Page 34 of Here Be Dragons

We should burn him. Teach him a lesson for trespassing on our demesne.

“I wish I’d had the chance to kill you before you were hatched,“ I hissed. Emmett showing up had never been a good sign. Suddenly, I wondered if his appearance was a distraction and the estate was being breached even now. Carly was there! I started back toward my home.

“I know,” Emmett said, following me. “I realize how lucky I am even to be alive, which is why I’m not a stick-in-the-mud like you.” The corners of his lips lifted in a sly smile. “So, who’s the buxom beauty you’ve been spotted with downtown?”

I tried to keep my face neutral. “I had a work lunch with a new hire,” I said stiffly.

“Ah, no one important, then. So I guess you wouldn’t mind if I came by the museum to introduce myself? Maybe she’ll want to have lunch with me.”

Despite my dragon’s sudden urge to crunch his bones, I didn’t show any outward reaction. Instead, I said, “You still haven’t answered my question. What are you doing here? I know it’s not to visit me.”

“Like I said, I’m here to be your ally.”

“How is trying to date the museum’s newest employee being an ally? You’re not even supposed to be anywhere near Darlington.” That had been the agreement. He stayed out of my scales, and I stayed out of his. He had his own magical town just north of the border that had somehow avoided detection even after the fall of The Wall.

He looked around like he expected the trees to hear his secrets. “Let’s talk inside.”

“It’s safe to talk here.” We were inside the property line, which meant my magical barriers would preserve our privacy.

“Really? I got in.”

I hated that he had a good point. These spells around my home were smart; perhaps they really did consider him a friend, perhaps even essential to my well-being. “I’m not inviting you inside.”

He sighed and pouted dramatically. God, he was so annoying. “I guess I wasted my time coming here to visit my dear brother, then.” He turned to leave.

By now, I was curious. Emmett wouldn’t be here without good reason. He might be annoying, but he was still a dragon. My dragon was stronger and larger than his, even after all these years, which had earned him the dubious nickname of the Runt Dragon. But he’d proven that despite his dragon’s smaller size, he could still survive in our world through guile and sheer determination.

“Fine. You may come into the drawing room, but you are not welcome anywhere else in my home.”

“Delightful.” And with that, he followed me to my front door.

Chapter 18

Desmon

Once Emmett was insidemy home, I reiterated that he was only welcome in the foyer and drawing room, and that the rest of the house was strictly off-limits. Those two areas were the only ones most guests ever saw. Those whom I considered friends had access to the library and the rest of the first floor as well, as did the cleaning crew that Elana often hired.

My words were spoken aloud mostly so my spells and wards would know not to give him access to the rest of my home.I didn’t trust him. If he dared to step foot past where he was allowed, my home would call for backup. Currently, that was a fire imp who owed me bigtime for freeing him from imprisonment in a tiny glass bottle.

Once we were alone, Emmett finally started talking.

“I made a bet on your competition with Gilly. I need you to win.”

Back in my human form, I raised a brow.

“I too need me to win. I don’t believe you are willing to risk punishment to help me.”

“Me? Break the rules?“ He feigned deep offense. “Never! I merely came to see how my dear brother is doing and ask about that cute female,” he said, contradicting his previous words.

He was up to something. I wondered if he could smell the faint scent of Carly that lingered in the foyer from when she’d walked through earlier.

“Spit it out, Emmett,” I said. “Don’t waste my time.”

“You only have half the key,” he finally said. “Gilly paid a local woman on your excavating team to bring her the key. The woman thought she was being smart and only sent you half of it, hoping she could make more money by splitting it in two.”

I grunted. This was the problem with employees, human or monster. They were only loyal to money. “Then tell me why you have this smug look on your face right now?”

“Well, the greedy female never made it to their meeting spot.”

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