Sinister Magic: An Urban Fantasy Dragon Series (Death Before Dragons #1) - Lindsay Buroker Page 0,69

the pain of injuries while he was here. “Thank you for your help. Go rest now.”

I will, but I wanted to warn you… They are very fast and very strong, and I think those were lowly minions among their kind. Do your best to avoid them, Val.

When I thought of Zoltan’s list of requirements and the sample kit in my pocket, I shook my head sadly. I don’t think I can.

17

“Tell me again why your apartment has a parking garage and we can’t use it?” Dimitri yawned noisily as he circled the nearby blocks.

Parking was always tight this close to Old Ballard, with apartment buildings rising up behind the popular restaurants and bars, some of which were still open, even though it was long after midnight. I pointed toward an alley where visitors could usually get a spot.

“Because Sudo probably has someone watching my apartment, and the main way in is through the parking garage.”

“Should we avoid it altogether?”

“Yes, but I have a date with a loofah.”

He threw me a startled look.

“Apparently, there’s a dragon aura clinging to me that I need to scrub off. Tarantula blood too. I’m decidedly grimy.”

“You don’t think it would be better to go to a hotel?”

“Maybe, but I need some ammo and a change of clothes too.” I poked at the tarantula ichor that had hardened all over my duster and the shirt I’d been wearing for two days. Or was it three now? “And some time on the computer to figure out where I can find an entrance to this secret underground.”

My jaw cracked under the influence of a giant yawn. I would need to collect a few drops of blood from Colonel Willard, too, but I’d been up for ages, and I was exhausted. Her blood ought to be the easiest to get, even allowing for the guard she’d mentioned outside of her hospital room door, so I could do it last. Finding the dark-elf alchemist would be a challenge, and I had no idea how to convince a kraken to come to shore so I could get some of its blood. And then there was Zav. How would I convince him to give me a vial from his veins? Was he still in Oregon? The idea of driving all the way back to Bend made me even wearier.

“Do you have a guest room or do I get to sleep in my van?” Dimitri found a spot in front of a dumpster and parked.

“I have a guest… couch.”

“Am I allowed to use it?”

“After driving me all over the state? Yes. I’ve been told it’s moderately comfortable. Assuming there isn’t a government agent sleeping on it now.” I had numerous deadbolts on my door, but Sudo could have gotten permission to force them open.

I put on my borrowed jacket and kept the hood up while leading Dimitri in a circuitous route toward my apartment building. The organic grocery store on the first floor was closed up for the night, but the parking garage was open, as always. I walked past it, glancing in, and spotted a black car with government plates parked near the elevator.

“Yup,” I muttered, continuing on to an alley around the corner. “They’ve got someone here.”

Dimitri didn’t try to convince me to leave. He kept yawning, too, so maybe he was fantasizing about my couch.

I used my lock-pick charm on the fire-escape door in the alley, checked inside, and didn’t spot anyone. We headed up to the fourth floor, out into the empty hallway, and I slowed again when we reached the corner. I peeked around, already assuming someone would be there and that I’d have to climb out the window and over to my little balcony. But the hallway was empty. There was something on my door, some kind of electronic device. It had been mounted right above the knob.

“Hm.” I leaned back around the corner.

Dimitri arched his eyebrows.

Whatever that thing was, I had a feeling it would alert someone if it was touched or the door opened.

“Back door.” I pointed to the window next to the fire-escape stairs.

“That’s a window.”

“It leads to the back door.”

I passed him, used my charm again to unlock it, and looked down before climbing out. The alley was still empty. The brick wall was flat with no ledges, but we were on the top floor, and the gutter along the edge of the roof looked sturdy.

“You can go back to your van if you don’t want to follow.” I hopped onto the sill,