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But the armed refugees behind me had inched closer, and Greemaw was watching me intently. I had the feeling this was a test. But if I annoyed him enough, he might break my neck. His hand was heading toward it. No, it was to my necklace, not my neck. He ran his finger along the charms and paused in front of the one that had camouflaged me that day in the wyverncave.
“Yes, I see. I should take this from you, so you can’t easily sneak up on the magical.” His lip curled. “Assassin.”
I clenched my jaw but didn’t allow myself to otherwise react. I could live without that charm, but what if he took Sindari fromme?
At my side, the tiger crouched, his tail rigid as he watched this exchange. He looked like he wanted to attack, but even he would be no match for adragon.
“But I am not a thief.” Zav lowered his hand. “Iam not acriminal.”
“I’m not a criminal either,” I growled. “You can’t bring your laws to this world and expect people here to obeythem.”
“Of course I can. I am a dragon, sent by the Dragon Justice Court. That your puny people don’t recognize our rule over the galaxy is laughable. It is only because nobody wishes to deal with your verminous infestation of this world that you’ve been allowed to run amok, breeding likeiyarkuand suffocating out almost all other life here.” His lids drooped, leaving his violet eyes as mere slits. “You would be wise to respect dragons when they dovisit.”
“So sorry I didn’t drag a throne and a red carpet into that cave as soon as youarrived.”
“Someday,” he continued, ignoring my outburst, “a dragon may decide to come and rule over this mess and straighten itout.”
“You, perhaps? Just give me some notice. I’ll put the word out on social media, so anyone who wants to appropriately worship you can show up at theportal.”
“Not me.” He curled his lip again. Maybe that was an involuntary tic. “I will spend no more time in this vile place than I must. I am no cowardlyrefugee.”
A couple of the guys with guns glanced at each other at this insult, but nobody shifted their weapons from me to Zav. Toobad.
He prowled around behind me again, and my shoulder blades itched. The last thing I wanted was an enemy this powerful at myback.
He came around to my other side. “Because I think it could cut down on the length of time I’m forced to stay here, I am considering using you asbait.”
“What?”
He smiled for the first time, and I decided that Amused Zav wasn’t any more appealing than Pissed Zav. “They hate you, and they come out in droves when you’re nearby. I’ve never had a pack of werewolves stand up to me in my life, but they wanted very badly to kill you, to receive credit among all the magical here for their great victory. Even when I was right before them, they thought that it would be worth it to sacrifice part of their pack to take youdown.”
“Nice of you to read their minds. That would be considered a violation of civil liberties here, but whatever. You’ve already said our laws don’t apply todragons.”
“What liberties do your laws give to themagical?”
None, I admitted, thinking of the therapist. Maybe I’d call Mary later and let her know my acute stressors were at least as much of a problem as the chronicones.
“I cannot read your mind,” he remarked, watching me. “Which charm of yours protects you fromthat?”
“If you don’t know, I’m not telling you. A girl doesn’t lift her skirt for just anyman.”
He blinked and looked down. I almost laughed, realizing I’d confused him with theexpression.
His surprise disappeared quickly, and he lifted his gaze and nodded. “Yes, bait. You could offend the magical with your tongue even if you hadn’t alienated the whole community by slaying hundreds ofthem.”
“Those weren’t part of a community. They were rogues. And you’re not dragging me off to dangle me above a cliff or whatever you have in mind. I’d kick my own ass before going anywhere withyou.”
“I wasn’t going to give you a choice,” he saiddryly.
“I’mnotbeing your pawn.” I glared straight into those cocky violeteyes.
He stared back at me, indifferent, as far as I could tell, to mydefiance.
“It is not wise to refuse a dragon,” Greemawsaid.
“People keep using that word,” I said, “but I assure you it doesn’t apply tome.”
My mother rubbed her face. She had her Glock in hand again, but she didn’t know what to do with it. I had a similar problem. I wanted to bash the pompous dragon on the head with Chopper, but I couldn’t win, not here with all his allies around and probably not alone in a field with him either. Life wasunfair.
