Page 9 of Midnight in the Garden of Okay and Meh
“I don’t suppose there’s any chance to stop them?” she asked us.
“Not when they’ve already started stripping down,” Ysolde said, absently picking up Baltic’s shirt from where he’d tossed it on the table.
Drake caught me admiring Baltic’s famed six-pack. “Kincsem,” he said, his fire high.
I smiled and kissed him on the tip of his adorable nose. “Ysolde doesn’t mind if I look.”
“Certainly not. Baltic’s abs are a sight to behold, and I’m happy for others to admire them as I do,” she said calmly, sipping at her wine.
“But I do mind,” Drake told me with a long warning look that made me smile to myself. “How long?”
I made a face, and glanced at Ysolde. “Ten minutes?”
“Twenty,” Baltic countered, glaring at Gabriel and cracking his knuckles.
“We will settle on fifteen minutes, with bare fists only. No dragon form, no vampire powers, no polter flickering,” Ysolde answered, pulling up a timer on her phone. “And the usual rules about injuries apply—if you get hurt, Gabriel has to fix you up.”
“With his magic dragon saliva,” May added in obvious enjoyment when all the men looked disgusted, especially Gabriel.
“We have an ointment made from the enzymes in our saliva for a reason,” he told her sternly, then ruined the effect by caressing her hair before following Bastian to the tiny garden area behind the restaurant.
Baltic and Adam exchanged glances. “You are bigger than Bastian,” the former told the polter. “I like that.”
“I’m also a black belt in Tae Kwon Do,” Adam said as he flexed his pecs.
I pursed my lips at the sight, not wanting to offend either him or Karma with outright admiration.
“Excellent. We will take the others handily,” Baltic said with obvious pleasure.
“I take it there’s some animosity between you and the other dragons?” Adam asked as he and Baltic left the room.
“Something like that,” drifted back to us as the door to the hallway closed behind them.
“Hoo,” Allie said, fanning herself with her napkin before grinning at no one in particular. “I have to say that seeing them all like that is just as effective as it was at Christmas. Do they even make unattractive dragons and polters?”
“Sadly, yes to the latter,” Karma said, looking very much like the cat who ate the cream. “Although I will admit that Adam is easy on the eyes.”
“Very easy,” Ysolde said, then frowned. “Was that out of line, Karma? If you’d prefer we not admire Adam—”
“Oh, I don’t mind others looking. I’d kick up a fuss if anyone tried to do more, but I don’t think I have to worry about that with you all,” she said, looking toward the door. “Er ... should we monitor their fight?”
“It’s too cold out,” Ysolde said, with a wiggle of comfort.
“It’s raining,” Jim said, coming in from where it had followed the men. “Do you want me to film the fight for you, Ash? I know how you like to watch Drake beat the crap out of Baltic.”
Ysolde gave a ladylike snort even as I protested that I did no such thing.
“Baltic can handle Drake,” she said. “And he has Adam as extra muscle. I’d rather discuss the situation with Jim’s father, but if everyone else wants to go watch—”
We decided as a group that we’d let the men have their fun out in the cold, wet garden. “At least until we take care of the problem with the vamps,” May said, pouring out another glass of dragon’s blood. “Jim, how long has your father been imprisoned?”
“And just what is the Lake of Upside-Down Sinners?” I asked as it flopped down on the dog bed and once again resumed perusing its magazine. “I’ve never heard of it. You said it’s in part of the Akasha?”
“Do I look like an encyclopedia?” it asked, clearly still a bit offended about the fact that I was ignorant of its birthday.
“Jim,” I said with as much patience as I could round up. “You will please answer questions when asked, and yes, that is a direct order.”
“Geesh,” it said, giving a quick eye roll. “Most people who miss their demon’s birthdays are a little more considerate, because they feel bad.”
