Excerpt of I Dream of Dragons by Ashlyn Chase

“Wow, small world,” she said.

Sly glanced back and forth between his little group and Amber. “You know each other?”

“We’ve met briefly,” Rory said and smiled. Amber’s heart fluttered.

Blond, willowy Morgaine rose. “I haven’t met your friends, Sly.”

“I was just bringing them up to introduce them to you. Morgaine, these fine folks are our new tenants, Rory, Chloe, and Shannon Arish. They’re taking both apartments 2B and 1B. So, we’re full up,” he said, glancing at his wife and Amber. “No more vacancies.”

Morgaine’s mouth dropped open. When she didn’t speak right away, Amber gestured to the papers in front of her. “I rented 1B. I think the ink just dried on my signed lease.”

“Drake recommended the Arishes,” Sly said.

“And Brandee recommended Amber,” Morgaine added.

Sly stared at his wife. The two managers did the oddest thing. First Morgaine folded her arms. Then Sly placed his hands on his hips. Then Morgaine began tapping her foot. It was as if they were having a completely silent argument.

What the… Rory and his sisters glanced at each other, looking equally confused. “But we paid…in cash,” Chloe said. She rubbed her fingers together, then glared at the check Amber had sitting on the table like it wasn’t worth the paper it was printed on.

Amber returned her gaze to the stalemate between the managers. Were they able to argue with their eyes? Did they solve all their problems with a staring contest?

Rory whispered to his sisters, “Do you think they’re telepathic?”

Chloe and Shannon shrugged.

That would be one explanation, Amber thought. One very weird explanation. “Look. I’m sorry, but I got here first, and I can’t lose this apartment,” Amber said to Rory. “My whole building is being renovated and turned into condos. Everyone has been evicted.”

He cocked his head. “Well, I’m very sorry for your troubles, but I believe we have the right of it. We already paid first and last month’s rents on both apartments— in cash, as my sister mentioned.”

At that point, Sly withdrew quite a wad of hundred- dollar bills from his pocket and held it out to Morgaine. She took a step back and shook her head as if the money were on fire.

“This is the oddest spat I’ve ever witnessed,” Shannon muttered.

Chloe chuckled. “We’ve seen some outrageous disputes, but you’re right. This one’s downright peculiar.”

Morgaine leaned forward with her hands on her hips and stamped her foot. Finally, Sly rose to his full height and said, “In this country, possession is nine- tenths of the law.”

Amber and Rory exchanged a look, and telepathy wasn’t needed to interpret what they were thinking. They both took off and charged down the stairs. Chloe and Shannon were right behind them.