“Well, then don’t drag it out, dog,” Jane blurts.
As fast as lightening, the shifter wraps his hand around Jane’s throat and slams us against the cement wall next to the ladder. Her head bounces off the cement as Vuur grabs the center of the camo shirt.
“I must ask you,” Vuur says, popping our head against the wall again, “not to refer to me—” He repeats the action with a bit more force. “—as a dog. Otherwise you will force me to—” I try to comment, but Jane’s voice only inaudibly squeaks as Vuur tightens his grip, flashes us lizard eyes, and then continues. “—show you exactly how hot that proverbial dog shit can be.”
“That all you got?” Jane squawks.
Vuur squeezes harder, and then lets up.
Jane swallows hard, and takes a breath we kind of need.
“I’m sorry,” I say hoarsely. “It seems the side of my personality that you are not fond of is quick to respond in the face of anger.”
“Then I suggest you not anger me, and in turn, I shall try not to hurt you again.” The dragon bows. “Lest there be nothing left to hurt if you continue.”
“Okay, sugar, stop puffin’ out like a blowfish, and I’ll try not to stoke the flames,” Jane says. “Unless it’s a sizzle we can both enjoy.”
I hope she doesn’t get herself killed; I really like this human.
When Vuur backs up, runs fingers through his tousled hair, and makes angry animal noises from deep within his throat, I try out Jane’s voice.
“’Ey, you got a car? We can hit Gaire’s lair. I know where that is.” I even work my hand with my hip.
Vuur says nothing until he pulls out two red wish tokens and bounces them in his hand. “Hopefully you have an address? Or are we planning on wading through the sewers?”
“204A West Burleigh Boulevard, in Tavares,” I recite over Jane’s snarl.
***
Twenty seconds later, we reappear under a sewer grate behind a strip of buildings next to the Rise and Shine, Gaire’s diner. More than a few minutes later, after having searched the perimeter … twice, we stand near the back door under the stairway that leads up to Gaire’s apartment. Vuur pulls another long metal B&E tool, a mirror-like thingy, from a leather pouch and slides it along the door frame.
After having passively followed Vuur around for a good fifteen minutes, I can feel Jane’s temper rising. She’s finally had enough. She huffs a silent sigh and pushes me around the side of the building and up to a small, single framed window about shoulder height.
As her eyes search the area below and around the window, I cerebrally open a discussion.
You’re not planning on breaking that window are you?
You wanna get in or what?
Still, what if there’s an alarm? I mentally prod.
Jane spits a laugh. I seriously doubt it.
Before I can object further, Jane shocks me when she tugs her shirt off, wraps it around her fist, pops the window, brushes glass off the ledge, puts her shirt back on, and then climbs in.
My head is spinning while Jane guides us through a storage room, moves us into the diner’s kitchen, and up to the door knob Vuur is jostling. We quietly and quickly turn the lock and yank the door open.
Vuur leers at us.
“Surely you did not break a window? Have you searched for an alarm system?” The dragon rushes by, seething at us over his shoulder while his eyes scan the walls. “This is exactly why I asked—politely, I might add—that you do not interfere, and only assist,” he hisses. “Did you give thought to what we might tell the local authorities when they arrive?”
“’Eh, yeah, we used our brains. You? Not so much,” Jane says. “Guy’s a friggin’, murderin’, badass windy-go. Alarm? Cops? Ya think?” She grins at Vuur. “I assisted my ass off. You’re inside the building, right?”
An hour later, while I’m going through mail, the dragon says, “I want to know what you are. I need to know. Tell me?”
I hold a letter I’d just opened over a stack of mail I’d gathered off the floor. “No, I don’t think so.” The stack of envelopes looks like several days’ worth, probably still being pushed through the mail slot in the door on a daily basis. I move register receipts, sticky notes, and three magazines off to the side, set the envelope down, and lean both elbows on the counter.
Smiling up at the dragon, I say, “And I’d appreciate you not asking this question again.”