he could do with himself.
The man just stared at him calmly. “This is very peculiar and disturbing.” He looked at me as he spoke. “What are you doing with him?” he asked me directly.
“Who the fuck are you?” Christian stood up as he spoke. He wasn’t as tall as the stranger, but he put in a good showing.
The man eyed him coldly. “You don’t know what I am?” he asked softly.
“How would I know what you are? I don’t even know who you fucking are!” Christian looked about one second from punching the stranger, so I grabbed his right arm, pulling him away. Christian didn’t seem to understand what the strange man was, but I was starting to get a very bad feeling that I did know. This was turning into one bad week.
The man bowed slightly, mockingly. “Interesting,” he said, more to himself, I thought. He nodded at us. “Nice T-shirts.” He almost smirked. He melded with disturbing ease and speed into the crowd.
“I don’t like that guy,” Christian muttered.
I smiled grimly. “That doesn’t surprise me. Let’s go find Lynn.”
We covered about half of the fair before we got distracted by food again. It was ice cream this time, and I indulged. “I was surprised to find you off of work today.” I made conversation as we giggled at some of the random fair enthusiasts walking by. The pirates were in rare form this year.
“Oh, that. I may have a lot of days off coming up, actually.”
“How so?”
“I’ve been given an extended leave of absence.”
I raised my brows at him. “What did you do?”
He smiled ruefully. “Apparently there’s a pretty long list.”
“Enlighten me.”
“Hmmm, I already forget a lot of it. I recall something about collateral damage being mentioned. Willful destruction of property, maybe? The term trigger happy was thrown around a lot. Very very trigger happy was mentioned once or twice. Carrying illegally enhanced weapons on the job? Carrying several illegally enhanced weapons, even. Apparently when enforcing the law, they expect you to abide by it. What the bloody hell is with that?”
My eyes widened. Someone had been misbehaving. Which didn’t really surprise me. I was more surprised that he’d allowed himself to get in trouble for it. “How long of a leave are we talking?”
He shrugged. “Forever?”
“Wow. What are you gonna do?”
He shrugged, not looking at all concerned. “Play around for a few months. After I get bored, I was thinking fireman. Maybe. Who wouldn’t love a flame-retardant fireman?” I laughed. He really was flame-retardant. What else could he be when he existed to fight dragons? He needed a few tricks up his sleeve for such deadly creatures.
“Well, at least I’ll always have some good connections on the force,” he said, sighing. Law enforcement was a popular vocation for druids. Christian got all of his inside information on the Other community from some druids he had become close friends with on the force over the years. He, like myself, didn’t hate all druids. Just the vast majority of them.
“Now that we’re done talking about my jobless self, would you like to tell me about that thing on your wrist?” Christian asked, his tone concerned. I’d had little hope that he wouldn’t notice the geas.
I sighed, shaking the thing like I might get lucky and just make it fall off. “It’s a mess, of course. Collin found me yesterday. I’m supposed to go see Dom soon.”
Christian whistled softly. “Found twice in two days. Looks like your luck has run out, girl. How can I help?”
I grimaced. “I’ll let you know. I think I have it under control, though, for now. I have an idea. I may have a way around this geas.”
He cringed comically. “Famous last words. Don’t hesitate to call me in on the
The man just stared at him calmly. “This is very peculiar and disturbing.” He looked at me as he spoke. “What are you doing with him?” he asked me directly.
“Who the fuck are you?” Christian stood up as he spoke. He wasn’t as tall as the stranger, but he put in a good showing.
The man eyed him coldly. “You don’t know what I am?” he asked softly.
“How would I know what you are? I don’t even know who you fucking are!” Christian looked about one second from punching the stranger, so I grabbed his right arm, pulling him away. Christian didn’t seem to understand what the strange man was, but I was starting to get a very bad feeling that I did know. This was turning into one bad week.
The man bowed slightly, mockingly. “Interesting,” he said, more to himself, I thought. He nodded at us. “Nice T-shirts.” He almost smirked. He melded with disturbing ease and speed into the crowd.
“I don’t like that guy,” Christian muttered.
I smiled grimly. “That doesn’t surprise me. Let’s go find Lynn.”
We covered about half of the fair before we got distracted by food again. It was ice cream this time, and I indulged. “I was surprised to find you off of work today.” I made conversation as we giggled at some of the random fair enthusiasts walking by. The pirates were in rare form this year.
“Oh, that. I may have a lot of days off coming up, actually.”
“How so?”
“I’ve been given an extended leave of absence.”
I raised my brows at him. “What did you do?”
He smiled ruefully. “Apparently there’s a pretty long list.”
“Enlighten me.”
“Hmmm, I already forget a lot of it. I recall something about collateral damage being mentioned. Willful destruction of property, maybe? The term trigger happy was thrown around a lot. Very very trigger happy was mentioned once or twice. Carrying illegally enhanced weapons on the job? Carrying several illegally enhanced weapons, even. Apparently when enforcing the law, they expect you to abide by it. What the bloody hell is with that?”
My eyes widened. Someone had been misbehaving. Which didn’t really surprise me. I was more surprised that he’d allowed himself to get in trouble for it. “How long of a leave are we talking?”
He shrugged. “Forever?”
“Wow. What are you gonna do?”
He shrugged, not looking at all concerned. “Play around for a few months. After I get bored, I was thinking fireman. Maybe. Who wouldn’t love a flame-retardant fireman?” I laughed. He really was flame-retardant. What else could he be when he existed to fight dragons? He needed a few tricks up his sleeve for such deadly creatures.
“Well, at least I’ll always have some good connections on the force,” he said, sighing. Law enforcement was a popular vocation for druids. Christian got all of his inside information on the Other community from some druids he had become close friends with on the force over the years. He, like myself, didn’t hate all druids. Just the vast majority of them.
“Now that we’re done talking about my jobless self, would you like to tell me about that thing on your wrist?” Christian asked, his tone concerned. I’d had little hope that he wouldn’t notice the geas.
I sighed, shaking the thing like I might get lucky and just make it fall off. “It’s a mess, of course. Collin found me yesterday. I’m supposed to go see Dom soon.”
Christian whistled softly. “Found twice in two days. Looks like your luck has run out, girl. How can I help?”
I grimaced. “I’ll let you know. I think I have it under control, though, for now. I have an idea. I may have a way around this geas.”
He cringed comically. “Famous last words. Don’t hesitate to call me in on the
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