Another Wednesday, more words to tease you with. I had a lot of snippets to chose from this time because the #1lineWed THEME is **WORK**. In this snippit, Sade is working hard for the money. The fact that she’s having to deal with not only an Interpol agent, but one who happens to be a vampire. Lt. Jean-Louis Durand met Sade and Caleb at the airport when they landed in Paris. Can I just say that our favorite magick is not impressed?
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“You know what I am.” The vampire spoke softly and sounded surprised. He also made it a statement, not a question.

Sade shrugged and offered him a speculative look. “You’re a vampire.”

“And you have no problem with my…” He struggled for the right word. “For my being?”

“I’ve worked with vampires before. I’m just surprised that Interpol accepted a magick within its august ranks.”

That earned her a smile. Even his eyes crinkled in amusement. “I and my human counterpart are something like you and Caleb. We work the magical crimes. I work nights, he works days. We sometimes compare notes.” He gave a very Gallic shrug.

“My partners a werewolf. So long as he’s not left out in the rain, we get along fine too.”

That got a growl from Caleb and a chuckle from the French vampire. “I am surprised that you recognized what I am. I am very good at being human.”

“And I’m very good at recognizing magicks.” Sade offered her own very Gallic shrug.

“I had heard this about you yet I did not quite believe. Can you recognize all magicks for what we are?”

“Can a werewolf follow a magical trail?”

“Some, yes.”

“Then you have your answer.” Sade didn’t know this dude and wasn’t about to give away her trade secrets. The fact she had been marked by both a master vampire and the king of the fae was strictly need to know and Loo-te-no Zahn-Loo-ey Doo-ran wasn’t on that list. She switched subjects. “So, about this dragon?”

Jean-Louis laughed, the sound deep and rich and meant to entice. The sound washed over her with barely a ripple. This vampire didn’t hold a candle to Sinjen.

“This dragon arrived a few days ago and things began to happen.”

“Which dragon?”

“The Drakon of Klan Kolikikos, Sade, of course. Is he not the dragon with which you are most…familiar?”

She did not like the insinuation in Jean-Louis’s voice. In her frostiest voice, she sad, “What has he done now?”

“Nothing.” Amusement glinted in his eyes.

Sade arranged her expression into an appropriate glower. “If he’s done nothing, then why are we here?”

“Because, as I mentioned, things began to happen. We cannot link any of them directly to his actions but we find it highly suspicious that these events began to occur upon his arrival.”

“Would you care to enlighten us?” She pointedly included Caleb.

“Certain members of the Magick community here in Paris have gone missing since his appearance.”

“And?”

Jean-Louis blinked at her. “What is it you mean and?”

“If you were on the wrong side of the dragons and one popped into town, wouldn’t you quietly disappear?” While the vampire pondered, Sade continued. “How do you know they hadn’t already scheduled a…” She leaned toward Caleb. “What do Europeans call vacations?”

“Holiday.”

“Yeah. That. For all you know, Durand, these disappearing magicks are simply living their own lives on their own timetable. You have no direct correlation between his arrival and their disappearance.”

“But this is Paris,” the vampire argued.

“And?”

“Why is the dragon here?”

“I don’t know. Why does anyone come to Paris? Maybe he wants to eat cheese and pastries and drink wine.”

“I do not understand why you defend him.” Jean-Louis looked sly now. “He just tried to kill you.”

“Did he?”

“Oui.”
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I am making progress. I’ve hit a rough patch for Sade and Sinjen and they aren’t cooperating because they think they know what I’m going to do to them. They don’t have a clue. Today, I plan on making them work for their HEA. Writers, any working words to share? And readers, how hard should a couple have work for their happy ending?