“I’m still not comfortable leaving her here alone,” Julius said as they started down the stairs.
Marci shrugged. “It’s safer than bringing her with us. And anyway, she’s an ancient dragon. It’s not like she needs a babysitter. You should be more worried about her eating us out of house and home.”
When the tacos had run out, they’d ordered pizza. An hour later, that was gone, too. So was Marci’s entire fifth of emergency vodka, which washighlyannoying. Amelia might be easier to get along with, but when it came to being a houseguest, she was even worse than Justin. At least he didn’t drink.
“She’s healing,” Julius said by way of an explanation. “And she did promise to buy you another bottle. An expensive one.”
Marci laughed, trying to imagine what an ancient, wealthy dragon like Amelia would consider “expensive” vodka. “I just hope I’m alive to enjoy it.”
She’d meant that as a joke, but Julius looked more dour than ever, which wouldn’t do at all. Their plan depended on him playing his role as the terrible and fearsome dragon, which was tough to pull off when you looked like a kicked puppy. Before she could think of something properly motivating to cheer him up, though, she spotted Amelia at the bottom of the stairs, wrapped in a bloody towel and holding herself up by the railing.
“Should you be up?” Julius asked, hurrying past Marci to help her.
“I’m not made of paper,” Amelia said, smacking his hands away. “I was just coming to ask if I could bum some new clothes. Not that blood-stained isn’t my style, but I usually prefer it to be someoneelse’sblood.”
“Sure,” Marci said. “I’m basically running a dragon clothing service at this point, anyway.” She handed her bag to Julius. “Would you mind putting this in the truck for me?”
“Do you even have keys for that hunk of junk?” he asked, tilting sideways as he slid her criminally heavy bag, complete with cat spirit poking his head through the zipper, onto his shoulder.
“Nope, but there’s a screwdriver in the ignition.”
Julius’s eyebrows shot up. Thankfully, though, he didn’t say anything more about her dalliances in car theft. He just waved and headed for the front door. Amelia watched him the whole way, her brows knitted.
“What?” Marci asked.
“Nothing,” Amelia replied. “We just did a bang up job. I never would have expected it, given the material we had to work with, but ruthless is a surprisingly good look on Julius. Mother would have a heart attack if she saw him like that.”
Marci started back up the stairs. “And I suppose that’s part of the appeal for you?”
“How well you understand dragons,” Amelia said with a grin, using the wooden banister to pull herself along as she followed Marci up to her room. “Also, I have to say you’re doing a fantastic job at controlling your fear. You don’t smell afraid at all to me.”
“I’ve been too busy to be afraid,” she said, digging into her dresser in search of something that might fit yet another crazy tall dragoness. “I’m sure it’ll all catch up with me later.”
“I wonder,” Amelia said, sitting carefully on the footboard of Marci’s bed so as not to get blood on the comforter. “Ghost was in the bag you handed Julius. I assume that means you’re taking him with you?”
“I can’t leave him,” Marci said. “He’s my cat.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Why? Do you think I shouldn’t?”
Amelia pursed her lips. “I’m not sure, to be honest. He seems very loyal, which isn’t something I’d have expected, and I can’t imagine he’d make things worse.”
“But?” Marci prompted.
The dragon sighed. “Remember what I told you on my island? Mortal Spirits draw their magic from mortal concepts. That’s what makes them so incredibly powerful, but it’s also their greatest flaw, because most global concepts humans share aren’t the sort of things you want to be bound to. Until Ghost remembers his name, there’s no way of knowing what his domain actually is, but just going off what I’ve observed of him so far, I don’t think it’ll be something warm and cuddly.”
After what had happened in the alley, Marci didn’t either, but shedidbelieve that whatever Ghost turned out to be, he would still be himself, and he would still care about her. “Don’t worry,” she said, flashing the dragon a confident smile. “I can handle it.”
“I’m not saying you can’t,” Amelia replied. “Normally. But you’re going into a situation where your life will be at riskandyou’ll be drawing enormous amounts of magic off of one of the biggest spirits in the world. That’s a lot of temptation for a newborn Mortal Spirit on the edge of guessing his name. I don’t want to lose you both just because someone got desperate.”
Marci hadn’t considered that angle. Again, though, Ghost had seen her at her worst and her best. He was surly and grumpy, and more than a little disobedient, but he was hers. When the chips were down, he’d come through for her every time, and Marci always repaid loyalty.
“I promise I’ll be careful,” she said, digging out her maxi-dress, the only item of clothing she had left that might fit Amelia. “But I can’t go up against Vann Jeger with anything less than my best, and Ghost is part of that. It’ll be what it’ll be.”
“I suppose that’s the most I can ask for,” Amelia said, holding out her hand to accept the dress Marci offered. “You’ve already made it clear I can’t order you around. But would you take some advice from an old dragon?”
“Always,” Marci said. “What?”
Amelia smiled, but the expression didn’t reach her eyes. “Don’t let him see you weak.”
“Why not?” she asked, instantly suspicious.
