Home > Battle Bond (Death Before Dragons #2)(16)

Battle Bond (Death Before Dragons #2)(16)
Author: Lindsay Buroker

“The dragon form of me couldn’t fit in the booth, and the photographer was unsettled. He would not consider going outside with me. I decided not to magically compel him. People don’t do their best work under such conditions.”

“Imagine that.” I turned the poster, wondering at the plausibility of setting up a hatchet-throwing arena in my small apartment. And if I could truly bring myself to hurl blades at his face. “Mangling someone who looks human seems sadistic.”

“You would not consider it sadistic to mangle a dragon?”

“Nah. It would be like operating a crane with a wrecking ball and swinging it into a building marked for demolition. Satisfying.”

Zav gazed at me. Something about it made me feel guilty, like I was morally wrong to find the idea of mutilating a dragon appealing. It wasn’t my fault he was so pompous and annoying. His arrogance invited fantasies of mutilation.

Across the parking lot, the boy was still not-watching us.

“Do you have any idea what that kid wants?” I asked to change the subject—and because I was curious.

Zav shouldn’t have been able to see the boy from where he stood, but it didn’t surprise me that he knew what I meant. “He wishes to deliver a message to you, but he’s not certain if I am your mate and will drive him off in a fit of jealous rage.” Zav’s forehead crinkled. “His thoughts are alien to me. It’s possible I misinterpreted them.”

“Yeah, I think so. Don’t sweat it. Teenage-boy thoughts are alien to other humans too.” I looked over at the kid, caught his gaze before he could pretend not to be looking, and waved for him to come over.

“I truly need the message that Dobsaurin delivered to you,” Zav said earnestly. “If he is here to openly challenge me, this is unprecedented, and something must have changed between our families. I must warn my kin.” His gaze drifted from my eyes upward to my forehead. Well, that was better than all the guys whose gazes went down to my boobs. “You are not wearing your magical sword. It is interesting that I have difficulty reading your thoughts.”

“You’re probably distracted by my great beauty.”

His gaze drifted downward, more considering than interested, and I wasn’t positive he’d even been aware that I was female. Not that the baggy T-shirt I’d chosen for this class was form-flattering.

“Never mind,” I said. “Look, he kidnapped some children, and he said it was because he wanted to get your goat. He didn’t say why, just implied that he would kill you. That’s really all he gave me. He spent most of our time together trying to flambé me.”

“My goat?”

“Your attention.”

“If he wishes my attention, he has it. If he wishes to challenge me, I am not afraid to battle him. Why would he use you to deliver this challenge and then hide?”

“How would I know? I didn’t even know he existed until the other day.”

Zav frowned at me. “It is true you are ignorant of politics in the Cosmic Realms.”

“Yes, I am. I’d like to stay that way. And also not to be incinerated by dragons trying to get your attention.”

The boy had skated over and was close enough to hear that last sentence, but he didn’t react to it.

“I think you’re the one,” he said.

“I’m sure that’s true.” I eyed him again, hoping the kid wasn’t here to take revenge for a parent I’d killed. That had happened before. But there wasn’t a drop of magical blood in his veins—this close, I would have sensed it—so he couldn’t be descended from any of the magical beings I’d assassinated. “One for what?”

“A guy paid me five dollars to deliver a message to the big blonde chick that he said would run out of the yoga studio after an explosion. He said she’d probably be on fire.”

“I’m tall, not big. Don’t call women big. They don’t like that.” I held out my hand, already imagining the idiocy this message would contain if it had come from the panther brothers.

“If you are big, people will fantasize about hurling wrecked balls at you,” Zav informed the kid.

“Wrecking balls.” I gave him a weird look—the kid gave him an even weirder one.

I wasn’t sure if Zav was trying to be personable, but he’d been less alarming when he’d simply been calling humans vermin and telling me how deplorable this planet was.

“Let’s have it,” I told the kid.

He’d taken out a wrinkled envelope, but he hadn’t given it to me. “The guy said you’d also give me five dollars.”

“He said I’d do that while I’m on fire?”

His face screwed up as he considered the logic. “Yes.”

I snatched the letter from him faster than he could jerk it away, then shooed him back across the parking lot. “Thanks. Go spend your big earnings at the arcade.”

He looked like he wanted to object, but Zav frowned at him, made his eyes glow violet, and the kid jumped and ran away.

“Nicely creepy,” I said. “I think the villains in Stargate SG-1 did that.”

“It is sometimes a warning among my kind, sometimes an indication that power is being used.” Zav returned his scrutiny to me.

I had a feeling he thought I knew more about his dragon nemesis than I did. I had no idea how to convince him otherwise.

“Are you stronger than Dob is?” I tore open the envelope.

“The law and the righteousness of my beliefs will aid me against him.”

“Oh man, you’re really screwed, aren’t you?”

What would happen if Zav lost and Dob won? Would Dob be satisfied and go back to his own world, or would he stay here and terrorize more people?

“I am not. But he occasionally uses methods that are unacceptable to the Dragon Justice Court and myself. If we were to do battle, it would be important that bystanders were not nearby.”

I imagined people bursting into flames as dragons battled overhead, spewing gouts of fire everywhere. “Yeah, if you’re going to fight, please lure him away from the city.”

“That will be my goal. But I must locate him first. That is why I am questioning you.”

“I knew you didn’t just come to give me the poster.” I sighed as I read the short note.

Stay out of our affairs, or you and your weapons-making friend will be forcefully deported.

It wasn’t signed, but it wasn’t a big mystery who’d sent it—and tried to bomb the yoga studio.

“Are you sure you don’t have a couple of panther-shifter brothers named Pardus on your list of people to send through a portal back to your court?” I asked.

“I do not.”

“I don’t suppose you’d like to punt them through a portal anyway?”

“Not if they have not committed a crime against the tenets of dragonkind.”

“They’re advertising that they can make weapons to slay dragons.”

“I assume that is untrue.”

“From what I’ve been told, probably. But don’t you think such claims might offend your court?”

Zav tilted his head. “Why do you not slay them yourself? This is what you are known for, is it not? Assassinating the magical.” Judgment oozed from his tone.

“Only if they’ve committed crimes—specifically murder. I don’t get sent out against magical beings unless they’ve been killing humans.” There was also the matter of the ten shapeshifter allies the brothers claimed. At least ten. Who knew how many were in that Northern Pride? Maybe I could get Willard to send me what the office had on them.

“If you cannot give me further information on Dobsaurin’s whereabouts and intentions, I must go.” Zav looked to the sky.

“You have another dragonkind-irking deadbeat on your list?”

“I must find Dobsaurin.” His gaze returned to me, speculative. “I do wonder…”

He was thinking about dangling me out in the woods to attract the dragon. I could tell. But Dob wasn’t from Earth, and he shouldn’t have had time to build up a grudge against me, so I doubted that would work, even if I were willing.

“He’s after you, not me,” I said. “Don’t even think of putting a compulsion on me or whatever you did last time. I’m my own free person, not somebody’s puppet.”

“I must consider the needs of the court over the needs of one mongrel.”

“Must you call me that? My name is Val. I’m a capable warrior.”

“Of mongrel heritage. Be pleased that your mixed blood gives you an advantage over the typical vermin that inhabit this foul, infested place.”

“You’re a dick too, FYI. But I’m still going to give you something.” I opened the car door and pulled out the wine that I had no interest in drinking. The cider and chocolate I could find a use for—even if it was weird huckleberry cider and lavender chocolate—but wine was only slightly more palatable to me than coffee. “Try this.” I shoved the case of twelve bottles into his arms. “Probably in human form. Maybe you’ll like it. Wait, here.” On a whim, I grabbed one of the boxes of chocolate and put it on top. I’d been given enough to share. “That too. I bet if you sample the offerings of this vermin-infested planet, you might agree that we come up with some good stuff.”

“Doubtful.” Zav wrinkled his nose as he surveyed his gifts.

“Humans love chocolate. Good chocolate is a delicacy.”

“Is it made from meat?”

“Uh, no. Do dragons only eat meat?”

“Meat and occasionally fish.”

“Nothing with any fiber? How do you stay regular?”

He gave me a blank look. It was just as well. I couldn’t believe I’d brought up toilet habits with a dragon.

“Never mind. Just try it. And if they’re awful, you can pelt Dobsaurin with them.”

“I will pelt him with fire and brimstone.”

   
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