Page 14
Elion nodded. “I thought so.”
“We are in agreement.”
“Indeed, we are.”
Zee’s gaze ping-ponged between them. “It’s as though they’re twins. Weird, opposite, sexy twins.”
“Good, we have a plan.” I tried to smile as though everything was fine and I was definitely tough enough to go to the workshop without putting myself in danger, then caught Zee’s narrowing glare. “Zee, we’ve been through this. I’m as much at risk of dying here as I am out there.”
“Yeah.” He booped my nose. “But no.”
“I agree with Zodiac,” Victor declared, sounding final.
They were impossible when they ganged up like this. “You two never agree on anything, but on this you’re suddenly besties?”
“When it comes to your safety, yes.”
I tried catching Elion’s eye but they swiftly looked away, not wanting to be dragged into our drama. “I trust you have all you need.” They pushed from the bar and flicked up their coat collar. “I’ll also be keeping an eye on proceedings from behind the scenes. Good luck, and please refrain from mass-murder, kidnapping, or setting anything on fire.”
“That’s no fun,” Zee huffed.
“Neither is jail,” Elion called, heading out the door. “Are you aware there are some concerning noises coming from your conference room?”
“Gremlin orgy,” Zee said. “Best avoid it.”
We definitely did not need Elion stumbling upon a tied and gagged Sebastien.
“I see . . .” Their expression became puzzled, then a little suspicious, but they finally left, probably realizing it was better left alone.
“Wow.” With a huffing sigh, I slumped at the bar. “Elion knew about us all along?”
“It does explain how we’ve been relatively untouched by any legal repercussions. It is rare for a bounty hunter to have empathy and compassion. We are lucky indeed that they appear to be on our side.”
Lucky too that Elion didn’t take Victor’s threats seriously. “Maybe don’t threaten to torture their friends and family next time?”
“It remains an option.”
“It is good to have options,” Zee agreed.
Hm. When they agreed with each other, they were impossible to argue with.
“I’m going to see that Claymore gets comfortable,” I said. “Then we’d better get the plan ready for the workshop tonight. I’m going. No discussion.”
“Uh-huh,” Zee replied, in that wishy-washy voice that suggested he had no interest in sticking to that. Victor would though.
“If you think it best.”
It would be fine. When we worked together, we could survive almost anything. Besides, it was just going to be a little drive by a workshop. It wouldn’t be our fault if some random gremlins happened to break in and steal a few things. Gremlins were chaotic and uncontrollable . . . unless you knew a pixie.
After bribing Jimmy with cake, and after sunset, we pulled the Love Wagon up to the back of the hotel and loaded it with thirty-ish gremlins, which went about as smoothly as trying to shove thirty feral cats into a tiny space—but with less fur. And more hissing. Even with Jimmy riding along, controlling gremlins wasn’t going to be easy.
Zee drove, Victor rode in the front passenger seat, and I sat in the back with Jimmy on my shoulder, from where he’d occasionally snap in gremlinese to keep his flock under control.
The night sky was clear, littered with stars that got brighter the further we drove from the city center.
Seeing those stars with human eyes was a new experience. I’d only reverted to my dragon form for a few seconds before Gideon had ripped my power from me, but it had been enough to remember what it felt like to be the real me under a starlit sky. My heart was the same though. I might have been an enormous armor-scaled, fire-breathing killing machine, but my heart had always been my most vulnerable part.
Hiding had never been a long-term plan.
