I Dream of Dragons (Boston Dragons) (17 page)

Lucky screwed up his face as if it pained him to admit something.

“Tell me,” Rory encouraged.

The little man sighed. “I may be the only one with me head screwed on straight, and I came to make sure me brothers behaved. Shamus and Clancy are convinced you either have it with you, or you’ve hidden it somewhere deep.”

“Jaysus. How could we have it with us? You cast us out on a boat with nothin’. We were lucky to get our other treasures to sell. Do you know how hard it was to part with priceless family heirlooms like that? I had to take a tenth of what we could have sold them for, just to feed me sisters and get them to a comfortable new home.”

Lucky wouldn’t admit they’d made a mistake. Leprechauns never did. But the look on his face could only be called contrite.

“I’ll have to tell me brothers that I found you.”

“That would be grand,” Rory said as sarcastically as he could.

“They will be here in a few minutes. Would you like to prepare your roommate for their arrival?”

Defeated, Rory nodded and slowly approached Amber’s room as if going to the gallows.

He knocked on the partially open door. “Amber?”

When he heard no answer, he nudged the door open a few inches. “Amber? Where are you, luv?”

He glanced over his shoulder at the bathroom in case she’d gone in there when he wasn’t looking. That door stood wide open. She should be able to hear him from there, but he went to investigate just the same.

No Amber in there. He sighed. She must be in the bedroom and simply ignoring him. But if their place was about to be overrun with little people, he had to be sure she was warned and would agree to stay in their bedroom with the door closed.

Since when have I been thinking of this as
our
place?

Well, if it was
theirs
, he had a right to go into the bedroom and find the stubborn lass. He pushed his way into the bedroom and glanced around the boxes, looking for those shiny strands of amber hair.

She must be in the closet.
He stepped over boxes and around the bed, and eventually wove his way to the walk-in closet. “C’mon, lass. There’s no need to hide from me. I have somethin’ important to tell you.”

No Amber.

“Where the feck did she go?”

Suddenly, he realized she must have left the building, and that meant he won the apartment!

So why did that make him sad?

“It must be a trick. She’s got to be in here somewhere…”

* * *

“Chad, is it?” Lucky had closeted himself just inside the door leading to the building’s basement.

“I’m here, Lucky.”

The leprechaun folded his arms and looked pleased with himself. “Did you see what we did?”

Chad chuckled.
“Yeah. I’d say it’s working. You did a groovy thing, little guy.”

“I’ll thank you not to call me ‘little guy.’ It sounds like somethin’ you’d call a child. As for groovy—I’m not even goin’ to guess what that means.”

“It means you did something great.”

Lucky smiled. “So, I didn’t see what happened after I left. Has he looked for her? Does he know she’s invisible?”

“Yes. He looked for her, and I’d say he has no idea she’s invisible. Right now he’s sitting on the floor of her bedroom looking a little stunned.”

“Hee, hee, hee,” Lucky giggled. “How long should we let him stew?”

“Until it’s no fun anymore.” And that could take a while
, Chad thought, as he poked his head into the apartment and saw Rory muttering something about composing a song.

“Ah, I wish I could watch,” Lucky said when Chad returned.

“I’ll watch for you and let you know if anything special happens. Meanwhile, weren’t you going to talk to the sisters?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll get to that. When it comes to a leprechaun’s priorities, mischief always takes first place.”

* * *

Amber came to on the hardwood floor.
Did I faint?

Rory walked out of her bedroom.
What was he doing in there?
All the thoughts that had overwhelmed her shortly before she fainted came rushing back.
Shit!
She held up what should have been her hand, right in front of her face. She even waved it back and forth, but saw nothing.

I really am invisible.

Rory walked right past her and picked up his guitar, then sat in the middle of his futon and strummed a few sad notes.

Why isn’t he celebrating? He must realize I’m not in the apartment. It’s not that big a place, and he just came out of the only spot where I could have hidden myself if I’d wanted to.

She had tried to speak to him and his friend before, but neither acted like they’d heard her.
Oh well. It’s worth another shot.

“Hey, Mr. Stubborn! Yeah, you, with the big…handsome…face.”
Damn it. He can’t hear me.

He began to sing, haltingly at first.

“Me Amber is the woman I always dreamed about.”

Huh? It’s as if he’s composing a whole new—

“Her lips they are incredible, especially when she pouts…”

“No, that’s not it.” He strode to the paper and pencil he’d left on the window seat and flipped the paper over. Then he sat down and resumed his song, writing the lines as he composed them.

“Me Amber is the woman I always dreamed about.

Her lips are soft and beautiful, even in a pout…”

“Ah, that’s better.”

“Makin’ love to her lips is all I got to do,

’cuz me Amber is a missin’, and I’m missin’ Amber too.”

Amber slapped her invisible hand over her mouth.
What? I thought I was the only one feeling something, and I-I… Oh God. I was so horrible to him. How could he possibly miss me?

“Feckers,” he muttered. “How can I sit here and wait for the leprechaun committee when Amber might be in trouble?”

He rose, set his guitar aside, and raked his hands through his auburn hair. “There must be somethin’ I can do.”

“Ah!” He snapped his fingers, tipped his face toward the ceiling, and yelled, “Euterpe! Euterpe, I need you!”

The muse strode from the bedroom. “Did I hear my name?”

He folded his arms. “You did. Now, mayhaps you can tell me what’s goin’ on here. And don’t pretend I don’t know exactly who you are. I know that you were
not
in that bedroom chattin’ with Amber one minute ago.”

She cocked her head. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m on to you. Not to Amber. I don’t know what she’s about—or where she’s gone off to, but I mean to find out.”

“Where she’s what?”

“I searched her room. Hell, I searched the whole apartment. I looked in and under every box and behind every door.”

Euterpe frowned and muttered “uh-oh” under her breath.

“You see? It’s no use lyin’ to me anymore. I want to know what’s goin’ on.”

“Did you two have a fight?”

“You mean besides the one we started the minute we walked into this feckin’ apartment?”

“Hmmm… You seem on edge.”

He raked his hands through his hair again. “You could say I’m on the edge of sanity. Now, if you’ve any pity in your heart at all…”

Euterpe shrugged. “What does it matter? She’s gone. That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”

“No,” he mumbled.

“No?”

“Not anymore.”

She beamed. “Well, isn’t this an interesting turn of events. If I help you, what will you do for Amber?”

“I’ll give her the apartment. I don’t care about anythin’ except findin’ the lass and makin’ sure she’s all right.”

“Well, I don’t know where she is, but I’ll do my best to find her.” Euterpe walked toward the bedroom, totally ignoring Amber, who was right beside her. Then she halted and faced Rory. “I don’t suppose keeping up the ruse matters anymore.” She snapped her fingers and disappeared.

Amber froze in shock. Rory knew Euterpe was supernatural? And he didn’t freak out—or even bat an eyelash when she disappeared.

Did Euterpe really not see her? Would Brandee or Bliss pop in if she called to them?

Knowing they’d want to stay out of sight, Amber returned to her bedroom and shouted, “Bliss! Brandee! I need you!”

She waited, but no one appeared. She leaned out the door to see if Rory had possibly heard her this time, but no. He had just picked up his guitar and resumed his composition.

Do I dare call on the Grand-Momma of all?

She was just about to when she heard a voice.

“Yelling won’t do any good. I should know.”

“Huh? Who’s there?”

“My name is Chad. I’m one of the residents of apartment 3A. You’d probably think of me as a spirit haunting the building, but I prefer to think of myself as a corporeally challenged resident.”

“Do you pay rent?”

“Fuck no.”

“Then I don’t see how you’re a resident.”

“Funny. I don’t see you at all.”

“This is just a temporary glitch. I’m not dead…” A sudden terrifying thought entered her head. “Am I?”

He laughed.
“You’re just now wondering?”

“Well, I don’t see my body anywhere…but I did lose consciousness for a bit. Who could have snatched my body right out from under Rory’s nose? And how can you hear me?”

“Shouldn’t the better question be why can’t anyone else?”

“I don’t understand what’s happening. Do you know?”

“I know more than you do.”

“Great. So tell me, wise spirit.”

Chad chuckled.
“Look, I don’t have to explain a thing to you. One of the best things about being a ghost is that there’s absolutely nothing you can do about me. If I want you to know something, I’ll tell you. I come and go as I please. I can be nice to those I like, and I can devise all kinds of unpleasantness for those I don’t like.”

“Okaaay… Maybe we got off on the wrong foot. Hi. My name is Amber McNally. I was… I mean, I
am
a flight attendant and a resident of apartment 1B.”

Chad laughed out loud.

“I’m sorry. Is something about that funny?”

“Yeah. You don’t exist. At the moment, you’re a soul with no body. I’m picturing you trying to fly the friendly skies and interact with passengers in your current state.”

Amber’s lip trembled. At least she thought it must be trembling. It felt like it was. She took a deep breath and commanded herself to stay calm. “Can you make yourself known to everyone? Or just a select few?”

“There are people who call themselves ‘sensitives.’ They don’t like the old-fashioned word ‘psychics,’ but that’s what they are. I can let them know I’m around if I want to. Or I can be quiet and let them wonder.”

“It must get very lonely. I don’t imagine that many psychics visit.”

“I see what you’re doing.”

“What?”

“You’re trying to sympathize and get on my good side.”

“Well, why wouldn’t I? It looks like you’re my only friend at the moment. Maybe I’m all you’ve got too.”

“Nope. I have friends all over the building. I even have a roommate.”

“That’s right. You said you lived—er, that you reside in 3A. Isn’t that Gwyneth’s apartment?”

“Yes. She’s my roommate and a friend.”

“She can hear you?”

“I’m not taking any more questions right now. I just wanted to check on you.”

“Can I ask just
one
more question? Please?”

He sighed.
“As long as it isn’t stupid.”

“Okay. I was wondering if the little man who visited Rory before—I think his name is Lucky—if he has anything to do with this.”

“Ding, ding, ding! Give the girl a kewpie doll!”

* * *

Rory marched to the door, threw it open, and called upstairs, “Shannon! Chloe!”

He waited and when there was no answer, he tried again. “Shannon! Chloe! Hell, I’ll even take Finn at this point!”

Eventually a door opened upstairs, but it wasn’t the one to his sister’s apartment. It was the door to the paranormal club. A big, blond man holding a pool cue strolled over to the banister.

“Is everything all right down there?”

“Fine. I’m sorry if I disturbed you. I was hopin’ one of me useless sisters would open their door across the hall.”

The door in question flew open, and Chloe leaned over the banister. “Useless are we?” she shouted.

Rory smiled. “Ah, I knew that would get your attention.”

“I’m chaperonin’ Shannon, just like you told me to. Now apologize, you big oaf.”

“Sorry.” He was grinning and wasn’t sorry at all.

“Now that you’ve got me attention, Rory, what did you want?”

“I want to find Amber.”

“What?” Chloe exclaimed. “Isn’t she there with you?”

“No. I was wonderin’ if she was up there.”

The guy from the paranormal club leaned over the banister. “Is that the woman my wife is friends with? She’s a flight attendant, right?”

“She is.”

“So you were visiting her and she stepped out? How long ago?”

“I-I don’t really know. I thought she was in her bedroom, but when I checked, it must have been an hour or more since I’d seen her last.”

“Oh boy,” the guy muttered under his breath.

“You must have missed her, Rory. Go back and look again,” Chloe said.

“I’m tellin’ you, I looked. I opened every box and drawer she might have managed to cram herself into.”

The guy at the top of the stairs laughed. “Do you want my professional opinion as a private investigator?” He continued without waiting for a response. “It sounds like she left the building.”

Rory shook his head. “I know you must be right, but I cannot fathom it. How did she get past me when I was sittin’ in view of the door the whole time?”

“Were you nappin?” Chloe asked.

“Not a’tall.” Rory tried to tamp down his frustration.

Finn called out. “Is that Rory?”

“Where are you, lad? I want to see the man who followed me sister all the way from Ireland.”

Finn rounded the banister and descended the stairs. He grinned as if Rory might pin a medal on his chest. Shannon followed him. At least they were dressed. Rory didn’t know what to do with these two yet, but he needed to have a serious talk with Finn soon—alone.