you want me to fire as a last resort?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"No, I want you to stay alive, Fitz. Shoot first and ask questions later." Delilah Claibourne was resourceful. I didn't voice my concern that not even a kill-shot would take her out. I just hoped it would slow her down.

As the rest of us followed Abuela indoors, the night draped us in darkness. Far from civilization, the stars were a dazzling display of brilliant companions overhead, and a sliver of moon smiled down. Yet, the awe-inspiring environment wasn't enough to distract us from the fear that was coursing through our veins. I prayed I knew what I was doing.

What would happen when Delilah Claibourne awakened from her undead slumber? Director Van der Woodsen was a seasoned agent. He would ensure Fitz's well-being. I would take care of Legend, Nixie, and Abuela Maya. Besides, nature whispered subtle signs we were on the right track. The pelican, for one.

Inside, the cabin was more spacious than it appeared from the outside. We entered a modest living room where an old television set and a sofa and loveseat combo from the 1980s made me feel nostalgic for my grandmother's house. The smell of fried food clung to the air, along with a hint of the dried herbs Abuelita had used for smudging. I peeped into a partially open door and found her already asleep.

We put our things in the other bedroom, sudden awkwardness descending as we realized we were technically alone. And sharing one bed. I eyed the floor, assessing whether my sore body could sleep on it. My orders to stay hands-off hung like drywall between us as we surveyed each other. However, the lust was penetrative. It saw through walls.

"I'm gonna–" Legend started.

"Yeah," I muttered.

He rifled through my bags for the surveillance system and left to cover the four points of the cabin while Nixie disappeared into the bathroom. Moments later I heard the shower running. Abuela had left a batch of Tupperware containers on the kitchen counter. I opened a lid and found she had packed tortillas and fajita fixings, enough food for everyone on the trip. I thought that was kind of her.

By the time my companions rejoined me, I had prepared a meal for us, and they settled at the rickety table with hungry smiles.

Nixie bit into her fajita. "Are we gonna discuss the obvious?" she asked. "Abuela Maya had some salient points back there. We've been together for almost a month and haven't taken the time to get to know one another."

"We've done well enough," I said.

She glanced at Legend, and he lowered his head and gobbled his food. She turned back to me with a grin. "Dex, why don't you ever talk about yourself?"

"First of all," I covered my mouth with a napkin as I laughed at her taking the easy one of us, "keeping secrets is my job. Secondly, talking about myself can get depressing. Who wants to listen to me trauma dump?"

"Yeah, I've read about shamans. They're survivors. Either they're born into hardships that other people don't face or they see terrible things at a young age that change them for life. Is that true?" Nixie asked thoughtfully.

I shrugged and chewed. "My father killed himself when I was a teenager." I paused and realized that I wanted to talk about it. That had never happened before. I had always kept my pain bottled up. I took a sip of water and cleared my throat. "I was the one who found him."

Legend looked up. "I'm sorry that happened to you," he said after a beat.

"Thank you," I replied sincerely. "It was a long time ago. I try not to think about it... Like I told you, because of my family's mental health struggles, I've made it my life's work to find treatments for mental health conditions that aren't responsive to conventional medications. OASIS is funding my research. That's why this mission means so much to me."

"It means so much to me because I get to start my life over," Nixie sighed. "I used to feel like the most average person in the world."

"You're not average," Legend interjected.

"Boringly average," she giggled. "But ever since I met you two, I've completely astonished myself with what I'm capable of. Fitz and I are gonna open a lounge, and I'll be his headlining act. I'm brave enough to do it now. I won't be wasting my life away daydreaming. What about you, Legend? Why are you on this mission?"

He froze like a deer in headlights. My eyebrows furrowed as I realized he hadn't told her. He was only on the mission to avoid jail time. I opened my mouth to answer for him, but he quickly recovered and admitted, "My family disowned me." I leaned back in my chair. It wasn't my place to reveal the dragon shifter's deepest secrets, but I didn't want him lying to Nixie.

"Wow, that's fucked up. Why?" Nixie asked.

"It's a...long story, but partially because I don't think I'm really my father's son."

"Family drama." She widened her eyes.

Nodding, Legend replied, "Every day, we make choices without thinking about the consequences, but some of those choices have far-reaching effects. I'm definitely guilty. So, I don't judge my mother because I don't know what happened in the past, but if the rumors are true, then I wish she would have considered the consequences before being unfaithful."

"You feel like achieving accolades as an OASIS agent will make your family embrace you more." She reached for the salsa, and I passed it to her.

"I feel like working with you and Dex will give me a sense of accomplishment. Over the past few years, I've done some things I'm not proud of in an attempt to regain control of my life." He looked down at his plate again. "I just want to be able to look at myself in the mirror and not see my mistakes."

"Everybody makes mistakes," Nixie empathized. A delicate gray moth that had somehow gotten into the cabin fluttered around her face, and she followed it with her eyes. She smiled as it landed on her shoulder. Legend studied her with rapt attention, a man completely smitten. I wondered if he knew that yet.

"You've done admirable work so far, Legend." I covered his hand with mine. I felt like he was making up for his wild youth. He would see he was an honorable person after this mission was completed.

"Feel better now? We've talked about ourselves." He exhaled.

I laughed. "It was harder than expected."

"Abuela Maya would be proud of our commitment to the cause," he joked.

Nixie pulled a face at our antics. "Let's get some rest. Who's going on watch after Fitz?"

"I'll go," Legend volunteered.

I pushed away from the table and reached for their dishes. "Once Delilah Claibourne awakens, Director Van der Woodsen plans to make a deal with her. She's wanted by the Council of Overlay Affairs for several crimes. In exchange for helping us, he'll expunge her records, but the caveat will be that she agrees to stay in the City of Immortals," I explained.

"Do you think she'll agree to that?" he asked.

Dropping the dishes into the sink, I scratched my head and faced him. "It's either exile or execution," I said.

I expected Delilah to take our offer. Legend ambled off to take a shower, and I washed the plates, cups, and utensils and returned the kitchen to its original condition. I asked myself if I was being too optimistic.

Everything about the operation, from the day Director Van der Woodsen had shown up in my office to the present moment, had gone remarkably smoothly. The right driver had been dropped into my lap. Nixie had shown up with The Book of Tides. My shamanic initiation had come in the nick of time. Finally, we had the key to the Gates of Mortality.

Fate appeared to be steering the ship and keeping danger at bay. However, I wasn't naive. I was certain that there were things happening under the surface that would eventually be revealed to me. Regardless of what Abuelita had implied about forging a deeper connection with Nixie and Legend, I needed to stay clear-headed.

Because feelings were definitely getting involved. Theirs, mine.

Sighing, I went into the bathroom and took a quick shower after Legend. When I came out, I found Nixie in bed and the dragon shifter on a pallet on the floor, which meant I would be sleeping on the couch. I begrudgingly grabbed a spare pillow and looked around for another blanket. Nixie raised an eyebrow at me.

"We can be adults about this, you know," she said.

"Adults about what?" I grumbled as I settled for a throw that looked like maybe it would cover my legs. At most.

Nixie came to a full upright position. "Dex, that looks like a baby blanket. Legend, I know that floor is uncomfortable. This queen size bed is big enough for the three of us. Don't tell me we can't handle sleeping in the same bed without ripping each other's clothes off."

"I can't make any promises," came Legend's muffled reply.

I bit back a laugh. "She's right. Get up here. We've only got a few hours to sleep and too much work ahead of us tomorrow for a poor night's rest. Everybody keep your hands and thoughts to yourselves, and we should be fine."

After a second, Legend climbed into bed, and I took my place on the other side of him. There was enough room, but there was also the temptation to cuddle together. I set an alarm for the next person to stand guard over Delilah, but sleep evaded me. I stared at the ceiling, doomed.

The bed felt warm and cozy. Aromas of soap and each of our signature scents comingled in a pleasant melange. My leg grazed Legend's, and I got butterflies–butterflies like some insipid romantic! I glanced over my shoulder and saw him lying there miserably. Nixie had her posterior to us, but she rolled over at the same time I looked back.

"Um... I might've been wrong." She scrunched her nose comically.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Legend slid a pillow over his emerging erection.

I groaned in exasperation. "Normally, I can resist this. What do you two do to me?"

"Whatever you like, Dex." The dragon shifter grinned. "Just say the word."

"Teamwork and cohesion don't mean we sleep together," I argued.

"But we are sleeping together," Nixie said cheekily as she peered at me across Legend's chest. "And you sanctioned it, Dr. Rodriguez. Now, can you admit your resolve is weakening?"