Sinister Magic: An Urban Fantasy Dragon Series (Death Before Dragons #1) - Lindsay Buroker Page 0,102

didn’t see a point to keeping someone here?

“I cannot go in with such blazing brightness present.” Several steps back, Zoltan had his hand up, guarding his face from the hallway light slashing in through the window.

“I know. I’m looking for a light switch. If nothing else, you can set up on the landing down there, and I’ll go get a blood sample.” I pointed through the doorway. “Those look like switches. Halfway down. Right in front of that security camera on the wall. Well, let’s see if my charm works on technology as well as it does on magical beasties.”

I will do it, Sindari told me. Go see your boss.

Thank you. I held open the door for him. With his natural magic, he camouflaged himself from my view and probably the view of the security cameras as well. You’re a good friend.

Not just a service animal?

You are of service.

A service friend, then.

Yes.

I headed out after him, hurrying to Willard’s door. As I opened it, the hallway lights went out, save for a few indicators glowing here and there, along with the illuminated exit sign over the door. Zoltan rushed in with his big suitcase and his hood pulled low over his face. I opened the door so he could hurry inside where it was dark, aside from the glow of the monitor above Willard’s bed.

“I wouldn’t do this for someone who hadn’t just delivered five-hundred-thousand dollars in dragon blood into my hands,” Zoltan muttered as he entered.

I almost fell over. “Five hundred thousand dollars?”

“Easily. Since there haven’t been dragons on Earth for centuries, I’m not positive about the market rate. It may be much higher. Oh, the formulas I’ll be able to mix up. The world will be mine.”

“That’s not at all alarming to hear from a vampire.” I hustled in, realizing Willard was both awake and looking over at us.

“Since it’s you, Val,” she said, “I’m going to keep myself from being afraid of the vampire stalking in with a— Is that a massage table?”

“A chemistry set.” I almost asked her what she had to be afraid of at this point but caught myself. Usually, Willard appreciated my snark, but I doubted a dying woman wanted to be reminded of her fate. “He needs some of your blood to make an antidote.”

Willard was silent, and it was too dark for me to read her eyes. Did she believe it was possible? Was it possible?

“You wouldn’t believe what I had to go through to get the rest of what he needs. A dark elf used kraken blood and some other ingredients to make you sick. Sindari and I had to raid their lair, steal the alchemy components, stop a ritual sacrifice, and create a sinkhole that brought a lane of traffic in through the roof of their church. I’d say I deserve a combat bonus, but at this point, I’d be happy just to have you back on the job, my police record cleared, and Lieutenant Sudo shipped off to the worst duty station imaginable.” Since Zoltan was coming over to get his blood sample from Willard, and she might find that alarming, I kept talking to distract her. “Also, if you could finagle a car for me, that would be amazing. I got a final letter from the insurance company. They closed my case and aren’t going to give me money for the Jeep. My comprehensive coverage isn’t as comprehensive as the television ads promised. They have an Act of God clause, but a dragon flinging your vehicle into a tree doesn’t fall under it. What kind of world do we live in?”

Willard’s eyebrows twitched at this uncharacteristic chattiness, and she didn’t miss Zoltan slipping a needle into her vein. “Your hands are cold, vampire.”

“Your veins are like shriveled husks.” Zoltan gave the glowing light from the monitor a cross look. “Don’t they give you any water for hydration in this place?”

“I guess that means I’m not in danger of having him drink my blood.” Willard looked back at me. “Why did you admit that a dragon did it?”

“Because of a foolish bout of honesty. I later tried to amend my story, but that didn’t help either. I wish I’d started out saying a tornado had landed on me, but there’s a dearth of them in Oregon. Next time, I’ll go wyvern hunting in Nebraska.”

“No chance of losing your Jeep to a tree there.”

Zoltan whistled as he took his sample and headed over to the table he’d set up.