Page 35 of Love’s a Witch (The Scottish Charms #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY Knox

Of course, Mrs. Stuart. I understand completely.

” I stood patiently outside the Dragon’s Hoard, our local curiosity shop, and listened as Mrs. Stuart listed all the reasons why we needed to make the MacGregors leave.

I’d meant to just pop into the shop quickly to pick up a wee bauble for my mum’s birthday, and have it sent off, but like everything in Briarhaven, it took double the amount of time to accomplish.

It was part of the job, though, listening to the concerns of the citizens, so I kept a polite smile on my face.

“Those MacGregors are a menace to Briarhaven,” Mrs. Stuart warned, clutching her wool coat more tightly to her neck.

“I can’t say that I agree with that. Have you met them? They are all lovely people, and I do believe their intention is to break the curse,” I said, going to bat for the MacGregors, as I had been increasingly called upon to do.

“Surely they could have managed it by now. This is ridiculous.” Mrs. Stuart turned to the sky and sniffed.

Her eyes widened and she froze.

I whirled, hands already up, prepared to protect her from any incoming danger.

But I was not prepared for what I saw.

A green dragon with iridescent scales that shimmered with an underlay of orange writhed through the air, fighting the restraint of being tethered to a sleigh. Snow swirled, clouds concealing the dragon, but I knew what I’d seen.

A sleigh that held a shrieking Sloane and an exuberant Blue.

Shop owners ran into the street to look, and when the dragon opened its mouth and shot flames, they raced back inside, their screams deafening as the dragon whirled in the air, dragging Sloane behind it.

She was clearly not in charge.

“Bloody hell,” I murmured, and ran out into the street. Invoking my elemental magick, I pulled from my very core. “Fires obey, in my command stay!”

The dragon swung, its tawny eyes on me, and swooped low, slowing enough that I was able to grab the side of the sleigh.

“Knox.” Sloane’s face was a picture of abject terror, and I swung myself inside the sleigh, prying the reins from her hands and squeezing next to her on the seat.

With one steady pull of the reins, the dragon lifted us once more and I waved cheerfully from the sleigh at the shop owners gawking below.

“Everything’s fine. Just fine,” I shouted down, the icy wind stealing my words, but they got the gist. I directed the dragon toward my castle, bending my head against the icy wind. Fury rippled through me at the thought that Sloane might have been hurt.

How had she even found a dragon? I had a million questions for one Miss Sloane MacGregor, but I kept them inside as I focused on landing the dragon on the front lawn of the castle.

The moment dragons suspected they could take command, they would.

Once the sleigh lurched and skidded to a stop, the dragon stomping its feet in the snow and melting small patches of snow with its breath, I grabbed Sloane’s arm.

“Come with me. Slowly.”

Blue leapt into the sky and buzzed about, and to my utter astonishment, he flew to the dragon’s head.

“Blue,” Sloane shouted, worry in her voice.

When the emberwolf zipped forward and licked the dragon’s snout, my knees went weak.

But instead of incinerating the wee pup, the dragon bumped its head against Blue’s, sending the wee emberwolf spiraling into the air. Blue promptly righted himself and barked excitedly, looking eagerly between Sloane and the dragon.

“I think he wants to play,” Sloane said. Her mouth gaped open, and fine tremors ran through her body.

Turning, I held my hands in the air and released the dragon from the reins.

“Just a quick one,” I warned the dragon. “The tourists have already seen too much. Keep it low if you can.”

The dragon bowed its head, and Blue bounded over to Sloane.

“Yes, but be careful. He can light you on fire.”

Blue eagerly took off in his fat bumblebee air waddle, doing his best to quickly reach the dragon who had soared into the air. They tumbled around each other, Blue barking ecstatically.

“Why does the littlest dog in the park need to befriend the biggest?” Sloane murmured, her hand at her heart. “It’s terrifying.”

“Looks like Blue’s the one in charge here,” I pointed out, as the dragon followed Blue at a demure pace, allowing the wee emberwolf to bark and wheel erratically through the air, terrorizing a couple of birds out of the trees. Blue gave chase, and the dragon followed, happy to have a game on.

Sloane shivered, and I drew her close, wrapping an arm around her.

“Care to tell me what happened here?” I bit out, not even wanting to think about what other catastrophes were in store for me so long as Sloane’s magick kept misfiring.

“You warned me… about erratic moods and magick. That”—Sloane nodded toward the dragon, who was looking over its tail midair, waiting for Blue to give chase—“is our car.”

“Right. That’s… interesting .” And an entirely different type of alchemy.

Sloane may be new to her powers, but she certainly wasn’t weak.

Turning a car into a sentient being was advanced magick, the type that took years to learn, and she’d done it while distracted.

But since her teeth chattered, and her body shook with adrenaline next to mine, I figured now likely wasn’t the best time to discuss such matters.

“And terrifying. Like… I just can’t. I can’t.” The shaking increased, and I decided it was time to get her inside. Particularly because the snowstorm was now reaching blizzard-like conditions. Giving a sharp whistle, I motioned for the dragon to return, with Blue at his side.

“Blue, want to come meet some new friends?” Blue gave the dragon one last head bump, and then flung himself into the arms of Sloane, who caught him with a soft grunt.

“There’s a large outbuilding around back,” I told the dragon who eyed me balefully.

“Big enough for you to cozy up in some hay if you want a dry spot from the storm. I’ll instruct that food be brought out.

If that suits?” You always walked a fine line with dragons.

You wanted to show you were in command, but at the same time, it was only because they allowed you to have it.

Respect was the most important piece of the relationship.

When he bowed his head to me, I knew he was happy with the offering.

Without another glance, he took off, his large wings spiraling snow into our faces, and I bundled Sloane toward the front door.

Henry stood, blanket in hand, and immediately wrapped it around Sloane and Blue as we stepped over the threshold.

“Thank you, Henry.” Sloane’s voice was muffled under the blanket, and I flipped a corner down so she could see. Blue peeked his head up, and his grin widened when he caught sight of Haggis barreling into the front hall.

“Blue, this is Haggis.”

Play? Haggis looked at me.

“If he wants to.” I grinned at where Blue scrabbled at Sloane’s arms, wanting to be released, and she let him go. He flitted into the air, and Henry gasped.

“I haven’t seen an emberwolf since you were a lad,” Henry said, his eyes glowing with excitement.

“Pretty great, isn’t he?” Blue dropped to the floor, and Haggis wheeled forward, sniffing him.

Blue looked at Sloane.

“His back legs don’t work. The wheels help him get around. No flying, though. At least I don’t think so?” Sloane glanced at me, and I nodded.

“No flying, but Haggis is great on his wheels. You two have fun.”

Oswald strolled into the foyer, languid as could be, until he caught scent of Blue.

Blue froze.

“Blue,” Sloane warned.

Oswald’s back went up.

Blue gave us such a cheeky grin that I had to laugh, and then he took off after Oswald, Haggis happily joining the chase.

“Oh no,” Sloane said, “Will he be okay?”

“Oswald is excellent at protecting himself. This is good. Will give him a little shot of excitement, plus some extra exercise. Let them work it out. Come on, let’s get you into some dry clothes.”

“I can just go home. Honestly, it’s fine.

I don’t want to put you out.” Sloane’s eyes took on a bit of that panicked look that I was beginning to regard with such fondness.

Every time she got that look in her eyes, it meant she was thinking about things she didn’t want to be thinking about, which usually meant that I would get to steal a kiss very soon.

One of these days she was going to accept that she and I were a great match.

I’d been thinking more and more about why I wanted Sloane in my future. As my partner. She was passionate, empathetic, fiercely loyal, sarcastic, strong-willed, gorgeous—and each of those traits lit me up inside. I admired how her hard edges balanced her soft side.

Beyond that, Sloane was also stubborn, smart, and resilient. All traits that complemented my role as provost perfectly. She took care of everyone else, ignored her own needs, and basically hissed at me anytime I helped her. It only made me want her more.

Soon I’d make my intentions perfectly clear, but I had to convince her about me first.

Striding back to the front door, I opened it, and about a foot of snow fell inside.

“The storm’s the worst I’ve seen yet. What makes you think you’re going anywhere?”

“Seriously?” Sloane came to the door and peered out.

Even though it was late afternoon, it was almost as dark as night, and the snow raged with the intensity of, well, a dragon.

There was no way anyone was going anywhere at this point.

Pulling out my phone, I put a village-wide alert out to shelter in place, and then sent a text to Broca that Sloane was with me and safe.

“Just telling Broca you’re here with me.” I held up my phone, and Sloane bristled.

“I’m capable of checking in with my family, thank you very much.”

“Aye, lass, but now you don’t have to. Come on. Let’s get you some food.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“I am.”