“And you really think this is the weird shadow thing that was after us in the astral that day?” Bridget asked, flipping through the articles.
“It was trying to feed off of us, so it fits the pattern. It also came back in your dreams when I wasn’t there to protect you,” he growled, the metal spoon in his hand bending with his too-tight grip.Shit. He straightened it out again and hoped she didn’t see it. Bridget had. She noticed everything.
“I’m a big girl, Bas. I know how to protect myself,” she said, eyeing the wrecked spoon.
“Not in the astral, you don’t. I’m not accusing you of not being capable. You clearly have magic to burn, but you don’t have the knowledge of how to do it. This creature hunts minds like yours. It’s probably been starving for centuries, and now it’s woken up, it’s been gorging itself. Then it comes across the unprotected mind of a magician and probably thought you were all-you-can-eat buffet,” Bas replied, tipping in extra chocolate chips because he was starting to freak out over the thought of her being defenseless.
“Why did it wake up now?” Bridget asked, looking back at the articles. “What even is it?”
“I don’t know the what, but I know the why.” Bas mixed ingredients and rolled cookie balls while he told her about the fae kings restoring the magical ley lines linking Faerie and the human world the year before.
“A huge injection of power surged through, and ancient creatures that have been starved and sleeping for centuries have woken up. I believe whatever we are hunting is one such creature. Kenna had no idea what it was, so she passed the job on to me.”
Bas arranged the dough on baking trays before setting a timer. He was bending down to put them in the oven when he got a flash of ‘Nice ass’ from her mind, and he nearly dropped the tray in surprise. His dragon preened, and Bas quickly put the cookies in the oven. He really had to teach her to shield her thoughts even if they were complimentary.
“This thing is just feeding off people until they drop dead,” Bridget said, clearing her throat. “That’s fucked up.”
“It is. Can I get you a drink? Tea?” Bas asked, his neck still hot from the compliment she unknowingly gave him.
Bridget smiled. “We can start with tea, but I feel like I’ll need to check out your cellar by the end of this visit. Especially when we get to the bit about dragons.”
“You’re welcome to it,” Bas replied and put the kettle on. He was going to kill Valentine. “Dragons can come later.”
“Okay, but I won’t forget.” Bridget tapped the folder. “Say you’re right, and this shadow man-creature is stalking me. What am I meant to do about it?”
Bas turned to face her. “We, Bridget. What arewegoing to do about it? I want your help trying to identify it and also to kill it.”
“I’m bait,” she said bluntly. “Just say it, Bas.”
“We know it wants you. It’s not the kind of predator to let you go just because you slipped its trap once.”
And neither am I, his dragon growled. Jesus. He needed to get a grip on himself.
“Your mind is too much of a feast to pass up,” Bas continued. “I won’t let it touch you.”
We need to protect this one, Basset, Cosimo touched his mind from out in the hall where he was eavesdropping.Offer her a guest room. We can’t, in good conscience, let her leave.
Thanks, Dad. I’ll try to get her to stay, but she has trauma. I have to tread carefully. Now go away.Amusement bloomed through the connection before he felt Cosimo break it off and move away.
“Okay, what about if you make me like an amulet or something to wear?” Bridget asked, pulling him back to the conversation in front of him.
“It got a hook in you that my dreaming ward didn’t remove. An amulet wouldn’t work.”
Bridget frowned. “You can’t be with me every minute.”
“I can if you stay here where there’s no way it can get to you.”
“I don’t need a babysitter,” she growled.
“I wouldn’t be one. You would stay here as a guest and help me kill this thing. That’s the only way you’ll be safe.” Bas could see the fear in her eyes, but he didn’t know if it was the shadow creature or the offer to stay that was causing it. He smiled, trying to defuse the tension. “Besides, there are bonuses to staying. You haven’t even tasted my cookies yet.”
Bridget’s mouth twitched. “You think they are good enough to convince me to stay in a house with a bunch of dudes I don’t know?”
“No one will ever cause you harm in this house,” Bas said, willing her to believe him. “And my cookies are the best you’ll ever taste.”
Bridget’s mind was so loud, he couldn’t stop the words bombarding him.Is he still talking about cookies? Hesmells way too good. Oh my god, stop staring at his lips. Look at the articles, Bridget.
The timer on the oven went off, making them both startle, and Bas quickly got the trays out to let them cool. Bridget focused back on the pages before her and didn’t look up until Bas placed tea and cookies in front of her.
