“Mine bit a mailman,” Otis chuckled.
“Mine taught me how to make biscuits,” I added.
“Focus, people,” Kai interjected. “This is getting us…”
“Martha…” Aideen fretted. The sound of her voice in my head opened a floodgate of fear.
My Dragon Queen was terrified. There was no sass, no witty repartee, no snark or sarcasm. Just a trepidation that made me cold, even though the temperature in the bowels of the Hoopingarner House had to be somewhere between ninety and Lucifer’s sauna.
“Yes?”
The long pause that ensued made shivers boogie up and down my spine. I wondered if she was going to answer.
Then, she finally shuddered, “I-I know that cor-coronation.”
When everyone, including the dogs, froze in place, I realized that the Dragon Queen with whom I shared my soul was broadcasting our conversation. Seeing and feeling their instant attention and concern, I immediately asked, “Excuse me?”
“I know that coronation… but not from my memories…” She exhaled sharply. “From hers.”
“Whose?” I was getting snappy. “Who are you talkin’ about?”
“The Queen before me.”
Kneeling beside me, Zelda asked us both, “Can Dragon Queens inherit memories?”
“Apparently,” Aideen replied at the same time that I said, “Nope.”
“Yes,” she countered with more oomph.
“No,” I sharply countered, giving her a pointed look in my mind’s eyes.
“Girl.” Sassy Aideen was back! “You are literally standing in an underground chamber beneath a haunted mansion, talking to dogs. You lost the right to say no the day Arthur said, “Hey, Mom,” and you responded, “Hey, baby.”
“That’s not fair. Arthur is my baby.”
“True,” she agreed. “He’s also a magical canine with the ability to speak right along with the other two.”
“Three,”Arthur interjected.
“She’s right, Mom,” Otis concurred.
“Yep. Aideen usually is,” Chewy agreed.
“See?” My Dragon Queen harrumphed. “The boys…”
“Boof! Boof!”
“Sorry, Mona,” she sweetly apologized. “Welcome to the family.”
“The circus.”
Ignoring my smart-ass comment, Aideen resumed the snarky tone she reserved for me. “As I said, we most assuredly can inherit memories, even if I didn’t know until five minutes ago.”
“Well, consider me enlightened,” I sighed. “Now, take me to this prophecy. Let’s get this shit figured out so we can go home.”
“NO!” Kai roared, immediately grabbing his head with a ragged breath.
“Absolutely not,” Zelda adamantly refused.
