Page 72 of Training my Human

That seemed like the best course of action, but wouldn’t you know it, my dragon disagreed.

ChapterTwenty-One

“Run?”I repeated, aghast at the very idea. “I will not run while my enemies live. They must be handled.”

Pip chewed her bottom lip. “I understand you’re worried they’ll keep coming after you?—”

“Do you think they’ll stop?” I asked point blank.

“No,” was her soft reply. “But I can’t exactly say, hey, murder my boss and friend, even if he is a lying scumbag.”

“He’s a threat.”

“I’ll agree, Malone is. But Leo’s more like a little kid wanting to meet his hero, and he’s got information,” Pip stated. “He knew you were in that cone. Claims he’s translated some scroll left behind by a dragon’s servant that has the locations of other eggs.”

“Then I shall make him hand over his knowledge before he dies.” Because while a dragon tended to rule their territory alone, it was much more fun to become wealthy and powerful if you had someone to envy it.

“Abaddon—”

“You needn’t come on this hunt, Pip. I shall handle it.” A magnanimous offer on my part.

“You don’t even know where he’s gone.”

“I will find him,” I promised. With that, I launched myself from her shoulder and headed into the house. It would contain the scent of the one I sought.

Pip and Maddox followed, the latter actually arguing my case. “…got a point. Even if we leave, it’s obvious Leo knows too much about Abaddon.”

“I’m aware,” she grumbled. “Between the videos and samples, he could expose my Little Fella, but you’re asking me to agree to murder.”

“I’m not crazy about it either. I like your boss, but it turns out he wasn’t the man we thought. Who’s more important at this point, Abaddon or Leo?” Maddox asked as if the answer weren’t already obvious.

But Pip still had to argue. “What if we had Leo erase everything? Then he’d just be the crazy guy who believes in dragons.”

“Who’s to say he wouldn’t pretend to delete it all only to keep some of it on a hidden server?”

As they bantered, I scented the interior of the place but found myself stymied by myriad smells. Traversing from room to room, I couldn’t pinpoint which belonged to this Leo.

I interrupted my servants. “Where is this Leo’s bed chamber?”

For a second, I thought Pip wouldn’t reply. Then she pointed. “Down the hall to the left, double doors at the end of it.”

I set off in the direction indicated, and upon entering that room, the scent of my enemy filled my senses. Now I could track him. I returned to the main area before asking, “Where was the last location you saw him?”

“His office.” Once more Pip pointed out a direction and I stepped into a room where I smelled Pip, then my prey. From there, I followed the strongest lingering trace of it while my servants shadowed my steps.

No one accosted us, most likely because I’d handled the bulk of the army set against me outdoors. I’d flamed five and knew several had fled in a vehicle with one exclaiming, “I didn’t sign up for this shit.” Rather than chase them, I’d kept to my initial mission of saving Pip.

My target’s scent ended at a locked metal door.

“Open it,” I demanded.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t. It uses biometrics and not a key,” Pip stated when the screen beside the portal flashed the message:Facial features not recognized.

“Guess we’re not getting inside,” Maddox stated with a shrug.

He gave up too easily. As if I’d let a door stand between me and victory.

“You might wish to move away,” I suggested as I stepped close to the door and placed my mouth against it. The metal wouldn’t catch fire, but intense heat would melt it. I huffed, concentrating my fire into a narrow spot. Once the metal began to soften, I moved my head in a widening circle motion while pushing at it, creating an opening large enough for me to fit through.

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