location would help me spot anything before it arrived. Unless it came out of thin air – or a wall of flame – but I had to think I’d feel it first. I’d pay special attention to my instincts tonight.
“One more thing,” Dimitri said.
“Yes?” I tried to ignore the thump of the glass jar against my leg. The zombie rope was getting restless.
“I love you.”
Did my boyfriend know how to give a briefing or what?
He gave me a lingering kiss before heading back inside. Mmm…that would keep me warm.
The night was chilly and clear. After watching Dimitri walk back to the hotel – What can I say? The man could certainly fill out a pair of blue jeans. - I gave my dad’s gift a place of honor on a broken out window ledge.
I had to give Sid credit. He’d not only gotten a coven of biker witches halfway across the country in a day, he’d also found a relatively secure place to spend the night. I’d make sure it stayed that way.
My belly quivered. It wasn’t quite into threat mode. In fact, my stomach reminded me quite heartily that I probably should not have given my Pop-Tarts to Pirate. Yet I could tell something in the night air had shifted since I came outside.
Unhitching a switch star, I decided to circle the hotel and investigate.
Halfway around, just as Dimitri had predicted, I found an immense dragon. Flappy sat watch over the canyon like a great sphinx. His mottled white scales looked gray in the moonlight.
He whipped his massive head and his black button eyes lit up when he saw me. “Rrr-yow!” He huffed out a billow of smoke.
“Hiya, Flap.”
Rocks crunched under his scales as he rolled onto his back and arched his tummy.
“This isn’t a social visit,” I said, reaching up to scratch him across the leathery plates of his stomach. “You see anything strange out here?”
He lolled his head back and began kicking his left rear leg. “Urfle.”
“Yeah. You like that.”
“Grrr…” Smoke trailed from one nostril.
“You gonna eat some banshees if they come calling?”
“Grrr…”
“I’ll take that as a ‘yes,’” instead of ‘please keep petting me and I’ll agree to anything you say.’”
Flappy was shameless when it came to tummy rubs, same as another four-legged creature I knew.
I just hoped the dragon could take care of himself. “Keep an eye out.” The air had grown heavier in the few minutes I’d stood with Flappy. I could sense the storm moving in.
“You see something, you come get me.” I strolled up to his head and gave him a scratch behind the ears, just to see. Wouldn’t you know it? Tiny feathers prickled against my fingers. “Don’t be a hero.”
I’d already been attacked once this evening. And my enemies tended to be persistent.
The dragon sat up and shook the dirt out of his wings as he watched me walk away.
I was glad he didn’t try to follow. I needed an extra set of eyes at the back.
A smoky, burning presence weaved its way around the front of the hotel. Blackness shrouded the road and the desert beyond. My insides tightened.
“Dad?” I stepped into the darkness. It smelled of rot and death. “Dad, are you out there?”
I didn’t dare move farther forward or go back. I paced at the edge of the sinister cloud, listening to the wind swirling over dried grass, the occasional call of coyotes.
My boots crunched against the sandy soil as wisps of black, darker than night, curled around my ankles. Something was out there.
Whatever it was, I knew without a doubt it wanted me.
The ground was rougher than it looked. Crab grass sprouted in tufts. Every few feet, a hidden dip threatened to trip me. Stiff grass and nettles brushed my ankles.
The black silence
“One more thing,” Dimitri said.
“Yes?” I tried to ignore the thump of the glass jar against my leg. The zombie rope was getting restless.
“I love you.”
Did my boyfriend know how to give a briefing or what?
He gave me a lingering kiss before heading back inside. Mmm…that would keep me warm.
The night was chilly and clear. After watching Dimitri walk back to the hotel – What can I say? The man could certainly fill out a pair of blue jeans. - I gave my dad’s gift a place of honor on a broken out window ledge.
I had to give Sid credit. He’d not only gotten a coven of biker witches halfway across the country in a day, he’d also found a relatively secure place to spend the night. I’d make sure it stayed that way.
My belly quivered. It wasn’t quite into threat mode. In fact, my stomach reminded me quite heartily that I probably should not have given my Pop-Tarts to Pirate. Yet I could tell something in the night air had shifted since I came outside.
Unhitching a switch star, I decided to circle the hotel and investigate.
Halfway around, just as Dimitri had predicted, I found an immense dragon. Flappy sat watch over the canyon like a great sphinx. His mottled white scales looked gray in the moonlight.
He whipped his massive head and his black button eyes lit up when he saw me. “Rrr-yow!” He huffed out a billow of smoke.
“Hiya, Flap.”
Rocks crunched under his scales as he rolled onto his back and arched his tummy.
“This isn’t a social visit,” I said, reaching up to scratch him across the leathery plates of his stomach. “You see anything strange out here?”
He lolled his head back and began kicking his left rear leg. “Urfle.”
“Yeah. You like that.”
“Grrr…” Smoke trailed from one nostril.
“You gonna eat some banshees if they come calling?”
“Grrr…”
“I’ll take that as a ‘yes,’” instead of ‘please keep petting me and I’ll agree to anything you say.’”
Flappy was shameless when it came to tummy rubs, same as another four-legged creature I knew.
I just hoped the dragon could take care of himself. “Keep an eye out.” The air had grown heavier in the few minutes I’d stood with Flappy. I could sense the storm moving in.
“You see something, you come get me.” I strolled up to his head and gave him a scratch behind the ears, just to see. Wouldn’t you know it? Tiny feathers prickled against my fingers. “Don’t be a hero.”
I’d already been attacked once this evening. And my enemies tended to be persistent.
The dragon sat up and shook the dirt out of his wings as he watched me walk away.
I was glad he didn’t try to follow. I needed an extra set of eyes at the back.
A smoky, burning presence weaved its way around the front of the hotel. Blackness shrouded the road and the desert beyond. My insides tightened.
“Dad?” I stepped into the darkness. It smelled of rot and death. “Dad, are you out there?”
I didn’t dare move farther forward or go back. I paced at the edge of the sinister cloud, listening to the wind swirling over dried grass, the occasional call of coyotes.
My boots crunched against the sandy soil as wisps of black, darker than night, curled around my ankles. Something was out there.
Whatever it was, I knew without a doubt it wanted me.
The ground was rougher than it looked. Crab grass sprouted in tufts. Every few feet, a hidden dip threatened to trip me. Stiff grass and nettles brushed my ankles.
The black silence
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