He made it in one toss. Dannol snapped up the cupcake, and he laughed. “Look at that. We did it.”
You really are nuts. Dannol shook his kind of boofy head. His scales were gleaming but only kind of dully.
“I was trapped in a tower for almost my whole life. I was alone a lot, and kind of starving. I only had tuna fish. I hate fish. And they had a magic controller on me, so I couldn’t do anything. It was gross.” Mercury shrugged. “So, I get it. I’m probably a little nuts, but now I’m here, and I’m safe, and I want to be your friend. I think you’d like Talon too. He’s my mate. He’s kind of cool.”
In a totally hot sort of way.
And your mate lets you be down here with me by yourself?
“So, he doesn’t exactly know.” He grinned at Donnal. “I mean, I didn’t tell him Iwasn’tcoming. He’s working with my friend Kami; you met him. They find stones for dragons who’ve lost their stones and for new babies. I bet that’s what they’re doing now for you, but I was working in the house, and I was making it nice. Then I thought, it’s nice enough, I want to go see my new friend.”
Well, thank you.
“Of course. Would you like another cupcake? You want another red velvet, or you want to try a different kind?”
A different one?A spark seemed to be lighting Donnal up from the inside, his eyes glowing a little bit. But not in a, “I’m going to burn you to a crisp” sort of way. More from a friendship kind of place, he thought.
And when he saw what looked like a smile curl the dragon’s mouth, he knew he had won the guy over at least partly.
He chose a butter cupcake with chocolate frosting and tossed that one into Dannol’s mouth. Those teeth gleamed as they snapped out at it. And you heard the primal sound Dannol made.Mmmmmm.
“I know, right? Cupcakes are the best. Much better than fish.”
Even the fish was spoiled where I was trapped.Dannol shook his head.I don’t like to think of it.
How did you come to be trapped there? Do you mind telling me or would you like to wait? Sooner or later you are going to tell me because my curiosity will win out.He figured it was better to start out like he could hold out and admit his failings right now, so that Dannol still wanted to be his friend.
My keep was destroyed. It was an act of war. They came and took everything from us. But I had managed to gather together what I could of our hoard because I knew the stones would be important if we were ever going to repopulate the keep. I trapped the one box with the stone in it, but they locked me in to that room, not knowing the magical trap was in place.
“That’s awful. I had a lover who was from your keep, I think, and someone killed him.”
Dannol tilted his head.You mean at the keep? During the war?
“No. I mean, he was staying at my keep on a diplomatic mission, and I accidentally ended up sliding there with him, where you were trapped. He grabbed my hand and said he wanted to go home, and I took him there. It was awful.” Mercury shuddered at the thought of all the brackish water and terrible violence. “Anyway, he then disappeared, and I thought he left because he was so upset, but I found out just recently that someone had killed him. I think he knew something he wasn’t supposed to.”
Dannol growled.So many. So many disappeared or killed because of something so stupid.
“So what was the reason for it?” He spread his hands, then realized he had frosting on his fingers, so he licked them.
Dannol opened his mouth, awaiting another cupcake. This time, he did one with cream cheese frosting on it.Stones, stones like no one else had ever seen. Like the one your friend wanted.I think he wanted it for your baby. I gave it to him, didn’t I, in exchange for getting me out of there?
“Yes, you did. That’s for my baby?” He put a hand on his belly, feeling a warm glow. Dannol was willing to give up part of his hoard so Mercury’s baby could have a stone. That was incredibly sweet.
It is. Do you really think your friend can find me a stone? Mine was destroyed.
“He found me one,” Mercury said. “And he gave his own away so my mate would stay alive.”
Donnal blinked.Honestly, that’s—He shook his head.I didn’t even think that was possible.
Mercury shrugged. “I didn’t either, to be honest. I never even really thought about it, but it’s very rare. Kami is very special.”
Donnal looked at him and winked.You do realize that you are, too. I mean, you brought me and an entire hoard over to this place.
“I did. I can’t wait for you to be able to go upstairs so you can see the lake and the sky and know that you can go flying. This is a warm, lovely, safe place down here, but it is underground. I like to be able to see out.” In fact, Mercury loved to be able to sit and watch dragons for hours.
So, what happens after I get out of this place?
“Well, we go see the seer. That’s what I did. And then they give you an apartment. And then you find a job.”
