Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
A persistent tapping roused me as I lay on the cusp of sleep wrapped in Apollo’s arms. Such nice arms. Muscled and strong. Just right for snuggling—and other things…
Tap. Tap. Tap.
“What the fuck is that?” Apollo groaned, waking with a grumble.
“It sounds like something at the window.” Sliding door, to be precise.
“That can’t be good.” Apollo immediately sprang from the bed, his naked ass flexing as he stalked for the filmy curtains covering the exit to the balcony. He drew them open and exclaimed, “It’s Tigger.”
“What?” I sat up, holding the sheet to my naked breasts. Breasts still sensitive from Apollo’s touch.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Apollo disarmed the system before giving the dragon entrance into the bedroom. “What the hell, Tigger? You’re not supposed to be outside,” he barked.
“And yet here I am,” Tigger stated as he entered with a rattle as if he dragged something.
“How did you get out of your room without setting off the alarm?” Apollo asked.
“Let’s just say you’ll need to repair the screen covering the door.”
“Oh, Tigger,” I sighed, flopping backwards onto my pillow.
“If you could get in and out on your own, why are you waking us up?” Apollo, barely discernible in the dark room, stood with his arms crossed.
“Because I have news.”
“It couldn’t wait for morning?” I grumbled.
“No, this couldn’t wait. Firstly, I handled the mechanical spy. You’re welcome.” Clang. Something metallic rattled. What on earth? I leaned over and switched on a lamp to see Apollo crouched, running his fingers over—
“Is that a drone?” I exclaimed. The device, not very large, had bent propellers.
“Yes, it’s a drone,” repeated in a tone that stated I’d said something dumb. “But it is not the most important thing right now. Look.” Tigger whirled to show us his back, and I gaped for a second before blurting out, “You have wings!”
“Indeed, I do. They’re not very sturdy yet.” He flexed them, making the orange membrane on them stretch. “With time, they’ll strengthen and I’ll be able to properly fly.”
“When did this happen?” I tumbled out of the bed and grabbed for the robe I’d worn—only for a few minutes—after my shower.
“They popped out when I fell off the bluff to avoid notice by the drone.”
I paused in the process of tying my sash and blinked as I digested his words. “Are you okay?”
“Fine. My wings chose an opportune moment to emerge, and I glided to safety.”
“Glad you didn’t end up smushed, and congrats on the wings, but how did you take down the drone?” Apollo held it in his hands and frowned.
“With a rock. As it came for me, its searchlight seeking, I found a stone and threw it with all my might. My impeccable aim struck it in the propellers, and it fell down.”
I arched a skeptical brow. “Why am I having a hard time believing that?”
“It might have been more than a single rock,” Tigger muttered. “However, that’s not the point. I incapacitated the spy and got my wings. I think we should celebrate with a midnight feast.”
“Not so quick.” A still-frowning Apollo flipped over the drone and toggled a switch.
A faint whir, I’d barely noticed, died. He glanced at me.
“The blades were too bent for it to fly, but the camera might have still been recording. Microphone too.” He didn’t need to add that whoever sent it might have seen and heard everything.
“What should we do?” I asked.
“I’m going to see if I can trace where it came from. Depending on its distance capability, the owner could be nearby.”
“Do you think it was Malone?” The first person that came to my mind.
“Him or whoever sent those thieves to your house.”
“What will they do with video footage of Tigger? Do you think they’ll release it?” Tigger was too young and small yet for the drama that would come with exposure.
Apollo shrugged. “No idea. Guess it depends on their intent. Why don’t you feed our trouble-attracting dragon while I see what I can find out about the spy.”
“About time you remembered I’m starving,” Tigger complained. “A mighty warrior needs sustenance after such an intense battle.”
I held in a sigh. So much for a good night’s sleep—and morning nookie.
Grabbing hold of my dragon, I headed down to the kitchen and found some leftovers for Tigger to devour. As he ate, though, I eyed him, noticed that, despite his cockiness, a faint tremor shook him every so often. He also appeared somewhat ragged, with flaking hunks of skin all over.
“You got bigger,” I remarked, more the size of a small cat than a squirrel.
“I molted, but…” He hesitated.
“But what?”
“While my molts are occurring in quick succession, I am not growing at a proper rate.”
“How can you say that?” You’re almost three times the size since I found you.” It truly boggled the mind how quickly he’d increased in girth.
“Given how much I’ve been eating, though, I should be larger.”
“Or you’re just being impatient. Growing takes time. Even for dragons,” I softly added as I snatched him from a stool and carried him upstairs to his room. Rather than put him to bed, though, I headed into the bathroom and began running water in the sink.
“I don’t have time to be weak and small,” he grumbled, slumping on the counter. “The enemy hunts me.”
“You have us to keep you safe,” I soothed as I sat him in the sudsy water and began gently rubbing at his skin.
“Keep me safe how?” he scoffed. “You have no weapon or fighting skill.”
“Give me a frying pan, and I’ll bash anyone who tries to take you.”
“And if my enemies come for me with a gun?” A quiet statement that had me pausing.
“We don’t know that those showing an interest in you will be violent. Could be they’re just curious.”
Tigger snorted. “You are not usually this woefully na?ve, Iolana. Someone without nefarious intent would approach us directly. The invasion of your home, the spying drone, those are aggressive maneuvers.”
I hated he had a point. “Would you feel better if I started carrying something around with me. Pocketknife? Collapsible baton?”
“The one requires you to be quite close; the other is better but no match for a firearm.”
“How about we work on making sure no bad guys come near us in the first place? Apollo mentioned hiring a security firm to patrol the grounds.”
He perked up. “Soldiers for my army?”
“Not exactly. Whoever he does employ won’t be told about you, which, in turn, means no wandering where they might see you. Knowing you, though, you’ll ignore that sensible command, so do me a favor, if you do end up being seen, can you at least pretend you’re a normal lizard?”
“You expect me to act like a dumb beast?”
“Yes. Most importantly, though, no talking to anyone but me, Apollo, and Tutu.”
“How am I to acquire servants if I cannot enlist them with my charm?”
I almost asked “what charm?” “Over time, we’ll add people that we can trust with your secret.”
“Once I am grown, it won’t matter because I shall eat those who would betray me,” was his vehement promise. “Speaking of betrayers, when will you be taking that perfidious doctor into custody?”
“We don’t know that he’s responsible,” I said, even as he seemed the most likely suspect.
“My instincts scream that he is.”
“Mine, too, but we can’t simply kidnap someone based on a gut feeling.”
“Yes, we can.”
I pursed my lips. “Listen, Your Majesty, while you are really good at giving orders, you’ve yet to truly grasp how the world currently works. What you’re suggesting could get us arrested.”
“Only if caught.”
I exhaled loudly. “You are incorrigible and bossy.” I popped the plug in the sink to drain the dirty water and ran some fresh fluid to give Tigger a final rinse before scooping him into a towel.
“My attitude is exactly right for a dragon.” He nestled his head under my chin. “As my servant, you should listen and obey.”
“You keep saying I’m your servant, and yet I’ve not seen a single paycheck.”
Tigger made a noise. “As if I’d give you any of my wealth.”
“What wealth? You have no money.”
“Even if I did, I wouldn’t give it to you for you are already being richly rewarded with the honor of being in my retinue.”
“So you’re a cheap boss,” I teased as I carried him back to his room.
“Frugal would be a better term.”
“Same thing,” I scoffed, depositing him in the bed. I then headed to the sliding glass door and pulled it shut before locking it. I drew the curtains, too, in case we had another electronic visitor.
“Would you show me more respect if I offered recompense for your service?”
“Maybe.” I grabbed the blanket and tugged it over him. “Try to get some sleep. It’s been a big day for you.”
“The biggest,” he agreed, his eyes already starting to shut.
Just as I reached the bedroom door, he whispered, “Iolana, would you stay with me?”
He didn’t sound cocky in that moment, more like a child, lonely and afraid. For all his brashness, he remained a baby. A baby who’d been scared tonight and almost died. When he’d fallen from the cliff, he’d not known his wings would pop out. How frightening that must have been.
“Of course, I’ll stay.” Apollo would probably wonder that I didn’t seek him out, but in that moment, a little orange dragon needed me.
And I couldn’t say no.