Sinister Magic: An Urban Fantasy Dragon Series (Death Before Dragons #1) - Lindsay Buroker Page 0,44
seaside cave over the wyvern could have been chance, but what were the odds that his second arrest would bring him halfway across the state to the same mountainside where I was?
“The wyvern that killed humans and that I was charged by my authorities to kill,” I stated. “I was on the case first, as I said. You weren’t around when I executed the first two, and it’s not my fault you came late to the third one.”
“If there were others, they were not my concern. And you were not there first.”
“I was already there when you walked in, asshole.”
“Oh?”
Hell, hadn’t he realized that? If not, I was an idiot for hinting at one of my advantages. If I had to fight him again, the cloaking charm might be the only thing that would save my life.
Zav stopped his circling at my side, his chest a hair’s breadth from brushing my shoulder. He lifted a hand—I almost expected to see claws at the ends of his fingers, but he had normal, well-trimmed nails. As I watched that hand come closer, it was all I could do not to spring back and draw Chopper.
But the armed refugees behind me had inched closer, and Greemaw was watching me intently. I had the feeling this was a test. But if I annoyed him enough, he might break my neck. His hand was heading toward it. No, it was to my necklace, not my neck. He ran his finger along the charms and paused in front of the one that had camouflaged me that day in the wyvern cave.
“Yes, I see. I should take this from you, so you can’t easily sneak up on the magical.” His lip curled. “Assassin.”
I clenched my jaw but didn’t allow myself to otherwise react. I could live without that charm, but what if he took Sindari from me?
At my side, the tiger crouched, his tail rigid as he watched this exchange. He looked like he wanted to attack, but even he would be no match for a dragon.
“But I am not a thief.” Zav lowered his hand. “I am not a criminal.”
“I’m not a criminal either,” I growled. “You can’t bring your laws to this world and expect people here to obey them.”
“Of course I can. I am a dragon, sent by the Dragon Justice Court. That your puny people don’t recognize our rule over the galaxy is laughable. It is only because nobody wishes to deal with your verminous infestation of this world that you’ve been allowed to run amok, breeding like iyarku and suffocating out almost all other life here.” His lids drooped, leaving his violet eyes as mere slits. “You would be wise to respect dragons when they do visit.”
“So sorry I didn’t drag a throne and a red carpet into that cave as soon as you arrived.”
“Someday,” he continued, ignoring my outburst, “a dragon may decide to come and rule over this mess and straighten it out.”
“You, perhaps? Just give me some notice. I’ll put the word out on social media, so anyone who wants to appropriately worship you can show up at the portal.”
“Not me.” He curled his lip again. Maybe that was an involuntary tic. “I will spend no more time in this vile place than I must. I am no cowardly refugee.”
A couple of the guys with guns glanced at each other at this insult, but nobody shifted their weapons from me to Zav. Too bad.
He prowled around behind me again, and my shoulder blades itched. The last thing I wanted was an enemy this powerful at my back.
He came around to my other side. “Because I think it could cut down on the length of time I’m forced to stay here, I am considering using you as bait.”
“What?”
He smiled for the first time, and I decided that Amused Zav wasn’t any more appealing than Pissed Zav. “They hate you, and they come out in droves when you’re nearby. I’ve never had a pack of werewolves stand up to me in my life, but they wanted very badly to kill you, to receive credit among all the magical here for their great victory. Even when I was right before them, they thought that it would be worth it to sacrifice part of their pack to take you down.”
“Nice of you to read their minds. That would be considered a violation of civil liberties here, but whatever. You’ve already said our laws don’t apply to dragons.”