Stayed the night and was there for breakfast, he meant.
“That’s good.” I didn’t expand on what had gone on that night—I’d been terrified Amber would tell Thad about everything, including the naked-fae orgies we’d been marched past, but she must have decided to take that story to the grave.
“It’s better anyway,” he said. “It’s still… awkward.”
I thought about mentioning my blunder with the dragon-meat joke—speaking of awkward—but decided that would horrify him instead of reassuring him.
“She’ll get used to Nin. I’m glad you two are enjoying spending time together.”
My mate, Zav spoke into my mind, distracting me from Thad’s response. I am protecting your acquaintance from the odious vermin encroaching on her territory and await your excellent company and your arrival with dinner.
I’m heading that way now. Is everything okay?
None of the vermin have dwarven blood. We will have to look elsewhere for the thief.
Good. I hoped that meant the thief hadn’t been by to see Nin at all, but I worried that the choice of parking places hadn’t been a coincidence.
My phone buzzed with a text from Nin.
Val, why is Lord Zavryd standing on top of my food truck and roaring to scare away my customers?
He’s protecting you.
I do not need protection from people who wish to give me money in exchange for food.
Sorry. I’m on my way, and I’ll explain everything. Someone new is after me.
Will you need more magical ammunition and grenades?
Probably so.
Thad was looking curiously at the phone.
“Nin says hi. I have to go.” I waved and added, “Decoy boyfriend,” as I climbed into the Jeep.
7
Zav was perched atop Nin’s food truck when I arrived, sitting on his haunches in his dragon form as he gazed alertly at the square and the street, his tail draping down to the ground in the back. I imagined the framework creaking and groaning as Nin and her assistant grilled beef and scooped rice.
Three customers stood in line at the window, oblivious to and unable to see the dragon, even though Zav’s talons were curled over the edge of the truck, three feet above their heads. Hopefully, Nin had conveyed to him that the odious vermin should be allowed to approach if they had money.
Thank you for protecting my friend so assiduously. I stopped on the sidewalk and held up the teriyaki takeout bag.
Willard had texted me the cross streets where the van had been left, and I intended to check it soon—I might sense something the police hadn’t been able to—but not until I made sure nobody had bugged Nin.
Yes. I am a good mate. Zav sprang off the roof, wingbeats rattling the handful of leaves remaining in the nearby trees and startling the people in line. By the time he landed next to me, he had shifted into his human form. I look forward to spending time with you. And consuming the contents of that bag.
He peered down at it.
I smiled and hugged him. I’m glad you enjoy spending time with me.
As you enjoy spending time with me. He hugged me back, but one hand slipped into the bag and opened one of the boxes.
“Yeah, I do.” I handed him the bag, so he could gorge himself to his heart’s content. “There’s a table over there. Have at it. I’ll be right back.”
The door on the end of the food truck opened before I knocked.
“I have prepared your order for you,” Nin said, inviting me in. “Here is the invoice.”
“You didn’t charge me for the customers Zav scared away? That’s thoughtful.”
“He informed me that he believed I was in danger from them.”
“Hopefully not, but have you by chance seen a half-dwarf woman today?” I described the thief based on the camera footage I’d seen.
“I have not, but…” Nin frowned, leaned into the kitchen portion of her truck, and asked her assistant something in Thai.
I thought about activating my translation charm, but it was a quick conversation.
“Someone who matches that description came by a few hours ago when I was gone shopping for supplies.” Nin waved to the truck’s large refrigerators. “She asked about the blonde half-elf woman with the stolen dwarven sword.”
“Huh, I wonder who that could be.”
“Your sword is not stolen, is it?”
“Not by me. I won it in battle with a bad guy, but I have no idea where he got it. I assume the dwarven smith who made it didn’t originally intend for it to go to a zombie lord.”
“Oh.” Nin frowned, perhaps not finding this answer reassuring.
I didn’t either. After ten years with Chopper, I didn’t want to give it up. Especially since I’d run into several magical baddies of late who had defenses powerful enough to deflect even Fezzik’s magical bullets.
Nin’s assistant, an older, motherly lady named Tida, peeked through the doorway. “She also asked where to find Val,” she said in accented English. “I do not think I told her, but…” Her brow wrinkled. “My memory of the conversation got a little fuzzy. Also I was busy serving people because we had a late-afternoon rush.”
“Do you know where Val lives?” Nin asked.
The assistant brightened. “No. Even if she used some magic on me, I would not have been able to reveal your address.” Her face fell again. “But I do know where your coffee shop is located.”
I grimaced and pulled out my phone. “I’ll warn Dimitri to watch out for her.” I would have to check in on him later, too, to make sure nobody had questioned him and fuzzed his memory.
“Sorry, Val,” Tida said.
“It’s not your fault. If I didn’t spend time with you guys, she wouldn’t know about you.” I stared glumly at the screen as I texted Dimitri, remembering the good old days when I hadn’t allowed myself to get close to people.
No, those hadn’t been good days. Those had been lonely days. I just wished I could have friends and also not endanger their lives. Was that too much to ask?
“I’m going to look around the area for her.” I grabbed the ammo and grenades Nin had packed up for me, and hopped out. “Let me know if you see anything suspicious, please.”
Nin looked toward a tree and park bench that Zav had claimed. “More suspicious than Lord Zavryd incinerating skewers of meat?”
“What?” I spun in time to see flames and a puff of smoke. “Those aren’t breaded. What is he doing?”
“I do not know, but there is no need to leave him to protect me. I appreciate the sentiment, but I also want my business to continue.”
After waving an acknowledgment, I trotted over to join Zav. The smoke around him was an odd mix of sweet and charred, but the skewer of chicken cubes he held was still intact. What had he burned?
“They’re not to your taste?” I noticed a dozen empty bamboo skewers in the bag, so he must be eating them.
“There is an unpalatably sweet glaze on the meat.”
“That’s the teriyaki sauce. It’s delicious.”
“I do not like it.” He used magic to float the deglazed chicken strips off the skewer and into his mouth like a squad of soldiers marching to their doom. “Why do humans insist on enrobing everything in sweetness?”