“Tino?”
Swallowing hard, I push the heavy door open and step inside before reaching for the pretty demon. Montrose follows me slowly, his eyes darting around the room. A slow smile spreads across his lips seconds later.
“It’s your hoard room.”
I nod, still dealing with the tightness in my chest and my dragon’s reaction. Any second now, he’ll start preening, proud of the treasures we’ve spent centuries collecting, but right now he’s drawing closer to Montrose.
“Wow,” Montrose says as he steps in farther. He rushes over to a table stacked with gold and silver bars, running his long fingers over them, before hurrying to the next table piled high with various gemstones and other precious metals from times past.
I’m waiting for my dragon to do something, but he’s almost silent as he simply sits back and watches the demon walk through my things. I expected to have to control my shift, but he’s held back, except for my eyes.
“This is pretty,” Montrose says with a stunning smile as he drapes a diamond necklace around his neck. “Where did you get it?”
“A Russian princess gave it to me.” I approach, admiring the shimmering gems against his skin. “She was forced to marry an awful man who unexpectedly broke his leg while riding his horse. Poor fellow died of his injuries, leaving the princess a very rich widow.”
Montrose giggles, and the sound is like a balm after seeing him upset earlier. “How very convenient.” He lifts a tiara set with rubies and diamonds. “And this one?”
“England. No one even saw me at the ball. Took it right off the duchess.”
“Soooo,” he says, placing the jeweled item on his head. “Some of this is given and some of it is taken?”
I nod. “You look pretty in my jewels.” My voice dips into a rough purr that’s all human, despite how it sounds. My dragon is still shockingly quiet, almost like it’s holding its breath.
Montrose smiles as his body heats up again. Is that a sign that he’s happy?
“Oooh.” He rushes over to a table with rings and bracelets, choosing a rare item. “What is this?”
“A Padparadscha Sapphire. Extremely rare. It’s twenty-eight carats of pink beauty.”
“Where did you get it?” He rolls it back and forth in his hand. “It’s so beautiful.”
“Ceylon, now known as Sri Lanka. I acquired that one legally. Well, my transaction was legal. I bought it from a known black-market dealer, so who knows where he got it.”
“It must have cost a fortune.”
Shrugging, I say, “Two-point eight mill. I had to have it though.”
“What do you do with something so big?”
My dragon surges forward slightly, purring in response. “I suppose I would make a necklace or a ring for someone special.” I blink in surprise at the words coming out of my own mouth. Is that why I bought the gem all those years ago?
“Oh!” Montrose runs to a corner where I have a few racks of things under sheets. He tugs one sheet off, discovering a fur coat and a few beaded gowns I forgot I even had.
His face lights up as he strokes the coat. “Can I try it on?”
“Sure.” I walk over to help him. Pulling the coat from the hanger, I hold it up as Montrose slides his arms into the sleeves. “I saved these items and a few books and pieces of art from a burning mansion in New York back in the nineteen twenties.”
“It’s beautiful,” he gushes, running his hands over the soft fur.
“I wore it a few times, even though it was a little tight.” I smile at the memories. “And then it became very unfashionable to wear real fur.”
“Shame. It’s stunning.”
“It’s yours,” I blurt, just as startled as my demon is.
“What?” His eyes soften. “Do you mean it?”
I try to force the words out, to take it back. I don’t give my treasures away for any reason, but the dragon’s got my tongue, so I just nod, aware my face is turning red with strain.
