Page 26 of Cast By Flames (Dragon's Breath)
He gave us a condescending look. “Do you think I’d invite a shifter to sit if the table wasn’t oak and rendered fireproof? You should know by now that I’m no fool. The shifters and I have traded services and supplies for years—even during Nanoq’s unpleasant reign.”
That explained why much of the place looked newer than I recalled. He’d remodeled while keeping the same theme and vibe. I was glad he hadn’t altered the look too greatly since so much else had changed during my long absence.
“Sorry,” I said, settling in a chair. “I hadn’t considered that.”
Freya took the seat next to me, eyeing the food. She hadn’t had time to eat yet, either.
Javier sniffed. “Mi Querida, I am always prepared for your visits.”
Yeah, and it was a little creepy, but I wouldn’t say that aloud. Good thing the sorcerer could only see present and near future events without any mind-reading skills.
“Is it safe to talk here, or should we wait until we can go to your office?” I asked.
“Here is fine.” He gestured around the room. “I’ve extended the anti-seer protection to the entire building so my people and I have more space for meetings and sensitive projects.”
I didn’t doubt he could manage that, considering how he’d hidden downtown Norman from outsiders—including me—for months after the dragons arrived. There were other rooms upstairs aside from his office where he likely had labs for potion-making. That was one of the tasks assigned to him for the upcoming war, crafting anything that could help with our defense and offense capabilities.
“I suppose you’ve heard about the rebel group,” I said, scooping enchiladas and rice onto my plate. Everything smelled amazing.
Javier wiped his mouth with a red cloth napkin. “Yes. I’m afraid they are proving annoyingly elusive. With my magic drained daily by other tasks, I have little left for anything else. For you, though, I’ve managed to narrow down one place you should look.”
I finished chewing a bite of food. “Oh, and where is that?”
Next to me, Freya tore into her meal with manic glee. Shifters were not known for their table manners. Javier was polite enough to pretend she wasn’t making a mess and kept his gaze averted from her.
“After we’ve eaten,” he said, taking a glass of water. “We will discuss that information and what you can do for me in return.”
I groaned. “Of course, there is a price.”
“This will be mutually beneficial, I assure you.”
“Fine.” I set my fork down. “What is it you want?”
He gave me a nonchalant shrug. “A sample of your blood.”
I certainly hadn’t expected that as an answer and glanced at Freya. Her yellow eyes flared with displeasure. Shifters had little trust for sorcerers outside those living in the Taugud fortress.
“Why?” I asked.
“It is the final ingredient we need for the potion to allow humans to become temporarily fireproof.” Irritation filled his gaze. “Your slayer friend—Rayna—only gave me a single drop to test my theory. It proved successful, but we could only make enough for one person.”
“How long will it last?”
Javier shrugged. “It is too early to be certain, though we hope at least a month, perhaps two. All we can do is keep testing our first volunteer until the war begins to see if they continue to remain unharmed by flames.”
I shuddered, glad I was permanently fireproof.
Freya snorted. “That must be fun for them.”
“They are happy to do it,” the sorcerer said stiffly. “And we only use a small flame to be safe.”
Considering the number of lives his potion could save, I could hardly refuse. It was why we continued to get human volunteers to fight in the war, and we had to keep our promise to them. “Fine. You can take some of my blood.”
“Are you certain?” Freya gave me an alarmed look. “He could use it for anything—not only the potion.”
“The more people we can protect from fire when the Kandoran attack, the better. Every human fighter will need that potion, so I can’t refuse,” I said, sighing in resignation.
“Excellent.” Javier gave me a pleased smile. “Please enjoy your meal, and then we can get to business. Also, I believe a visitor is coming along now who you’ll wish to see.”
