Battle Bond: An Urban Fantasy Dragon Series (Death Before Dragons #2) - Lindsay Buroker Page 0,38

disappearing?” I grimaced. I hadn’t stumbled across that yet, but I’d been searching specifically for news of the dragon. Any number of people, magical and mundane, could be responsible for missing persons. Still, I’d seen the silver dragon soaring toward the Sammamish River Trail, a trail that turned into the Burke Gilman Trail once it hit Lake Washington. Coincidence?

“Three that I have heard of so far. The demand for dragon-slaying weapons is increasing. I have fielded many inquiries but have been forced to admit I cannot make anything that powerful. I worry that people will believe the Parduses’ claims and go to them.”

“I’m afraid of that too.”

Nin hesitated. “Do you think they are the ones who attacked your yoga studio?”

I also hesitated, since I didn’t want her to feel bad about getting me involved with this. “It’s not my yoga studio. That was my first class there. We were only halfway through, and I hadn’t even figured out what ocean breathing was yet.”

“Val…”

“Yes.” I sighed. “It was probably them. Like the manly men they are, they had a boy deliver a message for them.” I fished it out of my pocket and showed it to her.

She shook her head as she read it, her pink pigtails flopping sadly forward.

“Don’t worry about it.” I rested a hand on her forearm. “I get threatened all the time. It’s part of the job. And nobody was hurt.” I shuddered to think what might have happened if I hadn’t reacted quickly enough to throw that grenade back out. “I’ll just avoid being barefoot and without my weapons in enclosed spaces full of people until I get this resolved. And I plan to. Zoltan pointed me toward the person who’s supplying their magical bullets, and I’m going to visit tomorrow and find out what I can. Maybe see if I can convince the person to take a nice vacation for a while. I’m also thinking about going back to the brothers’ house tonight and sneaking around—not going in, mind you, since I have orders not to do that—to see if I can figure out who they’ve got working in the basement. I don’t think either of those two lumps of coal has enchanting skills of their own.”

“I wish you would let me pay you, Val. This is dangerous work.”

“I’ll take some ammo. A lot. I have a feeling I may need it.”

“To fight the Pardus brothers?”

“Maybe.” I decided not to mention how Zav thought I should go with him to vanquish his dragon nemesis. “Why don’t you take a break? Let’s get some lunch.”

“I can make you some—”

“Nope.” I lifted a hand. “I enjoy your food very much, but let’s get something else for a change, eh? Something you don’t have to cook.”

“I should not leave my truck.”

“You have an assistant.”

Nin looked from the line of customers to her kitchen helper manning the window and up to her security camera—or maybe the spot where the graffiti had been. Her fingers twitched, as if she would grab the corner of the truck if I tried to pull her away.

“You’re not sleeping here, are you?” I asked.

“No. I cannot park the truck here overnight. It is stored at a secure commissary and truck yard.” She waved vaguely to the south. “They do not allow you to sleep there.”

“You know this because you’ve tried?”

She hesitated. “Maybe. I am concerned right now that I will lose the truck—and my business. I have set magical traps in case someone tries to go inside, but…”

“I understand. I’m not trying to drag you away for a week. Just for lunch. I’m buying. You could use a break. I can tell.”

Nin appeared more reluctant than grateful about my offer, but she did tell her assistant to call someone else in if she got busy, and she walked resolutely out of the square with me. She let me drive us up the hill to Capitol Cider, where I sat facing the windows so I could see any trouble coming. I ordered the fish and chips and fire-roasted pepper cider. I could pass on wine or beer, but I was a Washington girl, and apples were my favorite fruit. Juice was too sweet for my taste buds, but hard cider was perfect and not a stiff enough drink to impair my reflexes or judgment.

Once Nin had ordered a suspiciously healthy-sounding mushroom-and-kale grilled cheese sandwich, I leaned in to ask, “You seem to get a lot of gossip from your clientele. Have you heard anything more