Page 30 of Beautiful Beast

Pushing aside musings that didn’t matter, I investigated the collection of soaps and potions near the edge of the pool. I didn’t recognize their scents, all of them exotic and delicious. The one I chose smelled like some kind of flower mixed with mountain air.

My hands and feet were already changing texture from being in the water too long. It hadn’t seemed that way, but the water felt so good… I had no sense of time here.

A splash made me whirl, and Varí, now a bright turquoise color, popped up from beneath the surface of the water and paddled around with ease.

“So you can swim, breathe fire, and fly?” I asked as he swam around me in a circle. “That doesn’t seem fair.”

A puff of flame directly upward was his only answer.

I washed my hair and body, reveling in the feeling of deep clean that could only come from a bath like this. Even knowing I shouldn’t get used to it, I loved it.

Varí climbed onto my shoulder, little claws digging into my skin. He pressed his head into my jaw, and I scratched the top of his head. “Don’t get too comfy. We still have to hide you for a bit.”

He chirped low, like he disagreed. But I knew better than to trust anyone yet. I didn’t care that he was also a dragon. Who knew what they thought of small ones? Or ones that didn’t have a human form.

I used the towels to dry myself before slipping into the clothes they’d left. Simple and functional, they were deep gray. The skirt was full enough to hide Varí, and I didn’t leave the bathing room until he was settled under my skirt again, riding the harness on my thigh.

Quickly, I braided my damp hair so it was out of the way, and I knocked on the door Erryn had disappeared through.

“Finished?” She appeared to have been reading something.

“Yes, thank you.”

“Good. I’ll take you to your room, then.”

I startled. “My room?”

She was already moving, so I followed her. I was hopelessly lost in this place, but I knew we didn’t return the way we’d come. “Yes. Later you’ll meet with our leaders and they’ll speak to you about what’s to be done. In the meantime, like I said before, prisoners in Skalisméra are treated with the same respect they are offered. It has been determined you are not a danger to anyone here, nor are you likely to flee, so you will be given a room.

“Your movements will be restricted and monitored, but I hope you will be more comfortable.”

“Thank you.” My thanks were entirely earnest. Prisoners in Rensara weren’t treated like this. I’d never officially been to the dungeons in the palace, but I went there once accidentally when exploring the tunnels to get outside the walls. They would make the cell I’d spent the night in seem like a palace by comparison.

We went down several flights of a large, curving staircase that seemed like it might be the central area. Others passed us, not bothering to hide their stares. I tried not to stare back.

Erryn finally stopped in front of a plain wooden door down a hallway filled with similar doors, spaced widely apart. She pushed it open, and as soon as we entered, I couldn’t hold back the question pressing behind my lips. “You’re a dragon too?”

She turned and looked at me, the expression so similar to Varí’s when I’d asked him if he had a human form that I almost laughed.

“I’m sorry if I’m not allowed to ask.”

Erryn smiled then. “Yes, I am a dragon.”

“Everyone?”

She inclined her head. “You are the only human in residence at Skalisméra. There are occasionally others, but surely you understand why it is rare.”

“Of course.” I swallowed. “All of this is…”

A true smile. “Every human I have met has said the same. Food will be brought for you shortly, and I will escort you to your meeting when it is time.”

“Thank you.”

There was a very clear sound of the door locking. I touched it anyway, a zing of power climbing up my arm. So it wasn’t just locked, it was enchanted. What magic did the dragons still have? If they could heat pools of water merely for bathing, they no doubt had much more at their disposal. But dragons had magic in their bones in ways that humans did not.

The room was simple but beautiful. And I ignored it completely for what I’d missed when I first entered. Windows.

I felt Varí slide down my leg as I approached, and I could do nothing but stare. These windows faced south, on the other side of the Bowl. I’d always heard talk of it, but I never thought I would see it, and every imagined thought did not compare to what was before me.

---