“And your name is?”
“Oh! Sorry.” His face reddened. “I’m Bob—Bob Waverly.”
“Generally, I call my drivers by their last names. Do you have a problem with that?”
“I don’t see why I should. Most people just call me, driver . At least you’re being personable enough to try to remember my name.” He laughed as he moved to open the passenger-side back door. “Where to, sir?”
“Hand me the GPS unit when you get in and I’ll enter the address.” He waited for May to get in, then climbed in after her. “It’s in the middle of nowhere and will take a couple of hours to get there.”
“A couple of hours, sir?” the driver sounded surprised.
“Yes. There’s an area in the mountains where I’ve found clues to what appears to be an extraordinary find. If it’s what I think it is, it will change life the way we know it.”
“The way humans know it, or dragonkin?”
Damek became still at his question. “What do you know of dragonkin, Waverly?”
The driver grinned. “Quite a bit since my mother was a dragon. My father was a mage. What’s this I hear about dragons killing witches? Who started that bullshit rumor?”
“I wish I knew.” Damek settled back in his seat. He could relax now that the man had identified himself as a member of their world. He just may hire the man on, permanently. The only thing left was to see if the man had courage and would put himself between a witch and danger. If he did, Damek may have found himself a new addition to his crew.
Chapter Eleven
May opened her eyes, her vision blurry for a moment while she managed to wake herself up. “How long have I been asleep?” she asked Damek when he moved and drew her attention.
“About two and a half hours. Why?” He looked over at her, brought his hand up, and rested it on her forehead. “You feel a little warm. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” She pushed his hand away, then smiled to soften the rejection. “Don’t worry about me.”
Looking out the window, she saw miles and miles of pristine landscape. Mountains in the distance grew closer the further they drove. May couldn’t help but stare as they passed a large lake with water so blue it almost made her cry, it was so beautiful.
“I take it that we’re headed into the mountains?”
“Just to the base of it. I have a small outpost there. It’s nothing but small temporary buildings that we can move at a moment’s notice.” He chuckled. “Don’t look so outraged.”
“I can’t help it. This…” She waved her arm. “This is just too beautiful to ruin with development.” She was glad that he seemed responsible with his power and his money.
“Apparently, the state government agrees with you. All of this is protected land. I have a permit to search for plants thought extinct, but I only have a finite amount of time.”
Turning away from the beautiful scenery, May looked at him. “That’s where I come in, isn’t it?”
“Yes. I need your help. You have an affinity with plants. I need you to help me find a few specific kinds.”
At least the man had the grace to blush. May stared at him for a minute and wondered if she should cooperate. Leaning against the door, she crossed her arms and her legs and looked at him through narrowed eyes.
“What plants do you want me to find?” She swung her leg back and forth as she stared at him. “Because I have to tell you that I’m not going to be a party to bringing another narcotic-like drug into the world.”
“It’s not like that, May.” Damek released his seatbelt, moved to the other seat and slid to the other side of the vehicle so as to position himself directly in front of her. “I’m trying to make sure that all Dragon’s Desire is in my hands. Not so I can exploit it, but so I can protect it from misuse. I am also searching for the plant that serves as an antidote to it. If we can find that, we can protect dragonkin everywhere from its effects. It would
“Oh! Sorry.” His face reddened. “I’m Bob—Bob Waverly.”
“Generally, I call my drivers by their last names. Do you have a problem with that?”
“I don’t see why I should. Most people just call me, driver . At least you’re being personable enough to try to remember my name.” He laughed as he moved to open the passenger-side back door. “Where to, sir?”
“Hand me the GPS unit when you get in and I’ll enter the address.” He waited for May to get in, then climbed in after her. “It’s in the middle of nowhere and will take a couple of hours to get there.”
“A couple of hours, sir?” the driver sounded surprised.
“Yes. There’s an area in the mountains where I’ve found clues to what appears to be an extraordinary find. If it’s what I think it is, it will change life the way we know it.”
“The way humans know it, or dragonkin?”
Damek became still at his question. “What do you know of dragonkin, Waverly?”
The driver grinned. “Quite a bit since my mother was a dragon. My father was a mage. What’s this I hear about dragons killing witches? Who started that bullshit rumor?”
“I wish I knew.” Damek settled back in his seat. He could relax now that the man had identified himself as a member of their world. He just may hire the man on, permanently. The only thing left was to see if the man had courage and would put himself between a witch and danger. If he did, Damek may have found himself a new addition to his crew.
Chapter Eleven
May opened her eyes, her vision blurry for a moment while she managed to wake herself up. “How long have I been asleep?” she asked Damek when he moved and drew her attention.
“About two and a half hours. Why?” He looked over at her, brought his hand up, and rested it on her forehead. “You feel a little warm. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” She pushed his hand away, then smiled to soften the rejection. “Don’t worry about me.”
Looking out the window, she saw miles and miles of pristine landscape. Mountains in the distance grew closer the further they drove. May couldn’t help but stare as they passed a large lake with water so blue it almost made her cry, it was so beautiful.
“I take it that we’re headed into the mountains?”
“Just to the base of it. I have a small outpost there. It’s nothing but small temporary buildings that we can move at a moment’s notice.” He chuckled. “Don’t look so outraged.”
“I can’t help it. This…” She waved her arm. “This is just too beautiful to ruin with development.” She was glad that he seemed responsible with his power and his money.
“Apparently, the state government agrees with you. All of this is protected land. I have a permit to search for plants thought extinct, but I only have a finite amount of time.”
Turning away from the beautiful scenery, May looked at him. “That’s where I come in, isn’t it?”
“Yes. I need your help. You have an affinity with plants. I need you to help me find a few specific kinds.”
At least the man had the grace to blush. May stared at him for a minute and wondered if she should cooperate. Leaning against the door, she crossed her arms and her legs and looked at him through narrowed eyes.
“What plants do you want me to find?” She swung her leg back and forth as she stared at him. “Because I have to tell you that I’m not going to be a party to bringing another narcotic-like drug into the world.”
“It’s not like that, May.” Damek released his seatbelt, moved to the other seat and slid to the other side of the vehicle so as to position himself directly in front of her. “I’m trying to make sure that all Dragon’s Desire is in my hands. Not so I can exploit it, but so I can protect it from misuse. I am also searching for the plant that serves as an antidote to it. If we can find that, we can protect dragonkin everywhere from its effects. It would
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