Page 40

Delores

I had no idea Aubrey kept his archives so secret. He gave me the key to get in unbidden and I occasionally pop in when I can’t sleep. It’s never been an issue, but the way Fitz is acting, I’m fairly certain not even Chess gets to access the parts of the library I’ve been granted leave to work in.

Does that mean the dragon likes me? He was pretty pissed when he woke up with me sandwiched between him and Rennie that morning.

Sadly, I haven’t gotten an invitation back yet. Maybe that’s why he gave me the key—he was distracting me, so I didn’t bother them again. That thought makes my heart ache a bit, so I take a deep breath and let it out. Fitz is following me and he wants me around; if the stodgy old coot wants me to be far away, I’ll stay there because other people want me.

Like Chess. And maybe Felix.

I come to a stop in front of the torch I need to light before we get on that deathtrap. Pulling a lighter out of my bag, I flick it and touch the flame to the main torch, then watch it spread along the walls until the room is lit up enough to see. “Pretty cool, right? Like the adventure movies human watch.”

His eyes narrow. “Oh, it is. I know exactly where that asshole got this idea from. What’s next, a rolling boulder?”

“No, silly. We have to take the elevator down.” I guide him onto the platform, relishing in my decision not to tell him what this will be like, just as Aubrey did to me. “Brace yourself.”

The floor drops underneath us, rocketing down to the bottom of the cavernous lair of Apex’s one and only book dragon.

“Holy fuck!” Fitz gives me a wide-eyed look, like he might have pissed his pants, and I giggle.

“You get used to it,” I say nonchalantly. His gaze narrows again, and he follows me out into the next challenge. I drop his hand and gesture at the glass enclosure on the other side of the chasm, winking as he gapes. “This is where we have to jump.”

“I’m sorry. You’ll have to repeat that, baby girl. It sounded like you told me to jump over this fucking chasm.”

I grin, crouching down for a moment before I leap into the air, springing over it like its child’s play. He groans and I watch his dick jump from my new perch. I bet it is going to be much harder with a fucking erection.

Oh, well.

“Fitz, get your ass over here!”

Turning on my heel, I leave him to figure it out as I walk into the archival chamber to wait. I hear the rustle of clothes and a grunt and raise my fingers to pinch the bridge of my nose. I did not tell him to get naked and shift. The low growl followed by a curse lets me know he changed back, so I whirl around with a stern expression.

The smirking shifter saunters over to the air locked doors in all his glory. “As the lady wishes. ”

“I didn’t say get naked; I said jump!” I hiss at him in annoyance like a damn cat. His dick notices that, too, and I growl. “Aubrey will lose his shit!”

“It’s not my fault I’m bare assed in Charcoal Cock’s lair. Serves him right for making it a goddamn obstacle course. I’m rubbing my balls on everything, just so you know.”

I look up at the ceiling, praying for the patience to get into this room and show him the damn book I want before I kill him. My fingers fly over the keypad without looking, because I’ve been in here often enough.

When I look back at Fitz, he’s eyeing me with a gleam in his eye I don’t trust.

“What?”

“This entire trip is very Sexy Spy shit and I think we should roleplay 009 inches later on. I haven’t seen this side of you before, baby girl. You’re totally Moneypenny in that skirt and if I get you nerd glasses like Chessie, it will be hot. as. Fuck.”

Note to self: Fitz has a thing for nerds.

Second note to self: Chess and I should definitely take advantage of that together.

But I just wink at him, needing to keep him focused on our actual reason for being here rather than what his cock wants. “Maybe later. Get in here and check this out with me. And I can’t believe I have to say this out loud, but… do not rub your balls on everything.”

He pouts as I lead him to the table where I’ve been working. I pull on a pair of the white archivist gloves before handing him his own set. A thought occurs to me and I whirl around, glaring. “Also, do not put the gloves on your dick.”

“Aw, baby girl! How did you know?”

“Dick-tuition,” I mutter with a snort. He laughs as well and I pick up the tweezers on the table to turn the pages of the fat tome until I reach the section that’s bugging me. “Here, look at this map.”

He steps closer, looking at the book curiously. “This looks familiar. Are there more?”

“Yep.” I turn the page, showing him the next map, then the three following those two. “There’s five of them and something about the placement is tickling my brain. Like, they’re definitely in a fantasy style, but the outline makes me think of something familiar. I just can’t figure out what.”

Fitz nods, looking at the last one for a moment before he taps my bag. “Hold it flat. I want to get scans with your phone because the rest of the guys should see this, and old cranky shorts will never let us all in here.”

I nod, pulling my phone out of the side pocket and unlocking it one handed for him. “And what the hell is the Apex Society? The Council is one thing, but is that some old name or…?”

I frown as he snaps one picture after another. My eyes cut to the symbols on the maps, something still just outside of my conscious mind. I have a pretty good visual memory and that last map in particular really seems like something I’ve seen before.

Maybe at home… though I don’t know where. I wasn’t lying when I said my parents don’t share shit with me except their disdain. It must be something I saw that I shouldn’t have.

Suddenly, my eyes widen and I turn my head slowly, looking up at the camera in the room's corner. Oh, we’re both dead. Aubrey will definitely know we’ve been in here by the pictures and when he looks at the footage, he’s going to go all Targaryen on our asses. Not that I’d dare call his tantrums that to his face, especially after what Fitz just said.

“Fitz,” I whisper, while he continues to get a few more angles of the very first map. “I forgot something important. ”

He looks up and smirks again. “To pat my bum for being such a good boy? Don’t worry, baby girl. You still have time.”

“No!” Inching closer to him, I make sure not to look up at the security camera as I murmur, “Aubrey has a camera in here just in case something gets stolen. I don’t think he watches it unless he needs to, and when we pull these pictures out, he won’t be able to stop himself from checking.”

That makes him stop completely and look at me with wild eyes. Before I can grab his arm, Fitz pulls the big chair out from under the table and plops into it, wriggling around with a shit-eating grin on his face. He scoots back and forth in it, then makes a show of getting up and facing me with his naked ass pointed right at the camera. For a finale, my smug troublemaker does a few toe touches, still aimed at the video feed, and then stalks around the table with his dick touching the edges the entire time.

We’re so fucking dead.

“I cannot believe you. You promised,” I say as I close the book and ditch my gloves. “Aubrey might take my key back.”

He snorts and shakes his head. “Oh, I highly doubt that. Felix might have to peel us apart when he comes for me, but honestly? I’ve never sent someone one of my turds covered in the ashes of their kin. That fucker has, and it’s not the worst thing his grumpy ass has ever done.”

I blink. That doesn’t seem like the dragon I see at all. He collects stuffies and squishy stress balls in cute shapes. Aubrey’s growly, but that gross? “Are you sure that wasn’t… you?”

“Oh, baby girl. Men are disgusting no matter how wise and ancient and refined they are. Try stealing some of the poetry reading prince’s special flowers in the garden just once… Kablooey! You find your beer full of some liquid that makes you crap your bed for a week. ”

Covering my mouth with my hand, I try very hard not to laugh and fail. I can only imagine the sneaky shit the troublemaking gargoyle gets up to and since I know things Fitz doesn’t, I recognize his stamp on the dragon’s vengeance plots. “Oh, Fitz.”

“You’ll learn to get fun, slightly illegal revenge on those you can’t murder, too. We can teach you,” he says with a wink.

I see how it is.

The professor thing isn’t his jam, but this ‘I’ll teach you’ bit is our little game. I can dig it.

“Okay, baby girl. Let’s blow this popsicle stand and get you home before you turn into a pumpkin.”

I snort. “The bunny was shocking enough, thanks.”

“Ouch. That was bad.”