Chapter 33 #2
“King Iskareth is not here, is he, Basil?” Rhaz folded his arms. “And I am not cavorting, as you put it. I am courting.”
Basil gasped so dramatically he nearly fell off his stool. “What? You cannot be serious!”
“Serious about what?” Anon wandered into the kitchen.
Basil pointed at Rhaz. “Our prince has his eyes set on Phin Ironwood.”
Anon raised his eyebrows. “Ah.” He nodded thoughtfully. “Though last night’s performance was exotic, intoxicating, and altogether lovely, I fail to see why that should surprise anyone.”
“And risk war?”
“War?” Anon blinked. “Oh dear. All because of a little song?”
“Well,” Basil muttered, “wars have started over less.”
Anon crossed to the refrigerator, removed one of his mason jars of sustenance, and poured himself a glass. He drank it. Then poured another. Last night had apparently been taxing.
“So, Prince of Dragons,” Anon said, turning toward him. “You’re smitten.”
“Smitten,” Rhaz repeated. “I do not know what that means.”
“Allow me to explain.” Anon draped an arm around his shoulders. “It means she has captured your attention, occupies your thoughts, and prevents you from concentrating on anything else.” A hand went dramatically to his chest. “‘Oh Phin, my lovely Phin. I dream of you. I think of you. I?—’“
“Enough.” Rhaz punched him in the stomach.
Anon folded over with a grunt. “Ow!”
Rhaz withdrew his fist. “That is enough out of you, vampire.”
Anon straightened slowly. “Good gracious. You pack quite a wallop, dragon. But everything I said was true.” Anon stepped closer and waggled his eyebrows. “Is it not?”
“Yes,” Rhaz snapped. His voice dropped to a low growl. “It is true.” The words left his mouth before he could stop them. “She is mine.”
“Oh.” Anon immediately backed up a step. “Oh my.” He rubbed his hands together. “Someone is feeling possessive.”
Rhaz glared.
Anon appeared delighted. “Well, I knew it was only a matter of time.” He steepled his fingers. “I shall have to put a note on my calendar reminding me to inform Judge Harper of an upcoming…” He paused. “No, not yet.”
Anon nodded to himself. “We do still have a Sarian to dispose of. Heroics first. Romance second.” He pointed toward the back door. “Now then, if you’ll excuse me, I must tend my goats before work.” He disappeared outside.
Rhaz watched him go before turning his attention back to Basil. “You will not interfere in this.”
Basil lifted his chin. “Go right ahead, my prince. Court a human. Make a fool of yourself.” He paused and frowned thoughtfully. “Although perhaps there is a compromise.”
Rhaz immediately became suspicious. “What compromise?”
Basil brightened. “You could keep her as a pet.”
Quill entered the kitchen at that exact moment. “That is wrong on so many levels.” He crossed to the hutch to fetch a cup and saucer. “One does not keep a human female as a pet, gnome.”
“Why not?” Basil demanded.
Quill turned toward him. “You know, I almost liked you better as a distinguished old gentleman.”
“What? Why?”
Quill smiled. “Because then I would feel less guilty punching you in the face.”
Basil gasped. “My prince! Are you going to allow this imbecile wizard to speak to me that way?”
Rhaz headed for the back door. “Yes.”
“Well, I never!” Basil returned to stirring a pot while muttering under his breath.
Rhaz ignored him. The only thing on his mind was Phin. The sooner he saw her, the better. Then Ezrel would stop demanding that he claim her.
Still, Basil had inadvertently reminded him of something important. If he claimed Phin, there would be no marriage to Princess Beyza. And without that marriage, war might very well follow.
When Rhaz reached the restaurant, he spotted Phin sitting in her car in the parking lot, waiting for him. She had her hair up and was dressed casually.
Anon said that women, when taken on a date, often got gussied up, as he put it. Putting time and effort into their appearance usually meant they were nervous about it.
But not Phin. She was confident enough to simply wear shorts, tennies, a T-shirt, and very little makeup. Anon called it the messy, sexy look, and he and Quill had taken bets on whether she would come dressed like that or all gussied up. Anon had won the bet.
Rhaz approached her car. She was looking at something on her phone. When she saw him coming, she quickly put it away, opened her door, and got out. “Good morning,” she greeted, then bit her lower lip, a sign she was nervous.
Which was okay. He was a little nervous too.
He was taking a step forward with her, one that could lead to dire consequences.
But he had made the decision that he would deal with those when the time came.
There was a good chance they might never come, and he would be stuck here for the rest of his life, along with Basil.
The gnome had received quite the talking-to last night before they left to hunt. If Basil said one word to Phin out of turn, he was going to regret it in the worst possible way.
Rhaz was going to ban him from the kitchen for three months.
When he told the gnome that, Basil had thrown himself on the floor, prostrate before him, and begged him not to do such a cruel thing. Rhaz had given him the warning one more time and left the house.
“Shall we go in?” he asked, offering her his arm.
She looked at it and blushed a bright pink. “Sure.” She slipped her arm through his, and he escorted her to the door.
When they entered, a bleary-eyed Kathy was pouring coffee for a customer. Aside from a waitress and whoever was cooking in the back, there weren’t many patrons.
Phin looked around. “I don’t get it,” she said as Kathy approached.
“Well, well, if it isn’t the dancer,” Kathy teased. “Table for two?” She looked around. “Where’s the rest of the gang?”
“Anon is going to work. Jackson already left. Quill is, well, doing whatever Quill does. I assume Caelen is at the flower shop.”
“Well, okay, I didn’t need a breakdown,” Kathy said. “But come on.”
They followed her to a table and sat down. “Kathy,” Phin said, motioning her closer, “how’s business doing? There doesn’t seem to be much of a breakfast crowd.”
“Oh, it gets like this sometimes. I suppose I should change up my menu. That always brings people in. They get tired of the same old stuff, and it’s been a while since I’ve done it. It just takes so much thought, and then I need to play with recipes and all that. It’s time-consuming.”
“Play with recipes?” Rhaz said as a thought suddenly struck him. “What if you had some help with that?”
“Help? Who can help?” Kathy asked. “You both want coffee?”
“I’ll have some, please,” Phin said.
Rhaz nodded. “You know my friend Basil. He’s a chef. Maybe he could help you come up with something.”
“What, that little runt is a chef?” Kathy laughed. “Well, I’ll be. I thought he was kidding.”