Page 45 of Always Say Yes to a Dragon

I let out a sigh of relief at the interruption. When I turned my head, I was greeted by green scales and a toothy grin, the twin of Az’zael’s. Niemrin, dressed in an orange suit with black embroidery.

Fuck.

Tiffany froze.

“Hello, Jack. Haven’t seen you around the public library recently.” Niemrin clapped Jack on the shoulder. Jack wobbled.

Tiffany sighed. “Hello, Niemrin.”

“Perhaps I’m only there when you’re off bothering someotherlibrarian,” Jack snapped.

Niemrin flashed his teeth. “Oh, I wouldn’t say I ‘bother’ anyone. Tiffany, do you find me bothersome?”

I edged closer to Az’zael. He glanced down at me, then at the three people in front of us. “We can leave them to it.”

Jack stood with his legs braced and his chest bowed. Niemrin’s wings flared out behind him, unmistakably aggressive.

“I don’t know if that’s a great idea,” I said.

“Niemrin doesn’t bother me, just does his job.” Tiffany’s eyes were tight, her attention focused on Jack.

Jack muttered something under his breath, and a soft curl of smoke wafted from Niemrin’s nostrils.

A fine prickle of sweat broke out on my exposed back, and I scooted closer to Az.

Az’zael heaved out a sigh and squeezed me to him. “I’ll take him somewhere else.”

He slapped Niemrin on the shoulder. “Quit annoying the humans. There’s something I want you to see.”

Niemrin glanced between Az’zael and the human couple, his gaze lingering on Tiffany. “Yes. That…thing you mentioned earlier.” He followed Az’zael to the open French doors on the side of the event space and into the cool night air.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Short tempered, aren’t they?” Jack said.

I gave him my flattest look. “I’ve never found them to be.”

“Why don’t you grab a drink, Jack? I’ll catch up, okay?” Tiffany said.

Jack grumbled but wandered off to the bar.

“Sorry about that. Jack always gets so weird about Niemrin. I don’t know why.”

“Um, yeah. So weird.” Didn’t she see how Niemrin looked at her?

“Anyway, I better go join him. He doesn’t like to be alone at these events. Maybe I’ll see you at another one?”

I gave her a polite smile. “Sure.” Assuming it happened in the next four months.

Alone, I glanced around. On the one hand, I was way less worried about accidentally causing a scene than when I first walked in.Niemrin and Jack had been one wrong comment away from doing that themselves.

On the other hand, standing alone in a party full of people I didn’t know, a party I by all rights shouldn’t have been at, was the most awkward thing alive. Should I try to schmooze on Az’s behalf? Or pick somewhere to hang out and look pretty?

At least I could try the hors d’oeuvres. I made myself a small plate of little puff pastries with colorful toppings. They were decent. The champagne was almost good enough to tempt me past my self-imposed one-drink maximum.

As I glanced around for somewhere to stand and pretend I wasn’t grossly out of place, two tall, glittering dragons appeared next to me.

“Elle, right?” The female one eyed my necklace. She wore an off-the-shoulder gown that showed off her muscled physique, and an obscene amount of jewelry decorated her neck, wrists, and fingers. More jewels dripped from her ears.

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