Battle Bond: An Urban Fantasy Dragon Series (Death Before Dragons #2) - Lindsay Buroker Page 0,27
bicycle chains. “But for future reference, the Scorpion Stinger isn’t a lotion. It’s a tincture you can brush around your doors and cracks in the foundation of your house to keep rodents and insects out.”
“Handy. I hope you let Mr. Plaid know. We’d hate for him to break out in hives.”
“I told him. He seemed more interested in it then. He even gave me a tip.” Dimitri held up a five.
“You’ve got a future in carrying people’s merchandise.”
“Whatever gets me my own property to park my van on.”
“I thought you were saving for a house.”
“Houses are expensive to build. That can come later.”
“Maybe you can build your own from recycled bicycle chains.”
“It crossed my mind. I might throw in some wood too.”
“Rebellious.” During a lull in passersby, I lowered my voice to ask, “Are any of the things for sale here magic?”
I’d wondered if I should be touting extra features or not.
“Not in any significant way. I think I’m going to have to be like Nin and sell those items through word-of-mouth. The times I’ve tried to explain to non-believers about the magical elements, it hasn’t gone well.”
“If it’s any consolation, I doubt there will be non-believers for much longer.” Not with dragons sprouting like dandelion seeds. The government might have been able to somewhat hide the existence of kobolds and werewolves that mostly kept to themselves, but dragons soaring over the cityscape were another story.
“I’m not that consoled.” Judging by his grimace, Dimitri was also thinking of the proliferation of deadly magical beings in the world.
When I handed him another hundred from a sale, he perked up. If only money could solve my problems.
As the hour I’d promised Dimitri limped past, I wore out my lip muscles by smiling and my self-respect muscles by letting men ogle me. And I sold five more pieces for him.
“You’re actually pretty good at this,” Dimitri offered, stuffing his cash box. “You could get a job in sales.”
“This may shock you, but I’d rather lop off the heads of murderers than smile pleasantly at people for money.”
“I’m not shocked. I’ve known you for a couple of weeks now.”
“Got the lay of the land, eh?”
“More or less. Thanks for helping.”
As my hour of service—or was that servitude?—was ending, a powerful aura lit up my senses. I groaned.
Soon, gasps came from a couple of the shoppers wandering down the aisles, and they shouted and pointed toward the sky. Everyone else looked up, but they only shook their heads in confusion. I realized the people pointing all had the faint auras of those with a quarter or an eighth magical blood.
I stepped out into the open aisle in time to see the silver dragon flying high overhead, soaring toward the river. I’d been afraid he would show up on this side of Puget Sound.
Where was Zav? He needed to confront this guy and tell him to go back to his world.
My phone buzzed.
“It’s still Saturday, Colonel,” I said as soon as I answered it.
“No kidding.” Willard sounded irked. “What were you doing out in Bothell this morning, Thorvald?”
“I told you. Looking for dragon-slaying weapons that probably do not exist.” I wouldn’t make that proclamation for sure until I’d seen what—and who—was in that basement. “I also got in a fight because I didn’t want to have sex with strange panther shifters.”
Dimitri’s eyebrows rose.
“Would that be the Pardus brothers?” Willard asked.
“Yes.”
“Respected officers in the Northern Pride?”
“Respected? Are you sure?”
“I ask,” she said without answering my questions, “because the Pride’s lawyer called our office to lodge a verbal complaint. He said you broke into their house, threatened them, and busted their television when they refused to back down.”
“That’s not how it went. They threatened me. When Sindari and I defended ourselves, the TV was an innocent bystander.”
“The brothers say they have video footage of everything.”
“Highly edited, I’m sure.”
“If you don’t stay away from them and their house, the lawyer is going to call the police and press charges.”
“The lawyer? What kind of panther shifter brutes hire lawyers?”
“The ones with a lucrative business. Look, I believe you, Val, but don’t go back to their house. If Nin needs protection, tell her to hire a bodyguard. Stay out of trouble this weekend. I’m collecting some intel, and I should have a new assignment for you next week. The dark elves have disappeared, at least out of the sections of the tunnels that were revealed by the sinkhole, but I’m hearing that they’ve been bribing members of the magical community. They