“I don’t know. I miss my family, and my absence will worry them. The chicken smells as if it’s almost cooked. Let me check it.”
“You can smell that?”
Sasha laughed. “Yes.” Her humor faded. “Max, what are we going to do?”
“No idea.” Max brushed a quick kiss on her lips and moved out of her way. “I’ll check on Noel and ring my private investigator friend. That’s a start, but two days isn’t much time.”
“It’s not fair that she has used our friendship to force you from your home.”
Max snorted. “Given that the judge has instructed me to vacate the house, my guess is my grandparents will move in here with Noel.”
Sasha focused on creating their meal and chopped green herbs to add to the mashed potatoes.
“I enjoy preparing food,”her dragon said.
“Me too,”Sasha said.“Do you remember the tales Mother told us of the islands? I mean, before the barrier came into existence?”
“There were four islands, but those in charge decided we’doccupy three of them because the humans on the fourth island didn’t wish to lose their contact with the mainland.”
Max returned to the kitchen. “I’ve contacted my friend. Jerome will do some online research tonight and dig around a bit more tomorrow.”
Sasha shot Max a quick glance. “Would you consider taking Noel and running?”
“I’d get caught,” Max said without hesitation. “They’d have my car registration and find us easily. Even though I’d love to thumb my nose at my grandmother, running isn’t the answer.”
“What if I shifted to a dragon and flew you and Noel to Holy Island?” Sasha said, speaking slowly as she and her dragon mentally finessed their plan. “While the cops might object, it would give your private investigator friend time to check out your grandparents and perhaps discover the reasons behind their actions. No one has photos of a dragon—not that I’ve seen—therefore they have no proof of their existence.”
Max was silent for a while. “If the barrier sucks you in and throws you back to your world, what happens then?”
“You and Noel would be safe from your grandparents.”
“I wouldn’t have any money or a way of earning a living,” Max said.
“My family would help you. My brothers. You’d be safe.”
“What about your betrothal?”
“I thought we’d keep pretending.” Unaccustomed heat speared through her. “We’d have to share a room, and you’d need to take on our scent before my family would believe me. The pretense would be harder in my world because dragons have exceptional hearing and an excellent sense of smell.”
“And if we’re discovered, or your parents attack me and ask questions later? Or the dragon who wants you takes issue with me?”
“They’d have to go through us,”her dragon snapped.
Sasha laughed aloud. “My dragon and I are of one accord. They’d have to injure us to get to you or Noel. You are ours to protect.” She turned away to take the chicken from the oven. Next, she picked up the pot to drain the potatoes.
“Let me think about it,” Max said finally. “You might not manage to return to your world.”
“That’s true, but I haven’t tried.”
“God, I was so lucky when you walked into my life,” he said. “Most of the kids around here of your age wouldn’t have given a second thought if they’d found Noel alone. They wouldn’t have noticed his distress.”
“I’m not a kid. But the humans here might’ve surprised you and acted on Noel’s behalf.”
Max snorted. “They might have contacted the police, which would’ve meant trouble for me.”
Max’s phone buzzed. “It’s Jerome,” he said to Sasha before answering the call. “That was quick. Have you discovered something for me already?”
Sasha added butter and milk to the potatoes and mashed them while listening to the conversation. Max’s friend had a low, gravelly voice.
