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“Behind the scenes, yes. Our interests are aligned, but more than that . . . If the last dragon were to perish on my watch, well . . . that would be a sad day for Lost Ones.”

Elion had been onto us from opening day. They could have arrested us at any time, but instead, they’d been helping us. “You uh . . . you don’t mind dragons?”

“I don’t mind most people, just so long as they’re reasonable.”

Wow, and now I felt bad. I’d assumed they were a morally vacant, money-grabbing bounty hunter this whole time. “So uhm . . . I’m not really a hero, though, before you start thinking I’m some kind of savior. And dragons aren’t very nice. We’re pretty bitey, honestly. And a bit mean.”

“Who is good, Adam? Are any of us good? A baron vampire who spent centuries torturing for his queen? Is he good?”

Victor tipped his drink in acknowledgement. “Not in the least.”

“A demon warrior with blood on his hands, who took money for sex and fed from his victims?”

“Excuse moi.” Zee scooped up a fancy, decorative cocktail Tom had placed for him, and flicked his hair around his horns. “What I do is fucking art.”

“And you, Mr. Vex. An incredibly rare, bloodthirsty, extremely powerful Lost One, on the run and apparently trapped in human skin.”

“Well, I was powerful, but I’m not anymore.” The rest of it was accurate though.

“The sooner you three accept I’m here to help, the more we shall get done.”

“Right. I’m uh . . . I’m sorry I got you all wrong.”

“You were not entirely wrong. I was a money-hungry bounty hunter, and I would have hunted you to the ends of the earth, but my time here has changed me, as it has most of us. I’m sure you all understand that?”

“I hear that,” Zee agreed, swallowing the cocktail in one gulp.

“Indeed,” Victor conceded.

Surviving in the human world had changed all of us—changed every single Lost One. We’d learned how to get along because we’d had to. We were all in this together. And now Cain was about to upset all that. He had to be stopped.

I cleared my throat. “Just so we’re clear? If I managed to get my power back and happened to accidentally eat a few bad people, how would you feel about that? Hypothetically?”

Elion smiled into his drink. “Some people require eating.”

CHAPTER 5

According to Elion, Agatha wasn’t pressing charges and she hadn’t mentioned the missing invisible ring, probably because she didn’t want the SSD looking closer at her business. After accepting a drink off Tom, Elion also explained how Agatha had been distracted by preparing for a charity gala taking place tonight, raising funds for all the Lost Ones living in shanty towns. There was probably no way any money was going to reach the likes of Junk Jim living out of his van in the shadow of an underpass, it was all just marketing spin to line her silk pockets with cash.

“Agatha’s presence at the gala leaves her jewelry workshop on the East Side relatively unguarded,” Elion explained. “Should anyone want to visit it out of hours.” They sipped their bright blue cocktail. “Hm, this has quite the kick. What’s in it?”

I caught Tom’s eye and quickly shook my head. Do not mention cocaine!

“Vodka, a spritz of lemon, and my own secret ingredient that never fails to bring happy customers back for more.” He said it with such harmless glee that it couldn’t possibly be illegal.

“Hold up. Agatha has a workshop where she makes all the trinkets?” Zee leaned closer. “Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”

“So you do think?” Victor drawled.

“And not just with my dick, Fancy Fangs. If we take a little visit to Tinkerbell’s lair, we might find the pendant . . . make it disappear.” He swept a hand through the air. “Poof. Buy ourselves more time to get Adam’s bead from Mr. Evil Sorcerer . . . said sorcerer doesn’t get to power-up. Bonus, I get to wear a hat. Win-win.”

“Why is the hat necessary?” Elion asked.

“When isn’t a hat necessary?”

“I see.” Elion glanced at Victor whose hint of a smile said go with it. “Unlike the store, Agatha’s workshop is heavily warded against intruders. However, if you were to know several gremlins, and perhaps had a way of organizing them, as vermin they might be able to slip undetected into and out of said workshop.”

“That does indeed sound like a potential plan,” Victor agreed.