'Til Dragons Do Us Part (Never Deal with Dragons) (6 page)

I sighed and reluctantly pulled out a pen. By the time we’d arrived at the mansion, I was carsick from writing and daydreaming about rolling down the window to hurl myself from the moving car. Once we’d parked, I wasted no time grabbing my leather satchel from the back seat and jumping out. The butler let us in the house, and while we waited for our presence to be announced, I had to listen to Amanda complain about the unprofessional appearance of my bag.

She was right, of course. The poor tote had been through many a scrape, and the leather surface had long ago been rubbed raw by use. But it was the only bag I owned that I could carry on both my human and dragon bodies, and I never went anywhere without a change of clothes. I knew from experience that it sucked to be stuck in dragon form just because I forgot to bring an outfit along for the ride.

So I did my best to look contrite, but ultimately, I had to tune out my boss’s incessant disapproving comments or risk reaching over and strangling the life from her body. I was beginning to think Amanda complained out of sheer boredom.

Her constant criticisms had become so expected that I was shocked when the butler returned to lead us down to an open room, and my slightly crazy, totally cruel boss melted at the feet of her newest client.

Myrna Banks, head of DRACIM Tulsa and arguably the most famous human being on the planet right now, gestured us inside, then sat across from us on a sofa in one of Lord Relobu’s many sitting rooms.

“I really, really appreciate you taking the time to come down here and meet with me. Especially on such short notice.”

“Oh, honey.” Amanda leaned forward and swallowed Myrna’s hands in a death grip. “It’s no trouble at all. When you need us, we’ll be here. We want to make sure your wedding goes off without a hitch. Or, rather, with a hitch, if you know what I mean.” My boss laughed hard at her own quip, and I found myself half expecting an alien to pop out of the top of her head.

“Yes, well.” The bride to be didn’t seem to know how to handle Amanda’s forceful personality any better than I did, but she recovered nicely, gently but insistently retracting her hand before Amanda twisted it off at the wrist.

“That’s really the main reason I asked you here today. We’re going to have to move the wedding.”

I saw the amount of effort it took Amanda to keep from snapping. Judging by the tic that had started up just under her eye, moving the wedding wasn’t something that was normally done. I was sitting close enough to hear as Amanda ground her teeth, but ultimately, my boss held it together.

Though her smile was as fake as the cakes in April’s showroom, Amanda’s voice was nevertheless calm and professional as she responded. “I understand that the date is fast approaching, but rest assured that we’ll have everything ready in two weeks, just as planned.”

Myrna looked a bit startled. “Oh, no. I don’t want to move the wedding
date
. Just the venue.”

“You want to move the—” Amanda cut herself off and closed her eyes.

I wondered if I was about to witness the murder of DRACIM’s best and brightest, but once again, Amanda surprised me with her restraint.

“May I ask what happened with The Silo? It’s a beautiful location. They’ve offered to open up some of the surrounding acreage to handle the arrival of your guests, and I can assure you that we’ve taken the special seating needs of the dragons into consideration. Everyone will have a perfect view of the ceremony, and the reception is just a short drive away for our human guests, and barely a stretch of the wing for the dragons.”

Myrna smiled. “I agree. And that’s why I chose the venue in the first place.” She leaned back into the couch, steepling her hands just under her chin. “Amanda, you have been wonderful, and I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. Truly. But if you’ll permit me to be blunt. It likely hasn’t escaped your notice that all of this,” she waved her hand vaguely in the direction of my notebook, “just isn’t my forte. When you ask me about my preference for classic or modern, formal or laid back, I have no idea how to answer. I didn’t grow up dreaming about what my wedding dress would look like, or what type of flowers I’d have in my hand when I said my vows. In fact, had you asked me last year, I’d have told you I wouldn’t be getting married at all. Ever.

“But I’m sure both of you are somewhat aware of the current situation with the dragon council.” She waited until we’d nodded before continuing. “With this wedding, Trian and I are doing what we can to keep Lord Relobu’s dream alive. My dream alive. We want a world in which humans and dragons can live peaceably, and as equals. But until we can convince each species to drop their fears and preconceptions, Relobu will never be able to get traction on worldwide laws on fair treatment of humans by dragons, and I’ll never be able to convince humans that dragons are more than dangerous monsters.”

She sighed. “So Trian and I are willing to turn our marriage into a circus if it means moving the species’ perceptions of one another one step closer to acceptable. We’re all created from the same DNA. Well, at least partially so. It’s in everyone’s best interests that we remember that.”

I gripped the edges of my notebook a little tighter to stop myself from clapping. It was clear from her impassioned speech that she really believed what she was saying, and I found myself agreeing. I had no idea whether this wedding thing would have the desired effect, but I was interested to stick around and find out.

At least until I managed to find a way to slip a Tofegaard out of the house. Then I was gone.

Startled at the wisp of regret the thought caused, I deliberately turned my attention back to Myrna. “Sorry. But I guess I don’t understand how this relates to moving the location of your wedding.”

Amanda shot me a glare that clearly screamed “shut up, you stupid cow,” but Myrna just gave me a nervous laugh.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. It appears I’m more rattled than I thought.” She reached into the satchel at her feet and pulled out a file, holding it out in front of her. For the first time, I noticed Myrna’s hands were shaking.

Ignoring my boss’s glare, I leaned over to accept the folder. Opening it, I read the stack of papers inside. It didn’t take long before it became obvious that these were death threats. Some were scribbled ravings of the mentally ill, easily ignored. But others were neatly typewritten pages filled with precise, measured speech that brought to mind formal church services with graying priests educating their flocks. A chill skated up my spine. There were people out there who wanted Myrna dead. Trian dead.

I shuffled the pages.

One filled with the large, jagged strokes of dragonscript stood out. Apparently humans weren’t the only ones who wanted the couple out of the spotlight. But it was the paper just behind the dragonscript that caused my hands to freeze. The page had one line:
Cancel the wedding.
Under that line was a picture of Myrna and Trian sitting together on a living room sofa, his head in her lap as they laughed about something. But the part that had made me go cold was the dragon’s claw framed into the picture, its gentle curve and razor-sharp edge stark against the homey scene.

Whether the dragon was present at the time of the shot, or the image was superimposed later, it was clear that someone wanted the couple to know that this threat wasn’t coming from a human. That there were dragons out there—dragons, who had as a species proven themselves invulnerable to human weapons—that did not want this wedding to happen.

I looked to Myrna, and she gave me a tight smile. “I had assumed that this type of thing is pretty normal with people in the public eye, but Relobu and Trian think otherwise. They say dragons wouldn’t do this unless they meant it. I tend to believe it.”

Wow. She’d be right to believe it. I might be only half-dragon, but I’d worked with enough of them to know that they didn’t make idle threats. That letter was a direct challenge to Trian, as well as Trian’s dragon lord, Nir Relobu.

“You need to cancel the wedding.” The words were out of my mouth before I could even think about them. Amanda gasped and moved toward me, and for a second, I thought she might actually hit me.

Rule number one in the wedding planning business: don’t encourage the client to cancel the wedding.

But I didn’t apologize. I may have just met this woman, but I knew that I didn’t want to see her die. These letters made it very clear that there were parties out there that were not happy about the races mixing, and several of them were prepared to take action. These letters spelled trouble.

Myrna stood up, saving me the need to protect myself from Amanda’s silent fury.

“I will not allow these people to dictate who I can and cannot marry. But I’m also not going to present myself as an easy target. Relobu has offered the use of his estate as the event venue, and I think it’s best if we move the wedding here. He’s given Trian full rein to make any changes necessary to the security team, in addition to the usual contingent of guards and tech.”

I felt my heart hit my stomach. While I agreed that Relobu’s mansion, as private property, had the ability to control visitors and would be better able to shut down any attempts at assassinations, it definitely wouldn’t make my job easier.

Amanda’s face had transformed from barely leashed fury to indescribable delight. In fact, it was the same feverish joy that Emma’s had when Simon and Jeanie had presented her with Mr. Ruff last Christmas. I knew there was no chance of convincing my boss to find a different, equally safe venue. In Amanda’s mind, she’d won the lottery.

I tried to remind myself that there was an upside to having the wedding at Relobu’s—near constant access to his mansion. But in truth, the added security would cause Simon and me a lot of headaches in the long run.

I sighed and flexed the still-sore muscles around my shoulder blades. I guess that’s why Simon and I charged the big bucks. On this job, we were going to earn them.

* * *

I’d finally managed to talk myself into thinking the venue change was going to be a good thing. That is, until the news got worse. One of the letters had referenced Bridal Visions in its rant, and Myrna expressed concerns about our safety. Amanda, still too excited over having her company’s name tied to the exclusive use of a normally very private home, had waved off the note, dismissing it as the rantings of a madman.

She may have been right, but madmen could hurt people too.

Myrna must have agreed, because she politely but forcibly insisted that a security team would be assigned to the Bridal Visions shop until after the wedding or until Trian’s team members were able to prove that the threats were more flash than bang. After Myrna reminded Amanda of the recent graffiti, my boss was only too happy to accept the protection, so long as the team promised to stay out of sight.

“There is already a team heading to the shop. I called ahead to let your employees know there will be at least one dragon and one human watching the place around the clock, with additional personnel called in as needed. They’ll do nothing to interfere with your work or the running of your business, and everyone will do their best to keep out of your way, but I’m afraid this is non-negotiable. Odds are, you’re not being targeted. Your company is to be commended for being willing to work with dragons, and I want others to follow your example, but that won’t happen if any of you are hurt.”

There was a light tap on the parlor door, and in walked Cameron Shaw. He nodded politely at Myrna, then made a beeline for my boss, reaching out a hand in greeting. “It’s nice to see you both again. Amanda George, correct?”

My boss gave him a tight smile, obviously irritated at the interruption. We hadn’t even started on the list she’d dictated to me in the car, and I had a feeling this venue change had only added to her ever-growing to-do list.

Cameron turned to me, a twinkle in his blue eyes. “Savannah. Good to see you again. Nice suit.” He made a show of inspecting the dangerous height of my heels as well as the thigh-baring cut of my business skirt. And if his gaze stayed a little longer than necessary on my legs, I was the only one to notice.

Raising an eyebrow at my getup, Cameron made it clear that he remembered exactly who I was, and why I was strapped into the most uncomfortable suit I’d ever worn.

“This is Cameron Shaw, though it sounds as if you’ve already been introduced.” Maybe I wasn’t the only one to notice his interest, because Myrna was giving Cameron a speculative look as she returned to her seat.

“Yes. He...welcomed me here at the mansion on my first day at Bridal Visions.” I resisted the urge to scowl, but only barely. What he’d done was make me more flustered and blundering while undercover than I’d been in a long time.

I wasn’t sure I had enjoyed the feeling.

Giving my hand one last squeeze, Cameron settled into the empty spot on the couch near Myrna.

“As Relobu’s second in command, Trian is often out on special projects. And of course, he’s a main participant in this event, so I’m helping to fill in with some of his protection-related duties in the household until after the wedding.

“If you’ve got the time today, I’d appreciate you taking me with you as you walk the property, so I can get a feel for the specific areas that will be in play. That way, I can make arrangements for the type and number of personnel we’ll be adding for the event, as well as any additional tech we’ll need to get installed. I know we’ve already done cursory background checks on the guest list, but I’d like to look through it again when you have it finalized, just to make sure we avoid inviting our terrorists in through the front door. We’re doing everything possible to make sure Myrna’s wedding is a happy, joyous experience for everyone involved.”

He smiled, and even Amanda was charmed. “Of course, of course. Anything to make things easier for you.” Amanda was still flying high with euphoria about the idea of having access to Lord Relobu’s entire estate, and the effect on her demeanor was remarkable.

Myrna smiled. “I’m glad we were able to work something out. I’m assuming there are other things the two of you need from me?”