Page 25 of The Dragon With A Girl Tattoo
“One minute,” Baltic said, tucking away his phone.
Beyond him, light seemed to gather like a mass of tiny fireflies, forming itself into the shape of a man who stepped forward with a frown directed at me.“You are correct.”
“OK,” I said, more than a little startled by the First Dragon’s statement.“Er ...about what, exactly?”
“You will need this.”He brushed his thumb across a spot on my forehead, then disappeared in another sparkle of fireflies.
“Holymerde,” Aisling said, her eyes huge as she stared at me.“That’s the First Dragon’s ...what, personal blessing?”
“I guess so.”I rubbed at the spot on my forehead.It felt a little hot, but didn’t hurt.In fact, the warmth from it seemed to be seeping downward through me, filling me with a sense of confidence.
“He did the same thing to me a few years ago, when Baltic and I found each other again,” Ysolde said.“It’s definitely his blessing.”
“That’s good, because I’m going to need the oomph.”I shot a quick glance toward the entrance, and made a sudden decision.“Since a Hashmallim has already seen Jim, we’ll try this with it in its natural form.”
The dragons didn’t like that much, but when the Hashmallim reappeared, they said nothing.Big Scary was accompanied by a blond woman in an impossibly crisp white doctor’s coat.The Hashmallim moved off the way it had come, disappearing around the side of the building as the woman approached me, a tablet in her hand.
“I am Dr.Debruin.I understand you wish to see one of our patients?”she asked, tapping on the tablet as she spoke.“You are the dragon representative?”
“I am,” I said, gesturing toward the others.“Newly appointed, but as you can see, I am here with the full authority of the weyr.Please take me to Yrian Shadowsworn so that I may verify he is receiving proper treatment.”
Her lips thinned.“Now is not convenient.The patient is scheduled to be removed in”—she consulted her watch—“approximately forty minutes.You should apply to the Court of Divine Blood for permission to visit him once he has been placed into their custody.”
“That is not acceptable,” I said, and, without looking at either the dragons or their demon, gave a toss of my head and strolled through the doorway.“I do not have time to waste waiting for others.Jim, heel.”
“I’m afraid—” the woman started to say, but by then Jim and I were inside, and she had little choice but to follow us in.
The entrance was a narrow hallway that opened up into what must have been the original château’s reception room, with a gray marble floor, paneled walls bearing somewhat tatty-looking tapestries, and a split staircase that curved upward to the landing above.A heavy table sat to the right of the room, occupied by a young man who typed industriously on a laptop.
“Madame!”the blonde doctor protested as I stopped at the foot of the staircase.“It really is not an opportune moment, as I have just told you.The patient will be moved shortly—”
“That leaves ample time for me to check on him,” I interrupted with a ruthlessness that had me mentally squirming with discomfort.“I assume his room is upstairs?”
Dr.Debruin evidently had enough of me, because she thinned her lips, crossed her arms, and said, “Yes, but I’m not going to tell you which room.”
“That’s OK,” I said with a little smile, and started up the stairs, with Jim on my heels.“I have Jim.Can you find the room containing Yrian?”
“Sure, unless this place is loaded with dragons,” it answered, and hurried up the stairs, its tail waving happily as I raced after it.We both ignored the protestations of Dr.Debruin, although I did whisper to Jim, “We’d better be quick.I have a feeling she’s going to call in those Hashmallim dudes to give us the boot.”
“It’s OK—he’s down here,” Jim answered, galloping down a long carpeted hall.One side of it was a bank of windows that looked out onto the valley below, while the other was lined with doors bearing discreet signs with names.
Jim stopped before a door that was so heavily scribed with wards and other protections, I was astounded it could be opened.
“Mierda,”I swore, wondering if I could put on a fast will glamour that would make the angry doctor open the door.
“Dude,” Jim said in a near drawl, tipping its head as it looked at me.
“What?”I asked, looking from it to the door.
It said nothing, and I had a faint memory of the laws concerning demons.“Demon Jim, I command you to answer my questions.”
It heaved a dramatic sigh, and I swear I heard it mutter something about Aisling not being the only clueless person around.“Take a closer look at those wards.”
Another profanity was on the tip of my tongue, but I bit it back.“Look, we don’t have time for this—”
“They keep the person in the room from leaving ...not anyone from getting in,” it pointed out with a cocked eyebrow.
I looked back at the door.Dammit, the demon was right.It wasn’t even locked, since obviously the people in charge at the Asile relied upon magic to keep their occupants contained.“Stupid, stupid people,” I murmured as I opened the door and looked inside.
