“He’s not. He knows it was Etel who sent me and that I didn’t know why I was sent.”
“What’s he like? I never got a chance to meet him, and I wasn’t around for the war. I was too young to be much use.”
“I like him. His humor is playful, not cruel. He’s honorable. I don’t know what else to say.”
“I never imagined him with humor.”
“Ah, well, you didn’t see his reaction when I ran away from a snake.”
“Anyone would be right to fear a basilisk.”
“Not a basilisk. A snake. For the record, it was about four feet long and it startled me. I think maybe it was just a black snake, but…”
Jess paused long enough for Aegidius to finish laughing.
“I see your sense of humor is hereditary,” Jess said, unable to keep the smile out of her voice. “I have to thank you, Aegidius. I wasn’t your responsibility, but you took care of me. If there’s anything I can do for you, I will.”
There was a five second pause before Aegidius said: “There is one thing, actually. Due to an... error in judgement, I lost half my fortune to a nephew, Cassian. Rumor has it, he does business with the basilisks. If Ezzu could put in a good word for me…”
“I’ll ask him.”
“He’s fond of you?”
“I like to think so, but I’m not banking on that. He’s a good man. I’m sure that if he can help you, he will.”
“It’s a long shot, Jess, but my dragon is restless to reclaim what’s mine and I can’t miss an opportunity to try. The thing is ranting in my head about it day and night. Regardless of whether you can convince Ezzu to help me or not, I’m glad to have the chance to hear your voice. I’m so sorry for the trouble I caused your family.”
“You’ve done your penance. You’re forgiven if it helps. I’ll do what I can to shut your dragon up.”
“Thank you, Jess. No pressure.”
Jess had just disconnected the call when a deep male voice sent a shiver down her spine.
“Who was that?” Wrath asked.
“Aegidius,” Jess answered. “I had to know why he paid for my college. He said that because of him my mother and grandmother were cursed. He wants a favor.”
“No. When a dragon wants a favor, that’s always the answer,” Wrath said, taking the seat Lily had vacated to stand over Jess’s shoulder.
“Well, I had to ask after everything he’s done for me. I owe him.”
Wrath shook his head. “From what you just told me; you don’t owe him. He just made things even between you. He did harm and tried to rectify it, that’s all.”
“He didn’t have to rectify it. I would have never known about the curse or anything. He just wants you to call a nephew named...Caspian?”
“Cassian? Hell no. Then I would owe Cassian. Asking a favor of a power hoarder is the worst thing you can possibly do. He keeps a record of everyone who owes him, and he will call it in. I’ve never dealt with him personally, but he’s one of the only dragons the basilisks ever work with. It’s always something shady. Aegidius should never have involved himself with that kid.”
“I feel sorry for him. He says his dragon is tormenting him day and night. Is that like having a song stuck in your head?”
“No, it’s like having a nagging woman bugging you about helping someone who should really help themselves.”
Jess instantly regretted every nice thing she’d said about Wrath to Aegidius.
“Fine. If expressing myself is nagging, then I’ll stop talking.”
“Jess, I was kidding.”
Jess said nothing and pretended to work.
“I’m gonna go. I have to...do my Spanish class,” Lily said, grabbing her laptop.
“You haven’t taken Spanish since sixth grade, but run along,” Wrath said.
As soon as Lily was out the door, Wrath said, “You’re really not going to talk to me?”
Jess tried to appear focused on her screen and not on the big sexy jerk who called her a nag. Of all the sexist, rude, mean spirited…
“I’ll leave you to work,” Wrath said.
Damned if she didn’t spot a smile on his arrogant face as he left the room.
Chapter 17
Hope only stopped crying when she was too exhausted to continue. She’d seemed fine at first, feeding eagerly at Faith’s breast. But then the crying started and wouldn’t stop. The mage, who’d left shortly after the birth, advised the anxious parents to take Hope to a shifter pediatrician.
Kurt called the pediatrician who said Hope needed to be brought into the office where he was better equipped to find trouble.
If she was crying at home, she was in hysterics in the car. Kurt’s baby girl sounded like she was in agony. It felt wrong. She was barely eating. Dragon babies didn’t sleep so all her energy was going into crying. She was most quiet when they laid her on the floor or sat still with her, but then her hunger got the better of her. As soon as she was lifted up, she’d scream louder like she was in pain. Any movement upset her.
Was she in pain?
The thought of his baby hurting made his inner dragon want to burn things. All things. Faith sat with the baby in the back of the car, Hope secured in her car seat. Faith tried to talk soothingly to the baby, but her voice shook with her tears.
Faith had spent hours singing her siren songs to the infant, but now her voice was too hoarse to continue.
Babies cried. Even
