“Are you sure you’re not available to mate?” Joanna—the Emerald Sept representative—asked yet again.

Babette shook her head. “Sorry. Now that the Golden one is back, I don’t have to pop out babies.” On account that they now could successfully mate with humans.

It used to be that humans and dragons made sterile male wyverns. However, with the return of the Golden dragon and with the help of magic, they could now perform the ritual to turn wyverns into full dragons. It just took time—and money.

The Silver Sept knew how to earn coins for the crown. Charging families to elevate wyverns to full status meant big bucks.

But the true power and wealth lay in arranged marriages. Babette, being the daughter of a Silvergrace, those chosen to be the king’s left and right hands, was a coveted prize.

Elspeth didn’t have such esteemed roots, and yet she felt as if she should let Joanna know of her availability. “I’m single.” Elspeth waved her hand. However, Joanna, in obvious need of glasses and a hearing aid, didn’t notice.

“I have a nephew, late twenties, good teeth, impeccable hygiene. He would be perfect for you.”

“Does he have a hole in the middle? I like my partners without the sausage, if you get what I mean.” Babette freely announced her preference.

Joanna didn’t even blink. “In that case, I’ve got a niece you might like.”

“Stop throwing bodies at me. Not interested.” Babette was being so polite when what she probably really wanted to say was that she still found herself heartbroken that Elspeth had chosen to gently rebuff her advances.

Perhaps I should revise my stance. Babette is a lovely catch, after all. Yet Elspeth couldn’t muster more than a friendly liking that didn’t resemble lust in the least.

“If you change your mind…” Joanna smiled, her entire demeanor friendly.

Elspeth found it a refreshing change from the grumpy Silver and Blue Septs with their haughty airs and perpetual frowns. Not to mention their threats every time she tried to hug a smile out of them. They obviously hadn’t received enough affection as children.

“If we’re done trying to marry me off, could we get back to the reason we’re here?” Babsy asked.

Elsie had chosen to give her bestie a nickname as cool as her own. Babsy complained about it, but Elspeth knew she secretly loved it, else why threaten to shave her curls?

“Ah, yes. False alarm,” Joanna tittered. As a person who tittered often, Elspeth recognized it as being fake. “I am terribly sorry you flew all this way. We tried to contact the king and cancel our request for aid, but you’d already set out. It seems it was all a misunderstanding.”

“Humor me, would you? I mean, we’re here, and we’ll still have to write a report to justify the expenses.” Babette smiled, and yet Elspeth noted it didn’t reach her eyes. “Why don’t we start with you explaining what exactly people saw in the sky?”

“They saw a dragon.”

“Really? Because your initial report to the king indicated it was most definitely not a dragon.”

“It turns out we were wrong. Seems it was one of our younger members sneaking out at night. A trick of the light made it seem like something different than it was.”

Elspeth cocked her head with interest since it was very clear Joanna was lying.

“Tell me about the dragons who went missing.” Babsy might have pretended to nap on the flight over, but had obviously found some time to read up on the mission. Gold star for her bestie!

“No one missing. Just young’uns who put a scare into us all. Testing their boundaries. Part of some weird social media game they play. Something called forty-eight hours.” There was that false titter again.

More lying. Elspeth might have said something; however, Babette already wore a frown and questioned some more.

“What of the humans? Did they return, as well?”

Joanna shrugged, her appearance slick. “How would I know? And why would I care? Humans go missing all the time. Since when is that our concern?”

“As a representative for the crown, I think we should all be concerned about the plight of humans who go wandering because they don’t have owners to care for them. Have you thought about adopting one? I can hook you up with a doctor who can spay or neuter them, so you don’t have to worry about adopting out babies.” Elspeth smiled.

Joanna gaped before turning to Babette. “Is she for real?”

“Unfortunately. Back to the teens who went missing and came back. I’d like to speak with them.”

“They’ve nothing to say.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

Joanna’s brow creased. “Are you implying something?”

Elspeth jumped in to ease the situation. “What my bestie means to say is that her mind would be greatly eased if she could see for herself that the teens in question were, in fact, off experiencing life and not the victims of a predator.”

“It wasn’t just teens.” Joanna’s chin tilted. “I was one of those who went missing. And I assure you, I am fine. Nothing happened. I just needed some time alone.”

“Where did you go?”

“None of your business.”

“Who did you go with?” Babette fired another question.

Rising to her feet, Joanna’s gaze turned icy. “I don’t like your tone.”

“I don’t like your hair.”

Babette and Joanna stood toe to toe, and Elspeth could practically see the sexual energy simmering between them. What else to explain the irrational anger?

“Now, now, lovebirds. Let’s take things down a notch. Joanna, you need to remember you’re married, and while I realize you can’t help being attracted to my bestie—she is, after all, quite the catch—you will have to restrain yourself. It’s unseemly.”

“I am not—”

“Are you insane—?”

Ah, the protests. Elspeth nodded, keeping her smug smile to herself. She was so good at reading people.

Joanna’s lips pressed into a tight line. “I think we’re done.”

“No, we’re not.” Babette shook her head. She did it so often it probably explained the smoothness of her neck. Elspeth tended to nod in agreement, which she believed helped prevent multiple chins.

“There is nothing for you to investigate. Return to the USA and tell your king—”

“He’s not just mine, he’s yours, too,” Elspeth declared. “He is the Golden one, the dragon foretold. After centuries of waiting, he has returned to guide his loyal subjects.”

“He’s not the only choice out there,” Joanna remarked, referencing Samael, the half-dragon, and Brand, the genetically created one.

“Only Remiel is the true Golden king. The others lack his purity. His—”

Joanna’s lips pulled into a sneer. “He is a stranger and a possible madman. Why else would Parker and the Crimson Sept have held him prisoner? They obviously knew something about your king.”

“Like what?” Babette asked.

“I guess we’ll never know since Parker and most of the upper Crimson echelon are dead. Convenient, I’d say,” Joanna uttered dryly.

“Are you implying that he murdered them?” Elspeth couldn’t help a high note. “Our king is the most honorable dragon there is.”

“Is he?”

Elspeth struggled to keep her smile. Don’t frown. Don’t get mad. Remember what happens when you get angry. A good thing she’d taken her pills that morning.

“Let’s go, Elsie.” Babette grabbed her by the arm and dragged her toward the door. “This cow is obviously deranged and a traitor.”

“Cow?” Joanna screeched. “Why you inbred Silver bitch. Get out and don’t come back.”

Despite Joanna acting out because she couldn’t have Babette, and the fact that the Emerald doubted their king’s rule, Elspeth knew the right thing to do. “Glad to meet you and even happier that all is fine with your Sept. Should you require aid in the future, we would be delighted to provide assistance.” They may not provide it in a timely fashion, however.

The door firmly slammed shut behind them, cutting off any lingering goodbyes, which was very responsible of the Emerald dragoness as it would keep out the drafts that would drive up the home heating expenses. Mother had explained that to Elspeth after an unsuccessful bout of door-to-door knocking requesting donations for a worthy cause. Namely, the eradication of toilet paper to save the environment. It didn’t prove popular, and even Elspeth had abandoned the idea when the leaves she’d gathered left a rash on her tushie.

“What a cow that woman is. Treating us like crap.” Babette whirled on the door and lifted her foot.

“It’s not the door that should be punished.” Elspeth grabbed the foot before it could connect and tugged her bestie down the steps.

Babsy had great balance, and hopped along, keeping up. “What the hell, Elsie? I need to kick that cow’s ass.”

“I realize your attraction to Joanna is great. Your anger for each other made that clear. However, we did not come to Ireland to wreck her marriage. Although, if her husband were to suffer an unfortunate accident…”

“Are you insane?”

“Not according to the asylum Mother sent me to.” They’d poked and prodded her. Given her all kinds of colored pills. But in the end, once she’d learned what to say, they’d declared her normal with a heightened state of optimism. A real ray of sunshine—which, for some reason, made her mother cry.

“Sometimes I wonder about you, Elsie.”

She used to wonder about her sanity, too. People thought her blind to what happened around her. She saw it, saw more than they imagined. She just preferred to look at the lighter side. The positive.

She had to because of the darkness… Stay away from it.

Happy face. Elspeth beamed at Babette. “I am delighted to hear you’ve been wondering about me, bestie. I wonder about you, too.”

“Don’t worry. I’m already certifiably insane. All the doctors agree. Which means, anything I do can be blamed on my condition. My mom’s lawyers got those ducks in a row years ago.” Babette yanked her foot free and turned to head back to the house.

Elspeth tripped her. “While your infatuation with Joanna is adorable, perhaps you should look for someone more available. Unless you want to kill her husband, in which case, as your bestie, I’d have to help you hide the body.”

“For the last time, I am not attracted to that cow. I want to question her some more. My gut says that woman is hiding something.”

“Do you think she’s a man?” Elsie’s eyes widened.

“No. I mean hiding information about the whole missing people thing.”

“You heard what she said. The dragons all returned.”

“Says her. I say, let me talk to them and prove they’re alive.”

“And if they are? What then?”

“Then I ask where they went. I didn’t believe her for one minute when she said she went off for some alone time.”

“Perhaps she and the others are part of a secret club. Or a bunch of them went on vacation and didn’t want someone to know.” That happened quite often to Elsie. People did such a good job of making their trips and parties a surprise that they forgot to tell her. Looking at the pictures and videos afterwards was almost like being there.

“I’m telling you, Elsie, I think those sneaky Emeralds are hiding something. And I don’t like it.”

“I think someone needs a hug.”

Babsy held up a hand as Elspeth moved in with arms outstretched.

“Don’t you dare. My ribs just healed from the last time.”

“A good thing we discovered your need for extra calcium to strengthen those bones.”

“I’m a dragon. We don’t need milk.”

“Nonsense. Milk does the body good. Speaking of which, I could really use a carton of chocolate milk. Can we hit a store on the way back to the hotel?”

Babette’s nose wrinkled “You hit the store. I’m going to find a bar where the drinks are huge and not watered down.”

“Alas, I’m afraid I cannot join you due to my allergy to alcohol.” Elsie had imbibed only three times in her life. Each time, the result wasn’t pretty. And, really, with her condition, she shouldn’t drink. It only made it worse.

“What a pity. Guess I’ll see you back at the hotel. Eventually,” Babette muttered, splitting away from Elsie.

“Bye, bestie. Have fun.” She was so happy Babette didn’t allow her unrequited affection for the Emerald dragon to keep her down.

One day, she hoped to find someone who made her giddy with love. Thus far, Elspeth had yet to meet a man who could handle her exuberance. She’d promised Mother after she broke the first one to be more careful. She’d made that same promise the second and third times, too. Now, even the cops were keeping an eye on her.

Wanting to avoid arrest because men were so fragile meant passing on many opportunities. However, she didn’t let that discourage her. One day, her dragon prince would come. She totally believed it, and yet her dreams always showed her someone darker and more dangerous. His face was hidden from her, as was his name. She only ever saw his eyes, those blazing blue orbs with a hint of red in the middle.

Entering a grocery store, Elspeth couldn’t help but smile at everyone she saw as she wandered the aisles, basket over her arm.

At the checkout, with her several cartons of chocolate milk and a wheel of cheese, she noticed an elderly gent with a cart full of groceries. All alone, the poor thing.

She followed him out to the parking lot and got close to him—in case he was deaf—before saying, “Let me help you with that.”

The poor fellow tucked a hand inside the breast of his jacket as he whirled. Obviously suffering from a weak ticker. Good thing she’d come along. He would have probably collapsed of a heart attack otherwise.

“I’m fine,” he declared.

“Nonsense. I’ve got this. You sit in the car while I handle it.” She shoved him in the direction of the driver’s seat and then proceeded to stow the groceries. Mostly meat. Hardly any veggies. And ice cream. Lots and lots of chocolate ice cream. She liked ice cream.

When done, she tapped on his window. He rolled it down and peered at her. “Ma’am?”

She giggled. “That’s my mother. I’m Elsie. Just so you know, all your groceries are in the trunk of your car.”

“Thank you.”

“That was an awful lot of food. Is there someone at home to help you bring it in?”

“I’ll be fine.”

Which was code for he was alone. “Lucky for you, I have nothing to do this evening.”

Before the man could thank her, she placed her bag on the floor and sat in the passenger seat.

The old fellow gaped at her.

Since that happened quite often, she smiled and held out her hand. “Elspeth Canard. A pleasure to meet you.” She introduced herself more properly. At his age, he probably didn’t remember the first time she did it.

“Erm, Alfred.”

“Hi, Erm. I assume it’s all right to call you that, or would you prefer Mr. Alfred?”

“Just Alfred will suffice.”

“Well, Alfred, shall we?” She placed her hands on her knees, her skirt tucked over them. She wore a vivid emerald number this evening, with black cloverleaves for contrast and a white boat collar.

Babette had choked with envy. The velvet green chunky heels with black buckles were almost as epic as her lipstick—Plump Cherry Delight.

“Miss, you can’t come with me. What if something happens? People will have seen us on the security cameras.”

“See, even you’re worried something will happen. It’s settled. I’m going with you.

“I am surely out of your way.”

“I’ve got nothing better to do. And don’t worry about driving me back. I’ll call a taxi.”

“The master won’t like this,” he muttered.

“You have a master? How lovely.” Being a woman of the world, Elsie didn’t ask him to elaborate. She’d seen Fifty Shades of Grey; however, she did have a hard time picturing Alfred in leather chaps being spanked. Or was he the spanker?

She’d soon find out. Since he sat there not moving, she gently prodded. “Would you like me to drive?” She didn’t have a license anymore. Apparently, parking her car across the middle of a highway and forcing traffic to stop—for miles—to help a family of ducks cross was a major infraction, but she’d been in a different country. Surely, those same rules didn’t apply here.

And driving the elderly was a public service.

“I’ve got this,” he mumbled, putting the car in gear. “But Master Luc won’t like this. Mark my words.”

She would have totally marked them if she had a pen that wrote on air. Someone should totally invent one.