Page 17

Paige blinked, her fingertips still rubbing her forehead. “Uh…I can’t even. So, basically, this thing can break into my place anytime it wants and then leave no trace because it just waves a magic wand and restores anything broken or out of place before it leaves?”

“Of course not, Paige,” Dewey said with a roll of his dark eyes. “He doesn’t have a wand.”

He pressed his lips together and shook his head at Paige’s ignorance.

Paige offered the dragon an unimpressed stare.

“Here’s the good news,” he said as she followed him into the unblemished living room. “That talisman must have worked. He couldn’t find you.”

Paige tugged the crescent moon-shaped charm from under her shirt and stared down at the purplish stone in the center. “That was…odd.”

“It also appears the talisman protects you from the effects of being near to him, too.”

“What do you mean?”

“Before we retrieved the mirror, the night you brought the pizza, you said you collapsed while feeding Dickens,” Dewey said, plopping on the couch. “I’m betting he was near you. But you didn’t collapse tonight when he was practically on top of you. Did you have any side effects? Pain? Headaches?”

Paige eased into the armchair and shook her head. “No. Nothing.”

“Good. The talisman is not only shielding you from his vision, but it’s stopping any negative side effects from his presence.” Dewey balled his paw into a fist and slammed it against his other paw. “We’ve got to find a cure for you and rid you of the danger once and for all!”

“But the book said there was no cure,” Paige answered, slumping back in the chair.

She stared at the restored image of Blade on the television screen, wishing the day-walking vampire that stalked her was more human-friendly and didn’t leave her with a festering wound that would kill her in a few weeks’ time.

“There must be something. We’ll keep looking.”

“Can we start first thing tomorrow morning?” Paige asked with a wrinkled nose. “After that experience, I’d really like to sit here and be thankful that I’m not dead already.”

Dewey’s eyebrows rose as he shot a hopeful glance at Paige. “If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to finish the movie and eat more candy and popcorn.”

“I’d very much like to eat more popcorn and candy,” Paige said with a nod.

He grinned at her, patting the cushion next to him. “I didn’t want to say anything, but I really didn’t want to hit the books tonight.”

“I don’t blame you. You were almost killed. To be fair, I’d like to pack up and flee and finish the movie somewhere else. Just feels creepy here now.” Paige wrapped her arms around herself as she shivered.

Dewey’s shoulders slumped. “You ought to move out of this place anyway. With your new salary, this is beneath you.”

Paige smiled at the words. “Yeah, I was thinking of getting a new place. The paint’s peeling, the floors are a mess, and the number three keeps falling off my door.” She licked her lips, flicking her gaze at the window outside. “Though that doesn’t fix my problem for the time being.”

Dewey stared ahead at the coffee table as silence fell between them.

“Sorry to rain on your parade,” Paige said, shifting seats to reclaim her spot on the couch.

She snatched the remote from the floor and pointed it at the screen. Blade exploded into action.

The scene played out for a few seconds before a scaly hand clamped down on her wrist.

“Paige!” Dewey shouted. “Stop the movie!”

Paige hurried to press pause before flicking her gaze back to the tiny dragon.

“What is it? Is something wrong?” She lowered her voice and leaned closer to him. “Do you hear the vampire again?”

“No, it’s nothing like that. But I had an idea.”

Paige’s eyebrows shot up. “About saving my life?”