Page 25 of Claimed By Night

“Ah, a beautiful, naked, and unconscious wife. Quite the welcoming gift,” I respond before deciding to delve into the more important area of our conversation. “Now, back to the subject of her angel wings…”

Dragan takes a deep breath, as though he’s going to need it. “I can’t say with any certainty whether she has them or not.”

“Then the sprite could be flubbing?”

“I ain’t flubbin’!” the sprite yells, darting up between the two of us. It’s a courageous little thing, I’ll give it that. Annoying as fuck, though.

Dragan rubs his chin. “Flubbing or not, I’ve seen nothing to prove she has wings.” His frown grows. “My magic failed to force them out of her. And I attempted to do so on two different occasions, but each time I felt like my magic was blocked somehow.”

“Blocked?” I repeat as I glance down at the sleeping girl and shake my head. I return my piercing gaze to Dragan as ire begins to build inside me. “Your Shadow Magic has never been blocked before?”

“Never,” Dragan answers, as though this isn’t a huge deal. “My magic has never failed me on any other occasion.”

The anger builds.

“Look, I ain’t sure why Shadow Dick’s magic ain’t workin’ right,” the sprite declares and I have to stifle a smile at his term for Dragan. “But on my life, the angel got wings—I seen ‘em with my own two eyes.”

“But, alas, no one can prove it,” I say, whirling to face Dragan as I unleash my fury upon him. “You fucking asshole! You’ve come here, wasting my time, inconveniencing me and putting my safety as well as that of my people in jeopardy!”

“Don’t start, Cambion,” Dragan growls, but I’m not intimidated.

“I’m sure word of the missing angel has reached Variant by now, and he’ll come looking for her. Or his emissaries will. And if their trail leads them here, there’s no telling what they’ll do to Geldingstock if I’m unable to talk them out of it.”

“Are you or are you not a creature of magic?” Dragan demands, his jaw tight.

“I’m not sure what my being a ‘creature of magic,’ as you say, has anything to do with this!”

His eyes narrow further and the deep olive of his skin grows red. “Your magic has everything to do with it!” he rails. “If Variant and his forces arrive, you could magic your village away, hide it in plain sight, call in anAura Of Warding, or summon all the animals of the forest to fight on your behalf. This is your realm, Cambion—your magic is strongest here!”

“And, maybe, I could stall Variant for a few days at the most.” I take a moment as I restrain the anger flowing through me. Anger is not a bedfellow of logic and rational dialogue. “The point is that I don’t want to call Variant’s attention to me. I’ve lived here in peaceful comfort since we were banished, and I find no argument with my banishment.”

The redness of Dragan’s skin grows until I’m quite certain he’s ready to bust a gasket, as the saying goes. Or is it blow a gasket? Hmm… no matter.

“Since when have you become such a fucking dandy?”

“Since when did your stupidity overcome your instinct to survive?”

Dragan, never one to back down from an argument, takes a step closer until we both are standing face to face, glaring at one another. Then, he glances around himself and chuckles. “You’ve been so busy playing house and tending to your goddamned garden, you’ve forgotten what it means to be a warrior! And look at you!” he continues, staring down at me in distaste. “You’re dressed like a fucking girl!”

“Clearly, you have no eye for fashion,” I grumble at him wearily.

He sneers at me, shaking his head. “You were the fucking King of the fuckingSeelie Court, for Chrissakes! Maybe I need to fucking well remind you, Cambion, that you’re a man and you still possess a fucking cock!”

I laugh coldly in response. He doesn’t know the half of it. “Oh, believe me, I remember I have a fucking cock, you prick.”

“Then act like it—” he starts, but I cut him off.

“Just ask any of the eligible women in this village, and they’ll be quick to tell you just how much they enjoy my fucking cock!”

Dragan’s expression falls and the frustration that appears in his eyes is telling. I laugh even more loudly as I realize I’ve got the upper hand in this argument. “Please tell me you’ve at least been able to fuck yourself senseless in that hell-hole you call the Gorge?”

Dragan doesn’t answer.

I laugh louder. “Then all you’ve got for company are your gargoyles?”

He still doesn’t respond, but it’s answer enough. My eyes go wide and I can’t hide my shock. There was a time when Dragan could outfuck me with his hands tied behind his back. And did. On a regular basis.

“Unbelievable! No wonder you’ve been searching for ways out of your dismal abyss.” Then my laughter dies and the smile drops off my face as I remember the situation I’m in, the situation this asshole put me in. “I’ll help your angel, but then you take her and your fucking henchman and that sprite and you get the fuck out of here and never come back.”

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