Page 4 of Must Love Dragons
He clenched his teeth so tightly that his jaw creaked.Lyra, soft-hearted and stubborn, always saw the good in people, even when it was clearly not there.
“Why would we take chances?”
“I don’t want any trouble,” the boy said.
Lyra turned to face him.“What’s your name?”
“Ezekiel.”
“Well, you’re welcome to look around Ezekiel.Don’t worry about my brother, he’s all bark.”
Zay snarled, but this time it was aimed at his sister.
The boy hurried off between the rows, and Lyra turned with a smirk.“You’re not supposed to chase away customers, you nut.That’s like the first rule of business.And P.S.your eyes are all dragon-y, and we’re trying to keep a low profile.”
Shit.
He blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes, feeling his dragon recede.They weren’t in any danger, the boy was alone in the shop.But still…Zay didn’t trust magic users as far as he could throw them.
Ronan emerged from the rows carrying an empty box, his jade eyes sharp with curiosity – and a bit of accusation, silently calling out Zay’s overreaction.“Lyra, you’re going to give your brother a heart attack one of these days.”The big male set the box on the floor and smiled at her.
“He should relax,” she said.She tossed her dark brown hair over her shoulder with a smirk, the loose waves catching the light as she shot Zay a look of pure triumph – as if she’d won.And maybe she had.
He hadn’t thrown the boy across town, that was for sure.
Zay scrubbed a hand over his face.He wasn’t in the mood for her shenanigans.
Sierra hopped onto the counter with effortless grace, her long, blonde braid swinging over her shoulder like a punctuation mark to her words.She arched a pale brow in jest.“She’s right you know.”
“Don’t you start.”
“Hey, I hate magic wielders as much as the next person, but that kid wasn’t looking for anything but a book for school.I asked him what he needed and sent him to the right shelf.”She crossed her arms, her dragon humming in agreement.“And maybe we shouldn’t be constantly suspicious about people, you know?”
“Being suspicious is what’s keeping us all safe.”
Before his clan could gang up on him anymore, he excused himself.
“Where are you going?”Lyra asked.
“To search Rorik’s room.Maybe he left a clue that I missed.”He needed to figure out where his uncle was headed so he could intercept him.He’d already been missing for fifteen hours.His uncle was reckless and obsessed, but Zay wouldn’t abandon him.He’d get a bead on his location somehow and bring him home safely.
He’d lost too many people already, he wasn’t about to lose another.
* * *
Behind the bookstore in the quaint mountain town of Ashwood Hollow was a two-story colonial with a stunning view of the mountains.He’d brought his clan to hide here after the attack by warlocks had taken their forty-member clan down to five in a matter of hours.
The home and town were a refuge for them.Touristy and mostly human, no one knew they were dragons.The small-town gossip said they were supernatural creatures of some kind, but no one knew for sure what.
And that’s how it was going to stay.
They never shifted during the day, choosing to only shift at night or when it was very cloudy so they were hidden from public view.
On the second floor of the house, he walked into Rorik’s room which was just as messy as they’d found it that morning when they realized he was gone.There were stacks of books, loose papers everywhere, and maps pinned to the walls.Zay had looked through the room twice already but hadn’t figured out where Rorik had gone.
He turned in a slow circle and his gaze landed on the old wooden desk shoved against the wall.He walked over to it and ran his hands over the surface.He crouched down and used his phone’s flashlight to check underneath.
Nothing.
