A Dragon, a Gargoyle, and a Faery Steal the Show by Lisa Barry & Nicole DragonBeck

Author:Lisa Barry & Nicole DragonBeck [Barry, Lisa & DragonBeck, Nicole]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Witching Hour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2024-04-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16 - Aiden

We Need Her Skills

Saturday, 9 July 2022, 7:58 PM

(House Beldoras, Ticknock)

Aiden searched the skies, trying to follow Torloch’s gaze, but he didn’t see anything untoward. A large black bird flapped away over the trees in the distance, and for a moment, it looked like the Egyptian vulture that had been sighted in Co. Roscommon earlier in the year. Then it disappeared, and the dragon turned to look at his partner.

“What?” he prompted.

“Nothing, I’m sure,” the gargoyle muttered, moving the car forward again and driving up to the door.

Aiden didn’t think he had ever been so happy to see a place as much as House Beldoras. All the lights were on, making the old manor look warm and inviting. The trees at the edge of the grounds waved as if inviting him home, and the dragon took a deep breath of free air and tried to relax.

The bracelet itched terribly, and the limitation on shifting felt like a coat that was three sizes too small, slowly suffocating him. It also stifled his ability to see the supernatural, so Torloch’s gargoyle form just below the surface, usually so obvious to the dragon, had been muted and blurred to something that was no more than a faint farsighted haze, making him blink slightly more than he usually did. The dragon wondered if this was what Outside people saw when he walked by.

“Home sweet home,” Torloch announced as he pulled his long form from the car and stretched out the tightness from the drive. “Feck.”

“What now?” Aiden asked.

“I meant to call ahead and ask the gnomes to stock the fridge and pantry.” The gargoyle grinned at Aiden. “For your cooking spree.”

The dragon smiled, his mind turning to more pleasant things like savory smells and measuring cups. “I’m sure I’ll be able to make do with what we have on hand for now.”

“Speak of the devil,” Torloch noted, and Aiden turned to see the gnomes Fianna and Padraic hurrying down the stairs.

The dragon turned to smile at them, but his expression darkened when he saw theirs.

“We’re so glad you’re home,” Fianna said and shoved Padraic forward. “You’re always going on about how you’re in charge of security, so do your job.”

The tubby little gnome shuffled forward and took his signature pipe out of his mouth and coughed. “There’s been a breach of security.”

“He means there’s been a break-in,” Fianna said sharply. “Quick about it, Padraic. There might be time to catch the culprits.”

The gnome glared at her and opened his mouth to explain further, but the dragon and gargoyle were already running past them, up the stairs and into the entrance hall. A scurrying of footsteps behind them sounded as the gnomes struggled to keep up with their much longer legs.

“Where?” Torloch asked Fianna, not bothering with Padraic.

“In the kitchen, the library, the lounge, the under level, and the bedrooms.”

Aiden stopped and frowned. “What do you mean?”

“As I was trying to say,” Padraic huffed, his face red from exertion. “They didn’t steal anything, they were just searching.

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