AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She shrugged, deflating slightly, then said quietly, “Because I keep it.”
“Hm?” I asked, leaning forward as the flight took off.
“I said I keep it,” she snipped. “I hunt for them, but I never said I give them back to their owners.”
Murtagh and I looked at her, incredulous for a moment.
“Okay, maybe that wasn’t exactly ethical, and I don’t search for them with not returning them in mind, I swear. But when they’re in my hand, it just feels like they like me better.”
I massaged my temple.
But then I picked up the phone, talked with the captain, and made the flight-plan to New York.
She clapped her hands with delight. “Thank you! Thank you, you’re not going to regret it!” she told me.
“I already regret it.”
“What is THIS?” Miles gasped, suddenly walking out to our group of seats and pointing to the bloody footprints.
My familiar didn’t look like he was handling this very well. I could almost feel his tension from where I was sitting. “Take a seat, Miles. Make yourself a drink.” I paused, then cocked my head. “Actually, make a drink for both of us. I think we both need it, hm?”
Miles rolled his eyes. “I don’t know if a long life is worth this stress,” he grumbled, then walked off.
“Can I have a drink?” Zazie asked, bringing up her feet to her chest as she sat in her seat.
“You’re so in the doghouse with me, darling. The fact that you’re still sitting down annoys me.” He looked at Murtagh pointedly. “Next time, beat her harder.”
“Hey,” she said defensively. “It’s your fault, too. You heard the guy—I mean… Monster? Ghost? Thing? I don’t what he is. But he said you were already on the dragon-watch-list.”
“It’s because Caspian knows no restraint in his lifestyle,” Murtagh replied in that way that made us break apart in the sixties.
“I’m a dragon! I don’t ask for your leave to be one. I’m not going to apologize for being what I am,” I snapped at him.
“And I’m not either,” Zazie told me, her mouth drawn down at the sides.
I had time to think about those words. I didn’t like them at first, and I got up and went to pout on the other side of the plane all the way to New York.
I knew she was right. It wasn’t her fault that she was Seraphus’ spawn. It wasn’t her fault that she was a djinn. It wasn’t even her fault that she had a brother she cared about—in fact, that was an admirable quality. It was the thing that was going to make her a good mother for my children and a good partner to Murtagh and myself. She cared, and she was loyal, and she certainly had the ability to love.
You don’t call someone every day and text them every few hours without love.
I grumbled a bit, but then when we landed, and Miles was able to get the blood stains off of the carpet of my plane, he saw the shadow leave us a bunch of books and wish us luck. Then he left again, and Miles began to whine.
I forgot that Miles whined like a kicked dog every time he didn’t agree with something. He wasn’t a silent sufferer.
At least my mate never whined. Oh, she grumbled a bit whenever she was told to do something, but she didn’t whine. She seemed to finally understand the situation and wanted to help.
“I think it’s this,” Murtagh said, pointing to a page in a book. He read it aloud. “The Bloodlight Diamond. Legends say that it could see into other realms when the light was just right.”
“What’d the witch put on your shopping list?” Zazie asked, looking up from where she was sitting on the floor of the plane.
“Ancient Diamond of Priam,” he replied. “Priam… If it’s who I’m thinking of?—”
“King of Troy?” she guessed, lifting her head.
I straightened, and so did Murtagh. We blinked down at her with surprise.
“How did you know that?” Murtagh asked.
