Battle Bond: An Urban Fantasy Dragon Series (Death Before Dragons #2) - Lindsay Buroker Page 0,36
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.”
“Also acceptable. I’m going to find my shoes.” I waved and headed for the door.
“Wait.” Zav spoke in a normal tone, but power laced the word.
I froze, my body unwilling to disobey him. As I knew from past experience, it wouldn’t have mattered if I’d had Chopper with me.
As he strolled up with the boxes, walking around my unmoving form to face me again, I gritted my teeth. I wanted to curse at him and his presumptuousness, but my lips and tongue weren’t working either.
“You know how to research the locations of magical beings in this world. Can you locate Dobsaurin for me?” Zav flicked a finger and muscle control returned to me.
“Maybe,” I said slowly, realizing someone from another world and without a phone and a cell plan would have a hard time using the internet on the fly, “but—”
“This would be more efficient than if I flew all over the mountains, hoping to unmask the camouflage he has placed on himself. Yes, this is a good plan. You will do this for me.”
“Pardon you, but I’m on my own quest right now.” I glowered at him.
If he said I owed him because he’d healed me, I would aim a kick right at his groin and find out if he was as anatomically correct as he promised.
“I understand this. Once we have found Dobsaurin and dealt with him, I will assist you in negotiating with these panther shifters who are an obstacle to you.”
“I don’t want to negotiate with them; I want to blow up their house and drown them in the river.”
He gave me that judgy look again. “I am impassive in regard to them. This will make me a superior negotiator.”
I wanted to argue, mostly because he was trying to make all the decisions, but I’d already admitted I couldn’t rightfully kill the Pardus brothers unless they did something worse than attacking me and painting graffiti on a food truck. If they had killed people with that grenade, it would have been different, but I couldn’t feel anything but relief that they’d failed.
“The fact that you can breathe fire and melt people probably helps with negotiations too.”
“People do not melt. They char and incinerate.”
“Good to know.” I rubbed my face and tried to set my ego aside to agree to his deal. Negotiating on Nin’s behalf was what I’d had in mind, and it would be a lot easier to cow the brothers—convince them to comply—with a dragon standing at my side. “All right, I agree to your proposal, but if we’re going to work together for even a moment, we have to establish some rules.”
“I agree. I am bound by the laws and regulations of the Dragon Justice Court. You will swear an oath to uphold the same laws.”
“That’s definitely not what I had in mind. I’m talking rules—boundaries—between me and you.” I imagined Mary talking about the distance I created between myself and others and almost laughed. “You promise to stay out of my head. None of that magical compulsion bullshit. No freezing me in place