Page 40 of Beautiful Beast

“Oh.” I reached up and scratched behind Varí’s neck. “Thank you. That’s very thoughtful.”

She nodded. “They shall come for you when it is time to get ready.”

As Erryn closed the door behind her, I slumped down onto the bed. Varí leapt from my shoulder to the blankets beside me. “I thought I had more strength than this,” I admitted softly. “Turns out Rensara didn’t have nearly as many stairs as I thought.”

He turned around in a circle before settling down beside me and closing his eyes. Like he was tired too. I didn’t doubt it. It had already been a long day. But the idea of dining with them…

I didn’t want to miss it.

The heat of Endre’s hands on my skin still lived in my memory. The feral whispers and darkness that called to me like shadows I couldn’t resist. How Sirrus gathered me up like I was something precious, even though he didn’t understand why. Zovai staring at me like he could set me afire with nothing but his eyes.

This was playing with fire. Literally and figuratively.

However, slowly, I was ceasing to care. What did I have to lose? Nothing truly remained for me in the life I left behind, and my friends would agree with me.

If I was going to die, I might as well live to the fullest before I did.

Turning, I curled on my side toward Varí and closed my eyes. A knock on the door had me bolting upright. The angle of the sun was different. I’d fallen asleep waiting for whoever Erryn sent.

Varí blinked sleepily, not bothered at all by the interruption of his nap. I stood, wincing on my still-sore legs, and opened the door. A female dragon stood there, dressed far more formally than I’d seen so far. The shimmering green fell around her in waves. If this was what the dragons wore formally, I was grateful Erryn had mentioned it.

Dark hair and yellow eyes met mine. The dragon was stunningly beautiful. Long moments passed before I realized I was staring at her. “Hello.”

“Hello. My name is Soza. I’ve come to help you with something for dinner.”

“Yes, Erryn told me.” I glanced back at the bed. “Varí?”

He pointedly snuggled closer into the pillows, and I laughed. “All right. Stay here.”

Soza looked at him, frowning briefly before gesturing to the hallway. I closed the door soundly behind me, leaving Varí to sleep before I followed her. She was quiet, leading me a few levels down. Thankfully, it wasn’t more than that. But the room we entered wasn’t what I expected.

A warm, bright salon filled with women, but also filled with fabric. Jewels. Threads of every kind. It was like a dragon hoard for all things a woman of court could dream about.

Silence fell as we entered the room, all eyes landing on me. Soza smiled and waved me forward. “This is Katalena. The human from Rensara. She’ll be dining with the Heirs tonight and needs to be dressed appropriately.”

Chatters and smiles appeared again, and a few of them came forward to introduce themselves. The names were a blur because there were too many. But a blonde dragon with green eyes took my hand and smiled. “I’ve never met a human before.”

I laughed. “I’m happy to be the first?”

“Hopefully not the last.”

An older woman laughed from where she lounged on the biggest pillow I’d ever seen in my life. “Don’t let her talk your ear off, human. Belleo has wanted to visit the human world for longer than you’ve been alive. She’ll turn you into a specimen if you allow her. Now get me up, girl. The bath won’t wait.”

The dragon who had my hand glared at the older woman, and smoke came out of her nose. “I shall not talk her ear off.” Then she looked at me. “But it is true I am curious about your world. I would love to speak to you about it sometime.”

“I don’t know how long I’ll be here,” I told her honestly. “But I wouldn’t mind that.”

Her eyes lit up. “Thank you. I wish I could stay to help you, but I’m needed elsewhere.”

I laughed. “Well, given I’m the only human here, I don’t think I’ll be too hard to find.”

“No.” She touched my shoulder gently. “I don’t imagine so.”

It was the same older woman who she went to, helping her up and out of the room. Some others left too, but there were still a few female dragons here, and I had no idea what to do. I cleared my throat. “I’m sorry. I know nothing of your fashions or what to ask for. I wish I did.”

Soza just smiled. “That’s all right. Between all of us, we’ll come up with something. I actually think there’s a dress we might alter. I’ll be right back.”

A female dragon who sewed the hem of a sparkling black gown looked at me curiously. “Why do the Heirs call for you to dine?”

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