“You abominable little beast! Let go of my hair before I go bald!”
Ah. Hair loss. The nightmare of men everywhere. Mal’s grin widened.
“At least he’s not chewing your underwear,” LeeAnne said. “Atrocious little menace.”
“That abominable, atrocious, underwear-chewing, hair-pulling, beasty-menace just saved Law from the residuals of that attack spell,” Mal pointed out. “I suggest a thank-you might be in order. You’re going to have to repay him with brushings, ear and belly scratchings, treats, top-shelf tequila, and whatever else he wants. If you want him to help you, LeeAnne, you’re going to have to hold him and play nice.”
The housekeeper made a face then reached out to take Elliot from Law. So’la continued to steady her. Despite LeeAnne’s revulsion and dislike, she cuddled the little goat close and scratched along the base of his horns, around his ears, and down along his jaw. His tail switched back and forth in delighted spasms, his eyes closing as he made little sighs.
“Methinks the lady doth protest too much,” Mal murmured.
“You think?” Law slid his arm around her. “You still mad?”
“Oh, you think all that sick business gets you off the hook?” Mal shoved him against his chest, but he didn’t move, smiling at her in his cocky way.
“You threatened to kill me.”
He seemed absurdly happy about that fact.
“The night’s young. I still might.”
“Mal?” Tag appeared beside her. “You’d better come. They’re out in the gardens near the tree houses.” His eyes were wide, and he looked slightly afraid.
“What’s going on?”
Mal didn’t wait for the answer as she shifted away from Law and started running. Whatever was happening, they were out of time. He ran beside her. Tag floated alongside.
“There are dragons,” he said in wonder then vanished.
Allow me.
A shadow loomed behind and claws lifted her and Law into the air. The ground blurred below, So’la’s wings billowing as he flapped upward. Mal wondered if he or the dragons were faster. Not that it mattered. This wasn’t going to be a race. This was going to be a fight. Probably to the death.
Well, the virdanas might be willing to die for their cause, but she wasn’t willing to kill them, even if Law and So’la were. Besides, death was easy, and Mal had no intention of letting those bitches off the hook with easy. They were going to have to pay—and pay big—for hurting Law.
Chapter Sixteen
LeeAnne had restoredthe gardens after the day’s brawl. The giants had gathered near a small mirror pool surrounded by flower gardens that had once again been trampled. Talk about rude.
They crowded around a small group of people. Coorsel and Nayena appeared to be two of them. Ilee was another but Mal didn’t see any sign of Hammet. There had to be at least a couple hundred giants standing around watching, many of them virdanas and their bodyguards, plus sixty or seventy small female giants. Some in dragon form. The latter stood off to the side in a group, watching the proceedings.
So’la landed just behind the outer circle of giants, setting Mal and Law down and transforming at the same instant. He landed nimbly on his feet, while his passengers staggered before regaining their balance.
“I’d have landed closer, but there’s a shield,” he said. “You two might end up a little crispy if I break through.”
“Night’s still young and some dragons breathe fire,” Mal said. “We still may end up in Colonel Sanders’ bucket.” She looked at Law. “How do you want to handle this? Are you able to access your full power?”
He nodded. “Thanks to you and that little menace of a goat, yes. You?”
“I’m hoping we don’t have to hit very hard,” she said, unwilling to say the two spells to heal herself and Law had sapped the hell out of her and she’d already been feeling low after the morning’s shenanigans. She was running on fumes. She’d thought a month of lolling around doing nothing would be enough to recuperate from her last job. She’d been so wrong.
Even though she’d done little but eat and sleep since then, she was still recovering from the serious strain she’d put on herself. More than serious. Calamitous, might be more accurate. Or catastrophic. Whatever. She’d overreached and now she was paying the price. She no longer had stamina.
However much power the collection of virdanas could bring to bear, even at full strength, Mal didn’t know if she, So’la, and Law had the capability to shut them down. With Mal running on empty, they’d need to go the devious route.
Luckily, she was good at devious, and So’la was even better. Law—well, he liked rules, but he’d been known to color outside the lines from time to time. Now was going to be one of those times. Just as soon as they figured out what the hell was going on.
“Noted,” Law said with a meaningful look over her shoulder at So’la.
