The Last Adventure of Constance Verity by A. Lee Martinez Page B

guardian’s dark green eyes. She hoped she wasn’t overselling it.
    â€œNo.”
    The dragon man scratched his great curving horns made of wood, and she wondered if it was difficult breathing fire when half your flesh was made of bark.
    â€œThat’s annoying. Here I have been stationed in this wardrobe for the better part of a decade with the express purpose of slaying Constance Verity when she dared try use it, and she’s not even here.”
    â€œYou’ve been sitting in there for ten years?”
    â€œThat’s not the worst of it. I actually had to battle the greatest gladiators of the realm for the right. I slew my own brothers for this opportunity.”
    â€œYou must really hate Connie.”
    â€œOh, I’ve got nothing against her, myself. But it’d bring great honor upon my house to be the one who killed her.”
    With a heavy sigh, he sat on the pile of boxes Connie had been buried under. “I don’t understand it. The oracles specifically said she’d be using this portal to the realms. Though they didn’t say when. Never do give you any useful information, do they?”
    â€œI hear ya,” said Tia. “Oracles. Am I right?”
    The guardian groaned and climbed back into the wardrobe.“Maybe next time. If you should see Verity, please, do urge her to hurry along. I may be ageless, but I have things I’d rather be doing.”
    He shut the doors and the handle closed with a click.
    Tia waited a few moments before digging through the crushed boxes, looking for Connie. She wasn’t there, and a quick search of the rest of the apartment confirmed she was missing.
    The wardrobe rocked back and forth as something clattered and bumped in its interior. Tia watched, uncertain of what she should do. She debated on opening the door, but if the guardian was in there, fighting something so fierce and terrible, then it was probably better if they stayed put. Or maybe their battle would shake the wardrobe to pieces, taking their portal to the fairy world with it, and the better thing to do would be to let them out. Since Connie wasn’t here, Tia had to do something. Unless doing something was the wrong thing to do.
    This sidekicking business was more complicated than she had initially expected. When she’d been previously dragged into Connie’s adventures, it was more of a hostage situation, and that mostly involved sitting around, waiting to be rescued.
    There came a dreadful roar, and tongues of flame flashed around the edges of the wardrobe. Its doors swung open as the guardian was hurled into the apartment to come crashing onto the floor. More boxes were crushed. Others fell over. At this point, it wasn’t worth noticing.
    Connie stepped out from the wardrobe. She blew out the bit of fire smoldering on her sleeve.
    â€œHow the hell did you get in there?” asked Tia.
    â€œNinja training,” replied Connie.
    â€œBullshit. I could see the wardrobe the whole time. You couldn’t have sneaked into it without me noticing.”
    â€œPeople aren’t nearly as observant as they think,” replied Connie. “And monsters tend to be terrific distractions. I probably couldn’t have pulled it off if you hadn’t been distracting the guardian.”
    â€œSee? I told you I could be useful.”
    â€œI stand proven wrong,” said Connie.
    Tia eyed the guardian lying still before her. “Is he dead?”
    â€œJust stunned.” Connie pounded the knuckledusters in each hand together with a loud clink. “Cold iron. Never visit the Fae Realms without them.”
    â€œI thought you said you preferred winging it.”
    Connie slipped the knuckledusters in her pocket. “Some things are just common sense. He should be unconscious for a few hours.”
    â€œPoor guy,” said Tia.
    â€œHe was planning on killing me.”
    â€œWell, sure, but I can’t help but have a little sympathy for