Page 57 of Beautiful Beast

“It is.”

She took what Ravi held in his hands and touched his cheek gently. “This is lovely. And the stone shrub?”

Sighing, he closed his eyes. “I flew right past it. I’ll be back.” He kissed her again before he left at a jog.

“Come.” Mesene pointed to a stool near a table. “Sit there. I am curious what you know, and what I might teach you. Few in this city care to learn from me except Ravi and Belleo. At least not anymore. One too many accidents.” She smiled like she was joking, but I wasn’t sure if she was.

“My grandmother spoke of mates once.” The words slipped out before I could stop them. “Or she told the story that had been passed down. That mates among the dragons were rare and beautiful.”

“True mates are indeed both rare and beautiful. But there have been no true mates in centuries. The three of us are mated by choice and love. We are bonded together, but we are not mates in the manner you describe.” She spread the delicate green roots across the table and took a knife to them, slicing them lengthwise into even more fragile slivers.

“How are you bonded?”

Her eyes met mine. A stark shade of purple far more vibrant than her hair. “Perhaps we shall trade? A story for a story. A fact for a fact. Like my mate, I have many questions about humans and your world.”

“I’d like that.” Excitement thrummed under my skin. Truly, I wanted to know everything. And if Belleo was mated to this dragon, I trusted her. “What do you want to know?”

Mesene stared at me. “I’m told humans only ever mate with one partner. Is it true?”

“Yes. Unless their partner should die. Then they might take another.”

She frowned. “That seems like a waste. Is there something about you that cannot accept more than one partner?”

“I… do not believe so, but I would not know.” Her head tilted to the side in that distinctly dragon way I’d come to know, prompting me to speak further. “I have had no partners.”

“I see.” More questions swam in her eyes. “It is your turn.”

“What are you making?”

Her eyes glowed with power and delight. “I’ll show you.”

And so it went. The dragon asked me questions about my life, and I learned more about the brewing of potions in one afternoon than I had in months of my own studies. Only Taia had taught me more, and it was because I had studied with her for years.

When Mesene needed to concentrate on something delicate, I chose a scroll that spoke of healing potions, specifically for those with burns, and began reading. And then another one. And another.

Belleo and Ravi came to collect Mesene, and I didn’t want to leave. They saw it and took mercy on me. “You are always welcome,” Mesene said. “Any time of day or night. No one will bother you while you are here.”

“No one will bother you at all,” Belleo grinned. “Not with the Heirs watching her back. Enjoy yourself, Lena. And try not to lose too much sleep. These two stay here far longer than they should, and are always grumpy the next day.”

Ravi wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. The movement was soft, tender, and filled me with longing I couldn’t name.

“Thank you.”

They departed, leaving Varí and me alone. He slept in an empty mortar bowl, tail curled over his nose, and I went back to reading about herbs I’d never heard of in my life. Some of these only grew on mountains like this one, far above where any human would be able to access them.

When I surfaced from the scroll, time had passed. I only knew because the few candles in the room had burned down, despite the airy light of the crystals being the same. But something else had changed. An energy or presence.

“Hello?” A moving shadow made me jump until Zovai stepped into view. My hand flew to my chest. “You frightened me.”

He smiled. “That wasn’t my intention.”

“Is it all right that I’m here?”

“We’ve already been informed that you are more than welcome,” he said with a smirk. “Mesene seems quite taken with you.”

“Quite the change of pace.”

Zovai’s hands were in the pockets of his trousers as he approached the table where I read. The deep tan of his skin looked warm in the cool light, and those eyes, fixed on me, reminded me of autumn leaves. Nearly shifting in color. His hair, too, seemed on the brink of shifting through tones of red, brown, and gold. If I blinked, it looked different.

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