"A lot of them," Max said. Realizing that this might be a bit rude, she added, "I get dragon clients on a regular basis. They tend to have money and a lot of pride, which leads to wanting my services. I've been hired to do everything from retrieving missing pieces of a dragon's hoard to avenging their honor, and in one case I had to be an escort to a dragon ball."
That had been honestly really terrible; dragon clans were even more bound up in tradition and ceremony than her own people, and she had spent the entire time being miserable in a glittering five-thousand-dollar dress that her loaded client had foisted on her. However, there had been a good paycheck at the end of it, so she didn't mind too much.
Thea joined them at the fire with a laden plate and a cup of tea. "Oh, you're a private investigator, aren't you? Gio told us that, but not much more."
Gio flashed Max a flirtatious wink, somehow looking even more dashing with a baby against his shoulder. "I wouldn't want to spoil all your best stories."
"I'm sure you do have some good stories," Jess said. She arranged the lap desk with a nod of thanks to Mace. "Tell us your best dragon story, I'd love to hear it."
"Now, don't put her on the spot," Mace protested with a dignified host's pride.
"I'd love to tell you some stories," Max said.
She was going to like these people. She could tell.
* * *
In the afternoon, Javic portaled through with Sofia, the two little girls, and Elina.
"We can't stay for very long," Sofia told a delighted Max as the sisters hugged. "Just a few hours. But I couldn't turn down your hosts' invitation to see Newfoundland. This instant travel around the world is pretty great for keeping in touch, isn't it?"
"I feel spoiled," Max agreed.
The rain had stopped, although the clouds hung low and threatening. Mace provided umbrellas and ponchos for the group, and suggested a walk down to the village to look around. Jess lay down for a nap, but Thea took Mace's hand and said she could use the exercise.
It was a cheerful and boisterous group that headed down the hill, with Max and Sofia chatting eagerly, plus two excited little girls and Elina, who had blossomed into a happy and outgoing teenager. They followed a narrow, steep road that soon entered a village of small, colorful houses built on the hillside overlooking the bay. There was a life-sized gargoyle at the point where the road reached the village, surrounded by flowers and gazing serenely out over the bay. Sofia and Elina both stopped to take lots of pictures.
"Oh, you haven't seen anything yet," Thea said. "If you like gargoyles, have you ever come to the right place."
Brightly painted houses in a dazzling array of colors clung to the hillside, some up steep flights of steps, others placed directly on the rain-washed streets. Flowers were everywhere. And, as Thea had said, there were gargoyles. Some were small, half-hidden in gardens; some crouched on roofs; others stood beside the road. There was a particularly dramatic one in a roundabout with flowers around its feet. At Elina's insistence, Sofia photographed her standing beside it with the two girls and an uncomfortable-looking Javic.
"Did you make all these?" Max asked Mace.
"Not just me. My parents and their parents, going all the way back to the founding of the town."
"Gio said that they protect the town."
"They do," Mace said seriously. "No evil can enter while the MacKay family's protection magic stands."
Max found her gaze going to Javic. He and the rest of Sofia's family were a way ahead of them now. With no traffic at all on the narrow streets, and few sidewalks, they were all walking in the middle of the road. Javic had his arm around Sofia's waist, her head resting against his shoulder. The girls, supervised by Elina, scampered ahead.
Mace saw where she was looking. "Gio told me a little of what you went through," he said quietly. "If there was any evil in him now, he couldn't be here."
"I don't think there is," Max said slowly. "I would never let him near my sister if I thought he was dangerous, mate or not. He's a decent person who made some mistakes."
"Oh, there's the Westerly Inn," Thea said, pointing. "I realize everyone's probably still stuffed from lunch, but we should stop there and get some caffeine to keep us going. Heddy Westerly makes amazing coffee drinks and shakes."
The inn's combined dining room and coffee bar was cozy and small, with wooden furniture and a pleasant old-fashioned vibe. Heddy Westerly was a bustling, friendly woman who insisted that they try her new flavor, a lingonberry mocha with whipped cream topped with rose petals and chocolate shavings.
Max volunteered to throw herself on the new flavor, although she wasn't a fan of sweet coffee in general. But Mace ordered one, and she decided it looked too good to pass up.
"What's lingonberry?" she whispered to Thea.
"Oh, it's a berry that grows wild on the island. A little like cranberries. The locals pick them for jam and also use them as a pancake topping."
Cranberry chocolate coffee sounded a bit concerning, but as soon as Max took a sip, she had no regrets. Heddy Westerly's expert hand had blended the tartness of the berries with the sweetness of the chocolate and the bitter coffee so that they harmonized perfectly. The rose petals added a faint perfume that made Max feel as if she was sipping it outside on a warm summer day, despite the cold and gloomy weather.
Sofia requested an iced one without the coffee for the little girls, basically a cranberry and chocolate slushee. She had a rose hip latte herself, another of Heddy's unique creations. Javic ordered the special too. Max got the feeling he was mostly trying to be nice, but he seemed to like it. Gio had a plain coffee and shrugged when Max nudged him and gave him a scowl over her rose-petal-topped whipped cream. "You can't teach an old cat new tricks," he murmured.
