“I never said—”
“Better go save Javier from certain death,” Joe said.
He grabbed Uriel’s hand and dragged him down the street.
“Or we could let Eldon handle it. That’d be fun.”
Joe sighed. “Or I could be an adult and handle him myself. I’ve ignored him for almost a week already.”
Uriel grunted. “Four days.”
“What?”
“It’s been four days. He showed up at breakfast on Sunday. It’s Thursday.”
“I know what day it is, Uriel.”
“Good.”
“You’re in such a mood today. I’d have thought you’d be happier after—”
“Oh, I’m happy. I’m just wondering how I managed to never once in my life be seen in town in my pajamas, and yet now, twice in one week, I’m prancing around town in my night clothes.”
Joe snorted. “Night clothes? Really.”
“You aren’t helping.”
“Yes, I am.”
“Unnnnnnnnnbreak my hearrrrttttttttt.”
“For the love of flying fairies, has he pulled up a nineties' Divas playlist or something?” Joe grumbled. “Busting out the Toni Braxton. Good choice.”
“Do you have a thing for nineties divas?”
“Don’t you?”
They rounded the corner of the Tinseled Inn and found a small crowd standing behind Javier. He sang at the top of his lungs while staring up at the windows of the carriage house. Music came from his phone, but it was nowhere near loud enough to cover the horrible singing.
“Pretty sure it’s a playlist,” Uriel said.
“Not helping.”
“What? You asked.” Uriel might have spoken louder than he meant to. In his defense, until that very second, Javier had been bellowing his heart out.
Javier whipped around and stared at them with his mouth hanging open.
The crowd began to whisper.
“What are you doing with that…that….”
“Dragon?” Joe offered.
Uriel groaned. “Joe….”
What could he say? Until Joe allowed him to explain, Uriel couldn’t make the expectations for secrecy clear. Then again, at the rate they were going, a dragon would be a welcome distraction, perhaps by making a bonfire out ofJavierand putting Uriel out of his misery.
8
