The day after the War ended, while most of her clanmates were celebrating in the streets and throwing parties, Megan had quietly slipped out of town, never planning to return. She didn’t want her fate to be tied to anyone except herself anymore, so she became a vagabond of sorts. When she learned that the S.S.S. paid good money to bounty hunters, she’d decided to teach herself how to do this job. It hadn’t been easy, but she’d slowly become the best in the business through hard work and persistence. This life was tough, but at least Megan was in charge of her own destiny. There were lean times, when it had been months between paydays. But Megan always managed.

  At least she had managed until now. Now, she had lost the dragon she’d spent so much time chasing down. Her bank account was nearly empty, and she had little hope of finding another dragon before she completely ran out of funds. Not only that, but her encounter with Evan had left her feeling uneasy about the S.S.S. itself. Could it be true that they were working with dark wizards? If they were, then Megan didn’t want to work for them anymore. But what would she do, if she gave up bounty hunting? She couldn’t go back to her clan now, even if she wanted to. They would laugh her out of town and call her a deserter. Even though the days of compulsory clan membership had been over for centuries, some wizards still acted like moving away from your clan was treason. Megan knew she would not be welcome if she showed up at her old home.

  Megan gritted her teeth together, and threw about Jasper’s abandoned possessions with renewed vengeance. Evan must be mistaken about the S.S.S. and the Dark Warriors. He had to be mistaken. There’s no way a company as large as the S.S.S. could cover up the fact that they were working for dark wizards and evil shifters. Someone would have blown the whistle on them by now. Megan told herself she didn’t need to feel guilty about working for them, and forced herself to focus completely on looking through Jasper’s house.

  She methodically went through the rooms, but even though he had quite a few things, nothing was overly personal. There were blankets and paintings and bookshelves, but nothing that gave a clue as to Jasper’s personal life. Megan needed something more intimate: a journal, a book with an inscription in the front that would tell her a bit more about Jasper, or perhaps some photographs. But there was nothing. Jasper had been careful. He’d taken everything with him that might tip someone off as to who he was. Literally the only thing Megan knew about him at this point was that he was a dragon shifter.

  A famous dragon shifter, apparently. She’d had no idea that he was well-known, but according to Evan, Jasper had done something pretty noteworthy during the War and was considered one of the greatest dragon fighters.

  Megan frowned. Evan himself had been a weird twist in this whole situation. The last thing Megan had expected when tracking down Jasper was to find another dragon shifter by accident—a dragon shifter tracking down the same dragon as her, no less. But Evan wasn’t worth anything to her. If he was really from this “Torch Lake” town he’d told her about, and was out here on official business for them, then his whereabouts weren’t much of a secret. He wasn’t hiding out, and the S.S.S. was only interested in finding dragons who were hiding out.

  Megan’s frown deepened. She didn’t like thinking about why the S.S.S. was hunting down dragons, and Evan’s claim that it was for dark magic had been nagging at her since he’d first said it. Megan tried to focus on her task at hand, but sifting through piles of random household goods didn’t require too much mental energy, and it was hard for her to keep her mind from wandering. She was about to give it up and call it a day, when she realized that she had missed one small spot by the front door. There was a large bench there that looked like it had inside storage. She checked the lid of the bench and found that it did indeed open. But, unsurprisingly, there was nothing inside that helped her. Just more random blankets and a few pairs of shoes. With a sigh, she let the lid to the storage bench drop shut. That was it. Her leads on Jasper were all completely cold, and she was going to have to start at square one with a new dragon.

  Almost on autopilot, she bent down to glance under the bench, just to make sure nothing was hidden under there. But she quickly came off of autopilot when she saw what had slipped underneath the bench. There, amidst the dust bunnies, a lone photograph lay on the floor. Megan’s heart started pounding as she reached for it, hoping and praying that it would be something that would help her.

  When she pulled it out, she had to wipe a layer of dust off of her hand. The area underneath the bench didn’t seem to have been cleaned for quite some time. But the photograph itself seemed relatively dust free. It must have just fallen there. Perhaps Jasper had tried to take it with him when he left, and it had fallen out of his bag as he fled in a hurry?

  Megan squinted at the faded colors on the photo. Jasper himself was smiling at the camera, his arm swung lazily around a woman who had the exact same eyes, nose, and face shape as him. A sister, perhaps? The pair of them both held up mugs of beer, and looked as though they didn’t have a care in the world. They were in some sort of bar or club, and it looked vaguely familiar to Megan. She tried to remember where she had seen those green leather booths and twinkling lights shaped like frogs before. Was this in some shifter town somewhere that she had visited? Or was it a bar in a big city she’d been to at some point during her travels?

  “Think!” she chided herself out loud, tapping her forehead with her knuckles and trying to recall which bars she’d been in recently that had looked similar to the one in the photograph. But her mind was drawing a complete blank. She was about to give up when, suddenly, she knew exactly where it was.

  “Chicago!” she announced to the empty room. She’d gone there on vacation once herself, when she’d been in her early twenties. She’d gone to that very bar, a jazz club, actually, with her then-boyfriend. He’d been acting funny all week, and Megan had convinced herself that he was going to propose to her when he took her out to see a well-known jazz band playing. She’d had a great time, but he hadn’t proposed. In fact, when they got home from Chicago he’d broken up with her, which explained why he’d been acting so strange. He’d known all along that he was going to end things when the vacation was over. Perhaps Megan had tried to push that jazz bar from her mind to block out the pain of being dumped, but now, the memories were coming flooding back.

  She couldn’t care less about that old boyfriend anymore, but she was glad now that he’d taken her to that bar. The décor was so unique that it had to be the same place. There’s no way another bar was decorated exactly the same way. Megan’s heart started pounding again. Was it possible that Jasper would go there? He’d probably kept the photograph because it had his sister in it, not because of the bar. But if he had happy memories there, perhaps he would visit again?

  Megan knew it was a long shot, but she was fresh out of ideas. Visiting this bar would be like her Hail Mary pass. Maybe Jasper would show up there. Or maybe something there would offer her another clue as to his whereabouts. She had no better ideas on how to find him, so she might as well try.

  It was time to buy a ticket to Chicago.

  Chapter Four

  The Chicago Blue Line subway to the jazz bar was crowded, and the humid August air had caused nearly everyone to sweat more than usual today. Being squashed into a train car with a bunch of commuters who smelled like body odor wasn’t Megan’s idea of fun, but she didn’t have much of a choice. She’d spent the last of her savings to buy a plane ticket to the Windy City, and after paying for one night at a hostel and buying her subway fare, she had exactly seventeen dollars left to her name. She couldn’t afford to spend that seventeen dollars on a cab. She needed to save money to buy a drink at the club tonight. She planned to buy one beer and drink it as slowly as possible, making it last all night.

  The closer she got to the bar, the more ridiculous this quest seemed to her. She had almost no money, and the odds of her actually seeing Jasper here tonight were slim to none. What had seemed like a good plan to her back in Texas now felt like an extraordinarily foolish waste of time. She better enjoy that beer she drank tonight, because it was the last thing she was going to be able to buy to eat or drink in quite some time.

  It was too late to turn back now, though, so Megan soldiered on. She tugged at her simple black dress as her stop finally arrived and she exited the subway. Outside on the street, the heat was sweltering, but at least she wasn’t forced to stand two inches away from another sweaty person. She wiped at the sweat on her brow, wondering if any of the makeup she’d put on was actually still on her face. She probably looked like a hot mess, but she was just going to have to go with it. At least everyone else was in the same boat.

  A quick glance at her watch told her that she was about an hour early for the jazz show. Part of her wanted to wait to head into the bar. It was going to be hard to make one beer last all night when she got there an hour before the show even started. But she wanted to make sure she got a seat with a good view of the doorway, so she could see if Jasper walked in.

  “This is so stupid,” she whispered to herself as she swung open the door to the bar. She had never felt like such an idiot in her life, except perhaps for when she set off those magical fireworks in the middle of the store back in Texas. At least then she’d been startled and hadn’t had time to think about what she was doing. Now, she’d had plenty of time to plan out her actions, and she was still walking into this bar acting like it was actually going to help her find Jasper.

  She pushed away the growing despair in the pit of her stomach, and ordered a large mug of one of the beers on tap. Then she sat at a tiny corner table with only two chairs. The table had a good view of the front door, so she should be able to see if Jasper came in. She knew her view would be obstructed somewhat as the place started filling up, but Jasper would be easy to spot. He’d stand a head and shoulders above almost anyone else. Even better was the fact that the table was in a bit of a dark spot. Hopefully, that would keep Jasper from noticing her.

  Megan’s stomach growled, and she took a small sip of her beer. This was going to be a long night, sitting in here and watching everyone else chow down on delicious, greasy bar food. Already, people were munching on nachos, fries, and chicken fingers. She’d glanced over the menu, but the cheapest thing on there—chips and queso—cost seven dollars. After spending seven dollars on her beer, plus a tip, she couldn’t afford to spend another seven dollars on an appetizer. She’d only have a few dollars left to her name.

  Megan told herself that she would stop at a grocery store on the way home and find some cheap food that wouldn’t leave her totally penniless. Her money was going to run out soon, but she could squeeze a few more days out of it. If only luck was on her side and Jasper did actually show up tonight. If she could get a picture of him here and send it to the S.S.S., they would pay her for that picture. She’d be able to get herself a real meal, and to stop worrying at least for a few weeks about how in the world she was going to survive.

  The bar filled up quickly, and went from nearly empty to standing room only in a matter of twenty minutes. Megan could see the jazz band that would be playing tonight starting to set up their instruments on the elevated stage. Someone took the second chair from Megan’s table, after she assured them in a slightly embarrassed tone that no one was using it. She seemed to be the only person who was here by herself. She didn’t normally care about her single status. After all, relationships didn’t fit in very well with her nomadic life as a bounty hunter of dragon shifters. But seeing all the happy couples around her about to enjoy the band did give her a little pang of jealousy.

  Without warning, Evan’s face flashed across her mind. Megan almost laughed out loud at the absurdity of that thought. Evan had been exceptionally handsome. In fact, she thought he was even more handsome than the average dragon shifter. The dragons were always good looking, but Evan had been a step above the norm. Even when he was making fun of her and belittling her for working for the S.S.S., Megan hadn’t been able to completely ignore how appealing his tanned skin and chiseled jaw looked. His green dragon eyes and sculpted muscles had been the icing on the cake. He was the type of man whom, in another life, Megan would have tried to win over.

  But this wasn’t another life. This was her life as a bounty hunter, and it left no time for romance. Besides, Evan might look wonderful, but he clearly hadn’t been interested in treating her nicely. He’d insulted her skills as a bounty hunter, and had insisted that her work was helping dark wizards. He hadn’t exactly done anything that would sweep her off her feet.

  The band got up and greeted the audience then, announcing to loud cheers that they were going to begin their first set. Megan tried to focus on enjoying the music. Even if she didn’t get any information on Jasper out of this night, she could at least enjoy the band. She would have closed her eyes and just soaked in the sounds, if it hadn’t been for the fact that she felt guilty not watching the door. She had finally admitted to herself that the odds of Jasper walking in were less than one percent, but still. She had spent money on a beer already. She couldn’t completely abandon her mission.

  “What’s a pretty little lady like you doing all by yourself?”

  Megan’s heart sank as a tall man with auburn hair pulled a chair up to her table. She had no idea how he’d managed to find a chair in this crowd, and she wished he hadn’t. The last thing she needed now was some dude trying to hit on her while she was watching out for Jasper.

  “I like having some me time now and then,” Megan said in a firm voice. “That’s why I came alone.” She was hoping he would take the hint and leave, but of course he didn’t.

  “Me time, eh? How about some company for your me time?”

  Megan gave him a death glare. She’d never understood how some men could be so dense. You could practically smack them across the face and tell them you weren’t interested, and they’d still cling to the hope that they’d be able to win you over. “I think that ‘me time’ by definition excludes company.”

  “I think not,” he said. Then he winked at her and settled into his chair, clearly not planning to leave anytime soon. When the harried waitress came by, he ordered a plate of loaded nachos. Megan’s mood was quickly going south. How was she going to sit here, starving, and watch for Jasper while some overly-persistent guy hit on her and ate nachos in front of her? She might as well give up now. She wasn’t going to get any enjoyment out of the music, and she didn’t feel like putting up with this guy just so she could prove to herself that Jasper wasn’t coming to this bar. This whole idea had quite possibly been the worst one she’d had since she first became a bounty hunter.

  Megan picked up her beer and guzzled it down, setting her empty glass down on the tabletop with a loud thud. No more nursing this thing slowly for her. She was going to get out of here now, and at least she’d have a slight buzz from drinking almost an entire pint of beer in less than thirty seconds. Her unwanted table companion raised an eyebrow in her direction.

  “Looks like your glass is empty. I’ll get the next round.”

  Megan shook her head no and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Nope, I’m going to get out of here now. I’ve had enough me time to suit me, I think.”

  She stood and turned toward the door, but stopped in her tracks when she saw who was walking in.

  “Impossible!” she said. She should have sat back down so that her face was hidden in the crowd, but she was too shocked in that moment to move. Jasper Moffatt had just walked in the front door. He was keeping his face low, and a baseball cap did a good job of hiding the top half of it. But this was clearly a dragon, and from the little bit Megan could see, this dragon looked exactly like the one she’d been tracking back in Texas. Somehow, her decision to come here had paid off. She just had to figure out how to get a picture of him without him seeing her first.

  Her hand automatically started reaching for her phone, but before she could grab it, a strong hand closed over her wrist. Startled, she looked down to see that the man at the table was reaching for her.

  “How many times do I have to tell you I’m not interested?” Megan said in an exasperated voice. “I really don’t have time for you right now.”

  She struggled against his grip, expecting him to let her go and perhaps make a pouty face. But he didn’t let her go. Instead his grip tightened, and his face twisted into a sneer. “Oh, I think you’re going to make time for me, you pathetic little wizard.”

  Megan’s heart froze at his words. It froze even more when she looked down at his hand on her wrist and realized he was wearing a magic ring. This wasn’t some guy who didn’t know how to behave in a bar. This was a wizard, and he knew who she was. He had to know she was a bounty hunter, otherwise, why would he be interested in her? Megan had heard of bounty hunters being kidnapped for information before, but she had never faced this kind of danger herself. She’d always kept a pretty low profile, and been careful to cover her tracks.

  Until now.

  Suddenly, everything fell into place. These guys had somehow realized she was after Jasper, and Jasper was famous, as she now knew. Evan had told her that he was difficult to find, so if someone had been looking for him and realized that Megan might know where he was, they would have hunted down Megan to find out what she knew.

  “Let go of me,” Megan hissed. “Or I’ll make a scene right here in the middle of this bar.”

  The man laughed. “I hear you’re pretty good at making scenes. Want to set off some fireworks again?”

  Megan felt sick. How did this guy know about the fireworks in the Texas store? Was he working with Evan? Megan hadn’t liked Evan, but he hadn’t seemed like the type to send some thug wizard after her.

  “Here’s what you’re gonna do, you little twerp. You’re going to tell me right now where Jasper is. If you don’t, I’m going to set torture spells on you that are so bad that you’ll wish you’d never been born.”

 

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