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The man rapped hard on the door and I swore the whole building shook. “It’s me! Open up!”
The door opened just a tiny hair and I saw a wide-eyed eyeball survey us. A squeaky voice floated out. “How can I be sure?”
My captor shook his fist in the direction of the door. “You’ll be sure when I slam this through that door, magic or no magic.”
The door slammed shut and I heard a dozen locks be undone before the portal was swung wide open. A thin man of sixty in a greasy cassock stood in the doorway. He was about my height with thinning white hair and a wild look in his eyes, each of which was a different color.
“You uncouth monster,” the thin man scolded his compatriot. “You wouldn’t dare ruin my beautiful tapestry of-”
“Wouldn’t I, doc?” my captor countered as he pushed us past him and into the building.
My jaw dropped open as I was presented with not a lowly single-room hovel, but a huge machine shop some hundred feet across and nearly that deep. A second-floor catwalk overlooked the three vehicle bays. All of them were occupied by thunders, two of which were in different stages of disassembly. The third was Bashful.
The thin man cast one last glare at his companion before he squinted at me. “Who have you there, Beck, and why have you brought her in here?”
My captor pushed me forward and I took a few stumbling steps before I caught myself. I turned to face them as they both frowned at me. “She was snooping outside.”
The older man wrinkled his nose. “What is that to us?”
“Because she’d managed to get through yer barrier,” Beck told him.
Nowthatgot the old goat’s goat as he scowled at me. “Who are you then? Speak up.”
I took a few steps back and shook my head. “I-I’m nobody-”
“Not just anybody could see through my magic barrier,” the old man commented as he took one slithery step closer to me. “Nor could they so easily break through it to enter the path.” He lunged forward and grabbed one of my arms in his body grasp which he then proceeded to shake. “Out with it! Who are you?”
“That is no way to treat a lady.”
CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE
All three of us froze,but my heart gave a leap for a different reason. The voice belonged to Ben.
I was going to kill him.
“There!” the thin man shouted as he pointed up at the second-floor catwalk.
The balcony was crowded with discarded metal and rusted tools, and among that trash was Ben. Or rather, the Dragon Thief. He sat on the floor in his dark attire with his legs dangling over the edge. His arms were slung over the bottom rail of the balcony guard and his bright red eyes danced with amusement.
“Who are you?” the thin man questioned him.
Ben shrugged. “Merely a curious visitor, good sir. Or should I say, Dr. Myer?”
The thin man scowled at him. “Who are you that you would know my name?”
“Don’t be so modest, doctor,” Ben scolded him as he climbed to his feet and draped his arms over the guard. “You’re legendary among the thunder thieves. The emperor’s guards have been searching for you for years without so much as a whisper of your whereabouts. I hear they have quite a reward for your capture.”
Myer narrowed his eyes. “So you’ve come for the reward, have you?”
Ben shook his head. “No. I’ve come for the woman and the thunder.” He pointed down at Bashful which stood beneath him. “Now if you wouldn’t mind lifting your barrier and the bay door, we will be on our way.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Myer countered as his eyes flickered to Beck.
“Watch out!” I shouted.
Too late. Beck snatched up a large prop block for the thunders and hefted the heavy stone upward. Ben leapt out of the way and the rock slammed into the spot he had just vacated, leaving behind a huge dent in the catwalk and breaking both railings. The dragon rolled head over heels down the walk a few yards before he landed on his feet.
He spun around and smirked at them. “Is that any way to treat your guests, Dr. Myer?”
