Free Dragon Deception by Mell Eight Page B

He couldn't suppress the halo when he was using his magic, which was why he was so bright in the picture. Just beyond him, Mercury could just barely make out O'Simmon's face. O'Simmons looked beyond furious, as if Dane and Lumie's arrival had ruined his life. It wasn't a proportionate reaction to the general inconvenience they had caused by barging into a crime scene.
    Valerie came back a moment later carrying a laptop. It was open and she was typing into it one-handed as she walked, but she put it down on top of the papers so Mercury could see the screen too before taking her own chair.
    "Have you seen these pictures?" Mercury asked her, unwilling to let himself get pulled into the past cases on the computer when the present still held so many questions.
    "You mean all the pictures of you and me? I wish my badge had a picture as nice as some of those," Valerie grumbled. "I also wish O'Simmons would give me the photographer's name so I could figure out who paid him or her to get pictures of the responding officers instead of the actual scene. Now that I know the trap was set for you, I'm going to get that name if it kills me and follow that money trail until I get you some answers."
    "Did you see this picture?" he asked, passing over the final picture with Dane and Lumie.
    "I'm sorry they caught a picture of your kit," she said, sounding truly apologetic even though it hadn't been her fault. It was the first emotion he had seen from her that wasn't angry in some way. It transformed her face from harsh to youthful and pretty. All she needed to do was cool down and she would get a totally different reception from her coworkers.
    "What about him?" Mercury asked, tapping the photo just above O'Simmons head.
    Valerie bent over the picture and squinted. Her frown returned with a vengeance when she saw what Mercury had found. "He's just pushing all my buttons. I need to figure out what's making him tick. You catch up on all the reading while I make some phone calls." She walked to the far corner of the room while poking at her cell phone. Mercury pulled over the next folder and started the lengthy task of catching up on years of Valerie's hard work.
    *~*~*
    Mercury let his spell bring them into the foyer of his home. Valerie was clinging to his arm, her nails digging in slightly as if she were afraid she might fall off mid-transport and be lost forever. The air smelled faintly of cooking chicken and potatoes roasting in herbs. Mercury had texted Daisy ahead of time to warn her he was bringing a guest, but he wanted his kits to be surprised.
    "Daddy's home!" 'Ron shrieked from the top of the staircase above them. "He brought a girl home!"
    Valerie jumped, but she suppressed her scowl. Mercury could see the effort it cost her in her clenched fists, but her lips remained in a slight frown as she looked up at 'Ron. Doors slammed, upstairs and down, and the scent of dinner suddenly grew stronger as a half-dozen pairs of footsteps stampeded towards Mercury.
    'Ron was closest and she ran directly into Mercury's stomach, making him oomph out a breath of air. Her arms wrapped around his waist and she squeezed happily. Two impacts against his legs that he could feel, but not see, thanks to 'Ron, told Mercury that Lumie and Alloy were saying hello. Nickel, Copper, and Zinc were more sedate. They were older, but no less excited. Mercury had little doubt they had also run into the room, but they were content to wait for their turn. Chrome, on the other hand, whined and pushed 'Ron out of the way so he could get his hug in. She pushed back and Mercury had to take a few seconds to dispel the fight before it got out of hand.
    "Everyone," Mercury said once all the hugs had been given. "This is Valerie. She's my new partner at work. She wanted to meet you all."
    A chorus of hellos and one, "You're so tall!" from an admiring 'Ron echoed around the room. Mercury made introductions.
    "So you're not cheating on Dane, then?" Zinc asked. She tried for