How about forever?his dragon echoed. It was not going back to sleep. Maybe he needed to have a talk with Taranis. Was it really his dragon, or was it a side of his personality that he just referred to as his dragon?
Bas pulled into a park down the street from the store’s entrance way. “Marge first or your apartment?”
“Marge. She’s going to ask questions and probably flirt with you and think that we are...that… you know...” Bridget struggled.
“That we are dating?”
Bridget coughed. “That’s the sanitized version of what she would be thinking. Trust me, I have seen her reading preferences, and let’s just say they are adventurous.”
“Then let’s play that up. I don’t want her panicking that there’s some monster loose in Dublin because she talks to everyone,” Bas replied. A thought occurred to him, and he paused with his hand on the door. “Unless it would make you uncomfortable at the thought of dating me?”
“I’ll keep that a secret, like you know, the dragon shit you haven’t told me about,” Bridget replied with a wicked gleam in her eyes.
“Oh, like that, is it,” Bas said, opening the door for her.
“Yup.”
Marge was pouring herself some tea from a Royal Albert pot covered in roses, and she beamed at them as they approached the counter.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Basset Greatdrakes. You are making a habit of this, my boy,” she said and then tapped her cheek.
Bas dutifully kissed it. “Marge, would you be terribly upset if I whisked your Bridget away for a few days? I have a place in the north I would love to show her. It’s by the sea. Terrible weather is due, but it would be a good excuse to stay inside. By the fire.”
Bridget made a choking sound, but Marge threw her head back and cackled wildly.
“Praise the goddess! She’s finally going to get out for a few days. I’ve heard of the mystical powers that the Greatdrakes have, but this is truly a miracle.”
“Thanks, Marge. Just tell him I never date, why don’t you,” Bridget muttered, her ears going a dusky pink.
Marge’s grin turned even dirtier. “Don’t worry about that. I’m sure a clever lad will see you’ve just been selective. He can blow the cobwebs out for you.”
“She did say I’d look good wielding a feather duster,” Bas replied, making Marge howl.
“I’m going to pack my bag, and if you keep teasing me, I’m going to change my mind and stay home,” Bridget declared.
Bas took her hand and kissed it. “Quickly now. Lead the way so we can get your clothes.”
“Not that she’ll need them,” Marge called behind them.
“You’re the worst,” Bridget said, opening the door at the back of the shop that revealed an internal staircase.
“Let her believe it. She won’t worry that way,” Bas replied, following her up. “Besides, you never know; I might have a feather duster somewhere if there are any cobwebs you need cleaning.”
Bridget gave him the finger over her shoulder and opened another door. Inside was filled with books, and Bas expected nothing less.
“Don’t mess with the piles. They are all in a special order,” Bridget warned him. She headed for her bedroom, and Bas knew better than to follow.
One wall was covered in clippings and articles, a lot of them about the fae and Morrigan’s attack on Dublin. She had said they had saved her life, and it looked like she had been keeping tabs on their activities.
The stack of books beside it were graphic novels, Doctor Strange and Moon Knight dominating. Bas couldn’t help but smile. They were his favorites too. One pile of books was translations of theHermetica, and another was a collection of science magazines specifically about brains. One had an article he had written that made him smile, but he didn’t move it to the top because he promised her he wouldn’t touch anything. There were stacks of theology, philosophy, and ancient history.
“You really are a magician,” he said, looking over the titles. He called out. “Which Doctor Strange is your favorite?”
“TheLoki: Sorcerer Supremearc that starts in issue #381,” Bridget replied, returning to the lounge with a black backpack slung over her shoulder. “I love Loki too, so it was a double bonus. Why are you grinning?”
“Because you are going to get along really well with my extended family,” Bas replied, and because he couldn’t resist trying to impress her, he added, “We might be the guardians of Fenris’s resting place.”
Bridget’s eyes went wide. “Are you fucking with me right now?”
