“What should we do?” I asked.
“I’m going to see if I can trace where it came from. Depending on its distance capability, the owner could be nearby.”
“Do you think it was Malone?” The first person that came to my mind.
“Him or whoever sent those thieves to your house.”
“What will they do with video footage of Tigger? Do you think they’ll release it?” Tigger was too young and small yet for the drama that would come with exposure.
Apollo shrugged. “No idea. Guess it depends on their intent. Why don’t you feed our trouble-attracting dragon while I see what I can find out about the spy.”
“About time you remembered I’m starving,” Tigger complained. “A mighty warrior needs sustenance after such an intense battle.”
I held in a sigh. So much for a good night’s sleep—and morning nookie.
Grabbing hold of my dragon, I headed down to the kitchen and found some leftovers for Tigger to devour. As he ate, though, I eyed him, noticed that, despite his cockiness, a faint tremor shook him every so often. He also appeared somewhat ragged, with flaking hunks of skin all over.
“You got bigger,” I remarked, more the size of a small cat than a squirrel.
“I molted, but…” He hesitated.
“But what?”
“While my molts are occurring in quick succession, I am not growing at a proper rate.”
“How can you say that?” You’re almost three times the size since I found you.” It truly boggled the mind how quickly he’d increased in girth.
“Given how much I’ve been eating, though, I should be larger.”
“Or you’re just being impatient. Growing takes time. Even for dragons,” I softly added as I snatched him from a stool and carried him upstairs to his room. Rather than put him to bed, though, I headed into the bathroom and began running water in the sink.
“I don’t have time to be weak and small,” he grumbled, slumping on the counter. “The enemy hunts me.”
“You have us to keep you safe,” I soothed as I sat him in the sudsy water and began gently rubbing at his skin.
“Keep me safe how?” he scoffed. “You have no weapon or fighting skill.”
“Give me a frying pan, and I’ll bash anyone who tries to take you.”
“And if my enemies come for me with a gun?” A quiet statement that had me pausing.
“We don’t know that those showing an interest in you will be violent. Could be they’re just curious.”
Tigger snorted. “You are not usually this woefully naïve, Iolana. Someone without nefarious intent would approach us directly. The invasion of your home, the spying drone, those are aggressive maneuvers.”
I hated he had a point. “Would you feel better if I started carrying something around with me. Pocketknife? Collapsible baton?”
“The one requires you to be quite close; the other is better but no match for a firearm.”
“How about we work on making sure no bad guys come near us in the first place? Apollo mentioned hiring a security firm to patrol the grounds.”
He perked up. “Soldiers for my army?”
“Not exactly. Whoever he does employ won’t be told about you, which, in turn, means no wandering where they might see you. Knowing you, though, you’ll ignore that sensible command, so do me a favor, if you do end up being seen, can you at least pretend you’re a normal lizard?”
“You expect me to act like a dumb beast?”
“Yes. Most importantly, though, no talking to anyone but me, Apollo, and Tutu.”
