I closed the door and left Rian to settle on a chair while Vashana circled the room. After all, you never knew what sort of danger might have come in while she was out.
“How are things at the castle?” I asked as I snagged my cooling mug of coffee, went to the kitchen area, and poured us some fresh cups.
“Good. All's well except for Geris. He bothers me daily.”
“Irksome,” I muttered.
“What was that?”
“Nothing. The problem is a weight upon his shoulders.” In my head, I added,especially if he planted those beetles.Then I went on to say aloud, “Geris needs to learn that you get further with enticement than you do with . . .” I set the mugs down and gaped at Rian.
“What?”
“That's it!”
“What's it?”
“Enticement instead of force. We need to entice the beetles to go somewhere else instead of driving them out of the trees.”
“And how do we do that?”
I scrambled for my notes and skimmed the pages, still standing. “I remember something. Oh, yes! Sebastian said they prefer sweet trees!” I slapped the papers onto the table. “I've been trying to design a trap using force, but it would be far easier to use a lure.”
“Like fishing,” Rian said with a growing grin.
“Exactly!” I pointed at him. Then I dropped onto my stool and yanked a blank sheet of paper over. “All we'd need is a single fruit tree. One with fruit or sap so sweet the beetles couldn't resist it.” I drew a tree. “It could be small, potted would be best. That way, when the beetles swarm to it, the trap can close around it entirely. No roots for them to burrow down into.”
“Then we burn the lot!”
I winced. “I hate to burn fruit trees. It's like sacrificing one tree for another.”
“Not if we take a single tree through the forest, springing the trap over and over.”
“That wouldn't work. Once the trap is sprung the first time, those beetles would be on alert.” I frowned. “No, there must be another way. Something to hurt the beetles but not the tree.”
“All creatures need air,” Rian suggested. “Don't they?”
“Yes! Beetles breathe in a very complicated manner, through little holes all over their bodies. If we enclose them in a trap, then remove the air, they'll die, but the tree will be fine.”
“And you can make such a trap?”
“Of course.” I grinned. “Give me a few days.”
“I knew you could solve this.” Rian stood up and pulled me into his arms again. “Thank you.”
“You helped. You inspired the solution.”
His grin went lascivious. “And you've inspired me as well.” He rocked his hips forward, pressing his rising erection into me.
“No!” I pushed him away. “I've got to get to work. Do not distract me, Dragon!”
“What?” Rian gaped at me.
“Go on. Shoo!” I waved at him.
The Dragon King snorted a laugh. “Did you just shoo me?”
“Yes. Get out!” I sat down and started sketching as I muttered to myself about which parts I'd need and what I'd have to commission through Hud. The Ricarri artisan (the man who'd made my shop's sign) had become my source for complicated machine parts.
