“Back to the point I was making,” I nearly interrupted.
“Right,” Violetta said. Then she looked up at Smith again. “How long have you had those books?”
He shrugged. “Maybe a couple days.”
“Has anyone tried to break in here?” Violetta asked.
“Or ruffled through your belongings?” I added.
“Nope,” Smith said. “But that doesn’t mean much. Most people and monsters are smart enough not to try to mess with a dragon. Because most people don’t like the idea of getting turned into a charcoal briquette.”
“Which explains why Smith was left alone,” I said, mostly to Violetta. She nodded.
“But you aren’t a dragon,” she said.
I nodded. “Whoever did this wasn’t expecting the fact that I have a Hollow protecting me. He probably thought I was just a lone gypsy he could easily get the books from. He never expected me to fight back. And there’s no way he expected that a gypsy would be backed by a whole coven of witches. All of which he has now learned. So, if I were him, I’d wait until things died down to try again.”
“Okay, this all makes logical sense,” Violetta said.
“So if we want to find who did this,” I continued. “We’re going to have to lure him back out into the open.”
“And how do we do that?” Smith asked.
I shrugged. “Maybe we let him believe he’s tricked us?”
“And how do we do that?” Smith repeated.
I shrugged. “Maybe I just move back into my house? Instead of staying at the coven house?”
Violetta leaned an elbow against the side of the house, tapping her boot on the hard-packed earth. “I don’t know. It seems risky to let you come back here without backup.”
I smirked. “Who said I’d be alone?”
“Explain,” she answered.
I shrugged. “Olga texted me earlier to say she had her translation done. We had been planning on brewing something tonight. So, instead of doing it at the coven house, we do it at mine. And with any luck, this little kobold won’t be able to resist taking a peek.”
“How do I fit in, because you’re not leaving this bruja behind.”
“Or this dragon,” Smith added.
I nodded, giving them both smiles. “Thank you.”
“You can thank us later,” Violetta answered, waving my gratitude away as if it were an errant fly. “Let’s get to the good stuff.”
“I’ll fill you in on the way to the coven house,” I answered. “I need to raid Maverick’s brewing station.” I paused and then sighed. “And I’m thinking I need to dip into my alchemical bag of tricks to beat this guy. That means I’m going to need time and the coven’s help. Yours too, if you’re okay with that, Violetta.”
“Of course I am.”
I nodded. “Okay, then we return here when I’ve got everything ready. When we’re sure we can spring the trap and catch this thing once and for all.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Violetta said. “I’m in.” Then she turned to face the big guy. “Smith, maybe you should bring your little beast. Burns could take on a kobold.”
“I didn’t volunteer him in the ring, Vi,” he said.
“Because you know Burns would trounce the kobold?” He cocked his head to the side as if to say the idea wasn’t farfetched. “Well, it’s not like Burns will eat him, right?”
“Maybe?”
