Page 3 of Zachary

“Steffen and I have been up there, and I have some photos I can show you,” Brandt continues. “The door itself is also a lock—it’s a giant mechanical puzzle. CSG has located an expert who will begin work on solving it any day now, and he believes he can have it open within a few months.”

“This is incredible,” I murmur, and itis. But I still don’t know why I’m here. “Do, uh, do we know what’s inside?” I’m struck by sudden dread that it’s something ofhis. Even dead, he haunts me.

Brandt shakes his head, and I try not to sag in relief. “I recognized the magical residue of the dragon who created it all, and it could be anything. She had wide and varied interests. The point is, CSG, the DEA, and the village of Hortplatz have come to an agreement regarding the cave and its contents. Part of our responsibility is to provide a dragon to identify and catalogue the contents of the vault once it’s open.” He smiles at me.

My heart sinks. He can’t mean…

“I think you’d be perfect for the job.”

CHAPTER TWO

Zac

TWO WEEKS LATER

I pushmy potatoes around my plate, only half-listening to the conversation around me. Most of my mind is on my plans for a ski resort—it’s never been practical before, or the village council never believed it to be, but I know I can make it work. And if we’re trying to attract people of other species to visit and live here, it’s exactly what we need. At the very least, if the cave proves to be the kind of museum attraction everyone thinks it will be, the visitors will need places to stay and other things to do to keep them busy while they’re here.

There is, however, a tiny part of my brain that’s still smarting over the telling-off Garrett gave me this afternoon. Who cares if I didn’t pat the dragon on the head and coo over his teleport sickness? That wasn’t going to help him. Whatdidhelp him was even breaths, time, and a few sips of water. But nooo, Garrett got all snotty about how I wasn’t nice to Ronan while he was suffering. It’s not like I called him a whiney baby or anything—which I wouldn’t have. I’m not a monster. Some non-demons get teleport sick, and Idofeel bad for them, but there’s literallynothing that can be done. It passes after a few minutes, and that’s what I said.

Which somehow convinced Garrett that I was about to fuck up demon-dragon relations for all time and destroy the cave project before we even get the door open. When I told him he was overreacting, he launched into a lecture about some king centuries ago who pissed a bunch of people off… I tuned out in the end. Garrett’s great, and he’s perfect for my cousin, but he sure does like to lecture.

I sneak a glance across the table at the dragon in question. Ronan. He’s one of the twins, the less-scary-looking one—and coming from a demon, that’s saying something. We’re known for having stone faces. The truth is that teleporting requires us to have a denser muscle mass that makes our facial expressions more subtle, which not all species can pick up on without trying. Some of us, like my cousin Gideon,arenaturally grumpy, but most just seem like it to those not in the know. Steffen Draco, on the other hand, seems to have gone out of his way to cultivate a suspicious, intimidating glare. Which makes his twin, Ronan, the more attractive one—if not for the fact that he’s spent the whole afternoon looking like he’s on his way to his execution. When he wasn’t battling nausea, that is.

Too bad. He’s a very good-looking man, plus there’s something fascinating about the different facial structure the dragons have. When I first saw him, I have to admit, I was… interested. I thought maybe him being a dragon wasn’t going to be the most exciting part of his visit. But it only took a few minutes in his company for me to let that idea go. He’s miserable.

It’s… weird. Everyone else is excited about the cave. The dragon Fabian has been asking questions nonstop, chattering so much that Grandmother’s eyes are starting to narrow. Even Ronan’s scary brother seems interested. Ronan’s acting likecoming here is the worst punishment anyone could ever be given. I don’t get it.

“You’re sure you won’t be staying longer than a few days?” Grandmother asks Fabian pointedly, and Garrett winces. It’s pretty clear to those of us who know her that she’s about five minutes of chatter away from a homicidal rampage, and from the way Steffen straightens in his seat, he’s picked up on that.

“I can’t,” Fabian says regretfully. “Once the cave is open, I’ll visit to check in on things, but I have other responsibilities. Plus, I couldn’t leave my boyfriend for so long, and he can’t get the time away from work. We haven’t been apart for more than a few days inyearsand—”

“Your dedication is commendable,” Grandmother cuts him off, then turns to Ronan. “You will be staying the entire time?”

Ronan drags his eyes from his plate and nods. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Are you also an expert in dragon lore and history?”

“No, ma’am.”

Grandmother waits for him to add more. He doesn’t, returning his gaze to his food, and I brace.

“Why, then, does the wing leader feel you are the best choice to remain here?”

“Ronan’s spent the last few years visiting dragon settlements and helping our people to feel more comfortable with leaving our homeland behind,” Wil intercedes. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s here to be the diplomat of the group. Too bad he’s leaving tonight with Steffen. “Brandt believes that gives him a unique perspective in regard to your village.”

Grandmother’s brow rises slowly. “Because we need assistance to integrate with others?”

“I’d never presume to say so, ma’am, and that’s not what our representative would be doing, anyway. You requested a dragon to help catalogue the contents of the vault, and that’s what Ronan’s here for.”

“But he says he has no expertise in dragon history.” She returns her gaze to Ronan. “Correct?”

“Yes.”

“He’s still a dragon,” Steffen snaps, and suddenly the air is crackling with tension. Even Fabian is frowning.

Grandmother, for the first time in a long time, chooses not to push. “Of course. The wing leader knows what he’s doing.”

From two seats away, I hear Garrett’s shaky exhale of relief as my mother changes the subject and conversation resumes. Ronan’s face is even more miserable than before, if that’s possible.

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