Chapter 16 #3
“Are you sure dragons can fly?” I asked after his fifth attempt.
“Yes. However, it takes time to strengthen the wings. Hence why I must keep exercising until they can hold my weight.”
“Guess we should have practiced before dinner,” I teased. Maddox had left late afternoon, meaning the giant lasagna I found in the freezer and cooked resulted in one little piece for me while my dragon ate the rest.
“I must ingest large amounts of food if I’m to grow big and strong.”
“Fair enough. What about the fire thing? Do you need anything special to fuel it?”
Abaddon shook his head. “My body converts what it requires to create the flame. Speaking of which, I will need a location to practice my fire breathing.”
That demand arched my brow. “Yeah, that might not be possible. It might be hard to explain to Leo why his property is singed, not to mention, I’m not toting around an extinguisher so we don’t burn the ranch down.”
“How else will I learn if I don’t practice?”
“I get what you’re saying, but fire will draw notice. We’re supposed to be in hiding, remember?”
A mulish expression tightened Abaddon’s features. “If I am to avoid incidences such as what happened at your home, then I must hone my skill.”
The valid point had me saying, “I’ll see what I can wrangle.”
A promise I already knew would be hard to keep.
We couldn’t start a fire inside the apartment and the pastures outdoors also wouldn’t work, and not just because of the cameras.
The dry fall weather would make this entire area too quick to ignite.
Inside the barn? While it had concrete floors, the wooden stalls made it less than feasible.
To be honest, I couldn’t think of a single place he could safely play with fire.
Luckily, that was the only time Abaddon brought it up.
We spent the next week enjoying the new place inside and out since Leo showed me how I could control the cameras around the barn from the computer setup in an office nook in the loft.
He didn’t even ask why I wanted them shut off.
That meant once Abaddon managed to start coasting the length of the barn with his wings, he could test his flight outside.
I’ll admit, I had a stupid grin on my face the first time we went out—after dark to ensure no one saw—and he ran and leaped, his wings extending and catching an air current. He flew, up and away, circling and dipping, exclaiming in joy.
My baby dragon was growing up.
I didn’t spend the entire week catering to my dragon, despite his demand I revolve my life around him.
I went back to work after the second day there and, once I gave him lessons on using the internet, got Abaddon to agree to stay inside the apartment while I was gone.
It kept him busy, although I could have done without some of the conspiracy dragon-holes he went down, such as the one claiming lizard people existed.
He seemed especially interested in the history of the planet but bummed when he realized I’d spoken the truth about dragons.
Despite his existence, humanity now considered them to be a myth.
Every evening, when I returned from work, he’d greet me at the door—usually with a hug—before he demanded I feed him.
Maddox joined us for most of those meals.
He didn’t seem to mind driving out, although he didn’t sleep over at first because of Princess.
It was Abaddon who told his protector after we’d been there almost a week, “You have my permission to bring that irritating feline that you might spend the night.”
A gracious invitation that had me eyeing Little Fella and saying, “No eating her, right?”
“As if I’d ruin my palate when I have such a plentiful larder.” Not exactly a no, but the best I’d probably get.
To my surprise, after the second overnight visit, Princess stopped hissing at and stalking Abaddon.
It might have had to do with the fact my dragon shared some of his treats.
Apparently, Princess liked the smelly sardines Abaddon couldn’t get enough of.
The turning point came when I emerged from the shower—with Maddox who’d joined me in the spacious stall—and found the cat splayed in front of Abaddon, getting her belly scratched by his claws.
I just about fell over in shock whereas Maddox snorted. “Well, would you look at that?”
When Princess heard her owner, she scrambled fast as her furry legs could move, trying to pretend she’d not been caught. Whereas Little Fella gave us an aloof toss of his head. “It is said that one should keep their enemies close.”
No one broke it to the dragon that he and Princess, despite their rough start, weren’t enemies. Let them keep pretending. At least I no longer worried as much about him eating the cat.
The only time we scrambled and hid Abaddon was when Leo would pop by for visits. Given the open plan of the apartment, soon as we heard a knock, Abaddon would scoot into the bedroom where he’d nestle in the walk-in closet with the tablet Maddox bought him.
As one week turned into two, I almost managed to forget what happened at my trailer. Even met with the guy selling the prebuilt home.
I almost let down my guard.
But all my worry came screaming back when Abaddon woke one morning and complained of a sore spot.