Page 11 of Claim the Dragon
Chapter Four
Her hands shook and she swallowed back the wave of nausea that rippled through her for the billionth time today.It had been almost a week, dammit, she should be feeling better by now.But no, sweat still dotted her brow, shivers still shook her body and she couldn’t hold down any food or drink.Only stubbornness, resilience and the knowledge that she needed to hurry up and get rid of this knife had brought her out late Thursday afternoon before the pawnshop could close.
“What you got for me today, Ravyn?”Happy Winters rubbed his hands together as he waited behind the counter to see what Ravyn was going to pull out of her bag.
She’d been going to Happy for years, exchanging her stolen goods for cash that went to building and maintaining Safeside.He was a trusted counterpart and they enjoyed doing business together.
“Here,” she said when she was finally able to pull her hand free of the backpack she’d been carrying.She’d wrapped the knife in a wad of dark green material and now slapped it onto the counter with a loud thud.Not on purpose, but because her arm felt so heavy she’d needed to hurry and put it down.
“You okay there?”Happy asked with a lift of his bushy white brows.The hair was a stark contrast to the deep terra-cotta hue of his skin.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she muttered.“How much can you give me for it?Word on the street is it’s worth at least half a million.”
“Whoa.”Happy was already shaking his head even though he hadn’t finished unwrapping the material from the knife.“You know I don’t carry that type of cash.But let’s take a look-see, and then we’ll go from there.”
She did know and she wasn’t actually expecting him to give her that amount of money, but she wanted him to know she was well aware of what was in her possession.
“Hmmmm,” he said when he finally had the knife uncovered.He didn’t touch it but ducked down behind the counter for a few moments before rising with a book in his hand.
Happy had books stacked all over this place—kind of like she’d had in her bookstore.It sparked warm memories each time she came into this place, which was probably why she liked it so much.The shop wasn’t big and was nestled between a donut shop and a video game store at the corner of Canal and Benning Streets.There was a narrow staircase once you came through the front door and then the space opened to what looked like a bookstore instead of a pawn shop.
Ravyn felt a little woozy so she rested an elbow on the counter and closed her eyes while waiting for the nausea to pass.She’d had colds before and had even had a touch of pneumonia a few years back, but she’d never had the flu—which is what Lorna Meg had assured her she had a few days ago.Whatever it was, it was past time for it to have done its damage and moved along.She was sick of feeling sick all the damn time.
“Ohhh,” Happy said.
He reached out and grabbed wire-framed glasses from the paper cup sitting near the cash register, then slipped them on his face.Why he hadn’t done that before he’d started reading whatever had him so intrigued in that book, she didn’t know, but she really needed him to hurry up.Her stomach was churning and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to hold the nothing in her stomach back much longer.
“I don’t believe it,” Happy said just as a chill eased down her spine.
It was a slow movement, as if someone was dragging an ice cube down the center of her back, and she pushed herself up to stand straight.Seconds ago she’d been sweating, and now that chill from her spine was spreading through her body.
“What don’t you believe?”she asked Happy, but she was already surveying the room.
To the left was a darker area than to the right because there was no window on that side.No window meant no exit, if she needed to make one.To the right were the two windows that faced the street.A second-story drop but she wasn’t thinking about jumping out of a window.Was she?That depended on the feeling that was growing inside her, the suspicion that someone was coming, or was perhaps already here.
“Where’d you say you got this?”he asked her.
Ravyn shook her head.“I didn’t say.”Even though she was certain he knew, she never told Happy that she stole anything or who she stole it from.Those were details that could get both of them in trouble, so they’d had a silent agreement to never divulge them.But today he was asking and she couldn’t help but wonder why.
She watched as he ran a finger along the words in a book with tattered end pages.He flipped a page and it made a crackling sound.There was a picture on the next page.
“There,” he said and turned the book around so she could look at it right-side up.“That’s what this is.”
Her vision was a little blurry, had been for the days since she’d been sick, but Ravyn closed her eyes, waited a few seconds and opened them again.The words came clear this time.
“Tutankhamun.”She recited the first word she saw.“What does this have to do with my money?”
“It has everything to do with why I’m not giving you any money,” he said.“Read on.”
But his directive was too late.“What do you mean you’re not giving me any money?That’s what we do, Happy.I bring in items and you pay me for them.That’s our business arrangement.”
Happy shook his head, his lips turning down into a frown that was a direct contrast to his name.“Not this time, Ravyn.I can’t.”
“What do you mean you can’t?”She’d raised her voice, something she’d never done with Happy before because he was probably old enough to be her grandfather.“This knife is the real deal.There’s a picture right here in one of your ancient books, so that should mean something to you.”
“It does mean something to me, Ravyn.And if what that book says is true, which I believe it is, it’s gonna mean a whole bunch of something to you too.”
“What are you talking about?”She shook her head because his words were beginning to sound like they were coming through a tunnel as her ears clogged up again.“I just want my money so I can get back home.I won’t bother you anymore if that’s what you’re trying to say.But please, give me my money now.I’ll take whatever you offer.”
