Dragon Soul
Page 12
The man snarled something rude under his breath, but didn’t move… until a swirl of wind ruffled my hair, followed by a dark shadow falling across us.
“Is there a problem?” a familiar voice asked, and with a sigh of relief, I turned to smile at the newcomer.
“Hello again, Rowan.” I could have cried I was so happy to see him. “You seem to be making a habit of rescuing us from this bastard. Sorry, Mrs. P. I shouldn’t have said the word bastard in front of you.”
“It doesn’t bother me,” she said with a little shrug. “My favorite epithet has always been murderous whoreson, but if bastard rings your chimes, then you go with it.”
Rowan, whose curls were all over the place and whose face bore a pillow crease on one cheek, rubbed his jaw as he looked from the murderous whoreson to me. “I’m happy to be of help, naturally, although I’m unsure of what the issue is this time.”
I ignored the slight emphasis on the last two words. “He was going to garrote Mrs. P. Look, he’s even got the garroting thing right there out in the open where anyone can see it.”
The plane man smiled and held up his hands. Between them dangled a silver chain. “This is a simple gift to express my apology for having unwittingly disturbed the lady earlier today.”
I snorted, disregarding the fact that such actions are never feminine, let alone charming. “Oh, pull the other one, it has bells all over it. You were going to strangle sweet little old Mrs. P, and there’s nothing you can say to convince me otherwise.”
“You seem to believe the worst about this individual,” Rowan said. “Almost as if you knew each other and are suspicious about his motives.”
I felt like he was poking around trying to get at something, but I wasn’t sure what he was after or why. “I don’t know him,” I said slowly, my joy at seeing Rowan fading somewhat. “I don’t even know his name.”
“Mauritius Kim,” the man said, bowing. I blinked a couple of times at that—I mean, what were the odds of meeting two men who bowed like that? And was I expected to respond in kind? Maybe curtsey? My jet lag had me giggling again at the thought of even trying to pull off such a move, which resulted in the plane man—Mr. Kim—giving me a mean look.
“Sorry,” I said, passing my hand over my mouth as if that would hold in the giggles. “I’m seriously jet lagged. I don’t know what your deal is with Mrs. P, but she doesn’t want any of it.”
Mrs. P looked the man over. I half expected her to come out with a risqué comment, or at least a mention of how she used to be a hoochie-coo dancer, but she just gave a little sniff, and said, “No.”
“See? It’s not just me being paranoid.”
“No, of course she doesn’t.” Rowan reached out and, before Mr. Kim knew what was happening, snatched the necklace from the latter’s hands.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Mr. Kim snarled, his face flushed with anger. Something about him set off all my warning alarms, and I decided right then and there to get Mrs. P out of the tea shop no matter what.
I put my arm around Mrs. P and hefted her to her feet, much to her surprise.
Rowan examined the necklace closely for a moment, then raised an eyebrow at Mr. Kim. “I believe what I’m doing is obvious.”
“That’s the second time you’ve taken my property,” Mr. Kim snarled, and took a step forward as if he was about to throw a punch.
I kept my arm around Mrs. P, with my other hand on her free arm as I turned us and started toward the door. “And now I think we’ll just take ourselves off and get some dinner.”
“And you mean to do something about it?” Rowan shook his head, and gestured with the necklace toward the rest of the room, which was continuing on with their séance just as if we were not there. “With so many witnesses to the action you were about to make? Witnesses who, I might add, apparently include the silver wyvern and his mate.”
Gabriel smiled and slowly got to his feet. Despite the dimples, it wasn’t a pleasant smile, focused as it was on Mr. Kim. I sent up a little prayer that thanked whatever deities were around that the smile wasn’t directed at me. “It is as the Dragon Breaker says.”
Dragon Breaker? What on earth was that about? I shook my head at the question; it didn’t matter what sort of game these people were playing. “We need to get out of here before there’s any trouble,” I said softly, and stopped at the row of shoes, quickly picking out our pairs.
Mr. Kim choked on whatever it was he was going to say, then shot me the most malevolent look I’d ever received, one so potent it sent shivers down my back and made my stomach feel like it had just been spun upside-down.
Mrs. P crossed her arms over her sunken chest when I tried to hand her the shoes she’d worn in.
“Please,” I whispered to her, glancing over her shoulder. The air felt downright static-filled. I wanted us out of there pronto.
“No,” she said. “I wish to speak with one of my former lovers.”
“Had a change of heart, have you?” Rowan continued to verbally prod the other man, which earned him extra bravery points. “Perhaps this would be a good time for you to leave. And by leave, I mean vacate yourself from Mrs. Papadopolous’s presence. You won’t get what you want, and you’re just going to annoy a great many people.”
Aware that reasoning with her wasn’t going to work, I bent down to try to slip one of her flats onto her feet. She responded by curling her toes into the Turkish carpet lining that section of the shop.
Mr. Kim’s hands tightened into fists, and his lips twitched as he sneered, “As if I care for the opinions of mortals. Not even dragons disturb me, and they certainly don’t bother my master.”
And we were suddenly back to fantasy world, the one made up of seemingly normal people who went nuts.
“You’re leaving?” May asked me, rising and giving her husband an odd look. I’d almost forgotten about her, so caught up was I with protecting Mrs. P from Mauritius Kim’s clearly nefarious intent. “You don’t have to leave, you know. Do you fear the Dragon Breaker? If so, you needn’t. You’re quite safe with us.”
There wasn’t a whole lot I could say to that. It certainly wouldn’t do for me to point out that her husband was talking about dragons and other magical things as if they were real. So instead of arguing, I simply said, “It’s getting to be dinnertime, and I think we’re both tired from the long flight.”
“Is there a problem?” a familiar voice asked, and with a sigh of relief, I turned to smile at the newcomer.
“Hello again, Rowan.” I could have cried I was so happy to see him. “You seem to be making a habit of rescuing us from this bastard. Sorry, Mrs. P. I shouldn’t have said the word bastard in front of you.”
“It doesn’t bother me,” she said with a little shrug. “My favorite epithet has always been murderous whoreson, but if bastard rings your chimes, then you go with it.”
Rowan, whose curls were all over the place and whose face bore a pillow crease on one cheek, rubbed his jaw as he looked from the murderous whoreson to me. “I’m happy to be of help, naturally, although I’m unsure of what the issue is this time.”
I ignored the slight emphasis on the last two words. “He was going to garrote Mrs. P. Look, he’s even got the garroting thing right there out in the open where anyone can see it.”
The plane man smiled and held up his hands. Between them dangled a silver chain. “This is a simple gift to express my apology for having unwittingly disturbed the lady earlier today.”
I snorted, disregarding the fact that such actions are never feminine, let alone charming. “Oh, pull the other one, it has bells all over it. You were going to strangle sweet little old Mrs. P, and there’s nothing you can say to convince me otherwise.”
“You seem to believe the worst about this individual,” Rowan said. “Almost as if you knew each other and are suspicious about his motives.”
I felt like he was poking around trying to get at something, but I wasn’t sure what he was after or why. “I don’t know him,” I said slowly, my joy at seeing Rowan fading somewhat. “I don’t even know his name.”
“Mauritius Kim,” the man said, bowing. I blinked a couple of times at that—I mean, what were the odds of meeting two men who bowed like that? And was I expected to respond in kind? Maybe curtsey? My jet lag had me giggling again at the thought of even trying to pull off such a move, which resulted in the plane man—Mr. Kim—giving me a mean look.
“Sorry,” I said, passing my hand over my mouth as if that would hold in the giggles. “I’m seriously jet lagged. I don’t know what your deal is with Mrs. P, but she doesn’t want any of it.”
Mrs. P looked the man over. I half expected her to come out with a risqué comment, or at least a mention of how she used to be a hoochie-coo dancer, but she just gave a little sniff, and said, “No.”
“See? It’s not just me being paranoid.”
“No, of course she doesn’t.” Rowan reached out and, before Mr. Kim knew what was happening, snatched the necklace from the latter’s hands.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Mr. Kim snarled, his face flushed with anger. Something about him set off all my warning alarms, and I decided right then and there to get Mrs. P out of the tea shop no matter what.
I put my arm around Mrs. P and hefted her to her feet, much to her surprise.
Rowan examined the necklace closely for a moment, then raised an eyebrow at Mr. Kim. “I believe what I’m doing is obvious.”
“That’s the second time you’ve taken my property,” Mr. Kim snarled, and took a step forward as if he was about to throw a punch.
I kept my arm around Mrs. P, with my other hand on her free arm as I turned us and started toward the door. “And now I think we’ll just take ourselves off and get some dinner.”
“And you mean to do something about it?” Rowan shook his head, and gestured with the necklace toward the rest of the room, which was continuing on with their séance just as if we were not there. “With so many witnesses to the action you were about to make? Witnesses who, I might add, apparently include the silver wyvern and his mate.”
Gabriel smiled and slowly got to his feet. Despite the dimples, it wasn’t a pleasant smile, focused as it was on Mr. Kim. I sent up a little prayer that thanked whatever deities were around that the smile wasn’t directed at me. “It is as the Dragon Breaker says.”
Dragon Breaker? What on earth was that about? I shook my head at the question; it didn’t matter what sort of game these people were playing. “We need to get out of here before there’s any trouble,” I said softly, and stopped at the row of shoes, quickly picking out our pairs.
Mr. Kim choked on whatever it was he was going to say, then shot me the most malevolent look I’d ever received, one so potent it sent shivers down my back and made my stomach feel like it had just been spun upside-down.
Mrs. P crossed her arms over her sunken chest when I tried to hand her the shoes she’d worn in.
“Please,” I whispered to her, glancing over her shoulder. The air felt downright static-filled. I wanted us out of there pronto.
“No,” she said. “I wish to speak with one of my former lovers.”
“Had a change of heart, have you?” Rowan continued to verbally prod the other man, which earned him extra bravery points. “Perhaps this would be a good time for you to leave. And by leave, I mean vacate yourself from Mrs. Papadopolous’s presence. You won’t get what you want, and you’re just going to annoy a great many people.”
Aware that reasoning with her wasn’t going to work, I bent down to try to slip one of her flats onto her feet. She responded by curling her toes into the Turkish carpet lining that section of the shop.
Mr. Kim’s hands tightened into fists, and his lips twitched as he sneered, “As if I care for the opinions of mortals. Not even dragons disturb me, and they certainly don’t bother my master.”
And we were suddenly back to fantasy world, the one made up of seemingly normal people who went nuts.
“You’re leaving?” May asked me, rising and giving her husband an odd look. I’d almost forgotten about her, so caught up was I with protecting Mrs. P from Mauritius Kim’s clearly nefarious intent. “You don’t have to leave, you know. Do you fear the Dragon Breaker? If so, you needn’t. You’re quite safe with us.”
There wasn’t a whole lot I could say to that. It certainly wouldn’t do for me to point out that her husband was talking about dragons and other magical things as if they were real. So instead of arguing, I simply said, “It’s getting to be dinnertime, and I think we’re both tired from the long flight.”
