standing before him. “They are ripe young females who dream of nothing but being deflowered. Of course it can be done. I once wooed and bedded the Jezibaba herself. I assure you, Lord Dragon—it can be done. The only question is what price you’re willing to pay to do so.”
“They are not worth risking my dragon existence.”
Nigel shrugged. “Fine. If the money no longer interests you, we will start again with someone new, but no one will thank you for failing, M’lord Dragon. The Chosen Ones are done with their initial studies. The time to divide them is now. Soon they will go on to their advanced training. They will be sheltered in places we cannot reach.”
Thane nodded even as he glared. “I have alienated the easier one of them. That leaves me no choice except to court the more vicious of the two. She has a viper’s tongue and a streak of evil. Most males fear her. I feel nothing—nothing at all—which is as debilitating as fear. What you ask may not be possible.”
“Are you defeated before you even try? My, my. Perhaps we should look for someone else.” Nigel motioned to the dragon’s crotch. “Is your willie truthfully unwilling?”
Thane’s gaze dropped to his crotch confused. “I don’t understand your reference.”
“Can you get your prick up for the evil one or not, M’lord Dragon?”
Thane chuckled. “If I get that far, concluding the deal won’t be a problem, old man.”
Nigel grinned or at least he tried. “It’s not a problem for me at my age either. I close my eyes and think of all my riches. I find it helps me get through the most loathsome of willie wilters.”
Thane shook his head. “Who are you? You do not speak like a lord.”
Nigel snorted. “Harsh criticism from a dragon with willie dysfunction.”
Thane crossed his arms. “ Nothing on me is dysfunctional.”
Nigel chuckled. “Fine. Are you still in or not? Your job is to bed one of them and create a riff that can’t be mended. No one cares how you do it. Just get it done.”
Without another word, or even a weak promise, Thane turned and headed back to the forest.
“Should I take that as a yes?” Nigel called out the question to Thane’s retreating back. He watched the angry dragon storm away and smiled.
Dragons. Their arrogance made them so very easy to goad. He had no doubt now that Thane would do his level best to accomplish his goal.
Pulling a wand from inside his shirt, Nigel twirled it in a circle and disappeared.
Chapter 6
Jezibaba looked at the chalkboard. Not the best of surfaces on which to plot, but the evidence was easily erased afterward. The solution would spare her from the risk of using her unstable magic to cover things up, so the chalkboard would just have to do.
“What do you think we should do first, Nathaniel? Magic training with Mage Arlane or the I-can-beat-this-species tour?” Her warlock’s silence had her turning to him. “Nathaniel? Didn’t you hear my question?”
“Aye, M’lady. I heard.”
Jezibaba lifted both hands, wincing when she saw they were covered in chalk dust. She glared at her right-hand warlock. “You know I hate waiting… and it was a rhetorical question. For Goddess sake, don’t you have an answer yet?”
Nathaniel shook his head. “I’m still formulating an acceptable one.”
“Will we get to hear it in this century?” Jezibaba demanded, her voice rising. No answering flash of irritation in his soft gray eyes made her frown. “What is it, Nathaniel? What are you struggling to tell me?”
Nathaniel stood from his seat to pace. He did a few steps in each direction, then stopped.
“Remember the first year we found the Chosen Ones. You persuaded the Council of Witches to support our decision to protect them.”
“Yes. I recall that all too well,” Jezibaba said quietly. “When we left, you had a strange look, but would never say what it was you had observed that caused it.”
Nathaniel nodded, his hood bobbing slowly. “I saw a
Learning to Kill: Stories