Page 84 of Destiny of the Dragons

“If this is another ploy to get me to get close to you, it’s not going to work,” Mia said, moving some heavy boxes around.

Jace walked over to Smoke, and high fived him. “Nice one.”

“Your deviousness is rubbing off on me.”

Jace looked at the box. It was smaller, frayed, and the handwriting was completely different. “Mia, seriously. The handwriting is different.”

Mia walked over. “It could be Grandma’s stuff.”

“Sure,” Jace said. “It’s worth checking out.”

Mia pushed past them with more force than needed and opened the box. It was filled with books. She opened them, her eyes slowly getting bigger.

“I think you’re right.” Her voice shook. She opened an old fraying novel to the opening page.

A faded stamp was on the corner, Ryder’s antiques.

Mia jumped up and squealed. She laughed, tears streaming down her face.

She hugged him, Smoke against his side and they held each other for a moment.

Mia stepped back. “Sorry. I know we’re still a long way off.”

Jace cupped her face. “So? We’re one step closer. Let’s go back to your apartment. We’ll celebrate with Thai food and orgasms.”

Mia bit her lip. “I have to get Cross to do a tracking spell.”

Smoke pulled Mia to his side. “Why not try yourself? You just warded five warehouses. We could help.”

Mia cocked her head and looked at him and then Smoke. “You’re right.”

“Most witches can’t handle draconic magic.” Jace kissed the top of her head. “Otherwise every witch would be trying to bond with dragons to become more powerful. You might be one of the few that can.”

Mia beamed at him and it felt like the world was finally righting on its axis. For the last ten months, he was living a lie. Being with them proved they were meant to be together.

They left, Smoke carrying the box of books. Jace slipped several hundred dollar bills under the utensil holder, tucked toward the back, to make it look like they had misplaced it.

Just as he started the car, his phone rang.

It was his mother. He stiffened up. He was neglecting his duties, and she was sure to have noticed.

“Hello mother,” he said, projecting cheer in his voice.

“Where are you? Why haven’t you been in the office?”

“It’s a surprise.”

He didn’t want to let his mother know he was trying to buy a large piece of land in the desert this early into the project, but she needed something believable.

She couldn’t find out about Smoke and Mia. He couldn’t afford for her to have that sort of leverage over him.

His mother growled. When your mother was an actual fire-breathing dragon, it paid to stay on her good side.

Too bad all she had was bad sides.

“Mother,” he put all his cocky enthusiasm into his voice. “You’ll love it. Remember, I’m the son that put us in good with Marvelouso.”

She grumbled. “You better hope I do. Don’t forget, you have to close the Spartan account and the Brookstone's this week.”

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