Page 44 of Dragon in Boots

Jac arched a brow.A little much, ladies.Suddenly, Cimil appeared out of nowhere at the end of the bar.

“Jesus. Don’t you people know how to arrive normally to a room?” Jac snapped, feeling especially grumpy because of her stomach.

“I need you backstage.”

Suddenly, Jac’s stomach cramped harder. She groaned and wrapped her arm around her midriff. “I think I ate something bad. I should probably go home—let one of the servers take over.”

“IsaidI need you backstage,” Cimil growled.

“Cimil, I’m not feeling well—”

“You know my name?” Cimil narrowed her turquoise eyes. “Who told you? Was it that pesky tailor?”

“Hello, Cimil,” said a deep voice.

Jac looked up to find that Damien Greystone man standing next to Cimil. How did he appear out of thin air, too? Was he a wizard?

“You!” Cimil shook a finger at Damien. “We had a deal. You’d better get that dragon to shift and put out, or Sky’s chances are over.”

“She doesn’t want another body.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

Body?Jac thought. Was this the “favor” he needed for his friend?

“Heya. You got anything to drink?”

Jac turned her head. Standing at the other end of the bar, opposite of Damien, was a man with the most incredible, silky long brown hair and olive skin. His eyes were the same turquoise color as Cimil’s and this Damien guy’s, and he had to be at least seven feet tall.

“Belch.” Damien nodded at the man.

“Well, don’t just stand there staring,” said Cimil to Jac. “Give my brother a pitcher, girl.”

Jac sensed a tension between these three and wanted nothing to do with it. She quickly emptied a bottle of tequila into a beer pitcher and slid it toward the seven-foot-tall god. Because that was what he had to be if Cimil was his sister, right?Gods. Two of them! Right here!

Belch emptied the pitcher in one gulp and then let out a loud burp. He eyed his empty pitcher with disappointment and then gave Jac an expectant look.

He wanted more?

“Belch,” Cimil said, “can you take over the bar for a few minutes? I need Jac backstage. Our star is having a little stage fright and needs coaxing.”

Without hesitation, Belch jumped over the counter and went for another bottle of tequila, not bothering with the pitcher this time.

Jac shook her head.They’re all crazy.

“You! Come with me.” Cimil pointed at Jac.

“Cimil, leave her out of this,” Damien snarled. “Your scheme is up, anyway. Votan knows you plan to build an army to provoke a war.”

Cimil kept her eyes locked on Jac, ignoring Damien. “Do you want your lovely Dash’s life to end tonight?”

“Don’t do it,” Damien warned Jac. “She’ll only ensnare you in some diabolical plot you won’t be able to get out of. Next thing you know, your shop will be infested with blood-sucking squatters, and your scotch collection will be covered in vaginal fluids. Trust me. I know.”

Jac grimaced.Huh?

Meanwhile the Belch guy proceeded to guzzle another bottle.

“That’s the bar cleaner,” Jac said between cramps.

Belch shrugged and polished it off anyways.

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