Chapter 3
Chapter Three
I went from sure death to being saved.
By a dragon.
Who could talk.
What a turn. Here I’d come looking for a lost treasure and found something even more incredible. While I was fairly bouncing in giddy excitement, Alistair, the dragon, seemed less than impressed. Actually, if I were honest, his reptilian face bore an annoyed expression.
“Leave and forget everything that’s happened,” he boomed, the syllables of it vibrating every inch of my being, and for a second, I almost scurried down the path.
Instead of fleeing, I planted my feet and cocked my head. “You know I can’t do that. What kind of historian and researcher would I be if I abandoned the discovery of a lifetime?”
“It’s like you want me to eat you,” he grumbled.
My jaw dropped. “Do dragons actually eat people? If you do, you must be hunting away from the isle, as my research didn’t mention anyone going missing since your purchase of the castle. Or are you like a python who eats only rarely because of how you digest?”
“I don’t often eat people,” he growled. “But I might make an exception for you.”
“Don’t be cross.”
“I will be cross because had I known you’d resist my mental suggestions, I wouldn’t have exposed myself saving you.”
“You’d have let me fall to my death?” I huffed.
“Why not? You were the one who foolishly didn’t leave when I told you to. If you had, you would not have encountered that Red Cap, and we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
The reminder of the monster had me hugging myself. “I can’t believe they exist.”
“You should count yourself lucky to be alive. Few ever escape their clutches.”
“Are there many roaming the isle?”
“There should have been none. I’ll have to take care of the stray.”
“Did you eat them?”
The dragon recoiled. “Ew. No. Nasty things.” The disgust emerged loud and clear.
“Why did it attack me?”
“Because you’re a tasty-looking snack.” The dry reply had me pursing my lips.
“Stop trying to scare me.”
“Why aren’t you scared? I could eat you in one bite.” He opened his mouth to prove that point, his teeth longer than my arms.
“I think we’ve already ascertained you won’t do that, and why would I fear the man who saved me?”
“Man?” he snorted.
“When you’re not a giant dragon, are you not a man?”
He sighed. “Yet another secret you shouldn’t know.”
“How is that even possible? I mean, even the largest male known to Guinness would not come close to the mass you currently sport. Are you, like, super heavy when you squish back into your human shape? How tall are you as a man? And how many stones do you weigh?” Hunh, who knew a dragon’s eyes could cross?
“I’m not talking about this.”
“Why not?”
“Because the less you know, the better.”
“Kind of too late for that.”
“Are you implying you’re going to write about me in your book?”
At his query, I hesitated. “I don’t know. I truly didn’t expect to meet a dragon.”
“You will be mocked if you claim dragons exist.”
“Likely. Just like no one would ever believe I encountered a Red Cap.” I exhaled loudly. A droplet of rain hit me on the tip of the nose, leading me to glance upward. “I don’t suppose we could go inside to chat? I’d really prefer to not get drenched.”
“What I want is for you to leave and forget we ever met,” he growled, stamping his feet, making the ground rumble underfoot.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen. Isn’t that the tooting horn of the ferry departing?”
His giant head—with its pair of curling horns—craned, and he cursed, or so I assumed. I didn’t actually understand the language he spoke.
“Bloody hell, woman.”
“My name is Davina.”
“I don’t give a crap what your name is. You’ve placed me in an untenable situation. Kill you, and it brings the authorities, but setting you free puts me at risk. Guess I won’t have a choice but to relocate. And here I was so looking forward to restoring the castle.” The wistful note took me aback.
“Don’t be so melodramatic. You don’t have to move.”
“The moment you speak of me, this place will be crawling with humans. I won’t be a circus freak, like Nessie.”
“Wait, are you implying Nessie is real?”
He groaned. “Would you stop asking questions?”
“No.”
He brought his face close enough I felt the hot huff of his exhalation through his nostrils. “You’re testing my patience, woman.”
“Would you stop being so grumpy? We’re having a conversation.
One that would be much nicer in front of a warm fire, maybe with some tea?
” I couldn’t help a hopeful lilt as the tugging wind crawled up my sweater and pimpled my flesh.
Fat raindrops began falling. If we didn’t move soon, I’d end up sodden and truly miserable.
“I don’t have tea.”
“Coffee?” I countered.
Rather than reply, he turned around and began lumbering for the castle, and despite not blinking, suddenly, instead of a giant dragon ahead of me, a man strode.
A naked man. His buttocks flexing, his back wide and muscled, but nowhere close to the size he’d just sported.
Despite no formal invitation, I scurried in his wake. Foolish to enter a dragon’s lair? Perhaps, but I couldn’t turn away now.