My dick tightened.
Portia swallowed. “This is amazing.”
Tavish paused long enough to say, “‘Course it is. I made it.”
I bit back a smile. He’d never been modest about his skill in the kitchen. But he wasn’t wrong. My mate could make a feast out of scraps.
I turned to my own food, and I held off my curiosity for another ten minutes while the three of us ate. The second Portia put down her fork, I leaned forward.
“Tell us about Cormac,” I said, unable to keep the excitement from my voice. “Tell us everything, lass.”
Her expression turned serious as she glanced at Tavish, who eyed her over the rim of his water goblet.
“I don’t know where to start,” Portia said.
Tavish set down his goblet. “You said the Curse has been broken.”
She nodded. “It was created by a witch named Mullo Balfour.”
Tavish and I both stiffened. Ice slid through my veins, shock rushing behind it.
“Mullo?” I rasped, instantly recognizing the name. Everyone knew the powerful head of House Balfour, who possessed all of the ordinary elements and all but one of the arcane. “Grandsire to?—”
“My father,” Portia said. “Niall and everyone else believed my great-grandsire only controlled six of the seven elements.”
“Aye,” I said, “he’s missing blood.”
Portia shook her head. “No, he acquired it at some point, and he used it to engineer a disease that killed every female dragon. My mother would have died, too, but a Razroth demon physician stole her shortly after her birth and raised her as his own so he could siphon her blood. My father found her and saved her. Then they saved my dad, and the three of them killed Mullo.”
I leaned back in my chair as I absorbed everything. “And Mullo’s curse died with him.”
“That’s right,” Portia said, surprise flaring in her gaze. “How did you know that?
Tavish raked an admiring look over me before answering. “Albie knows more about witches than anyone.”
Heat kissed my cheeks again, and I adjusted my spectacles. “I’m not sure about that?—”
“I am,” Tavish said. He gestured to Portia’s plate, which still held a few bites of omelet. “Are you going to eat that?”
“No, I’m full. It was wonderful, though.”
He reached a long arm over, snagged her plate, and dumped the omelet onto his own. “Shame to waste it,” he said, stabbing the leftover eggs onto his fork and stuffing them into his mouth all at once.
I looked at Portia, who stared at Tavish like someone might observe a wild animal that had wandered into their house. “What of our females?” I asked. “You said the monarchy is restored. I assume the same is true of our women?”
She bit her lip, and something that might have been shame flitted through her eyes. “No. I’m, uh, the only female born since Mullo died. That’s why my fathers want me to marry and have children.”
“Agreed,” Tavish said, pushing away his empty plate and locking his gaze on Portia. “We should start as soon as possible.”
She glared at him. “Didn’t you hear what I just said? The Curse is broken, but our population problem remains. I’m the only full-blooded female dragon in the world.”
Tavish took a long drink of water, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “And you’re here now. We could solve thepopulation problemquite easily.”
“I’m not sleeping with you,” Portia said flatly.
“Are you afraid?” He leaned forward, his eyes gleaming. “Tell me, lass. Are you untouched?”
Her face went scarlet. “Excuse me?”
