Page 57 of Dragon in Boots

The manager got to his feet and slammed the door in her face. “Now go away! I told you everything I know!” he yelled through the door.

Why the sudden change in attitude?She shrugged and went to her truck, wondering why the hell Dash would leave the club as his forwarding address.

She started the engine and adjusted her rearview mirror in preparation to back up. Jac caught a glimpse of herself. “What the…?”

Her eyes were glowing like two orange embers.

She blinked and leaned in for a better look. Tiny flames flickered inside her pupils.

She gasped. “Why are my eyes on fire? Why thehellare they on fire!” Her vision seemed the same.

This whole thing is bananas.Now some dragon genes had control of her body?Uh-uh. No. Not happening.Someone had to tell her how to stop this.

Unfortunately, that someone was probably Heebie, the only dragon she knew. But first, she needed to make a stand for Dash.

She grabbed her sunglasses from her purse and started driving toward the club.

As soon as Damien ended the call with Votan, he drove to the strip club and found a note from Cimil taped to the front door that read:

Dear Torrid Tailor,

I lied and split town. Suckaaa! See you soon.

Hugs and evil kisses,

–Cimil

#winning #vivalarevolution

Wonderful. And why didn’t I just send her to die?With no leads as to her whereabouts, Damien booked the next flight back to LA with Belch, where they planned to meet up with the team of Uchben at Damien’s home this evening.

After a tiny altercation at the boarding gate in Dallas, Belch raided the drink cart and fell asleep before the plane took off.

Thank Gods. The last thing Damien was in the mood for was a party, which often broke out spontaneously when Belch was around. He just had that effect on humans.

Damien needed to spend the time planning Cimil’s capture—for real this time—but all he could think about was how Sky’s behavior didn’t add up. In a day, she’d gone from wanting to live to saying no thank you. Had listening in on one single conversation between Dash and Jac really changed Sky’s outlook on life?

I should’ve noticed sooner. Something’s up.

“Tailor, get me some tequila,” Belch grumbled with thirty minutes left in the flight.

“No,” Damien snarled under his breath. “We’re lucky to be on this plane, and you will not make a scene.” Which Belch would if anyone gave him more alcohol.

“Lucky?” Belch slurred. “These peasants areluckyto be in the presence ofa god.”

“The only reason they allowed you on board wearing nothing but a bathrobe is because I convinced them you’re a nudist with cognitive issues.” It truly was a miracle the airline staff had bought the story, when the truth was that Belch was far too tall and cumbersome to find him clothes on short notice. The hotel bathrobe had been the only option.

“Did you just call me a naked retard?” Belch yelled.

“I would never say such a thing.” Even if Damien thought it. Yes, times had changed along with standards of verbal decorum, but some words were hard to replace with regards to their malintent. “And you should be grateful that the flight attendants find you insanely attractive and took pity.”

It’s the long hair, isn’t it?Maybe Damien should grow his out now that he was single and all.

Belch stood. “Pity! Me? Fuck those cunts!” He stood, opened his robe, and flashed the entire first-class cabin with his very white, tight underpants. “You hear that, mortals? Suck my big, fat—”

Damien grabbed Belch’s arm and jerked him down into his seat. “One more word, and I’m calling your wife.”

“You wouldn’t.”