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Quentin squinted as extinguisher fluid dripped from his forehead into his eyes.
Ethan glared at him. “You cowardly lowlife. If my brother hadn’t already fire-balled you, there wouldn’t be a hair left on your head.” Ethan marched him over to the table where the Council of Towns officials were standing, stiff and red faced, and shoved Quentin into the midst of them.
Simon Jordak’s thin face was white as he stood rigid, fists at his sides. “Expect an assault charge,” he said, handing his brother a handkerchief with a contemptuous look that showed he was more worried about his reputation than his brother.
“Do not threaten me or mine,” Ethan said softly. “Who do you think you people are? I invite you into my home, show you my hospitality, and your brother dares to abuse the woman I love in the most cowardly, despicable manner. And you call us monsters?” His lip curled and he pumped two bursts of fire from his nostrils, which narrowly missed their shirt fronts. The men hastily backed away. Ethan stood to his full height and snarled, “You may not have noticed, but the days when monsters bowed to your laws are coming to an end. Now, get out of my home before I have the head of Tower Security throw your sorry asses into the Motham lock-up.”
“Here if you need me,” shouted Grayson Lightfoot from one of the tables.
“Thanks, mate,” Ethan called back.
“You’ve blown it, I’ll see to that. No other monsters will ever get to buy human land, not after this, you hear me!” Quentin burst out in a high-pitched whine.
“Shut up, Quentin,” Simon snapped, gathering his jacket off the back of the chair. He scowled at Ethan. “You realize you are this close to losing the deal.” Simon pinched his finger and thumb together in a gesture that made Ethan want to laugh.
A low-level hissing and booing started up around the room.
Ethan felt Min’s hand slide into his, her body close. He squeezed her hand tight.
“And you’ll lose the Westerly Bookshop,” Quentin sputtered, stabbing a finger at her.
Min held her head high. “Quentin, I don’t want you to ever come near me or my shop ever again.”
“It won’t be your shop for much longer. The Westwind name won’t come back from shaming the Council of Towns.”
Min shook her head. “Right now, I’m ashamed to call myself human, let alone a Westwind.” She turned to Ethan. “But I’m proud to call myself the partner of this incredible dragon.”
Smiling down at her, his heart nearly bursting, Ethan turned to his security staff, who were flexing their scales and baring their fangs. “Please escort these humans to the gate.”
The group of buffed alligators and crocodiles, barely able to disguise their grins, hustled the humans out of the ballroom.
And then Ethan turned to Min and held her cheeks between his palms. Gazed deep into her eyes. “I love you, Minerva Westwind.”
Suddenly the hissing and booing stopped. There was rapt silence.
He cleared his throat, then spoke again, louder this time.
“I said I love you, Minerva Westwind. From the moment I set eyes on you. I knew it was you.”
“I love you too, Ethan, with all my heart and soul.”
And now Ethan could detect quiet applause, just one pair of hands, soon joined by another, and then another. The sound grew and grew until suddenly the whole ballroom was bursting with applause.
And there, in the midst of it, Ethan stood gazing at the woman he loved. And then he kissed her, long and deep, and she kissed him right back.
Forget land deals.
Forget progress.
Forget fulfilling the dreams of his father.
What mattered to him more than anything in the world was this beautiful brave human at his side.
He pulled her close, whispered in her ear, “I’m going to make a very important announcement.”
“Should I be nervous?” she whispered back. He shook his head, his lips quirking. “Not half as nervous as I am right now.”
But as she smiled radiantly up at him, he realized his fear of public speaking had evaporated completely.
