“Hi,” Beth sang out when Alanna appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
Had her baby sister seen Goran’s patched up job in the protection spells around the building? “A conniption has occurred in my world,” Alanna muttered before she could help herself. She hugged Beth and whispered into her ear. “Don’t go upstairs. It’s full of Dragons.”
“Dragons.” Beth’s sapphire eyes widened and she hugged Alanna back.
“The warlock variety.” Alanna stepped back to gauge her sister’s reaction. Hugging her sister spontaneously was out of character. It would reveal to Beth just how agitated she was.
“You’re sculpting again. Now that’s something to celebrate.”
Alanna paced the Gallery floor. “No. Real warlocks. From Marylebone.” She threw her hands up in the air. Beth didn’t believe her.
“Did you not sleep last night?” Beth dug around in her purse. “I’ve got one of Rosa’s potions in here somewhere for restlessness.”
“I don’t need a potion.” She grabbed Beth’s elbow and shook it. “Listen to me. I’m not exaggerating. You have to believe me. And I have proof. Just look out in the courtyard. Gregori is in a million pieces. He’s shattered and beyond fixing.”
Beth paled. “How? Have you called the insurance company?” She rushed to the courtyard door and peered out, to view the mess Gregori’s escape had made.
Unfortunately, neither Beth nor Rosa knew the dragon had housed an ensorcelled warlock. “No need. I’m sure Marylebone will have him replaced.”
“You’re not making any sense.”
“I’m making perfect sense. Let me give you a brief rundown. You’ve always wondered where the jade dragon came from. Well, it was Anton from Marylebone who commissioned it.” Her head bounced up and down like a circus clown. “Yes, that’s right. Anton. The Grand Dragon. I kid you not! He ensorcelled Gregori into it and extracted a promise from me to remain quiet and live in the studio to keep an eye on him for the duration of his imprisonment. I thought it would be a few months.” She laughed. “Who knew it would be years. Anyhow, I digress. He escaped this morning. He broke through our wards and the Maori Blessing, but according to Goran, Gregori patched them up immediately afterward. I found him in the courtyard unconscious and dragged him inside. He woke up. He’s weak as a kitten, and currently not dangerous. You should see his shoulders! They’re massive.” Her arms stretched out wide and her eyes lit up. “He was naked and oh my … what a glorious specimen. I don’t know why he was ensorcelled so don’t ask. He’s upstairs. So are Goran and Anton. They’re trying to persuade him to go with them. He’s refusing. That’s it so far.”
Should she also mention Gregori just might actually be her intended?
Beth stared blankly at her, and then popped a few drops of that potion into her own mouth. “Say that again.”
Alanna sniffed. “Are you kidding me? No.” She grabbed Beth’s arm again. “I’m hoping they’ll sort themselves out and leave very soon. We need to repair the stone walls and sweep away the shards of jade before the Gallery opens. And replace Gregori before the public start asking difficult questions.”
“Nothing in your life is easy,” Beth muttered. “Is it? Here,” she held out the dropper. “Open up. You definitely need some of this.”
“Tell me about it.” Alanna opened her mouth and Beth placed a few drops under her tongue.
There was a loud noise from the studio upstairs — the sound of something falling on the floor. Alanna winced. Ooh. That sounded painful. Both women looked up upon hearing Goran swear explicitly.
Beth studied Alanna properly for the first time that morning. “There really are Dragons upstairs!” She stepped behind Alanna and pushed her towards the staircase. “Go on. Go up and see what’s happened.”
Alanna backed up into Beth’s hands. “No way. I’ve had enough drama this morning. Let’s put the back-in-ten-minutes sign up and shoot down to the Cookery Nook for a coffee instead.”
“There’s one thing you’re not, and that’s a coward,” Beth pushed her closer to the stairs.
“That’s my so-called mate up there.” Damn. She hadn’t meant to say that. “And he’s halfway to lunacy.”
Beth was visibly shocked. She popped a few more drops. “Goran is your mate?”
“No, stupid. Gregori.”
“How can he be your mate? Your magic is bound, and Marylebone knows that.”
“Exactly.”
“And yet I sense this possible mate is,” Beth teased, “attractive?”
“Attractive! You haven’t met him. He’s all … ” Alanna recalled Gregori’s naked, buffed body and something wanton pooled in her womanly bits. She resisted the urge to cross her legs. “He’s … ”
“Yes,” Beth replied with a grin. “And?”
“Delicious,” Alanna admitted. “But I’ve enough troubles without adding him to my diet.”
“I can’t believe you’ve managed to keep this a secret for so long.”
“Frankly, neither can I. But I’m sure glad I did. Goddess knows what the punishment would have been for directly defying Anton when a mere attempt at contacting Marylebone got us magic bound.”
“It wasn’t a mere attempt. It was a dangerous botched disaster.”
“Still, I think the punishment could have been worse.” She shivered and rubbed her arms with her palms. “Perhaps keeping this secret for the past few years will help in atoning for my errors somewhat?”
“I wouldn’t count on it. Marylebone is a mystery to us mere mortals. Even to Rosa and she’s there several times a week.”
“Do you think we should inform Aden? He might provide some insights into Gregori. He might know why Gregori was ensorcelled?”
“Have you actually asked Gregori why he was imprisoned?”
“I tried, but he evaded answering me.”
“Does he know you’re aware that he’s your mate? Are you positive or are you second-guessing this whole situation?”
As if she would second guess anything. Oh all right. Yes. She would. “My judgment may be skewed but I’m pretty sure it’s me. There’s this link thing I felt the moment he touched me. I can’t explain it.” She stamped a foot and strands of her fiery hair bounced out of the band holding it and tumbled down her back. “If I had any magic to speak of, I’d know for certain!”
“So how long does Gregori have left?”
“I’m not sure. Close to two weeks. I think.” Alanna frowned. “But how can I bind with an immortal? I’m mortal. I cut myself, I bleed. I eat something dicey, I throw up. I age, I die. He goes on forever. I don’t get it. I don’t want to be in the same jam as Rosa was with Aden. She went through hell.”
Beth’s eyes widened. “You’ve heard the bells?”
“No. And I don’t expect to without any magic to guide me.”
“Maybe because your magic is bound, you didn’t hear them?”
Hmmmm. “You think?” Alanna knocked that sentence around in her head for all of two seconds. “No. I felt Gregori break the wards on the Gallery. I’d hear them, I’m sure of it.”
“You’ve lots of questions you need answers to. We both do. I think we need to speak with Rosa. Perhaps she can do some digging around in Marylebone for us.”
They both fell silent. Beth stated the obvious. “It’s awfully quiet up there.”
“I’m hoping it’s because they’ve gone.” Alanna walked swiftly into the office and grabbed her purse. “I’m going to get that coffee. You want one?”
“Don’t you want to take a look upstairs and make sure everyone is all right?”
“No. I don’t.”
“Now look who’s sticking their head in the sand.”
Alanna gave Beth the evil eye. She slammed her purse down on the counter, took a deep breath and marched to the stairs. Beth’s comment was like waving a flaming rag to a dragon. She gestured to her. “Come on.”
“No. I’m not going up there.”
“You’d let me go up there alone?”
“Damn it, Alanna. I’ve no desire to get in the middle of an argument between three Marylebone Dragons.”
“And yet you seem to think I should.”
Beth sighed. “I suppose I shouldn’t let you go up there alone. But don’t expect me to be much use.”
“You’re bendy from all your ballet practice. It may help.”
Beth’s eyebrows rose. “Just how do you figure that?”
“If you get in the way you can duck, tuck and roll away. I’m tall, ungainly, likely to stick myself in the middle and get knocked out for my efforts.”
“Stop wasting time. Get up those stairs. I’m right behind you.”