How to Date a Dragon(55)

Bliss set down the paper and pencil. She rose and paced as the gravity of the situation sank in. She’d always coped with unsavory situations using her signature flippancy and irreverence. She wasn’t feeling very flippant at the moment.





Chapter 12


Drake had greeted the other paranormals at the bar and gathered them together in the back booth. Kurt, the wizard; Tory, the shapeshifting coyote; and Nick, the werewolf. As they were waiting for Anthony, the vampire bar owner, to join them, Drake asked, “So, are there others we should invite to this meeting?”

Kurt, Tory, and Nick all exchanged glances.

At last Nick said, “No, why? Have you heard about more?”

“Yeah. Sadie said something about the building being protected even after everyone leaves for the night.”

Nick chuckled. “I guess she’s talking about the house brownies. I don’t know how much protection they’d provide. They’re about a foot tall.”

All three of the other men stared at Nick. “House brownies?” they repeated in unison.

“Yeah. They were the first paranormals Brandee had ever seen. I’m glad my wife was introduced to the supernatural world though them. They don’t present much of a threat. They’re only goal is to clean the bar, and they’re happy to do so as long as there are plenty of peanuts and pretzels to eat. If someone insults them, they might play some kind of harmless prank but that’s about it.”

Drake’s irritation rose. “Then why did Sadie think they’d provide plenty of protection for Bliss after dark?”

“Maybe because they’re down here in the bar after hours and could signal an early warning,” Nick said. “From what I understand, they eat a few snacks, then they clean the place until dawn as a thank-you.”

“Actually…” a deep voice said.

Drake whipped around to see Anthony standing behind him.

“They’re quite protective of the place. As long as they feel valued, they will continue to keep everything in perfect condition. I can’t tell you how many times Ruxandra has had a fit and trashed the bar. The brownies always put it back together before morning.”

Anthony dragged a chair over and sat at the end of the booth.

“Where is Ruxandra these days?” Tory asked.

Anthony chuckled. “She thinks she’s punishing me by depriving me of her presence.”

“Wow.” Nick leaned back, looking impressed. “Well done. What did you do to make her think that? Did you say, ‘I can’t miss you if you won’t go away?’”

The others laughed, but Anthony shook his head.

“No. She’s vain enough to have come up with that all on her own. In fact, she’s probably on another recruiting mission, finding just the right guy to make me jealous.”

Tory grinned. “Hey, maybe she’ll find someone she likes better and finally dump your ass.”

“I’d never get that lucky.” Anthony sighed. “I made her, so she’ll always feel… obligated to me. Never mind her. What did you call us together for, Drake? I assume it’s not to talk about my vampire ex-girlfriend.”

“No. I want to talk about my very human, very special girlfriend. I need your help to make sure she’s safe.”

Nick immediately went into his private investigator mode. “Why? What’s going on?”

“The female who kicked the crap out of me last week… she’s a dragon and I think she’s kind of like Anthony’s Ruxandra. She’s hard to get rid of and jealous of any woman she perceives as getting in her way.”

All four guys groaned.

Drake continued while he had the floor. “She hasn’t left the area. I think she’s been setting all the fires, but I have no proof. No one can find any signs of arson, but that just makes it even more likely that it’s her. Unlike myself, she can still breathe fire, so she could easily touch off a wooden building or a pile of brush and leave no evidence behind. Also, I think she’s targeting me since most of the fires have been set all over my district. And she may be using her wings. That puts us all at risk for discovery.”

“Wait,” Anthony said. “You work in this district, don’t you?”

“Yeah. So far she’s stayed away from this particular street, but I have a terrible feeling she’s saving it for last.”

“Crap,” Nick said. “Do you know where she’s staying? Maybe we can set up a sting.”

“No. I haven’t seen her, but I’m sure she’s around. I have this sixth sense that tingles whenever danger is near. It’s been driving me crazy—especially when we’re out on a job. If she’s watching, she’s very good at staying out of sight.”