Chapter 16
Carly
I never did figure out how that darned key worked. No matter how hard I tried, all I got was that annoying TV tone. Disappointed, we portaled back to the estate.
I didn’t think I’d ever get used to staring into a darkened portal and stepping in anyway. I’d seen portals being used in videos before, but you could always see right through to the other side and into the ornate homes the Wizards of the WEC owned, as they portaled in for interviews.
The portals to and from Desmon’s place were pitch black. It was kind of creepy. But same as last time, I made it to the other side in one piece. I recognized Desmon’s library right away. The place was simultaneously grand and cozy, and I longed to curl up in one of the big, comfy armchairs with a good book.
Elana greeted us and asked if we were hungry. I was still stuffed from my enormous meal earlier, even though it had been hours, but Desmon was hungry again.
Note to self: Dragons ate a lot . I’d been sure we’d never finish all the food at the Starving Aardvark, but Desmon had polished off every morsel from the platters and plates. He almost looked ready to lick the maple syrup off the bottom of the plate, but had restrained himself.
I excused myself to have some much-needed alone time with Q-Tip. Too much had happened in the last twenty-four hours, and I needed some time to process everything. It felt a bit like going backward after the whole shower incident, and my libido was annoyed with me, but my logical side won out.
I still didn’t know how I felt about possibly being in a relationship with a dragon yet, especially one who burnt men to a crisp like it was just another weekday and took hundred-year naps. My head was a mess, and I figured I needed several fifty-minute sessions with Q-Tip before I could even try to unpack it all.
Desmon was clearly disappointed by my rejection of his offer to join him in “his lair” tonight, but understood.
I found Q-Tip lying in the middle of the fancy carpet like he owned the place.
“Hey, buddy.”
Q-Tip glanced over at me and sighed dramatically, like I had interrupted a super important train of thought.
“Ugh.” I rolled my eyes. “Don’t give me that, you little butthole.” Q-Tip already had a bit of an attitude and seemed to think everything should revolve around him, and the gourmet hay and snacks were perhaps not helping.
I stepped over the fence, picked him up and settled him across my lap. “Don’t get too used to this. It’s only temporary.” Then I launched into all the complaints and stresses I’d collected since I last saw him earlier today.
“A hundred years! I mean, this guy’s naps are longer than my lifespan. And I was having lunch with him like something could happen between us. What the hell was I thinking?”
Q-Tip looked at me and sighed again, so I started to give him scritches around the base of his ears, where he liked them best.
“I know it’s stupid. But it was so nice to have him hold my hand and ask me my opinion on the statue like it mattered.” Now I was sighing. “He makes me feel like I’m…worthy, you know? Today, when I was with Desmon, he really made me feel sexy and pretty. I think he honestly finds me attractive. I don’t mean just a little. I mean, I think I’m his jam.”
I’d stopped petting Q-Tip, and he took offense, pawing at my hands to continue.
“I don’t know what to do, Q-Tip! If I just go with the flow, I could completely lose my heart. If I don’t, I might lose out on the experience of a lifetime. What would you do?”
Q-Tip, suddenly sick of all the attention, hopped away, found his favorite stuffed toy, which had luckily been brought over from the apartment, and started humping it, all while maintaining eerily focused eye contact with me.
“Hump him. Okay. Got it.”
Q-Tip had always been a great listener but horrible at giving advice. Usually, it was go grab a snack, hump it, or kick it into submission. Sometimes, it was poop on it. None of these would help me in this case.
I still hadn’t called Dana, and I’d promised that I would once I got settled in Darlington. The thing was, I wasn’t sure what to tell her. Everything that had happened was so far out of left field that I couldn’t believe it was happening myself. If I called Dana now and started telling her about dragons, demons, and magical artifacts, she might think I was losing it and fly in from New York for a wellness check.
There was a knock on my door, and I opened it to find Elana holding a teeny, tiny salad.
“I thought maybe my new furry friend might want a little something.” She peered into the room, looking hopeful. Her eyes brightened the moment she saw Q-Tip.
I remembered Desmon saying that she got bored being stuck at the estate all the time.
“I’m sure he’d love some fresh fruits and veggies,” I said, inviting her in.
As we watched Q-Tip rummage through the salad, looking for his favorite—blueberries, paws down—I decided to ask her a little bit about herself. “So, how did you end up living here with Desmon?”
“Short answer—my husband is on the WEC.”
I frowned. I’d seen members of the Wizards’ Elder Council interviewed on TV. Think secret society of powerful men working with the church back in the day to control everything, and you’d be close. Except it wasn’t back in the day; they were still doing it, pretending it was for the good of all mankind. They gave me the creeps.
Elana laughed bitterly. “It’s exactly as bad as you think it is. I was born into that world and taught that my sole purpose was to boost the magic of the men in my life. I was married off to one of my father’s friends, and he started taking my magic, draining it every day until there was nothing left. Seth was my firstborn. When I became pregnant with a daughter, I knew I had to escape. I couldn’t leave her to the same cruel fate.
“Since I’d always obeyed, no one watched me too closely, and I was able to run away. I had my daughter, and I gave her up to a witch who promised to raise her well.” There were tears in her eyes. “I never saw her again.”
“Then what happened?” I leaned in, engrossed in her story.
“They sent Seth to find me and drag me back for my punishment. It was to prove his loyalty to the WEC.”
“Seth was in the WEC?” I imagined him with his spiky hair, studded belts, goth punk esthetic and piercings trying to fit in with the stuck-up wizards I’d seen on TV and giggled.
Elana smiled, her face softening when she thought of her son. “He never did belong there. Instead of dragging me back, he made a deal with Desmon. So brave, my little boy.”
Not so little anymore; Seth looked like he worked out. Still, next to Desmon’s dragon, he was teeny tiny.
“Seth was just a teenager then, and Desmon removed his memory of finding me and sent him back to his father. I watched him grow up from afar, hoping he wouldn’t turn out like his dad. Then, one day, Seth showed up here with Liam.”
“Liam? I don’t think I’ve met him yet.”
“Seth’s partner. He’s a demon. He used to be bound to my husband, but then Seth received him as a gift for finishing his studies. It was for the best. They were tired of hiding their relationship. Anyway, it turned out that Desmon only erased his memory for a short period, to prevent the wizards at the WEC from finding out where I was.” She reached out to pet Q-Tip, who, after chowing down on all the blueberries, had lost interest in the rest of the salad. “So Seth knew I was here. When he left the WEC, he came looking for me and a job with Desmon.”
“I’m glad things worked out.” I was pretty sure the stuffy wizards at the WEC would look down on a wizard and a demon in a romantic relationship.
“You know, he always wanted a pet when he was little. But pets were strictly forbidden. Too much like familiars.”
“What’s wrong with familiars?”
“Too witchy. Many wizards look down on witchcraft. Seth doesn’t, though. He embraces both, which is why he’s so strong now.” There was pride in her eyes. “Desmon encouraged him to explore all facets of his magic. He has a familiar of his own now, but Little Bit is not nearly as cuddly as Q-Tip here.”
“What’s Little Bit?”
“A Ball Python.”
I made a face. I didn’t have anything against snakes, but they just weren’t for me.
We sat in silence for a minute. Finally Elana stole a glance at me. “You know, Desmon isn’t bad for a dragon. He can be a bit intense—”
“Tell me about it. He set two guys on fire today. I mean, they were assholes who kidnapped me and totally deserved it, but still.”
“The fact that he went after you says a lot.”
“He kept you safe, too.” I reminded her. Maybe Desmon was just that rarity, a nice dragon.
“That’s different. He saw how powerful Seth could be.” The older woman looked thoughtful. “Desmon has changed a lot in the time I’ve known him. Maybe it’s because of spending more time with humans and other monsters. He used to be just like the other dragons.”
“You mean he thought he was better than everyone else?”
Elana laughed quietly and nodded. “He’s changed a lot since. But I think you’d make him an even better person.”
“We literally just met. I spilled coffee on him because I’m a klutz. He knows nothing about me. And I know even less about him.” Was that even true anymore? I’d learned a lot about him in the last twenty-four hours. “And what little I do know makes me think this is a horrible idea.”
“Like what?”
“For starters, he’s a dragon. He still clearly thinks himself above everyone else. And let’s not forget he takes naps longer than I live.”
“That’s not a regular occurrence, I assure you. They miss a lot in those hundred years. That’s why it’s an effective punishment for losing the competition. It’s more like us falling asleep for ten years than a simple nap. They live a long time, but not forever.”
Realizing that he could get petted by two people instead of just one, Q-Tip stretched to stick his head out to me while keeping his butt planted directly under Elana’s hands. He seemed to be adjusting to our current situation better than I was.
I imagined being forced to sleep for ten years and then waking up to find my bunny gone forever. How horrible! Not just for me, but for him! Q-Tip might be ten to fifteen years of my life, but I was his entire existence . Would it be like that for Desmon and me if we got together?
“You know,” I said, changing the subject, “Desmon mistook him for my familiar at first.”
“Maybe he’s right. I never did regain the use of my magic, but I still have a lot of it. I feel good around Q-Tip. Maybe he helps you with your magic, you just don’t realize it.”
“I don’t really have much magic.”
“But you have some. I feel it.”
“Hmm. Sometimes things give me visions or feelings. But it’s not consistent, and so far not very useful.”
“Maybe you can try using your magic with him around next time and see if it’s any better.”
“Sure. Why not?” I doubted anything would change, but figured I would humor her anyway.
My stomach chose that moment to growl loudly.
“You didn’t eat dinner, child. Want to head down to the kitchen for a snack? I tried my hand at tacos al pastor, and there are some leftovers.”
That sounded delicious. “Yes, I do!”