Yeah, there’s definitely something going on with them.
Varian jumps in to answer. “An excellent question! Yes, I met both of them, separately, before I was imprisoned,” he pauses to grin at Magnus before he continues, “I met Magnus first when he was rob–”
“Allegedly!” Magnus interrupts, looking like he would rather be anywhere else.
Varian grins, clearly enjoying the effect he’s having. “The snake shifter thought he could enter my lair and rob me blind. But–” his eyes turn to reptilian slits, “he got caught.”
I do my best to look surprised, even though I already know Magnus has a history of borrowing things without permission.
No judgment though, since same.
Arianna snorts, “Seriously, Magnus? You tried to rob a dragon?”
Her gown catches the low, twinkling orb lights. The black fabric shimmers, crisscrossing in wide bands, before turning to a sheer fabric that drapes down her thighs.
There are just enough layers of the fabric to hide her more intimate parts, but Conner is still drooling. He’s taken the spot beside her, and she’s been steadfastly ignoring his whispers.
“I’ll rob him if it means Ari will finally give me a chance,” Conner boasts, trying a new technique to get her attention.
It works. Arianna finally turns to look at him.
“Sweet baby Jesus, we are going to have beautiful babies,” he blurts, catching himself on the wall when his knees nearly buckle.
Sarah gives Isaac a look, and he holds out his hands in a ‘what do you expect me to do?’ gesture.
At least this time, Conner is smart enough to keep his hands to himself.
Arianna looks thoughtful for a moment before nodding. “I probably would – because no one robs a dragon. They guard their hoard fiercely. I’m surprised Magnus is still breathing. I’ve never met someone who survived an attempt before.”
Conner’s grin drops.
Magnus shrugs. “I was young, ambitious.”
Varian arches a cocky brow. “I kept him alive because I thought it might be entertaining.”
“Was it?” I ask, thoroughly invested.
“Absolutely. I made him polish every last piece of my hoard,” Varian answers, laughing.
The others join in, and Magnus blushes. I don’t miss the way Damien’s arm presses against Varian’s.
“Damien, on the other hand, I didn’t bother keeping around,” Varian adds, and Magnus immediately perks up.
“No way! I’m telling this one,” Damien interrupts, gladly taking the spotlight. “It’s one of my most harrowing tales. Red, you remember that story about the two naked guards, a dragon, and a horse?”
My jaw drops, remembering the story he told me in the ShadowRealm. “No…” I start.
He winks back. “Oh yeah,” he answers with a mischievous grin, and then turns to address our friends. “So here I was, a newly minted guard, and the captain says we need to bring in a dragon. A literal freaking dragon! It’s supposed to be a huge covert operation, but my buddy and I figure this is our chance to make a name for ourselves.”
His voice grows lower as he continues, “So that night, we ride up the mountain where the dragon supposedly has his lair. It’s dark, but the moon guides us. The path is rocky, and there’s no tree cover, but we figure it’s safe, since we’ll see him coming.”
He pauses for dramatic effect, and even though I’ve heard the story before, I’m just as enthralled. “We make it to a big ledge, just shy of the peak. That’s when we finally see it – the entrance to a massive cave. We dismount, just a dozen feet below, but there’s nowhere to tie the horses. But we figure they won’t wander off. We make our way to the entrance, and I crack a joke about how dragons must be lazy, since he didn’t even bother to build his lair on the peak. And that’s when it happens.”
He holds out his hands, letting the suspense build. “The top of the mountainmoves. It was so dark, we didn’t realize he’d been perched on top of the cave the entire time, watching us. Heisthe top of the mountain. Massive fire-colored eyes narrow on us, and I’m sure we’re dead. Like, there’s no way we’re getting out of this. This dragon is going to eat us.”
“I smelled you, I sure as fuck wasn’t going to eat you,” Varian quips.
Damien ignores him. “So, what does he do? He opens his massive mouth.Hugeteeth flash in the moonlight, and then a stream of fire comes for us. We run, but the flames swallow us. Our clothes and armor turn to ash. I’m sure we’re done for. But then, it just… stops. We don’t slow down to ask why he’s left us alive, and only one of the horses is waiting for us, so we scramble onto it and ride down together. The sun is just rising when we make it to the barracks, completely naked. I think our dragon friend here liked the view,” he finishes, and everyone bursts out laughing.
