Page 47 of Here Be Dragons

She kissed her teeth. “Counselor. I’m a counselor. To a bunch of kids.”

After graduation, Dana had taken a job at a high school in a low-income area, working with at-risk students. She’d gone in hopeful and bright-eyed, but the job had taken a toll on her. The job paid her peanuts, and she was in no better position than some of her students, both financially and mentally speaking.She’d been looking for a new job since forever. I suddenly wondered if Darlington’s high school had any openings.

“Everything feels too good to be true.”

“Okay, and it might be. Be cautious, weigh the options, be careful, yadda yadda. Still—he’s a dragon! And he saved you from the creeps who kidnapped you. Even if things don’t end up working out, it’s the experience of a lifetime!”

“But what about my job? And my heart? You know I’m shit at staying calm when it comes to the big stuff.”

“All I’m saying is, if you let this opportunity out of your grasp because you’re too chickenshit to take a chance, I’ll never forgive you.” A kitchen timer went off in the background, followed by sounds of metal against metal. “I’m saying this as your friend and not as a counselor in any capaci—oh, motherfudger!”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I made cookies, but just lost like, four of them. They slid right off the sheet! They weren’t kidding when they said non-stick.”

“I’ll let you go. Enjoy your cookies.”

“Call me if anything else happens. And just so you know, I expect to be your maid of honor.”

“Of course you will be!”

Chapter 24

Desmon

The compass needle pointedsouthwest. So that is where we went.

We stopped in Las Vegas first. Vegas was the domain of another dragon known as Lady Luck, and I brought a gem as an offering in return for safe passage through her territory. She was happy to accept the gift, but it was clear that she pitied me for being bound to a lowly human.

She didn’t even ask to meet my mate, which was probably for the best. I didn’t want Carly around any other dragons but me. No dragon was to be trusted, male or female.

The compass continued to point southwest, but we spent a few days in Las Vegas since we were “on a trip celebrating our engagement.” We did all the touristy things and stayed at the Cosmopolitan. I gambled a little, if only for show, winning some and losing more, and took my future bride to the best restaurants the city had to offer. That part I quite enjoyed. I did appreciate good food.

Carly wore the compass around her neck. Because of the magic on it, Seth hadn’t been able to actually transform it into a ring, but he was able to make it look like one to anyone else. I’d even asked Sybil, a strong witch who sometimes worked for me, what she saw, and she described a ring with a large diamond, ringed with rubies.

Our security detail for the trip were two demons—Seth’s partner Liam and Eamon, the only non-gargoyle part owner of Redrock Protective Services. The two demons couldn’t stand each other.

Like Liam, Eamon had once been trapped and bound to a wizard, handed down through the paternal line. He couldn’t understand how any freed demon would ever choose to stay with and, god forbid, love a wizard. He’d steadfastly refused to meet Seth out of principle. Eamon didn’t care if Seth was no longer a part of the WEC.

“Once a wizard, always a wizard,” Eamon had said sourly.

And of course that had Liam all offended and standing up for his lover.

I told Liam and Eamon they didn’t need to like each other, but if Carly was hurt during this trip, I’d bind the two of them together forever, so they’d better not let their disagreement hinder their work. That had solved much of the bickering.

We ended our stay in Vegas with a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon, even though I could have shown Carly that same view simply by flying over it with her in my arms. But I was told it was something couples did. It looked pretty much the same as the last time I saw it, nothing special, just a big crack in the ground, but Carly had enjoyed it, so it was worth it on that score alone.

The Grand Canyon had been where I’d found one of the other treasures. Its proximity to Vegas meant I was pretty sure the next one wouldn’t be here, but I thought we might as well check anyway. We had such a great time I almost wished I was here with Carly just for fun, instead of chasing after yet another artifact.

After Vegas, we continued to L.A. but the compass continued to point unwaveringly southwest. It didn’t once adjust its position as we went about town, which meant we still weren’t close.

We stayed in L.A. for a few days, again playing the role of a couple very much in love. That had been easy. Everything was easy with Carly. Her zest for life showed in all that she did. She faced every experience with wide-eyed curiosity, sometimes making me forget why we were even here.

I’d amassed untold wealth in my centuries of living, but it paled compared to the soul-deep satisfaction of seeing her smile. It was like every grin and every laugh was a treasure, just for me. I wanted to find and collect every last one.

After L.A. I called my pilot and told him to fly us to Hawaii, glad that our “engagement celebration trip” wasn’t over. Carly and I now lounged in a hot spring on the island of Maui. Liam and Eamon, who were still not close to being on speaking terms, soaked nearby. I didn’t see why they couldn’t enjoy some mineral-rich water while they were working. A Blanket of Silence surrounded us, keeping our conversations private.

She held the compass in her hands in front of us, half in the water. According to the needle, the artifact we sought still lay to the southwest.

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