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“Where’s Jennifer?” I looked around but didn’t see thegirl.
“What?” Zav looked at the bank—the shoreline—behindme.
“The girl,” Isaid.
“Ah.” He pointed to the massive tanks of the park’s old gasification plant and the chain-link fence aroundthem.
I could barely make her out, but she was there. I sagged with relief, then focused onZav.
“Thanks for the help,” I said. It didn’t come out as grudgingly as I’d intended. I wouldn’t admit it to him, but I was relieved he’d shown up. Both times. I wasexhausted.
“You found the entrance to the dark-elflair.”
“I did. There are probably a lot more entrances now though.” I pulled out my phone, relieved the baggie had kept it dry, and texted my location toDimitri.
Hopefully, Jennifer would recover enough to tell us her address, so we could drop her off at home. That would be better than the police station, given my dubious criminal status thesedays.
“This is true,” Zav said. “Whether you wish it or not, you draw the magical to you, including those who have committed crimes. I will continue to use you asbait.”
I glared at him. Just when I’d been hating him a littleless…
“You will save yourself pain and might live longer if you agree to come with me to serve this purpose.” Zav gazed at me with his cool violeteyes.
“To be dangled as bait at your convenience? And do your bidding? I haven’t forgotten that spell you cast on me.” I prodded my temple with a finger. “It almost compelled me to get myself killed. I hate to break it to you, but I’d die before being some dragon’s slave. Before beinganyone’sslave.”
Without any hint of apology in his voice, he said, “You can atone for your many sins by assisting the Dragon Justice Court in apprehending criminals for rehabilitation. I was unable to find Yemeli-lor and Baklinor-ten before the collapsed tunnels forced me toleave.”
“Atone formysins? Killing bad guys is not asin.”
“Bad guys, as you call them, should be rehabilitated, not executed by some mongrel with a stolen sword.” His gaze flicked toward my shoulder, where Chopper’s hilt once again pokedup.
“It’s not stolen,” Isnapped.
Admittedly, I’d killed the brain-munching zombie lord who’d been carrying it and then claimed it for myself, but that had been more than ten years ago. I’d made sure the undead guy was truly dead, dismembered and beheaded with bits of him scattered in the woods all along the highway back to town. Someone had once told me that since zombies were already rotten, they decomposed quickly and made excellentfertilizer.
“It is an ancient dwarven blade of great power. I doubt you even know how to call forth itsmagic.”
I scowled at him. “I know it does a good job of beheading monsters. That’s all Ineed.”
I wouldn’t admit that his comments were stirring my curiosity. It wasn’t as if the zombie lord had given me a user manual for the sword after I killed him. Could this arrogant dragon know more about my sword than I did? And was it true that it had beenstolen?
Zav sneered. “It does not belong in this vermin-infestedworld.”
“You’re like a broken record. What do you even know of Earth? Is this your first time here? We have amazing stuff. You should go to the theater or to a symphony. Or a wine-tasting. Do dragonsdrink?”
“I will leave now, but if you refuse to work for me and continue to roam free, know that I will not save your lifeagain.”
“You didn’t save my life this time. I had everything under control. And I’m the one who helpedyou. You didn’t even know how to get down there, did you? You waited until I figured it out and then followed me, like the crazy purple-eyed stalker youare.”
“I knew where the dark elves werelocated.”
“But not how to get downthere.”
“It would have been a simple matter to break through the streets and jump down onthem.”
“But you didn’t, because…” Because why? He thought humans were vermin, so why would he care if he wrecked our city? “It’s against the rules, isn’t it?” I asked, enlightenment brightening my mind. “The rules of your little court. They don’t want you killing people or wreaking havoc on the civilizations of thenatives.”
“It is againstmyrules.” Zav pressed his palm to his chest. “Iam not a criminal. I enforce the law; I don’t flaunt it.Ido not wantonly destroy things or take livesunnecessarily.”
