He shrugged. “Fine, I don’t have answers, but I do have a theory.”
Her brows snapped together, but he sensed her sudden interest. “This is a trick.”
“Allow me to prove my claim.”
He turned to the side, pointing to a spot on the wall. Then moving his hand in a slow circle, he created a spinning circle of smoke.
“An illusion,” Wynn muttered.
“You aren’t the only one with tricks.”
“Can you breathe fire?”
He glanced toward her, a slow smile curving his lips. “Only if you ask very nicely.”
“Lame.” Her frown abruptly deepened. “Wait. Are you creating a magic hole?”
A laugh was wrenched from his throat. “Magic hole?”
“What do you want me to call it?”
“A small window that allows you a glimpse into our private lair.”
She warily watched the smoke spread to reveal the towering shelves that held countless books and scrolls and precious manuscripts protected by layers of magic.
“No weapons,” he assured his companion. “Nothing more dangerous than a book.”
“Like books aren’t the most dangerous weapons in the world.”
Azh jerked at her soft words. She understood. This aggravating, stubborn, unpredictable, completely glorious woman understood. Was it any wonder that he’d been immediately fascinated by her? It wasn’t just her rare beauty. Or the way she stirred his passions. Dragons enjoyed companionship with lots of partners over the endless centuries.
But this one...
It was as if she touched a part of him that no other creature had ever managed to reach.
His beast stirred, waking from the deep slumber of hibernation. It studied the tiny wisp of a woman in bemusement. Ah, so this was what the fuss was about, it sleepily acknowledged. Good. He was pleased. She was a tasty morsel.
With an effort, Azh ignored the rumblings of the dragon.
“You’re right. They are dangerous. This one, however, is dedicated to the history of my people.”
He felt a portion of her tension ease. “A history of dragons? You didn’t come here to bore me to death, did you?”
“There are a few images I think you’ll find interesting.”
“If I let you blabber about the dragons for a while, will you leave me alone?”
“Probably not.”
She glared at him, but there was something that might have been curiosity shimmering in the lavender eyes.
“What is it?”
“The histories speak of a time when the dragons lived in another place.”
“You mean like another country?”
“Another realm.” Azh wasn’t concerned that he was revealing the dragons’ deepest, darkest secrets. Most of his people had forgotten their distant lore. “It’s referred to as Kazak. Or the homeland.”
