Page 8 of The Dragon With A Girl Tattoo
May and Ysolde both laughed aloud.I had heard tales of the green wyvern’s mother, but decided that wasn’t my story to tell Elle.
“We’re going, as well.Gabriel thinks it’s important for us to help the vamps.”
“Why?”I asked May, unable to see a connection between the dragons and Dark Ones.
“I don’t know,” she said, giving a shrug.“To be honest, I don’t think he knows, either.He says it’s just a feeling he has, and he’s obligated to act on it.So we’ll be in Europe next week, too.I guess we can meet then and call you, Charity, with any results to our inquiries.”
That course of action met everyone’s approval, and we signed off.
“That was fascinating,” Elle said as we left the room.“I had no ideas that all this intermingling went on between the dragons and other beings.You’ll let me know what happens with the son, yes?”
“You’re welcome to stay for as long as you like,” I told her, catching sight of Avval as he headed in from the garden, his cell phone in hand.
“I know, and I will return, assuming you want me to visit you another time, but I’m as recovered as I ever will be from that rat bastard ex cheating on me with his nineteen-year-old student, and it’s time I get back to my plants.I’ll take you up on your offer to run me to a portal, though,” she added as Avval entered the house, his gaze catching mine.
He gave her a long look, no doubt ascertaining why she felt the need to cut short what I had hoped would be an extended visit, and was obviously reassured that it was her own choice, because he just nodded.“My steward will see to your arrival at your home in ...”
“San Francisco.Thank you.Speaking of that, I’d better get my packing done so I can zip out of here after dinner, if that’s OK with you two.”
I wanted to protest, but bit it back and slapped a smile on my face before giving her a hug.“I’ll be up to help you pack in a minute, OK?”
She trotted up the stairs with mild protests that she wouldn’t bother me, but I ignored those.Avval watched me closely for a moment before taking my chin in his fingers, tipping my head back to really study my face.It wasn’t something I tolerated with anyone but him, and that was only because I could see the love for me shining in his soul.“You will miss your friend.You are lonely?”
“No,” I said quickly, turning my head slightly so I could kiss his palm.“Not when you’re here.You know I’m an introvert by nature.”
“I know this,” he agreed, sliding his hand around me, and escorted me up the stairs.“But this loneliness I sense in you disturbs me.We will address it once I have retrieved Yrian from the deranged archimage.What did the mates suggest?”
I told him.He thought for a few seconds, then nodded.“I have heard from the former Sovereign,” he said, speaking of the woman who was part of a team that had run the Court of Divine Blood.“She said that the Interweb location where she purchased her glamours has disappeared.I do not understand how something that didn’t physically exist could cease doing so, but I do not wish to sit through another lecture from Stewart about virtual.”
I was about to ask what virtual aspect he was confused over, but decided that was a discussion for another day.Stewart was an excellent steward, having served with an Irish demigod for many centuries before the First Dragon hustled him over to work for us, but even he had limits, and sadly, although the First Dragon was superior in many ways, his grasp on all things Internet wasn’t particularly strong.It was only since we met that he had taken to using a cell phone, since I’d asked him to keep in touch when he was away doing First Dragon things.“Internet, my love, and that’s a shame about the glamour website.I’m pinning my hopes on the mates’ collective to locate one.”
He smiled at me and I wanted to simultaneously kiss the breath off his lips and have my womanly way upon him.
“Two days,” I told him when his eyes did the molten thing again, no doubt in response to my body’s obvious desire to seduce him.“And then, hoo baby, you’re mine.”
His slow answering smile was everything I wanted, and then some.
