AllFreeNovel
Share Us
As we drove out east, I eyed my phone, tempted to call or text Willard and check on her, but I didn’t want to get her hopes up. And a part of me worried that we might be too late. What if she was already past the point of no return? Or what if she wasn’t yet, but it would take Zoltan weeks to make hisformula?
To my surprise, Zoltan was standing out in the street when we arrived, the crime scene tape and security car—and body—from the previous night gone. He held a suitcase large enough to be a portable massagetable.
I slid open the van door as we pulled up. “Were you expecting us or are you waiting for any stranger to chance by and pick youup?”
He stepped in, leaned his suitcase beside the seat, and sat next to me while casting my neck an admiring look. Up front, Dimitri located his cervical collar and snapped iton.
“Many videos are already up on the internet showing a massive—” Zoltan made air quotations, “—sinkholethat opened up in Eastlake. Nobody mentioned seeing any dark elves, but someone caught some shaky footage of a dragon flying over the area and also a kraken in the water—it was termed the Loch Ness monster by those recording. I presumed that this apocalyptic chaos was your doing and that, since the dragon is your ally, you would ultimately be successful and come back in need of myservices.”
“He’s not my ally. He wants me to be hisslave.”
“His aura is even stronger about you thanbefore.”
I swore. You shower, you loofah, and you douse yourself in a lake, and youstillcan’t get rid of dragonaura…
Zoltan leaned close and inhaled deeply. I tensed, my hand gripping the butt of mygun.
“You also have his blood. If he has made you a slave, you must be a very favoredslave.”
“I’m not his slave. I told him to go screwhimself.”
“Dragons, in their natural form, are not properly equipped forthat.”
“He was in humanform.”
“Hm, then I suppose it would depend on how excited he was by the night’s activities.” Zoltan leaned back. “You also have the kraken blood and the blood of the alchemist. Excellent. I will also need the blood of thevictim.”
I winced at hearing Willard calledthat.
“We can go there next.” I gave Dimitri the hospital’s address. “Is there any chance that suitcase means you can make the formula on thespot?”
“It’s entirely possible if the lighting is sufficient. Or insufficient, I shouldsay.”
“We’ll figure somethingout.”
* * *
Figuringsomething out entailed going in through a locked fire escape door—I’d returned my lock-pick charm to my necklace, along with the night-vision one—and turning out the lights so Zoltan could follow me. Dimitri waited outside in the getaway vehicle, as he insisted on callingit.
He seemed to think this whole adventure in Seattle was fun. I was too busy worrying about Willard and my future to share his enthusiasm. Every time I heard a police siren in the distance, I flinched. If Willard survived, turning myself into a criminal wanted by the law would have been worth it. But if shedidn’t…
I shook my head as we climbed, not willing to contemplatethat.
Sindari padded along at my side. I could have sent him back to his realm, and he was probably tired after infiltrating the dark-elf compound with me, but I was reluctant to do so. If Willard was worse off than I thought or Zoltan couldn’t do anything, I wanted to be able to lean on him and maybe cry into hisfur.
There was a window on the fire escape door, so I could make sure the hallway was empty before leaning out and looking for a light switch. This late at night, I wasn’t worried about running into that many staff in this relatively quiet wing, but Willard had mentioned a guard outside her door. I could see to her door from the stairs, and there was nobody standing outside it. Did that mean the guard had taken a break? Or that she was so weak that they didn’t see a point to keeping someonehere?
“I cannot go in with such blazing brightness present.” Several steps back, Zoltan had his hand up, guarding his face from the hallway light slashing in through thewindow.
“I know. I’m looking for a light switch. If nothing else, you can set up on the landing down there, and I’ll go get a blood sample.” I pointed through the doorway. “Those look like switches. Halfway down. Right in front of that security camera on the wall. Well, let’s see if my charm works on technology as well as it does on magicalbeasties.”
I will do it,Sindari told me.Go see yourboss.
Thank you.I held open the door for him. With his natural magic, he camouflaged himself from my view and probably the view of the security cameras as well.You’re a goodfriend.
Not just a serviceanimal?
Youareofservice.
