Battle Bond: An Urban Fantasy Dragon Series (Death Before Dragons #2) - Lindsay Buroker Page 0,78
in indignation, “—but they have so much power. They do not have to be clever to create effective traps.”
“I’ll check it out. Thanks for the information.”
“Good.” She drew the outline of a wrench in the air with her finger, a typical goblin gesture used for greeting and parting, then touched her forehead. “If you see our people alive in there and help them escape, we will be grateful. This is the only place we have found that is not claimed by others—humans or magical beings—and we would like to make it our place.”
I imagined that Weyerhauser or whoever owned all the logging land out here would object, but I wouldn’t tell them. “I’ll keep an eye out.”
Golgitha made the wrench-gesture again, then scurried back up the slope, disappearing with her comrades into the woods.
Zav walked out of the cave and joined me beside the sapling.
“We had a visitor. You missed it.”
“I missed nothing.”
“I thought you might be eavesdropping.”
He eyed me. “That word implies improper behavior.”
“Are dragons never improper?”
“I am not. I waited inside so that my presence would not inhibit them.”
“You are an inhibiting presence.” I was a little impressed they’d even had the gumption to come talk to me, their Mythic Murderer.
“Not to you.” He sounded more irritated than pleased by it.
“I’m not easily inhibited. Shall we go check out the water-treatment facility?”
Zav gazed into the woods, not after the goblins but toward the north. I had a feeling he was looking toward the facility, perhaps already close enough to investigate it with his senses.
“Yes.”
“Can you sense anyone there? Dob?”
“No, but I have not sensed him at all since I started looking for him. It is surprising, since even dragons must sleep, and there is a limit to how much manipulation of magic you can do while you slumber.”
I was surprised they could do any manipulation then. All I managed to do in my sleep was have nightmares.
“It is possible he has some artifact or tool that is assisting him. Something like your trinket.” He pointed to the collection dangling around my neck from my leather thong.
“Oh,” I blurted, remembering my encounter with Dob at the windmill. “I’d forgotten—or hadn’t thought anything of it at the time—but he wore an oval-shaped black onyx stone in a gold setting that was either embedded in his scales—” I touched the spot just below my collarbones, “—or magically adhered. I didn’t see a collar or necklace.”
“You did not think to mention this earlier?”
“No. Like I said, I didn’t think anything of it. My experience with dragons is limited. I figured he was accessorizing.”
“Accessorizing.” Zav gave me an exasperated look.
“Yes, you should try it. Maybe a nice amethyst or sapphire gem to go with your eyes. Though neither of those is quite the right color. What’s the crystal the New Age woo-woo people like?” I snapped my fingers. “Sugilite. You should get a sugilite collar.”
“A collar. Like one of your hounds?” It was hard to tell if he was truly disgusted or only feigning offense. Probably truly disgusted. I hadn’t yet seen much of the sense of humor he’d promised that dragons possessed. “Do you think dragons are similar to dogs?” he added.
“No. Dogs are friendly, fun, and eager to please. You are… not those things.”
“Neither are you.”
“I cannot deny that.”
He shook his head in disgust. “Come. We will search this facility.”
I smiled at his back. It was immature, and I knew it, but somewhere along the way, it had become fun to goad him. The Mythic Murderer clearly had a death wish.
22
We took the Jeep to the water-treatment facility, though Zav grumbled at the delay, saying he could have flown there in minutes. I’d pointed out that if we found a bunch of injured people, it would be easier to get them out and back to town in a vehicle. As broad as his back was, I assumed there was a limit to how much weight a dragon could carry. And then there was the awkwardness of explaining the method of transportation to everyone who rode along.
As I wound down muddy, weed-choked roads, jostling my refined dragon passenger, who looked very out of place sitting in the passenger seat of a Jeep in his robe and slippers, I did start to wonder if I should have driven back out and around via paved roads. The thought had seemed silly, since we were only a couple of miles from the facility, but this was anything but direct.