Like Miranda warned, I felt a ripple through my magic that went from my toes all the way up my head. I swore I saw the white-gold sun flare out with shimmering arcs and sparkles, but didn’t dare look up to check it out. Bones had me thoroughly paranoid about anyone seeing it apart from him, and I couldn’t even tell if his paranoia was warranted.
Draken laughed. “So youhavedrunk before.”
“Not Hollywood-style,” I said loftily. “But yes, on the occasional occasion.”
That had sounded cleverer in my head.
In reality, it made me sound tipsy, and a little ridiculous.
Draken grinned at me, and looked down at the monocerus at my feet.
“Are you ever going to tell us how you conjured this adorable creature, Shadow? You know it’s pretty weird to suddenly have a fully-formed primal overnight.”
“He chose me, anddon’tcall him adorable,” I said warningly.
“Heisadorable though, in all his fierce adorableness.” Draken grinned down at the black beast. “Look, he’s stomping his little foot at me and sharpening his horn. Is he going to ram my leg? Gore my lion, maybe?”
“I’m warning you,don’tcall him adorable,” I huffed. It struck me that my words seemed to be sticking strangely in my throat. “He doesn’t like that. He’s a fierce, wild beast, and he does what he wants…”
Draken burst out in a louder laugh, and a few people looked over.
“Is he, now?” he grinned. “Wonder what you two have in common?”
“Now, now, Drakey, be nice,” Miranda remarked, winking at me.
Draken scoffed at her.
“Are you saying I can’t eventryto make friends with him?” he asked, leaning an arm on the bar and looking back at me. “What if I pet him a little? Feed him chocolate and expensive liquors? Bring him flowers and polish his lovely little horn…?”
In the back of my mind, I heard the suggestive lilt in his voice, the testing of the waters threaded into his question. But something else had distracted me halfway through his words. I stared at a different dark head across the room now, one covered in tight, black curls, unlike Draken’s iron-straight hair, which reminded me of a raven’s wing.
When the new person turned his head slightly, I saw his profile and was certain.
“A moment,” I murmured, my tongue becoming increasingly difficult. “I need to see a man about a thing… very important…”
“Hey.” Draken caught my hand gently in his. “Where’re you going? I thought we were going to dance?”
I disentangled my hand, and pointed at Draken’s face.
“You’re drunk,” I pronounced. “You’re very,veryslurry right now. Positively pickled. Soused. Boozled. A horrid influence on the children…”
“You’reslurry,” Draken said back. “And I thinkyou’reboozled. Whatever in the gods that means. And who are these children I’m being horrid to?”
I started to walk away, and Draken stopped me a second time. He laid a careful hand on my shoulder.
“Hey. Where are you going, Leda? For real?”
“Need to ask someone a question.” I waved vaguely in the direction of the person I’d seen. “Very important. Need to see a man…”
“…about a dragon?” Miranda supplied helpfully, putting her head between ours and smiling. She pushed on Draken’s chest, and he took his hand off me. “Let her go see her man about that dragon, Drakey. You’re being such aguyright now. Such a predictable, boring guy. Plying us all with drinks so you can be handsy and slurry and horny…”
Draken looked offended. “I am not.”
Miranda rolled her eyes. “You soarethough.”
“Am not!”
They were still arguing back and forth when I walked away, determinedly aiming my eyes and feet at the person I’d seen in that corner of the bar.
