“Now? It’s not even four.”
“Given how much I plan to have delivered, they’ll need time to prepare. I am also going to do a deeper dive on Malone.”
“Meaning what?”
“What has he been up to? Where has he been? What happened to the supposed dragon bones?”
“Sounds like you’re going to be busy. How can I help?”
“By saying you’ll spend the night with me again.”
“If I must,” I uttered with a dramatic sigh, which turned to giggles as he dragged me against him.
The day didn’t drag as badly this time, at least. Blame the fact every time I ran into Apollo, which happened often, we smooched. By the time we’d finished dinner—which Tigger declared would make a good victory feast once he became ruler of the world—I was more than ready for bed. But not sleep.
Thankfully, a tired little dragon didn’t argue about going to bed alone.
My grandfather also retired to his room, which had satellite television, a treat.
As for me, a single look at Apollo toiling in his office and I was chased up the stairs to his bedroom.
The night we spent? Even more glorious than the last.
Chapter Sixteen
Since Iolana chose to sleep with Apollo, her excuse being “So I don’t disturb your rest,” I had the bed to myself. I’d have enjoyed it more if I’d been able to shake my discomfiture. Something about the doctor named Malone had gravely disturbed me. For one, he knew about my kind. Knew more than he should, considering the information available publicly to humans.
And he’d been nosy. I’d seen him staring about intently. I’d worried a few times he’d spotted me in the plant despite the fact I remained hunched low, trying to keep my orange scales from peeking amidst the greenery.
I’d not been alone in not trusting him. Apollo, being a good protector, was investigating this Malone and had told Iolana he wouldn’t let the man back on the property. Keanu had the best idea; “He’s a slimy POS. I say we drop his ass in the volcano.”
Alas, his granddaughter vetoed the suggestion. “We don’t kill people just because we don’t like them.”
How shortsighted. The best way to prevent an enemy? Get rid of them before they caused trouble.
As for this Malone… I had a feeling we’d not seen the last of him. Did I have the gift of premonition? Not exactly a useful skill when it came to fighting, although seeing the future might aid me in planning the moves that would help me best achieve my goals.
Since I had trouble sleeping—my skin itching, my tummy distended, and my whole body aching—I decided to go for a walk, only to be foiled by the door. Why did the handles have to be so wretchedly high? The sliding glass door to my room had been left open a few inches for the ocean breeze. The screen door pulled across posed a dilemma. I’d already been warned that opening it would set off the house alarm. But Apollo didn’t say anything about going through it. The mesh proved no match for my claws, and I ended up on the balcony that ran the length of the house.
I waddled to my right, away from the master bedroom—that should be mine!—and the noises coming from it. Ew. Why did humans have to copulate so noisily? Dragons were much more civilized when it came to procreation. For one, we didn’t insert our phalluses into wet, slimy holes. A female would eject the eggs in a pile. A chosen male would then stand over them with her, and they would join claws and touch snouts, creating a bond that would stimulate the male into ejaculating, thus fertilizing the eggs. And then, task complete, the male and female dragon would go their separate ways. Humans should take lessons on how to conduct a proper relationship.
At the end of the balcony, stairs led downward, steps taller than my legs. I hated being short. Guess I wouldn’t be going down to the pool since I had no one to carry me down. Would I really let something like a staircase stymie my exploration? Since no one was around to watch, I ignobly got on my belly, inched backwards, and dropped. Plop. I did this over and over until I reached ground level. I doubted my return would be as simple. Then again, I could always set off an alarm to have my servants fetch me—once I’d gone for a swim.
Along with my irritated skin, my fever had returned, burning me from within; another molt was upon me. Hopefully this one would be more productive than the last two. Seeking relief from the heat, I jumped into the pool, the tepid water refreshing. I floated on my back, staring at the stars that blinked in the night sky. At the bottom of the bluff, the tide coming in provided a soothing background noise that calmed me. I might have fallen asleep if not for a sudden and jarring whirring sound.
Opening my eyes, I noticed a cluster of red stars hovering over the house. Wait. Those weren’t stars but lights.
Drone!
It might be my first time seeing a live one, but I’d learned of them via the television. Given how the machine dropped and hovered in front of each window, it had obviously come here to spy.
Spy on me!
Of more concern, what if it had been sent to capture? A documentary I watched with Keanu showed how commercial versions could be used to deliver packages up to fifty-five pounds. I didn’t know my weight, but I shouldn’t take any chances. Seeing as how it seemed focused on the house, I had time to conceal myself. I swam for the edge of the pool and heaved myself out—with undragonly grunts of exertion. My wet skin, softened by my soak, split in places, and hung in soggy flaps.
As I stood on the edge of the pool, seeking the best spot to hide, the drone spun and a light shot out from it, scanning the patio. It must have heard me. I began to run, belly jiggling and skin sloughing, chunks of it littering the ground.
The light hit the paving stones just ahead of me, halting my momentum. In seconds it would catch me in its brilliance. I whirled and began toddling back in the direction I’d come, not paying attention to where I put my paws, hence why I stepped on a piece of slimy skin and slid, losing my balance. However, the ignobleness of it wasn’t what had me wide-eyed.
