Page 45 of Dragon My Crazy

I could see him now, knee-deep in the shallows in his human form, as he carefully transferred his beloved pets into temporary saltwater tanks. His face was pinched with worry, his hands moving frantically. The moat had been his pride, his sanctuary, and now it was a wreck.

I leaned over the edge, my net dipping into the water, and hauled up another clump of debris. This one was a tattered blanket, waterlogged and heavy, the fabric horribly stained. I shook it loose, sending a spray of droplets onto the stone path, and tossed it onto the growing pile of refuse.

The attackers had all scattered, leaving behind their weapons of moat destruction, the moment Emmett had shown up in dragon form. That explained the toasted trees at the turn in of the long drive leading up to the castle, right by the front gate.

Too bad I was inside trying to fight off a goblin of my own. I would’ve loved to see him flying in his dragon form and breathing fire. I bet he was formidable. I’d seen him for a few seconds as a dragon, curled around me on the bed, but that was different.

I sighed, wiping my forehead with the back of my hand. The sun was high, the air thick with humidity, and my arms ached from the effort. But I couldn’t stop. Not yet.

I dipped the net back into the water, my muscles straining as I dragged it through the muddy depths. Something heavy caught in the mesh, and I grunted as I hauled it up. A broken wooden crate, its planks splintered and waterlogged. I tossed it onto the pile and kept going.

The sound of Kai’s muttered curses carried across the water. I watched as he lifted a fish from the murky depths, its scales glinting in the sunlight. It looked sluggish as Kai carefully placed it into the tank with others of its kind.

Inky, his octopus, looked on from one of the other tanks with too much interest.

“No, Inky. You can’t eat him. Remember what I said? We only eat pre-killed fish here.”

Inky squirted water at him.

Kai sighed. “No, you can’t pre-kill him either. If you do, I won’t order you any more caviar.”

I bit my lip. Kai had his hands full.

I should go check on Dizzi and make sure she was okay. The attackers had been from her old clan. She’d been putting on a brave face for her kids, but I’d seen the way her hands trembled when she thought no one was looking. She was now with her twochildren and Melly in the conservatory, trying to distract them with plants and sunlight.

But first, I scooped up one last clump of debris—a soggy, unidentifiable mass—and tossed it onto the pile. My arms burned, my back ached, and my clothes were damp with sweat. But the moat was mostly clear now of the big pieces.

I shook the last of the debris from my net and tossed it onto the growing pile before wiping my sweat-slicked hands on my trousers. The sun had climbed higher while I worked, turning the courtyard into a furnace. My shirt clung to my back with perspiration, and my hair stuck to my neck in damp tendrils.

Time to check on Dizzi and enjoy a few minutes of air-conditioned bliss.

I left the net leaning against the stone wall and crossed the drawbridge into the courtyard. I could cut across to the side where the jasmine plants were blooming and go straight into the conservatory through the side door. But that would bypass the air-conditioned parts of the castle completely.

The other option was to go through the castle. It was the longer way around, but I’d be able to cool down and maybe give Emmett a visit in his office. I decided on the latter and headed toward the main doors.

The heavy wooden doors groaned as I pushed them open, and I stepped into the blessedly cool interior. The blast of air-conditioning instantly soothed my overheated skin. I paused just inside the doorway, letting the artificial breeze dry the sweat on my neck and arms. It was bliss.

The familiar scent of stone and lemon polish filled the air as I moved down the hallway. Cassian must’ve been through recently. Last I saw him, he was drenching the hallway where the portal had opened with more lemon Pledge than I could shake a stick at. Said he didn’t like the stench of ghouls and unwashed goblin males. I didn’t blame him; they’d reeked. But I also wondered if he was doing that to cover any possible lingering traces of my magic.

I slowed as I neared Emmett’s office. The door was slightly ajar, and voices drifted into the hallway.

“...Sena is long gone, and her residual magic will not hold,” Leroy’s voice carried clearly through the gap. “I told you we need to transfer the system to me and find us a new source of magic. What about that witch who has been staying with us? Her magical aura looks weak, but she could be hiding her magic like you said.”

I froze, mid-step. I couldn’t hear the first part of Emmett’s reply, but I heard the second sentence loud and clear. It made my stomach drop.

“I’m working on it.”

My world slowed to a standstill. My stomach twisted, nausea rising in my throat.

Luella’s warning echoed in my mind: He thought you would be a good source for my father to draw from. He just wants your magic.

I took a step back, my heart pounding so hard I could feel it in my fingertips. The hallway stretched before me, long and empty, but all I could hear was Emmett’s voice, replaying in my head.

He was working on it. He was talking about me. He was working on me. He hadn’t been using romance to get me to help with Melly. He wanted me for my magic,just like every goddamn man I’d ever met.

I turned away and forced my legs to move. I went back down the hallway and into the foyer, then right out into the courtyard again. I cut across, aiming for the row of potted jasmines that lined the well-tended water feature. Past it was the footbridge that led to the side door to the conservatory.

I reached for the handle. My body moved on autopilot, and my palm was slick with sweat as I pushed it open. Humid, earth-scented air greeted me. Numbly, I made my way down the walkway to the open area at the center.