Malone slammed the opening shut and snapped a lock on it before smirking at me. “Already awake. I wondered how long the drug would last.”
I didn’t reply, Iolana’s warning about exposing myself ringing in my head.
“Don’t be shy. I know you can understand me and reply.”
I stared at him with hatred but held in the words I wanted to shout. Play dumb. Maybe he’d think his minions got the wrong lizard.
“What a strange color, you are. Gaudy even. How unfortunate.”
The insult proved to be too much. “I am not ugly.”
“Have you looked in a mirror?” Malone stated with a smirk.
“Miscreant. You shall pay for your actions,” I hissed.
“And how will you make me pay?” Malone mocked. “I see you got your wings, but you have yet to inherit your ability.”
“That’s what you think.” I puffed out my chest. “Open this cage at once or prepare to die.”
“Do you think I’m stupid? We both know there’s nothing you can do, else you would have already acted.”
“Why have you taken me prisoner?” He obviously didn’t want me dead, or we wouldn’t be speaking.
“To study you, but that’s only part of it. With you, I shall regain my reputation. Prove to those who mocked that my field of study was valid. With proper training, you’ll become a weapon of vengeance, aimed at not just my enemies but those with the pockets deep enough to pay for the ultimate revenge. And once I acquire an egg that I can hatch and raise to be loyal to me, I shall then sell you to the highest bidder—once I’ve neutered your ability, of course. Wouldn’t want your future owner turning you against me.”
Everything he mentioned horrified. “You shall die a painful death,” I promised.
“Threatening the man who is in charge of your well-being? Not too bright. Maybe one of my first tests will be to see what happens when you’re not fed.”
“You would starve me?” The very idea appalled. “I am a growing dragon.”
“Who is obviously not thriving. How many molts have you experienced since your hatching?”
“Three,” I proudly stated.
“Only three?” He sounded surprised. “Have you not been feeding properly?”
“I’ve been eating extensively, hence why I’ve had three growth spurts in the last week.”
“Hold on a second. Were you not hatched when the volcano exploded years ago?” A crease furrowed Malone’s brow.
“What are you talking about? It hasn’t been years but days. The volcano you speak of spat my egg onto a black sand beach where Iolana found me and applied the heat needed for me to break out of my shell.”
“She managed to incubate you? How?” The doctor sounded curious.
“In her kiln.” It still curled my lip to admit it.
Malone didn’t speak for a moment, his expression thoughtful. “Baked in an oven instead of magma. Could that be why you’re undersized?”
“I am not small!”
“You should be twice your current size if not more after three molts. Then again, they did come rapidly together by the sounds of it.” Malone crouched. “I wonder if the fact the volcano ejected you before your egg fully cured caused your growth to be stunted. It can’t have been good for your development to have the process started and then abruptly stopped for a few years.”
“So long as I keep eating properly, I’ll grow.” I hoped. His theory, though, might explain what had begun nagging. I definitely hadn’t been increasing in size as expected.
“Guess we’ll see how big you can get. It will be rather disappointing if you end up being defective after the trouble I went through acquiring you.”
“I am not defective!” I huffed. How dare he even say that? “When I am grown, I shall delight in eating you.”
