A Destiny of Dragons (Tales From Verania #2)(75)

A dungeon guard behind us started choking.

“We know,” Morgan said. “Everyone knows.”

“Good,” I said. I leaned over and kissed Ryan on the cheek. “Thanks, but I’ll have to take a rain check. On the sexing. Because we’re trying to be serious right now. Not everything is about butt play, babe.”

He was blushing. I wanted to devour him whole. “You didn’t have to say it like that,” he muttered, glancing back at the guard.

I rolled my eyes. “Like your underlings don’t know that you get laid on the reg. They probably tell stories about how you finally were able to land all of this.”

“It’s good to know his ego’s still intact after the protest,” Randall said.

Yes. That. I was going to have to deal with that. Sooner rather than later. I wondered if it was too gauche to call Tina out for a duel. Did people still duel over things? I’d never been invited to one, so I didn’t know. That made me a little sad. Because maybe people hadn’t invited me to duels because they didn’t like me, just like Tina said. Fine. Whatever. I’d have my own duel and not invite them either! Perfectly mature response.

“What we were talking about again?” I asked. “I was too busy thinking of ways to murder—I mean, feed homeless kittens.”

Morgan and Randall sighed in unison.

“So, Wan,” Gary said. “Do you know why we’re here?”

Wan shrugged. “Not exactly.”

Gary nodded sympathetically. “Of course. How could you? Having been locked up all this time.”

“Ask him if he poops in buckets,” I muttered, even though Gary couldn’t hear me.

“Am I being transferred?” Wan asked.

“Am I being transferred,” Gary said, pacing in front of the table. “That’s what you’re asking me.”

“Yes?”

“Was that a question? Because it sounded like a question.”

“I don’t know?”

“You. Don’t. Know.” Gary stopped pacing. “What do you know?”

“What?” Wan asked, sounding confused. “Listen, I don’t—”

“No,” Gary snarled suddenly, stomping his hoof on the floor. “You listen.”

“Eep,” Wan squeaked.

“I’m a loose cannon,” Gary said, baring his teeth. “Everyone down at the precinct says so. Loose Cannon Goth Princess Gary they call me.”

“Oh no,” I moaned. “He’s role-playing again. Whose idea was this?”

“Yours,” Randall said. Like an asshole.

“Loose Cannon Goth—” Wan started.

“Did I say you could call me that?” Gary roared, spittle flying from his lips. “My husband just left me because he couldn’t handle being the spouse of a cop. Do you think I have any fucks left to give?”

“No!” Wan said shrilly. “No fucks!”

“You’re godsdamned right I don’t,” Gary said. “And if you think I’m bad, you just wait until my partner gets ahold of you.”

Tiggy let out a low rumble.

“You remember him, don’t you?” Gary whispered as he leaned forward, his face inches from Wan’s. “He’s the one that made sure Lartin was spread evenly along the cave wall.”

Wan’s eyes were wide.

“Spread him like butter,” Tiggy agreed. “Bloody, bloody butter.”

“So badass,” I whispered fervently to Ryan. “I know them.”

“I know you do,” Ryan said, patting me on the shoulder.

“Do you want to be Tiggy’s bloody butter?” Gary asked.

“No!” Wan said, looking like he was starting to cower.

“Then you’ll tell me what I want to know?”

“Yes!”

“Good,” Gary said. “I only have one question for you. And you’re gonna be my good boy and answer it, aren’t you.”

“Such a good boy!”

“I know you are. You ready?”

“Yes,” Wan whimpered.

Gary leaned forward and whispered, “Who is the dark man in shadows?”

“You don’t know what you’re asking,” Wan said, and he was visibly trembling. I’d never seen him like that before. Not even at the battle in the throne room. He’d struck me as fearless, or so close that it didn’t matter if he wasn’t.

“I do,” Gary said, lip curling. “Tell me.”

Wan shook his head. “I’ve never met him. I’ve never even seen him. But I heard the stories, okay? There’s nothing you can do to stop it. The fact that you already know of his existence means it’s already begun. You won’t be able to—”

I felt it first. Out of all the magic—the half-giant and the unicorn, the two powerful wizards, the inherent magic in Ryan as he was the cornerstone—I felt it first. It was just a brush along my skin, like a caress, fingers trailing along my arm.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

I frowned. “That’s—”

Wan sat straight up, the fear leaving him as if it’d never been there at all. He looked loose, relaxed. He had a small smile on his face. He drummed his fingers along the tabletop as if he were playing a song on a piano. He shook his head and sighed. “You would think,” he said, voice deeper than I’d ever heard it before, “you wouldn’t send a horse to do a man’s job.”