Page 32 of Dragon Unleashed
The gnomes! Their voices fill the stairwell as they head this way.
Aries looks like he might just stay and fight, but I know better. Grabbing him again, I propel him backward until we reach the alcove behind the stairs. I shove him into it, all the way until his back hits the wall, then cram myself in against him.
We’re exposed as hell here. But there’s nowhere else to go.
The voices become louder as the pitter-patter of little feet traipse down the stairs. Aries meets my eyes, and I give him a shake of my head to convey that, hell no, he is not fighting anyone.
I hold my finger to my lips so he’ll keep quiet.
Then we wait.
A few seconds later, two male gnomes reach the last step, jumping to the floor. Ted and Zed; each dressed in black-on-black tactical wear I sewed for them myself. They race toward the door leading out to the library, Ted launching Zed into the air so that Zed is able to grab the doorknob and twist it. The door swings open, and Ted rushes to help Zed prop it open, which they’re just barely able to do with both of their body weights combined.
On their heels, something black and furry leaps the last few stairs onto the floor and then bounds out into the library. Ted and Zed follow with small battle cries, and then the door swings shut behind them, leaving us alone in relative silence. Well, other than the muted sound of the alarm coming through the door.
Still, I don’t breathe or move or think too hard about all the delicious male parts I’m pressed against while Aries and I wait to see if we’ll be discovered. Finally, the alarm shuts off, and in the ensuing silence, I can hear Ted issuing orders to whoever else has gathered on the other side of the door.
“...Kitty and Ned are already checking the rafters,” Ted says. “I’m going to meet up with them and see if they’ve found any sort of trail to follow.”
“Fine. I’m going to track down the signature left from whatever portal they used to get in.”Blossom. I wince at the lethal tone she uses. She’s pissed. This is happening on her watch, which means she’ll answer for it. And I hate that it’s my fault.
“I’m going to guard the area,” Zed offers, “Make sure whoever it is doesn’t come back.”
“Good, we’ll reconvene in twenty,” Ted says.
Then they’re silent.
I tell myself that my hesitation is to ensure we’re alone. But really, the heat of my body pressed against Aries in the dark of the stairwell is so damned delicious that it actually pains me to move away from him.
Even though I know we have to get out of here. Blossom or the gnomes could walk in and see us at any moment.
Slowly, I peel myself away from Aries and motion for him to stay close as we both creep past the door and up the stairs. My heart pounds with the force of a drum, and I don’t breathe fully until we’re back inside my apartment.
The moment the door closes behind us, I head for my bedroom. Aries puts a hand out to stop me.
“What’s wrong?” I ask. My first thought is that he’s injured. He did pull me away from that light fixture. It could have hit him when it shattered, or—
“I know our worlds are vastly different,” he says, interrupting my panic. “That’s to be expected. But... was that a goblin riding on the back of a rodent of some kind?”
I scoff, completely offended. “He’s a gnome. She’s a raccoon,” I say haughtily. “Oh,andher name is Kitty.”
“Kitty,” he repeats.
“Yes. She’s a true warrior, for your information. Just like Ted, Zed, and Ned.”
Chapter10
Paige
Did I seriously just defend three gnomes and a raccoon to a dragon? Survey says yes. Yes, I did.
Hearing myself say it out loud does sort of remind me how weird my life is—even for a supernatural. I’ve never heard of raccoons being domesticated in any other world but this one. And Aries’ expression makes it clear he hasn’t heard of it either.
“True warriors?” he questions.
“Yes,” I snap. “They protect the library.”
“I see.”
