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Georgio's lower lip trembled. "But I'm Saint George. It's my destiny to slay dragons."
As I stared into his eyes, I realized that Georgio truly believed what he was saying. Unlike Tom's prestigious past, however, Georgio wasn't the actual saint he purported to be, and if he tried to slay the dragon, he'd be dead before he could lift his sword. He needed to be home safe, watched so he couldn't hurt himself. I reached out and fingered his chain mail. As I'd suspected, it was a replica, spray-painted plastic—uncomfortable and of utterly no protection.
I stood up and walked over to Smoky, my nose quivering as I drew near. The smell of smoke and musk filled the air, and I straightened my shoulders.
"Tell me more about him," I said, nodding at Georgio, who was playing with the rings of his armor.
Smoky frowned, a look of distaste crossing his face. "He thinks he's a dragon slayer. When he first started coming around I was wary, but for some reason the man fascinated me, and I let him live. After the second time, I went into the city in disguise to do a little digging. Turns out Georgio has a few bolts loose in his head, but he's not dangerous. He lives with his grandmother and works in a market, sweeping floors and doing other simple tasks."
Any other dragon would have already snarfed down the poor man without a second thought. Before I realized what I was doing, I reached out and rested my fingers on Smoky's arm.
"You feel sorry for him, don't you? That's why you don't kill him."
Smoky gazed at my hand for a long minute, then gently shrugged me off. "I feel pity for no man." But the look on his face told me I was right. "Besides, he'd be too tough and stringy."
"You didn't kill Tom either, though you had the chance," I said. "Face it—you have a soft spot for humans. When's the last time you ate one?"
Smoky grabbed me around the waist and yanked me close to him. My feet dangled off the ground. His breath thick, he pressed his forehead against mine, staring into my eyes.
"Witchling, once again I warn you: don't press your luck."
I struggled, but he held fast. Feeling like an idiot, I stammered out a contrite apology. "I'm sorry, really. Please, let me go."
Smoky squeezed me tighter. "I could carry you off," he murmured, sniffing my hair. "No one would dare try to stop me. After all, you owe me for my protection."
"Smoky," I said, trying to keep my voice even. "Please let me go. So much depends on getting Tom Lane away from here before the demons return." I wasn't about to tell him that Tom's pendant carried a hefty power behind it—that would ensure that Smoky became the new guardian of the seal.
His eyes shifted, a dizzying array of colors swirling in the icy depths of the glacier. I felt myself being sucked in as I lost interest in freeing myself. He buried his nose in my hair and slowly, deliberately, licked my ear. I closed my eyes, but then he let go, setting me down gently.
Shaking, I said, "Thank you for letting me go. Again, I'm sorry."
The dragon gazed at me with eyes that were aloof and cool. "Go," he said. "Don't worry about young George here; I'll see that he goes home without being scratched. But, little witch, I'll see you soon. I guarantee it."
I hastily backed away. "Come on, Tom, we have to hurry," I said. As we headed toward the house, I glanced over my shoulder. Smoky stood at the edge of the wood, and I could feel him watching every step I took. When he saw me looking, he briefly raised one hand, then vanished into the forest with Georgio following him like a puppy dog.
We hurried up the stairs just in time to see Delilah and Chase guiding Morio down the stairs. He'd thrown Wisteria over his shoulder. She was trussed up tight as a turkey, and her mouth was firmly gagged.
"Let's get moving," I said, a sense of urgency pushing me on. "Events are moving. I can feel them on the wind."
We piled in the car. Delilah volunteered to drive, since Chase was still coping with his bruises. Wisteria had come very close to ensuring he never fathered a child. As we swung out of the drive, back onto the graveled road, I thanked my lucky stars that we'd managed to get Tom away from Titania. All in all, things had gone more smoothly than I expected, but we weren't home free by any means.
The mood on the drive home was heavy. For one thing, we had a gagged and bound floraed with us who was intent on helping the demons wipe out the human race. For another, Bad Ass Luke knew we had Tom. A whisper on the breeze going past told me he'd found out and was cursing our names. The more I thought about it, the more worried I became. Frustrated, I looked out the window.
"Can't this car move any faster?"
Chase shook his head from the passenger seat next to Delilah. "Not a good idea, Camille. We don't want the State Patrol stopping us. I have my badge, but even so, with Wisteria tied up in the back, it wouldn't look good."
He had a point. I glanced back at Morio, who sat next to the bound and gagged floraed in the back of the SUV. He kept his gaze trained on her, alert for the slightest hint that she might be up to something. The OIA would need to know that there was a spy in their midst. And Wisteria could potentially shed a lot of light on what Shadow Wing's plans were.
"Should I drive straight to the Wayfarer?" Delilah asked.
I mulled it over. That would be the most expedient route, but chances were, at least one of the two remaining demons would be there waiting for us. I shook my head. "No. Menolly said there are a couple of secret entrances to the bar, but to find them we'll need her. I think we should hole up at home until she wakes, and then she can lead us in a roundabout way."
"We may have killed the skinwalker, but I'm pretty sure the demons have other allies besides plant-girl here," Morio interjected. "So we'd better be on alert for more than just Bad Ass Luke and the Psycho Babbler."
"Good point," I said. "Head home, Delilah, but take the side roads and enter via the driveway in the back. We don't want to announce our arrival."
The first edges of dusk were creeping across the sky when we pulled into the rough driveway that led through the acreage to our back door. As I slowly scanned the area, a tingle raced from the back of my neck down through my arms. Demonic aura, that much I could tell.
