Page 25 of The Witch & the Dragon

“I’m going to go straight to the lawyers with these new wills and get the process started,” he said. “They’re open on the weekends, though they close early. May as well go as soon as possible. You can come with me or stay here. I don’t want to go back to the academy until I have this will thing taken care of.”

Chloe nodded. “I’ll wait here. Unless you need me to help carry it?”

“I’ll be fine.” He smiled, kissing her, before stepping outside with the briefcase and transforming into his silvery dragon form. His front claws clasped the briefcase, hooking under the handle, and he took an awkward skip into the air, holding the case between his front limbs, wind rushing past, heading straight for the city where the Gravesend and Wilbur firm was located. The flight itself took less than an hour, and the receptionist, leaning outside smoking a cigarette, didn’t seem particularly surprised to see a silver dragon land in front of the building.

“About time,” she said, flicking away her cigarette and watching him transform into his human form. “Let’s get you in to see the lawyers.”

* * *

It took a couple of hours for everything to be arranged – it seemed the money in the briefcase was indeed there to pay the attorneys.

The flight back to the mountain, for some reason, felt longer and more labor-intensive than the journey to the city, and a part of him worried that something might have happened to Chloe out there alone. It shouldn’t – the area was safe, but it didn’t stop him from worrying.

His worries appeared unfounded, though. When he got back, she was there, smiling, with the stew heated up again, ready to be polished off. They devoured the rest of the stew and spent a disproportionate amount of time cuddling and kissing before the journey back to Dreadmor Academy began while it was still light.

Dreadmor Academy welcomed them from afar. It stood out as a bastion of elegance in the messy wildlands that surrounded it. Tiran headed for the balcony off the main building, expertly shifting his wings for a smooth landing. His claws clattered on the stone, and he bent down so Chloe could tumble off gracefully before morphing once more into his smaller human form.

“One more thing to do,” he murmured. All the information played in his head: Arlo and Holly’s magic revealing that his parents’ deaths were not an accident; finding out that his suicidal impulse had not been natural; Chloe saving him; Chloe experiencing a vision that led him to the lost wills; the Old Spirit reacting after receiving the offerings, when it so rarely did.

He marched straight up to his uncle’s office and knocked on the door. As the office was joined to a small suite where the professor lived, there was a good chance he’d be inside.

Indeed, Max Umber answered after a moment, blinking rapidly when he saw his nephew and Chloe standing outside. “Hello. Nice to see you. I have someone in my office, but I said they could wait a second. What’s the matter?”

“I wanted to say something,” Tiran began, then saw beyond, where an individual swiveled absently in the visitor's chair. She seemed normal, but somehow, normal didn’t quite fit her, though he couldn’t explain why. “Who is that?”

“She is, uh, a friend of mine.” Max flushed slightly when he said that. “We’ve been seeing each other for a bit.”

“That’s cool,” Tiran said, though he wasn’t sure he liked the look of the woman. She glared at Tiran with hard, flinty green eyes. Her features were sharp on her long, thin face. Was his uncle dating her? “I just wanted to let you know that we were able to locate an updated version of my parents’ wills.”

“Oh!” Max’s expression turned to delight. “That’s amazing!”

Chloe now stared at the woman, also suspicious, but saying nothing. Neither of them really knew how to voice what they were feeling without irritating Max in the process.

“Ah,” the woman said then, and her voice carried a melodious, ringing quality to it. “That’s good to hear. Max has mentioned his worries about you, especially after everything that’s happened…”

Chloe twitched, and Tiran attempted a smile. The woman’s eyes narrowed slightly. All these cold facial expressions went completely unnoticed by Professor Umber, and he simply smiled.

“I’m happy to talk more about it later, nephew. I’ll just finish the meeting with Anya here, and then we can talk.

“I’d love to,” Tiran said and waved, even as Chloe began tugging at his sleeve, pulling him away from his uncle and the staring woman.

They walked at a furious pace down the hallway, well out of earshot, before Chloe said, “Did you feel what she did?”

“Feel what?”

“She tried to… do something like there was magic in her voice. A glamour?”

“She did?” He stared at Chloe, unsure.

“Yes! I – I felt it. But it didn’t take. Her words didn’t have any effect.”

“The Old Spirit… you said it had placed an anti-glamour spell on me.”

“Yes. But then that begs the question – who is this Anya, and why is she seeing your uncle?”

“He seemed to really like her, too.”

“Could she be…” Chloe suddenly stopped talking and turned. He also turned, and Anya left the professor’s office and walked in their direction. “And, uh, really, it’s been an amazing date,” she said, completely changing the subject. “I’d really love for you to take me somewhere like that again.”

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