Epilogue
Despite Bruce’s roots in America, we ended up staying in Italy, which suited me fine, after all I’d been hatched here, making this country mine.
The decision came about partially because Nicky inherited the Palumbo estate.
Despite the fact she’d left her husband, Joseph died before he could change his will, so she got everything, making my servant a very wealthy Italian lady who could cut past red tape to keep Bruce in the country.
She inherited enough funds she could afford to move us to a lovely villa in the mountains with acres and acres of land. So much privacy. Excellent hunting. A home worthy of a dragon.
During this period of transition, I molted again, almost doubling in size thanks to Nicky’s excellent feeding.
My wings strengthened with exercise and I could now fly far and wide, coasting upon the air streams, casting my shadow on the land below, seeding wonder in those who spotted me.
If only that same wonder existed in my male servant.
He had no respect. None at all and actually chastised me.
“How many times do I have to tell you? No flying during the day!” Bruce bellowed with hands on his hips.
“It’s harder to surveil the terrain in the dark,” I argued right back.
“At night people can’t see the giant fucking dragon in the sky. Look at this!” He held out his phone. “You were caught on video.”
“Barely. You can’t even tell the beautiful color of my scales, it’s so grainy,” I complained.
“It’s like you want to be captured.”
“Bah. Look at the comments. People are calling it fake,” I pointed out, having read a few of the posted replies.
“Some folks are, but what about those who think it might be real? What if they show up here and start poking around?”
“Fine.” I huffed heavily. “No more flying when there’s clear skies.”
“Never during daytime.”
“There’s no harm with me using the clouds as camouflage,” I argued.
“That’s assuming you’ll stay within them, which we both know you won’t.”
“I’m giving you a compromise.”
And in the end, he had no choice but to accept.
Turned out he had a point, because within a week of my presence being recorded, the villa received visitors: a woman of uncommon beauty with silvery hair named Philippa and a burly fellow called Maddox.
From the upstairs landing, out of sight, I listened as the pair of strangers explained they’d flown to Italy from Canada because of the video.
“Not sure why you’d come all that way over a hoax or why you’d even think we were involved,” Bruce stated, blocking the doorway.
“We’re here because of Abaddon,” the woman stated.
“And who is Abaddon?” Bruce asked.
“My dragon.”
I almost went tumbling down the stairs in shock at the realization I might not be alone in the world.
Bruce, however, didn’t take them at their word. “Listen lady, I don’t know what scam you’re playing, but dragons aren’t real.”
“Mads, can you—”
“Already video calling him,” stated the male.
I heard ringing and then a gravelly voice. “Did you locate the hatchling?”
My eyes widened but it was Bruce huffing, “Geezus fucking Christ, there’s another,” that drew me out of hiding. I leapt over the railing and fluttered down, landing lightly on my clawed toes.
The woman smiled at me. “Hello there.”
I didn’t reply because I only had eyes for the handsome dragon on the phone’s screen. “Who are you?” I asked, despite having heard the name. Manners indicated they should introduce themselves.
“I am Abaddon.” The handsome dark-scaled dragon tilted his majestic head. “And you are?”
“Persephone.” Joy unfurled within me, tempered by caution.
How fortuitous I’d been found by a male who could fertilize a future clutch of eggs.
At the same time, how annoying another dragon existed to challenge me when I made my bid for world domination, a conquest that remained decades out of reach, meaning for the moment we could be allies.
“I told Pollita that Malone lied when he said the eruption of Mount Amiata failed to hatch an egg,” crowed Abaddon.
“Who is Pollita?”
“A female holding dominion in South America.”
Another female? Jealousy reared its head and I barely held in a hiss.
“How many more of our kind are there?” I asked.
“I don’t know. There was a group led by a scientist in my custody who caused numerous volcanoes to erupt in the hopes of curing the eggs scattered by our progenitor. He was under the impression most of those failed to produce. He was wrong, because here you are.”
“Why is a human trying to hatch us?” I asked.
Abaddon slipped into the ancient tongue to reply. “That is a discussion for later, when we can speak privately.”
“You do not trust your servants.”
“I do, however, some secrets are best kept amongst ourselves, don’t you think?”
Secrets could be as valuable as treasure. “Agreed.”
“Why don’t you tell me more about yourself?” he crooned.
“You first,” I insisted. “Starting with the size of your hoard.”
Because with dragons, bigger was always better.
Abaddon disconnected the call with the recently discovered Persephone and marveled at his luck at having two females to choose from when it came time to create heirs.
How would he choose? Each of them appeared attractive, although Pollita might be wealthier than Persephone.
Then again, who was to say he couldn’t fertilize two sets of clutches, assuming Pollita didn’t eliminate her sudden rival. Now that would be something to watch.
A siren suddenly blared, not an alarm Abaddon had ever heard before.
He currently sat upstairs rather than underground in his domed habitat because he’d wanted to admire the Christmas tree his servants had installed by the fireplace.
He’d foolishly claimed he didn’t want one for his abode.
After all, a dragon didn’t follow pagan human rituals, but he found himself intrigued by the holiday after further research.
He tapped a claw on his keyboard and it took a moment before his summons was answered by Leo who bled from a cut over his eye.
“What’s happening?” Abaddon barked.
Leo’s lips turned down. “It’s bad. Real bad.”
It turned out the malicious scientist Malone had escaped, but worse, he’d wiped the computers holding everything they’d discovered: the clues they’d been deciphering, the volcanic activity they’d been tracking, even Malone’s encrypted notes.
“There’s nothing left,” Leo lamented.
“Don’t be so sure of that,” Abaddon muttered.
After all, he’d known the man would never stop trying to escape. Knew Malone would sabotage if given a chance. Now to see if the tracker Abaddon planted bore fruit.
And if not, as the humans would say, too bad, so sad for the unhatched. Abaddon had no need for other dragons. No need for competition, because only one dragon would eventually end up ruling the world.
Thus ends the third story, but aren’t done yet. Look for the next book, Rescuing my Dragon.