Page 9 of Destiny of the Dragons

Another hour, and Charlotte would take over so she could go see what Cross wanted.

Dread cut through some of her lust.

Mia looked at her notes on the receipt again. She’d spent the morning hunting through defunct book stores and antique shops, and finally had a name. ‘Mrs. Ryder’ wrote this receipt.

It would probably amount to nothing, but it was her only lead. Her only hope of getting out of this life.

The last hour crawled by.

No dragons.

Mia sighed. It was just as well. She didn’t need anything that…complicated in her life.

Charlotte arrived, impeccably dressed as usual in her blouse and pencil skirt, and gave her a small hug.

“You’re sure you don’t want me to come?”

“I’m sure.” Mia grabbed her battered backpack. “It’s a consult. I might grab you once I find out how awful these spell components are going to be.”

“Alright.” Charlotte eyed her favorite sweater, the long one with big pockets. “Must you dress like you’ve recently become homeless?”

Mia put her hands in her pockets. She had a few runestones stashed away for backup, and a candy bar. “It has pockets, Charlotte. None of your stuff has pockets.”

Charlotte nodded, giving her that small concession.

Mia left the shop, scanning the crowd. She didn’t see Jace or Smoke coming down either street.

So it was some sort of scam. Despite her primal urges to throw both of them down and have her way with them, it was a con.

Mia shook her head, and headed into the deeper parts of the Troll Market.

Cross was the oldest son of his family, still youngish in his mid-thirties to have made such a name for himself, and ran a taxidermy shop. The Crosses were known for seeking spells, so Mia didn’t understand how that translated into running a black market taxidermy shop that specialized in rare and exotic animals.

Just before she crossed the street to his shop, Jace ran up to her.

“Mia.” He was out of breath, and his hair was actually tousled instead of it being a hairstyle. “We caught you.”

Smoke was behind Jace, scanning the area like he expected someone to jump them. This area of town, it wasn’t an unreasonable assumption.

“What are you doing?” Mia hissed. Cross couldn’t see her talking to some dragons.

“We tried to see you at the shop, but Charlotte said we missed you.”

“So you followed me?” Mia pushed Jace, forcing him back around the corner. “If he catches me with you two, that’s it.”

“Who?” Jace frowned. “Your boyfriend? I forgot to ask yesterday if you were seeing anyone.”

“No,” Mia snapped. They were safely around the corner. Cross wouldn’t see her from any angle of his store. “A client. Who wouldn’t be happy if he saw me chatting with some nosy dragons before entering his store.”

“Sorry.” Jace managed to look like a little boy caught with his hands in the cookie jar. “I thought it would be better, waiting until the end of your shift.”

Smoke sighed. “He’s supposed to be the charming one.”

Smoke sounded so long suffering, Mia laughed.

Smoke looked surprised, and some of the hard angles of his face softened. She wondered if he would look like that during an orgasm, and felt her libido pick up where it left off this afternoon.

She forced herself to focus. “Pick up many women together?”

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