Mercy Burns (Myth and Magic 2)

“I’m a dragon and a muerte. Trust me when I say that I know a thing or two about sneaking into places unseen.”

It took a moment to ignore the glow of that smile and to think like the calm and rational person I supposedly was. To remember why I was here, doing this.

“I won’t help you retrieve the netbook unless you stop insisting that I walk away and let me help.”

His smile faded and I mo

urned its loss. “I understand why you need to do this, but that could be tantamount to condoning murder. Your murder, if these men get hold of you.”

“I’m going to keep investigating regardless of whether I have your help or not. And it seems to me that if we’re investigating the same thing, we’d be better off pooling resources.”

He pulled his hands from mine. “You’d be better off. I’d be landed with a complication I don’t really need.”

“Kindly remember the complication rescued your butt from hibernation and might yet have some information you need.” I picked up the coffee mug. It really didn’t provide the same sort of comfort as his touch, but it was better than nothing. I studied him for a moment longer, then added softly, “If you had the chance of saving a friend’s soul, wouldn’t you take it?”

“Yes.”

There was something in the way he said it that made me say, “I’m thinking your reason for tracking these people isn’t all that dissimilar to my own.”

His gaze met mine again. “You might be right.”

“Then don’t expect anything less from me.”

“I don’t expect anything of you—or from you—simply because I don’t know you.”

“That hasn’t stopped you from trying to boss me around.”

“I’m only trying to keep you safe, Mercy. I’d hate to see you end up like your friend and mine.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to ask why my death even mattered to him when we were strangers, but I resisted the temptation. Most people didn’t like to see lives thrown away needlessly, and though Damon was far from most people, it wasn’t fair to think he wouldn’t feel the same.

“I’d hate to see me end up like Rainey, too. But you’re investigating the same thing, so you’re just as much at risk as me.”

He smiled again, but this time it held a bittersweet edge that tore at something deep inside. He reached for the other fork and scooped up some chocolate cake, and I knew in that moment I’d won.

But I didn’t feel victorious. I just felt even more afraid. Because I knew, without a doubt, that this whole quest had just gotten a lot more dangerous. Because of this man, and because of the world he appeared to walk in.

“The difference between you and me,” he said, “is the fact that I’m as deadly as they are.”

“I can protect myself,” I said softly.

He didn’t say anything to that, but he didn’t have to. I could taste his disbelief in the air. “Tell me about this Angus you keep mentioning,” he said instead.

I shrugged again and picked up my fork, scooping up some more cake. It wasn’t doing a lot to ease the ache of losing all I’d held dear, but at least it stopped my stomach from rumbling. “We were going to meet him when the truck hit us. I contacted him again after I got out of the hospital and arranged another meeting. You saw the end result of that encounter.”

“How much did you tell him before you met him?”

“He knew we were investigating the cleansed towns.”

“If he was involved in the death of your friend, then meeting him alone was a pretty stupid move.”

According to him, my life was full of stupid moves. I squashed down my irritation and forked up more cake. If he didn’t hurry, he was going to miss out on his share—and given the barbed comments he kept flinging my way, maybe he deserved to.

“He’s a sea dragon. Rainey was killed in the middle of nowhere. My guess is that there was no direct involvement.”

“You can’t be sure of that.”

No, I couldn’t. But in this case, I trusted my instincts. Angus might be peripherally involved with whatever was happening, but I didn’t think it went as deep as murder—I’d overheard him say as much in the van. “I’m going to interview him tonight.”