“He can’t be that good of a dad to you guys if he has children like Mr. Kim running around,” I said, remembering the glint of the knife Mr. Kim had used to threaten us.

“Ah, but that is not the First Dragon’s fault. That is the doing of Bael.”

“Sure it is,” I agreed, wondering if I should go to the trouble of nudging Rowan and asking him who Bael was or if I should just let it go.

Just get Mrs. P to the hotel, I told myself. Then you can hand her over to the cruise people and go home, where life is normal, and there are no dragons and demons and people trying to steal other people’s possessions, and no heartbreakingly handsome men with gray-green eyes to lust after, and worry about, and wonder if he’ll last longer than four days.

A tiny little voice told me how sad it would be to live a normal life without Rowan to spice it up, but I ignored it.

I fell silent at that point, paying little attention to the discussion that May and Gabriel held about whether or not more demonic dragons would show up in Cairo or if they’d give up the attempt now that they knew the dragons were protecting Mrs. P.

The Hotel Cleopatra wasn’t at all what I was expecting, but then, what had been on this trip? “Well, that’s… interesting,” I said as we got out of the car. A giant bust of Cleopatra loomed over the entrance, much like a figurehead sat on the prow of a ship. On each side of her were twin half-naked Nubian slaves, each with a palm in hand that jutted out over the entrance, providing shade from the merciless Egyptian sun. “It kind of reminds me of Disney.”

Rowan glanced up at Cleopatra, his eyes widening when he took in her impressive bust barely encased by what surely was a teenage boy’s idea of historic costume appropriate to Cleopatra’s era.

“Unusual, to be sure,” Rowan said before taking his rucksack from Akbar.

“Especially in a mostly Muslim country. Oh well, we won’t see her from inside,” I said, grabbing Mrs. P as she started after Akbar. “Come on, let’s get checked in for the few hours it’ll be before we have to get you to your cruise.”

“You are checking into the hotel just for a few hours?” May asked.

“Mrs. P will be here just for a few hours, yes. I figured we can do a little sightseeing if she’s up to it, and if she’s not, she can rest. Then she’ll go on to the cruise and I’ll spend the night here and leave in the morning.” A little pang of sadness hit me at my words.

“Bye bye, sweet cheeks,” Mrs. P told Akbar, blowing him a kiss. “I’ll tell my beau how knowledgeable about his life you are. He will be appreciative to know his time is remembered so well.”

“We’re going to see him in a couple of hours if you’re up to the tour of the pyramids, so you needn’t make a dramatic farewell scene yet. And what on earth was all that about?” I asked her as we entered the hotel. “All I heard Akbar talking about was Egyptian myths and what life was like back then and stuff like that.”

“He is a nice lad. As polite as your man, but not so stuffy. Probably has more stamina in bed, though. Stamina is such a waste on the young. I want some tea.”

“All righty. Let me just get us checked in, and I’ll get us a late lunch, okay? Hello. I’m Sophea Long, and this is Mrs. Papadopolous. We have reservations.”

We finished checking in and I scooted to the side while Rowan acquired a room of his own (he didn’t book ahead) before asking him, “We’re going to have some lunch in a short bit. Did you want to join us? It’ll be our treat for you sitting up all night making sure we were safe.”

He looked like he was going to say no, but just then his stomach growled audibly, and he gave an apologetic little laugh. “I believe that is answer enough.”

May and Gabriel were now at the reception desk, obviously getting a room. I knew I should extend the offer of lunch to them, since they clearly had some role in keeping the demon dragons at bay, but a wave of selfishness had me steering Mrs. P toward the elevator with one hand while grasping Rowan’s arm with the other. “Tell you what, I’ll order room service so you won’t have to face sitting in a restaurant surrounded by tourists. Then you can go have a nap.”

He turned when we reached the elevator and nodded toward May and Gabriel. “What about them?”

“They can find their own lunch, I’m sure.” I immediately felt guilty at the flash of surprise in his eyes. “I’m sorry. That’s catty of me. If you would like them to join us, I’ll ask them.”

A little frown pulled his eyebrows together. “I get the feeling that you don’t care for Gabriel and May.”

“I don’t. Rather, I don’t trust them.”

“Why not? They are your own kind, after all.”

“They don’t look like dragons,” I said, glancing past him at the people in question.

“Neither do you.”

“No, but I clearly am dragonish,” I said with a complacence that I realized was fully at odds with the fact that less than a day before, I refused to accept the fact that there even were such things as dragons in human form, let alone that Jian was one of them. “Did you see the way I kicked Elton out of the window? That was a serious dragon move going on there.”

He gave a little chuckle and escorted us into the empty elevator when the doors opened. “It was indeed, but I believe you’re judging Gabriel unfairly because he wasn’t there to help us fight the demons. I have no doubt he’s capable of equally impressive dragon moves, as you call them.”

I kept the door from closing and nodded toward the reception desk. “Maybe. Do you want me to invite them or not?”

Rowan shrugged. “I’m sure you’re right and they can find their own lunch. I just thought you’d like someone relatable that you could talk to.”

“Another time, perhaps,” I said, knowing full well that I’d be on a plane heading back home the following day.

By myself.

Without Rowan.

And worse, without the likelihood of ever seeing him again.

I grew morose at that thought, a feeling that stayed with me while I bustled Mrs. P into the room we would share for a few hours until she went off to her cruise and made her a cup of tea while trying to keep her from confiscating everything she could see.

Finally, I got her to relax on the bed with her feet up for a little bit. “I told Rowan to meet us here in half an hour, which gives me to time to call the tour company in Cairo and make sure everything is copacetic for your trip. No, you can’t take that. The Gideon people put it there for others to use… oh, what the hell. Knock yourself out. You might want to read up on the bit about thou shalt not steal, though.”