“That was before I took you into my service. Now you are to do as I command.” I injected my most imperious note.
And did it work?
No!
“Goodness. Are all dragons this bossy?” she asked with a laugh.
“Yes.”
“I’m afraid that you might have to temper that aspect of your personality as it will antagonize the people you want on your side.” She glanced down at me. “Not to mention, you should be discreet about who you speak to.”
“Why?”
“Because there are some—make that many—who will see you as an asset to be exploited. Do you know how much some people would pay to say they own the only living dragon? Or how many scientists would love to capture and study you?”
“I am not something that can be owned or imprisoned.”
“You wouldn’t have a choice.” A flat reply and her voice emerged lower as she added, “When someone powerful has you in their grasp, it’s not easy to fight or escape.”
I wasn’t so dense as to not understand she spoke of her own situation. “You only say that because I’ve yet to achieve my true size. Once I’m big, none would dare attempt to cage me.”
“That will take time. Should the wrong people realize you exist before that happens…” She didn’t finish the sentence. Didn’t have to.
Until I matured and inherited my ability, I had no real defense. Nothing but an ornery human who may or may not protect me should hunters try and take me.
How had this conversation turned so sharply? I’d begun it with the intention of convincing Nicky to stay and now she had me worried about my own well-being. I didn’t appreciate it one bit. Hence why I took myself up the stairs to find Bruce, who tapped at his keyboard.
Ignoring me.
“We need to speak,” I said.
“Later,” he growled.
Impertinent, but I allowed it for the moment because it occurred to me that I was about to beg Bruce to protect me from harm.
A dragon pleading for the aid of a human? A good thing no others of my kind were around to see my weakness. Rather than abase myself, I’d plot. There had to be a way to get the humans to see sense—aka realize only my wishes counted. As for the claim they had free will? To that I said, bah. They’d soon learn only my desires mattered.
Using my claws to grip the blanket, I climbed to the bed and curled into a ball for a nap. The fatigue was a positive sign that I approached my next molting.
When I woke, it was to Bruce lightly stroking my head, murmuring, “Dinner’s ready and I didn’t figure you’d want to miss it.”
“About time,” I grumbled as I stretched and yawned.
“Want a ride down the stairs?”
I could walk, but why bother when my servant could carry me?
Bruce gently placed me on his shoulder, and all my doubts fled. He’d see reason and do as I asked, not to mention, I had faith this former soldier wouldn’t let me come to harm. He might grumble but deep—deep—inside, his sense of honor burned bright.
An honor so great that he ignored the smile Nicky bestowed when he complimented the dinner. Appeared oblivious to the way she kept glancing at him, a few times even blushing.
He sat apart from her when they put a movie on Zaza’s tablet, something ridiculous with a man called The Rock who looked nothing like a boulder. A tablet that died for the second time not long after it finished. Bruce promised to use his car to charge it again in the morning, right after he juiced his phone. Although, how he planned to squeeze liquid out of that hard rectangle of plastic, metal, and glass eluded me.
The next day passed much the same, albeit with Bruce sitting in his car to work since his laptop died. He kept the engine running and charging, getting out ever so often to breathe the fresh air to avoid something called carbon monoxide poisoning. Late morning, he brought Zaza out to play. At lunch, he pointedly kept his gaze on his plate, and while he replied when Nicky spoke, he kept his responses short, even curt.
But did that drive Nicky away? It might have, if the large human didn’t always have a kind word and smile for Zaza. The man obviously didn’t realize that his plan to remain aloof failed every time he held the child on his lap. Or read her a book. Or caught her and whirled her in the air to excited squeals. Nicky noticed, and she liked what she saw. She had one less button looped at dinner that evening.
Bruce noticed but averted his gaze.
