Battle Bond: An Urban Fantasy Dragon Series (Death Before Dragons #2) - Lindsay Buroker Page 0,34

know.”

Zav straightened. “I would not shape-shift into an ill-considered amorphous blob. When I am in human form, I am anatomically correct.”

“I’m so glad for you.”

I held out both sides of the poster. It wasn’t the big black dragon I’d expected. It was a blown-up photograph of Zav, with his familiar haughty and handsome face and wearing the same black robe with silver trim. He was posing with one leg propped on a chair and his chin on his fist, his elbow on his knee. I assumed it had been the photographer’s idea. It wasn’t a bad one. The photo was attractive. If he wanted to retire from enforcing dragon laws, he could easily get modeling gigs here. Or, if he was as anatomically correct as promised, a career working in the sex industry.

“I have to admit, I was imagining throwing hatchets at the dragon form of you.”

“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