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“Let’s try to avoid any mishaps like that in the future, shall we?”

Dewey darted to the refrigerator and swung it open to rummage inside.

“I didn’t do it on purpose,” he said as he swung the door shut, an Energy Dragon drink clutched in his paw.

“Hey, if you drink that, you’re going to be up all night,” Paige said as she twisted on the stool to follow his flight across his pad to his worn chaise lounge.

“Yeah, I know. Someone’s gotta research and find a cure for your beast mark before you die.”

Paige slid her feet to the floor and crossed to the armchair across from the chaise. “Will you please stop referencing my imminent death?”

Dewey set the can on the side table with a shrug. “Sorry.”

Paige sighed and slouched in her seat, her cheeks puffing as she blew out a breath. “You know, I really could go for some Cheesy Does It breadsticks.”

Dewey’s eyebrows lifted, and his ears wiggled. “Me too. You wanna order some takeout?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Sure, but first I need to go feed Dickens.”

“Oh, right,” Dewey said, flicking his gaze at his teal feet as he flexed and pointed his toes. “Sure, go ahead. I’ll just do some research.”

Paige bit her lower lip and narrowed her eyes at him. “What do you say we get out of here, hole up at my place, and do a movie night?”

Dewey scrunched his thick, scaly eyebrows together and shot a confused look at Paige. “Movie night?”

“Yeah! Come on! We’ll stop by and pick up the pizza and sticks, couple of sodas, popcorn. We’ll make a whole night of it. You can finally watch Blade.”

The tiny dragon’s eyes lit up as he considered the prospect. He sucked in a breath, the smile fading on his lips. “Thanks, but I’d better do some research.”

He tugged a book onto his lap and flicked it open, paging through it to the index.

“Really?” Paige asked as she raised her eyebrows, steadying her head against her fingertips as she rested her elbow on the chair’s arm.

“Uh, yeah,” he said, cutting his gaze to her. “Someone has to make sure you don’t die.”

Paige breathed out a sigh as she pushed herself to stand. “Look, no one wants me not to die as much as I do, but going over the same information again and again isn’t going to help.”

She stalked across the room and pulled the book from his lap, snapping it closed.

“Maybe it will,” he countered. “Maybe I missed something. Or misread something.”

“Then you’ll find it tomorrow. If you missed something, it’s because you could use a break. Besides, this is a research trip.”

Dewey wrinkled his nose, his horns wiggling. “How is movie night a research trip?”

Paige readied the pet carrier across the room, unzipping the top and tugging it open.

“Or do you mean because my mind will relax and I’ll finally figure out what I’ve been missing on your beast wound case?”

Paige puckered her lips and tilted her head. “Oh, right, yeah, that could work, too. I was thinking more like since Blade is a day-walking vampire, there may be some clue embedded in the movie about this.”

Dewey arched an eyebrow as he climbed to his feet. “Are you serious?”

Paige let her gaze wander around Dewey’s living space as she considered his question. She flicked her gaze down to the burgundy and gold rug, tracing a golden loop with her foot. “Yes. I mean, maybe the producers knew a librarian and did their research when they made the movies.”

“Sometimes, Paige. Sometimes…” he said as he hopped into the pet carrier and started to zip it closed. “But I won’t say no to Cheesy Does It, and the popcorn doesn’t sound half bad either.”

Paige hefted the carrier onto her shoulder and wobbled across the room with the large mesh rectangle banging off her hip. “We’ll stop on the way home at the SmartMart and grab some snacks, then we’ll order delivery when we get back to my place. And you can meet Dickens!”