“There is nothing of value in there. Choose something else. Something of mine.”
When I stared at him, studying his expression, he sank deeper into his pile of treasure, hiding his face.
Did he deny me the jewelry, finding it difficult to let go of his hoard, or because it was Thorne’s treasure?
Mercurial dragon.
“Very well,” I huffed. In a weathered chest, I discovered a stash of books, their pages edged in gold. Tiny gemstones sparkled in the bindings. I flipped through the titles, discovering several tomes of fairy tales. Gorgeous images illustrated each story—every page a masterpiece. I’d never seen anything more exquisite.
“This.” I hugged several of the volumes to my chest. “This is what I want.”
I could hock the gems, setting me and Speck up for life while still enjoying a good story.
A single gleaming eyeball peered out at me from the pile of riches.“Books,”Alaric scoffed.
“Yes. Books.”
“Can you read?”
I stiffened, clutching my treasure tighter, reminded that I dealt with an egotistical king as well as a grumpy dragon. “That sounds like a question your brother would ask me.”
He uttered a low growl at the insult, knocking coins from hisgleaming mountain.“By all means, take them.”
“Thank you, Alaric.” For the first time, I felt a connection to the beast. Here in this sacred space, I’d caught glimpses of his story. Witnessed pieces of the man behind the beast. Experienced his truth.
It was far more than Thorne had ever offered me.
For the next hour, I explored Alaric’s treasure while he basked in his gold, the two of us rubbing along in companionable comfort. Until finally, I settled into the crook of his muscular elbow, propping my feet on his forearm. Costly jewelry decorated my neck, head, and forearms up to my elbows. The weight of it all threatened to crush me, yet I refused to remove my borrowed baubles. I bet Penelope had never worn this many jewels.
Across my lap was one of the books I’d scavenged from his hoard. I read out loud to the dragon, sharing with him a bittersweet tale. In this story, the arrogant prince was turned into a frog, cursed to remain a slimy amphibian until he was saved by a princess’s kiss.
“A simple kiss, huh?”Alaric scoffed.“That’s all it took?”
“Promise not to set me on fire if I ask you a question?” I peered up at the kingly beast.
His massive chest rose and fell against me.“Ask.”
Far from reassured, I proceeded anyway, Thorne’s accusations at the bathing pool resurfacing. “Why did you really save me that night at the lake?”
So much silence stretched between us, I feared Alaric wouldn’t answer.
At length, he said,“I saved you because I felt the fates demanded I do so. Because I believed they led me to a place I hadn’t visited in centuries, drawing me to a lake on the night of the comet’s arrival. That they meant for me to meet a woman who walked the fine line between the living and the dead. A girl who had Hathor’s symbol branded on the back of her neck.”
My muscles locked, ice crawling through my veins despite the warmth the dragon emitted. “Because you believe I can break your curse.” Thorne had alluded to as much at the pool, but I’d been too busy drowning to question his meaning.
“I’ve pursued more outlandish leads throughout the years.”He hitched a massive shoulder, nearly unseating me.
Was it possible he was right? Could this explain my mysterious childhood? Why strangers found me abandoned and alone? Why I’d gained my freedom from the high ruler only to end up here? With the dragon.
“Don’t move. I have an idea.” I dropped the book, scrambled up his muscled arm, and balanced with one hand against his muzzle, the other on his cheek.
“Brace yourself, beast, because I’m coming in hot.”
His thick brow furrowed, the dragon freezing in place lest he knock me off.
I puckered my lips and mashed my face into his coarse lip. “Mmm…” I smooshed my mouth against his for long seconds, really grinding it in.“Wah!”I declared, drawing back.
Brows raised, eyes rounded, heart in my throat, I stared into the dragon’s elongated pupil.
