How to Lose Your Dragon (The Immortality Curse Book 1), Peter Glenn [e book reader for pc .txt] 📗

this time?” By this point, I was thoroughly confused, but the tension in the room had gone down dramatically, so it was worth it to me. I let the matter drop. “Sevin, Yuri, what are you two doing here?” I asked, turning my attention to them.

Frenchie shrugged. “We couldn’t let ze case drop, mon ami. We are just as upset at Mei’s disappearance as you are.”

I nodded. “Makes sense. So, have you found any clues yet?”

Sevin’s eyes grew dark, and he lowered his gaze.

I walked over to him and put my hand on his shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay. We’ll find her. Don’t worry.”

“Who’s Mei?” Rick asked.

I spun around to look at him. “Who’s Mei?” I groaned. “Don’t you remember me telling you earlier about the dragon that’s gone missing? That’s her.”

Rick rolled his eyes again. “Oh yeah. The ‘dragon’.” There was a heavy hint of disdain in his tone.

“She’s every bit as real as you, dude,” I fired back. “And a far better looker, to boot. Plus, she’s the reason you’re safe right now.”

Rick’s eyes narrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Look around you.” I motioned with my hands to encompass the room. “This bar. It’s a safe place for weary travelers. It’s Mei’s place. If this weren’t here, we’d still be on the streets as prey to those dog-like things.”

Which left a nagging thought in my head. If people who bore ill will toward the patrons couldn’t find the bar, then how had Lanky Guy managed to sneak in and kidnap Mei? It was something I was going to have to ask her after I rescued her.

If I rescued her.

Rick put his hands on his hips. “Those things only came at us because you killed a man!” His cheeks were starting to burn crimson and his eyes had that wild look to them again.

“Only because he was trying to kill you first!” I spat, wagging a finger at him.

“I-” Rick paused for a second. His eyes were darting about, like he was trying to remember something, and he had his finger raised, pointing at me. Then all at once, his face went slack, and his hands dropped to the side. “Fair point,” he said at last. “But that wouldn’t have happened either, if you hadn’t involved me in this whole stupid thing to begin with.”

I stroked my chin for a second. “That’s also a fair point. I… I’m sorry.”

Rick’s lips curled into a smile for a half second, then he nodded. “Thank you.”

It was obvious he was still trying to process everything, but the apology seemed to help him feel at least a little bit better. It was a start.

“What happened out there?” Yuri’s voice boomed across the room.

I turned to face the big guy. “It’s a long story. Remember that half-naked guy I killed the other night?”

“You killed two men?” It was Rick, but I shushed him.

“Remember that cloth I found on him? Well, I took it to good old Rick here to translate. I guess the guy’s friends didn’t like that too much, as they tried to kill him in turn.” I placed a hand on my chest. “Fortunately, I intervened just in time.”

“So this is your friend Richard?” Sevin asked. He looked the small man over.

“Friend?” Rick balked. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

“Hey, you should be nicer to Sevin here,” I said. “It’s because of him that I even knew you were in danger. His clairvoyance really came in handy.”

“Clairvoyance?” There was that sense of distaste in Rick’s voice again. “Whatever, you’re all maniacs. When the coast is clear, I’m moving to Ohio!”

“Really, Rick?” I knew the guy was a doubter, but he was really starting to get on my nerves. “After everything you saw in the past few hours - a near invincible killer, being chased by dobhar-chus, being saved by a mysterious bar you’d never seen before, all of it, you still doubt my story?” I folded my arms over my chest. “Come on, Rick. Not even you are that thick.”

“Dobhar-chu?” Rick repeated. His eyes took on a sense of wonder for a second.

I nodded. “Mm-hm.”

“Hmm,” he said, looking away for a second.

I could see the wheels in his head turning. He’d obviously heard the term before, and he’d gotten a good look at those creatures, too. Certainly, he’d have to know I wasn’t lying about that part.

“Fine,” Rick said after another moment of chewing on it. “I’ll admit that there’s something strange going on around here, but not that magic and mythical beasts are involved. There’s always a scientific explanation. For everything.”

It wasn’t much, but I took it.

“There’s a good lad,” I said, patting him on the shoulder. “Now, what do you say we celebrate with a cold drink?”

Rick blinked at me. “What now?”

“Come on, Rick, don’t tell me you don’t drink, either?”

He stood up a little straighter, trying to look as tall and haughty as he could. “Of course I drink. I just only do it when I’m celebrating a major achievement.”

“Uh huh,” I said as I went around to the other side of the counter and started rummaging around in Mei’s cabinets, looking for something. “Well, I’d say surviving an assassination attempt is worth it, eh?”

“Humph,” Rick said. “I… I guess so.”

My eyes spied a mini fridge, and I flung it open to reveal the most amazing sight in existence.

“Aha!” I said, pulling it free and brandishing it for all to see.

Rick’s eyes narrowed. “Is that Tiller’s Ridge Mudslide ice cream?”

“The one and only.” I flashed him another grin while I fished around in the sink for a couple of clean spoons. Tiller’s Ridge was a family-owned dairy farm out in Oregon. They had the best ice cream and butter on the planet, bar none. “Want some?”

“Do I ever!”

The four of us spent a moment relishing in the small victory of ice cream, saying nothing. Each bite was better than the last. There really is nothing smoother out there than Tiller’s Ridge. Worth every penny, I tell you.

Plus, I finally knew the