The captain put his fingers to his temples as if he had a headache. “So, let me get this straight. Edgar, an immortal, who I assume is as unscrupulous as his sisters, tried to take that bracelet from you…”<br /><br /> “He <i>did</i> take it,” she corrected.<br /><br /> “I thought you said Zmey kept him from doing so.”<br /><br /> “No. Edgar did snatch it from me at first, but Zmey made him give it back. I guess because King Wennergren gifted it to me. That means no one else is allowed to have it—that is, unless I give it away.”<br /><br /> “So it’s good that you had Zmey there to help.”<br /><br /> “Well….not exactly,” she hemmed again.<br /><br /> “Not exactly, again?” Derian’s face tightened with frustration. He pressed harder on his temples.<br /><br /> “Zmey protects the bracelet because he has to, but he doesn’t care much for me.” She hesitated before uttering the next sentence. “He actually tried to kill me.”<br /><br /> “What? What! Why? <i>Eena!</i>”<br /><br /> “It’s okay, really, I’m fine! Naga protects me from those other dragons.”<br /><br /> “Other dragons? For criminy’s sake, how many more are there?!