Page 33 of Dragon’s Rogue

Tyr looked at Thorne. “Coven tattoos? She thinks we’re sorcerers? That’s adorable.” He made his shirt and tux jacket vanish, keeping his bow tie intact. He looked like a male stripper. He twirled slowly, letting Blaze get a good look at his chest and back, flexing for good measure. Zane was happy to see that Blaze looked less than impressed.

“No tattoos here either,” Tyr said. “Would you like me to take off my pants, just to make sure?”

“No,” said Blaze, Zane and Thorne simultaneously.

Tyr shrugged. “Your loss.”

Blaze glared, but apparently decided against smiting him. Zane wished she would. His dragon was not happy that Tyr was showing off his muscles to their mate.

Instead, she turned to Thorne. “I know who you are. You’re well known on the Shadow Market—you make good on your deals, and you don’t fuck with people to try to get out of paying. If the wrong people should find out you’ll steal what you can’t buy, your reputation will go to hell. One word from me to Jean-Claude, and you’re finished.”

Thorne said, very coolly for a man strung up by his wrists, “So what are you proposing?”

While Blaze’s attention was diverted, Zane was working quietly at neutralizing the spell that held the ropes. It was trickier than eluding a spell that was touching him, but he could do it. It would just take a couple of minutes.

Blaze said, “Give me back the idol.”

“We never wanted the idol,” Thorne replied. “I wanted the Dragonfly of Morocco. It may be something I’ve been hunting for a long time.”

Her eyes narrowed. “So why did your minion decide to take the idol instead?”

The spell unraveled, and the ropes slithered off Zane’s wrists. Witch: 2, Dragons: 2. All even. “Not a minion,” he said, his temper rising. “And I didn’t. It came to me.”

Chapter 17

Blaze turned to the thief. Zane. His name was Zane. And oh, hell, he was standing on the terrace now, not suspended above it. He was watching her warily, shifting his weight on his lean muscular legs, his hands free.

He’d neutralized her spell. Damn, damn, damn—he was powerful. Blaze took another step back, trying to keep them all in sight at once. This could get ugly fast.

Zane seemed to be able to read her face. He also took a step back and held up his hand, indicating that he wasn’t going to try anything.

Yeah, right.

He rolled his shoulders to loosen them, and Blaze almost forgot to keep her guard up. He was big—well over six feet—and his chest was incredible. Defined pecs, eight-pack abs—all of it rippling in the moonlight right in front of her.

She focused with an effort. “What do you mean, the idol came to you?”

“There was someone else there that night,” he said. “In the vault. She had the box with the idol in her hands when I got there. She opened it, the tracking dust hit her in the face, and she dropped the box. The idol fell on my damned foot. I picked it up, the alarm went off, and I shoved it into my pocket without thinking and ran.”

It would have sounded completely unbelievable, except she knew it was true. Rebel Smith was there. That was why she’d had the magic residue on her. She’d wanted the idol, but she didn’t get it.

And Zane wanted the Dragonfly, and had ended up with the idol. It was almost comical.

Almost.

Blaze said, “Where is the idol now?”

Astoundingly, Zane reached right into the pocket of his tattered jacket and pulled out the velvet pouch.

Her first thought was pure relief. He’d brought the idol; she could get it back right now. Her second thought came out of her mouth before she could stop it. “You brought that here, to a gathering of the most powerful dealers in dark magic in Portland? With no wards but that pouch? Are you insane? What the hell were you thinking?”

Zane glanced down at the idol in his hand, looking nonplused. Couldn’t he feel the evil emanating from it? Now that it was out in the open, Blaze could feel it from where she was standing.

Or maybe he was already under its influence.

It was the one in the doorway who spoke, though.

“Thorne was thinking we could trade it back to you. For the Dragonfly of Morocco.”