Battle Bond: An Urban Fantasy Dragon Series (Death Before Dragons #2) - Lindsay Buroker Page 0,65
I’d met before and another patient who was wearing running shoes, a hoodie, and spandex shorts that left little to the imagination. His leg hair would have put Chewbacca to shame.
Google had promised me that normal people went to therapy, but I hadn’t seen evidence of it yet. What did that say about me?
But I’d long ago given up any notion that I was normal. Normal women didn’t spend their nights battling pyromaniacs in food-truck parking lots or having nightmares about all the people they’d killed coming back to life and mauling their family members.
I rubbed my gritty eyes, wondering what it was like to sleep well and through the night. My joints ached, and my lungs were tight. I hadn’t had to use the “rescue” inhaler—how I loathed that term for it—much since starting on a new steroid one, but my body was telling me I hadn’t managed to do anything to address those elevated inflammatory markers my doctor kept talking about. How was I supposed to de-stress my life and lower inflammation when my attempts to do so ended up in yoga studios being bombed?
Ironically, the place on my hip where I’d been shot didn’t ache. Dragon healing magic had to be the best in the galaxy. I wondered if it could work on chronic conditions. Even if it could, there was no way I’d admit to Zav that my lungs were anything but sublime. Nor would I ask him for help.
My phone buzzed, and Mom’s name came up. Worry flashed through me. There wasn’t any reason she should be in danger, but I couldn’t help but imagine the worst.
“Hi, Mom,” I answered. “What’s up? Everything okay?”
“Yes.” She sounded puzzled that I’d asked. Her dog barked in the background, and she added, “Rocket misses Maggie.”
“I think you misread that bark. Nobody except Willard could possibly miss that cat.”
“He keeps looking up at the loft, expecting her to throw something down to him.”
“To him or at him?”
“He may not know the difference. He can catch anything. Are you going to Idaho?”
The abrupt topic switch surprised me. “Idaho? No, what for?”
Then I remembered Thad’s Facebook message announcing the vacation he and Amber would take next month.
“Thad and Amber are going to get a cabin on Lake Coeur d'Alene in July. They invited me.”
“Oh.” I should have said something more articulate, but I felt a numb disappointment that was completely illogical. They hadn’t invited me, but of course they hadn’t invited me. I hadn’t spoken to either of them in years. They probably didn’t even know I lived and worked in the state—or that I’d gone to several of Amber’s swim meets and her sixth- and eighth-grade graduations, always standing too far back to be noticed.
I rested my forehead on my knees, regrets and sadness settling on my back like a hundred-pound barbell. Maybe, if I could somehow finish dealing with Nin’s shifters and get all the dragons out of my life, it would be safe to take a trip to Northern Idaho. I’d only had a few assignments over there, so I shouldn’t have too many enemies in that state. Maybe if I visited for a few days, no bounty-hunting orcs would show up to pester me. Maybe it would be safe to walk up to Amber and Thad and say hello. And say… I was sorry I hadn’t been around.
Thad knew the reason why—I’d told him before I left—but I doubted Amber remembered. She’d been so young at the time. And I had no idea what Thad had told her in the interim. Had he made me out to be a deadbeat and a villain? Or just explained that my work was dangerous so I couldn’t stick around? Either way, I couldn’t imagine a scenario in which Amber would understand and forgive me. It was almost better not to get in touch and never to know for sure how she felt about me. That would be less painful than walking up to the face of anger and rejection.
“Val?”
I sat up. “Yes. Sorry. You should go.”
“I will.” Mom paused. “You should go.”
“I’ll think about it.” My phone alerted me to another incoming call. “My boss is on the other line. I need to go.”
“Tell my roommate his rent is due soon if you see him.”
“I think he’s in Woodinville working on… a project for someone. His van is there too. Can you charge someone rent if he’s never there?”