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“I see. Did I just meet the dragon’s wife?” It seemed odd she was grabbing me a drink. For some reason, I’d always thought dragons would have servants for things like that.
“Yup. Carly’s great. Super easygoing. The complete opposite of who you’d think would be mated to a dragon. Or maybe it’s more that she’s exactly what a dragon needs. It’s a good thing, really. She keeps Desmon happy. And a happy dragon is a benevolent dragon.”
“But my family has lived in Darlington for generations. I never got the impression that Desmon was particularly mean.”
“No. Because people here know how to keep him appeased.” His face darkened. “Touching any part of his hoard is one sure way to anger him, though. I haven’t seen him this pissed in years.”
I swallowed. “Are you sure bringing me here is a good idea, then? I mean, I didn’t touch this artifact, but my brother did…”
“Desmon won’t hold you accountable for something your brother did. Trust me.”
Carly was back with a tall glass of sparkling water, complete with a tiny sprig of mint floating on top. That artificial candy scent drifted from it, making my mouth water.
“Thanks!” I took a sip and hummed happily.
“No problem. For what it’s worth, it took me a while to get used to portal travel too—” But her eyes weren’t on my face, they were on my legs. “Oh my god, are those humping cats on your leggings?”
“Sure are!”
“I love them!”
We were going to get along great.
Chapter 6
Mateo
I angled my body so I could see Eva’s reaction to Seth as he walked into the library. The wizard was a bit of a misfit and looked it. It was hard to believe he was one of Desmon’s esteemed wizards and not just some punk troublemaker, especially in the outfit he’d decided to wear today.
He wore black skinny jeans that were ripped at the knees and held up with a studded belt. His heavy combat boots looked more like weapons than footwear with all the hardware on them. His slim-fitting tank top was also black. I had to give it to him, though: he’d kept in good shape, both for a human and a wizard. He didn’t even have to cheat and enhance his physique with magic, like so many wizards did.
His hair was short and spikey, the tips an almost white blonde. Several piercings completed the look, including a silver barbell through one eyebrow.
His look was a far cry from the old curmudgeons leading the Wizard’s Elder Council. The fuddy-duddies at the WEC still thought robes and cowl hoods were the height of formal attire and wore tailored suits for even the most casual of functions. They also shunned witchcraft, deeming it inferior because, in their opinion, it was for women.
Seth, however, had no qualms about learning witchcraft to bolster his already strong magic. He also refused to follow any of the other ass-backward ideas the WEC put forth. He’d elevated rebellion to an art form and, in the process, had caught a dragon’s attention.
I was used to him by now, but most people who saw him for the first time reacted with surprise. Sure enough, Eva was surreptitiously trying to gather her jaw up from the floor. And Seth wasn’t even with his demon partner this time. The pair made an even more shocking impression when they were together.
“This better be important, Matty.”
I scowled. I hated that nickname.
Seth noticed Eva perched on the armchair in front of the fireplace. His gaze softened, and he smiled; it tempered his rough, edgy look and instantly made him more approachable. Eva relaxed a bit. I narrowed my eyes at him as he dialed up the charm and extended a hand to her. “I’m Seth. Who might you be?’
Eva pushed to her feet to shake his hand. “I’m Eva. I’m helping Matty find a lost artifact.”
Shit. Of course she’d picked up on the nickname and my reaction to it.
Instead of shaking it, Seth took her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed the back of it. Eva swallowed a giggle at the old-fashioned greeting.
A sudden and unfamiliar feeling of possessiveness crashed over me. I wanted to slap his hand away and growl at him for even touching her. I clenched my fists at my sides, pushing away the unusual thought. Eva wasn’t my anything, and I had no right to get all possessive over her.
All we’d done was share a kiss. One kiss. One breathtaking kiss that had stirred a primal need inside of me. I’d almost missed the sound of Carly’s footsteps outside the library door and had only broken away just in time. Now that would have been awkward.
“A lost artifact? Huh.” Seth released Eva’s hand, turned to me, and smirked. “Don’t tell me you’re losing your touch in your old age. Misplacing a piece of a dragon’s hoard? I mean, you had one job, Matty.”
“Are you going to help me or not?” I demanded, losing my patience. Technically, he had to help. If he said no, I would just ask Desmon, and he’d order Seth to do it anyway. But it was better to sort this out ourselves. Desmon gave us a lot of autonomy and expected us to use it.
