The dragon shifter pocketed the gem and stood. “Have any males been taken that we know of?”
Felix shook his head. “Last I checked, it was just the three women.”
“Does it matter if they’re just taking women?” I asked.
“Possibly. It could just be that our kidnapper has a type. Either way, we’ll need to put out a village wide curfew. Ghouls are weak to sunlight, so it’s unlikely that anyone will be taken in daylight.” He turned to his wife. “Rabbit, send a pigeon out to as many houses as you can, instructing women not to go out at night. Then send one to the ship and tell Usha to have the men set up a night patrol around the village.”
Cinnamon plucked nervously at a loose string on her sleeve. “What about the search party? We can’t just forget about the women they’ve alright taken.”
He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “We’re not, I promise you. But there’s no point in sending out valuable fighters on a wild goose chase if I can find out their location using the gem. As soon as I’ve cracked its protection wards, we can attack in full force.”
I shifted on my feet, worry churning in my gut. “Is the kidnapper really that dangerous? I mean, you’re a dragon. They can’t pose much of a threat to you.”
His expression didn’t give me much reassurance. “If we were dealing with any kind of demon or monster, then I wouldn’t worry. But right now, we do not know what kind of magical threat we’re dealing with. Going in blind could spell disaster for everyone involved.”
“Oh.” I stared down at my feet, trying to fight off the growing panic. “Right, that makes sense.”If a fucking dragon was worried about whatever this thing was, then what chance did the rest of us have?
Felix came to my side and rested a massive clawed hand on the small of my back. “We’re just being cautious, Lamb. Whoever is doing this doesn’t stand a chance once we smoke them out of their hole. Then tall, dark and angry will take care of them easily. Won’t you, Fallon?” He asked.
The dragon shifter’s demeanor shifted into loosely concealed rage. Gold swirled in his dark eyes and blue and black sparks danced in the smoke licking at his ankles. “Whatever cretin that has been poaching in my territory will wish they simply threw themselves into a pit of spikes. Once my humans are out of the way, I’ll erase the perpetrator’s entire family line from existence.”
An icy shiver ran down my spine at his words. “His humans?” I whispered to Felix.
He ducked low, the soft fur on his face brushed against my temple when he answered. “It’s a dragon thing. Anything in Boohail is considered part of his hoard.”
I glanced at Cin, but my friend looked completely unphased by Fallon’s behavior. Instead, she slipped on a pair of sandals and headed to her pigeon coup without a word. She paused and turned back to me. “Brie? He’s not joking. Don’t go outside at night unless you have to. I know how much you love your night walks.”
“As if I’m ever going out at night again after dealing with that crazy deer thing.” I said.
She smiled and nodded. “Good.” With that, she turned and ran to the coop.
Felix patted my back. “Let’s leave Fallon to his work, love.”
I nodded and turned to say my goodbyes, but Fallon had engulfed himself in a shroud of smoke. The swirling mass grew larger and spilled off the deck into the grass. All at once, the shroud shot up, forming into a massive black dragon. Its long body weaved around fields of spices, blowing up cinnamon smelling dust until he coiled into himself. Clawed hands rose in front of him, and his dark magic held up the small crystal. His brow furrowed and the long black whiskers on his snout swayed behind his head in a smooth, rhythmic pattern.
Too stunned to move, Felix guided me down the steps and we made our way towards home. “Are you doing alright, Lamb?” he asked.
I shook my head and tried to gather my thoughts. “Can we go back to the ‘his humans’ thing? Are we supposed to pay taxes to him or something?”That was one debt collector I never wanted to cross.
Felix barked out a laugh. “No. Dragons are just a possessive lot. I don’t think I ever saw the stone dragon that ruled over my homeland. But if there was ever a giant rampaging cretin or other outside threat, it was usually dead before any of us had to deal with it. Some dragon lords are more involved than others, but most will just mind their business until something they consider a threat messes with their territory.”
A lump formed in my throat. “Are…are rampaging Kraken common?”
He hummed and tilted his hand back and forth. “Occasionally. Who knows what sets off those overgrown squids.”
Great. Awesome. First deer ghouls, a crazy kidnapper, and now Kraken. Wonderful, just bring on all the magical murderers. Why the fuck not?I kept my focus on the road in front of me, just trying to put one foot in front of the other. So engrossed in my mission not to trip over my own feet; I didn’t even notice when Felix stopped at my front door. My forehead slammed against the hardwood, finally knocking me out of my stupor.
Felix covered his snout, trying to hide his laughter. “Normally we have to open doors first, Sweetheart.”
My face heated, and my hands fumbled around the doorknob. “I knew that.” I grumbled, swinging the door open.
“Of course.” He said. “I’ll see you in the morning. Try to get some sleep.”
Anxiety set my nerves on edge when he turned to leave. I snatched his arm and held it tight. “Wait, where are you going?”
The werewolf grinned and patted the hand holding him hostage. “I’m just going to wash myself off and sleep in the barn. I’ll be able to hear you if anything should go bump in the night.”
“Well, what if whatever’s bumping has already killed me by the time you get over here?” My voice squeaked, but I was too scared to care.
