“Where is she?” Luc stared at the map. Quite uselessly, he might add, since nothing on it meant a damned thing to him.

But what else could he do when his location spell had failed?

Am I doing it wrong?

Luc had never performed a locating spell before. His access to materials in the cell had proven rather sparse. Therefore, his current knowledge on how to execute it was by memory alone, which could be, admittedly, faulty.

There existed a multitude of ways he might have bungled it, and he had nothing to use as a reference. He’d fled Hell too quickly. I should have brought some of the spell books with me. However, in his haste to avoid being trapped, he’d fled without supplies.

Staring at the mess on the table, he had to wonder where he’d failed. Didn’t matter. He’d have to start over. Only one problem. He’d already used the last strand of hair he could find. A bright yellow one he’d found in his bed.

A place she’d surprised him.

The woman constantly stunned him, first by being the first dragon he didn’t actively hate. On the contrary, he rather liked her. He also needed her. His cock nodded in agreement.

He frowned.

He needed her for practical reasons.

His cock again agreed.

Apparently, they’d have to chat. He’d make his cock spit out why he was being a traitor. But only after he’d found Elspeth.

“Where are you?” he muttered under his breath.

“Right here!”

The declaration from behind startled him. He didn’t even think. Just whirled and held up his hand. Staving off an attack.

Something pulsed out from him, a wave of force. A power of some kind that sent Elspeth and Babette sliding back to the door, giving him some space.

Too late. Her scent lingered, and he barked, “How did you get in here?”

He really needed to invest in some guards. He wasn’t used to people unexpectedly coming to see him.

But didn’t you want to find her?

Yes. But he’d have preferred not to have possibly squeaked like a rodent when it happened.

Alfred peered around the edge of the office door and asked, “Is the master in need of my services?”

“Not anymore. My uninvited guests have already found their way inside.”

“What—” Alfred stopped midsentence to utter his own squeak of surprise as Elspeth’s arms snaked around his staid servant.

The man’s feet left the floor as Elspeth lifted him for a squeeze. “Alfred.”

“Miss Elspeth. How delightful to see you again.” The dry tone didn’t sound very excited.

“Aw, shucks. Thanks.” She swung Alfred around, hugging him tightly. “You are just too adorable when you pretend to be a butler.”

“Because he is a butler,” Babette remarked.

“No way. He’s much too nice to be a stuffy butler, aren’t you, Alfie?”

Elsie beamed at him, and Alfred, obviously terrified for his life, replied, “Miss Elspeth is too kind to an old man.”

“You’re too adorable. I think we should keep him, Babsy.”

“Hoarding people is forbidden,” Babette replied. “We had this discussion a few days ago, remember?”

Elspeth pouted. “I remember, all eleven times. And just so you know, there was one vision where you let me keep him.”

“Not today, Elsie. Now put the nice man down.”

“But I have more hugs to give.” Elspeth pulled him closer, and Alfred’s face achieved an interesting shade of mauve.

I should rescue him by offering to take his place. Get close to her. Hold her. Touch her. Strip…

Um, perhaps he shouldn’t offer himself.

“Drop him. Now,” Babette barked.

“Fine.” Elspeth set Alfred down. He shot her an indignant look before exiting the room more quickly than usual.

“Why are you here?” Luc asked, casually flipping over the notes he’d made on the spell he’d been casting—and slightly modifying each time.

“Because blondie over here says we needed to talk to you.” Babette jerked her thumb at Elspeth. “So, here we are.” She leaned against a table covered in something Alfred called a kom-pewter. It had a screen like the television, yet Alfred could give it commands and have it obey by showing him knowledge.

According to his servant, all humans had access to this all-knowing entity known as Internet and its servant, Google.

It made Luc’s task of ruling the world somewhat more daunting until he realized if he killed Internet, then he’d solve his biggest problem.

According to Alfred, Internet had tentacles around the world. He’d need an imp, or something along those lines that was electrical-based to fry it. But those weren’t easy to find. The governments kept that magical science locked up.

He turned his gaze to Elspeth as she approached to lean over his map. “Whatcha lookin’ for?”

Emasculate himself and admit the truth? Not today. He’d been learning some things from the television and Alfred, too. He needed to be tougher. Less transparent. Not easy, given his upbringing.

But the more he lied, the better he got. “Just plotting my first takeover.”

“How many boroughs is that? Three, four? Piece of cake.” Elspeth leaned lower, enough that the neckline to her top sagged. He caught a glimpse of swelling breasts.

He averted his gaze, cheeks flushed hot. “Why are you here?”

“Can’t a girl want to come see her new friend?”

The word flummoxed him even as it warmed his blood further. “We are not friends.”

“You’re such a tease.” Somehow, Elspeth managed to sidle around the table until she stood close enough to give him a punch in the arm.

“Why are you hitting me?”

“It’s called a love tap, you pussy. Don’t be so weird.” Babette drew closer. “If you two are done flirting, I have some questions for the weird guy with the bowl of blood in his library. Whose blood is it anyway?”

Not knowing if his blood was valuable on this plane, especially to dragons, he lied. Twice in one day. Look at him getting humanized to fit in.

“It’s from an avian creature we are eating for dinner. With mashed potatoes.” Lovely fluffy things. Delicious with dollops of butter.

Elspeth clapped her hands. “Why, thank you.”

Startled, he asked, “For what?”

“Inviting us to dinner. We would be delighted to accept.”

“But when…” He paused, going over his words. “How…?”

Babette uttered a loud snort. “Don’t argue, dude, just go with the flow.”

“See, Babette. I told you we had to come here. Otherwise, we would have eaten another meal in a restaurant.”

“But I like being served,” Babette grumbled. “There’re no dishes.”

“Alfred will serve.” The words cementing their invitation. He would have frowned, except Elspeth looked exceptionally pleased. “Was there a reason you were here, other than for nourishment?”

Elspeth shook her blonde curls. “Nope. I’m good. Just happy to hang with you.”

“I can’t believe you’re going to make me do it,” Babette grumbled.

“Do what?” Elspeth asked.

“You know what I have to do.”

“No, I…” Elspeth’s face turned dreamy for a moment, her eyes out of focus, her lips parted. A single crease marred her brow. “You didn’t come here because I asked, and you didn’t get off the plane for me.” Elspeth’s gaze narrowed in on Babette. “You came to ask him questions about the missing women.”

“What missing women?” Luc asked.

“The ones she was ordered to ask you about.” Elspeth shook her finger at Babette. “That’s not nice. You let me think you came back for me.”

“I would have anyhow. Probably.”

Elsie raised a brow.

“I would have come back because your mother told me to watch your butt.”

“Yet fear of Mama is not why you returned. You came to Luc’s castle to grill him,” Elspeth accused.

“Yes.” Caught, Babette no longer denied it, and Luc listened carefully to glean as much as he could from the strange conversation.

“You lied to me. And I didn’t even see it coming.” Elspeth shook her head. Then laughed. “I knew you’d make a good bestie for a reason. It’s not easy to fool me.”

However, Luc had obviously fooled her. She thought they were friends, and yet he would still plot the demise of her kind.

Eventually.

He’d have to master the demigod Internet first. And the microwave. Damned fire-breathing machine. They’d already had an encounter.

Luc hadn’t won. In his defense, it was his first time. He’d thought it would be easy. He’d seen the machine used on the moving picture box. It seemed simple enough. He threw a lovely can with the red saucy noodles into its depths. Then he keyed in a sequence of beeping symbols and watched the light come on, and the carousel turn. The sparking inside proved exciting. The explosion after, rather unexpected. Worst part? The noodles were ruined, and it was the last can.

“Given you’re now treating Luc as a suspect, I guess we can’t use his castle as a base of operation.” Elspeth tapped her lower lip.

A full lip. A suckable lip. He blinked and looked away.

“We’re still staying here,” Babette declared. “This place is nicer than a hotel. And if he’s guilty of taking those women—”

“What women?” Luc snapped.

“—then we’ll find our best clues here. DNA and scent and maybe even some panties, eh, Luc?” The accusatory side-eye drove his shoulders back.

“I haven’t the slightest idea of what you speak.” At all. Not surprisingly, Luc couldn’t follow their logic.

“You say that, yet I know you’re lying about this being chicken blood.” Babette jabbed a finger at the ruined spell in the bowl. “I don’t recognize the smell. What is it? And why is it in a bowl? Holy shit, dude, were you drinking it?” Babette’s features pulled taut in repugnance.

Elspeth leapt to his defense. “Eating it from a bowl is much more sophisticated than the vampire method of chomping on some neck.”

“At least a neck nibble is intimate and special.” Babette waved a hand. “This is a little sloppy. I mean, where’s his spoon? Crackers? And is that a hair on top?” She shuddered. “That’s gross.”

The mere thought of drinking it had him retorting. “I am not ingesting the blood. I was using it to scry for someone.”

“Cry? Who died? Who were you crying for?” Elspeth reached over to him. Logic dictated he slip out of reach. Being near to her did something to him.

It seemed cowardly to avoid her, though; therefore, he allowed the hug. He just refused to enjoy it despite the warmth suffusing him.

She soothed. “Don’t cry. I’m here. You are not alone.”

Uncomfortable, he managed to mutter, “I was not crying. I was scrying. As in trying to divine the location of someone.”

“Who are you looking for? Another victim?” Babette accused.

“As a matter of fact, I was looking for you. I have questions.”

“Ask away,” Elspeth said. “Anything you want. It’s yours.”

He almost said, “I want you.”

Babette saved the day.