Magic and Mayhem: How To Date A Dragon (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Baba Yaga Saga Book 2) (19 page)

Zenos nodded. “Do ya think I haven’t learned that from my spying? I know it’s the girls that keeps ya true to yer promises. Morgana doesn’t deserve yer loyalty, lass.”

“Without her I’d be dead, Zenos.”

“Would ya?” Zenos demanded. “Or would ya be just what ya are? Ya give that magical harpy too much credit.”

He pondered the ground for a moment and then lifted his head to glare at her. “I intended to kill ya. I figured the dragon would either return to me at yer death or be gone forever. Either way, I’d be at peace knowing once and for all I’d gotten justice for what yer lying goddess did.”

“What are your intentions now?” Damien demanded.

Zenos shook his head and laughed dryly. “Ya know dragon law, but the law of the ancients is far more exacting. I have to keep my fecking promise to the fecking druid because my honor lies in their claws and beaks and hearts of stone. Beyond what I’m bound to do, I suppose I need to teach Jezi-blah-blah here to use my dragon properly so it doesn’t get weak. At least I fecking know where it is now. I felt its return the first time she shifted and I was on the other side of the world. If I’d come then, she would be dead. Be grateful I’m not the hothead I used to be.”

“Do you still intend to kill me?” she asked. “Answer truthfully. I know ours would be a battle to the death and that I have the most to lose. I’d just as soon do that now as put Carol and Hildy at risk.”

“No,” Zenos answered. “I’ve changed my mind in the last couple of days.” He looked at her body. “Cover yerself, woman. No wonder the little ones run around half naked. Yer setting a bad example.”

Jezibaba waved a hand and Damien’s shirt was replaced by her favorite dress. She waved a hand and dressed Damien too. He patted his chest and thanked her. Her sigh of relief at the return of her power wasn’t lost on Zenos. He snorted when she glared at him for not politely ignoring it.

“Why don’t ya embrace the change to beast?” he asked.

“Because it hurts worse than anything I’ve ever experienced,” she answered.

“That’s a matter of belief. If yer open-minded, I can help ya fix that. I can’t promise no pain, but I think we can make it tolerable.”

Jezibaba nodded. “I guess we’ll see.” She drew in a breath and let it out. “Can we keep this from Carol and Hildy? They have enough to worry about just staying alive.”

Zenos nodded. “No worries here. I won’t be bringing up my shame to anyone else.”

Then the rest of the puzzle fell into place. She put her hand on his arm. “The tree agate… it was your essence in it that I felt, wasn’t it?”

Zenos nodded. “Yes. And it was probably the dragon’s. Some of the beast is still in me, but not enough to change.”

“It felt familiar, like it was mine. I’ve never worried about you, not once. To hurt you would be like hurting myself. I believe you.”

Zenos rolled his eyes. “Fecking woo hoo. Yer belief doesn’t change the fact that ya have my dragon.”

“You have my word that I will care for your dragon until my life is no more. If we can find a way to return it to you then, I am happy to do so. You have my honoris promise.”

“Stop. All this mushy stuff is for the fecking birds,” Zenos exclaimed. “If ya keep my secrets, I’ll keep yers. How about that? I’ll work with ya to tame the beast. Are ya truly fond of the academic dragon?”

Jezibaba looked at Damien and grinned. “Sometimes he has his uses.”

Zenos chuckled. “Then I suppose I’ll have to get used to him too. Can’t believe I’m going to be fecking domesticated for two years.”

She and Damien watched as Zenos changed back into a phoenix and flew off without saying good-bye.

“I can’t kill him to protect you, can I?” Damien asked.

“Oh, now you’re ready to kill for me?”

Damien blew out a frustrated breath. “Are you going make me pay for my mistakes for the rest of our lives?”

“Yes… if we continue to be bed partners,” Jezibaba said. “And yes… we’re going to have to put up with him. That’s the only choice we have.”

She stepped into Damien’s body and felt his arms instantly come around her. “I’m still mad, but I’m also still crazy about you. Zenos now has me worried. Am I stopping you from being a dragon?”

“No,” Damien answered immediately, tightening his grip. “I’m neglectful of my beast. I have no other excuse. After six hundred years, you either end up being in beast form all the time or mostly human. I’ve landed on the human side. I never thought of the consequences until Zenos pointed them out.”

“But you stay human because of me,” Jezibaba said sadly.

Damien sighed against her. “Okay, yes. Perhaps I do. For a long time, Morgana required it of me. Now being human seems almost natural. Zenos has a point about the beast getting mad about it. I’ve felt that but ignored it. I won’t do that now after what we’ve learned. I need my dragon to support me. I need him to help me protect you and the girls.”

She nodded and pulled away. “It’s been a very long week. I detest you and I detest myself for still wanting to be with you. Can I stay with you tonight?”

Damien frowned. “Are we so estranged that you have to ask that question?”

Jezibaba nodded. “Yes. I figured it was polite, since we’ll probably be arguing again in the morning.”

His low growl in her ear made her giggle, and reminded her of Iren teasing Carol. Live in the moment, Jezibaba reminded herself. Tomorrow’s problems would come soon enough.

But she wasn’t letting him off the hook and he needed to get used to it.

“There’s one other thing before we sleep together again. I meant it about no more talk about us being mates. That’s off the table. If you so much as even say the word, I’ll never grace your sheets again.”

Damien’s reluctant sigh was loud and long. “Okay. Perhaps by the time Carol and Hildy take over your work, you might entertain the idea again.”

“Doubtful.”

“Shush and take me to bed, Elenora. All I want right now is to love you.”

“Okay, but don’t get your hopes up, dragon.”

Putting her mouth on Damien’s, she did exactly that though, once again feeling the strongest magic of all.

# # The End # #

Coming in October 2016

TO YAGA OR NOT TO YAGA

Book 3 of the Baba Yaga Saga

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HOW TO DATE A DRAGON
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After 35 years of doing everything for a living except writing books, I finally published my first romance novel in March of 2011. Thirty plus novels later, I am living my own happily ever after as a full time romance author.

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