Page 31 of Here Be Dragons

Elana laughed bitterly. “It’s exactly as bad as you think it is. I was born into that world and taught that my sole purpose was to boost the magic of the men in my life. I was married off to one of my father’s friends, and he started taking my magic, draining it every day until there was nothing left. Seth was my firstborn. When I became pregnant with a daughter, I knew I had to escape. I couldn’t leave her to the same cruel fate.

“Since I’d always obeyed, no one watched me too closely, and I was able to run away. I had my daughter, and I gave her up to a witch who promised to raise her well.” There were tears in her eyes. “I never saw her again.”

“Then what happened?” I leaned in, engrossed in her story.

“They sent Seth to find me and drag me back for my punishment. It was to prove his loyalty to the WEC.”

“Seth was in the WEC?” I imagined him with his spiky hair, studded belts, goth punk esthetic and piercings trying to fit in with the stuck-up wizards I’d seen on TV and giggled.

Elana smiled, her face softening when she thought of her son. “He never did belong there. Instead of dragging me back, he made a deal with Desmon. So brave, my little boy.”

Not so little anymore; Seth looked like he worked out. Still, next to Desmon’s dragon, he was teeny tiny.

“Seth was just a teenager then, and Desmon removed his memory of finding me and sent him back to his father. I watched him grow up from afar, hoping he wouldn’t turn out like his dad. Then, one day, Seth showed up here with Liam.”

“Liam? I don’t think I’ve met him yet.”

“Seth’s partner. He’s a demon. He used to be bound to my husband, but then Seth received him as a gift for finishing his studies. It was for the best. They were tired of hiding their relationship. Anyway, it turned out that Desmon only erased his memory for a short period, to prevent the wizards at the WEC from finding out where I was.” She reached out to pet Q-Tip, who, after chowing down on all the blueberries, had lost interest in the rest of the salad. “So Seth knew I was here. When he left the WEC, he came looking for me and a job with Desmon.”

“I’m glad things worked out.” I was pretty sure the stuffy wizards at the WEC would look down on a wizard and a demon in a romantic relationship.

“You know, he always wanted a pet when he was little. But pets were strictly forbidden. Too much like familiars.”

“What’s wrong with familiars?”

“Too witchy. Many wizards look down on witchcraft. Seth doesn’t, though. He embraces both, which is why he’s so strong now.” There was pride in her eyes. “Desmon encouraged him to explore all facets of his magic. He has a familiar of his own now, but Little Bit is not nearly as cuddly as Q-Tip here.”

“What’s Little Bit?”

“A Ball Python.”

I made a face. I didn’t have anything against snakes, but they just weren’t for me.

We sat in silence for a minute. Finally Elana stole a glance at me. “You know, Desmon isn’t bad for a dragon. He can be a bit intense—”

“Tell me about it. He set two guys on fire today. I mean, they were assholes who kidnapped me and totally deserved it, but still.”

“The fact that he went after you says a lot.”

“He keptyousafe, too.” I reminded her. Maybe Desmon was just that rarity, a nice dragon.

“That’s different. He saw how powerful Seth could be.” The older woman looked thoughtful. “Desmon has changed a lot in the time I’ve known him. Maybe it’s because of spending more time with humans and other monsters. He used to be just like the other dragons.”

“You mean he thought he was better than everyone else?”

Elana laughed quietly and nodded. “He’s changed a lot since. But I think you’d make him an even better person.”

“We literally just met. I spilled coffee on him because I’m a klutz. He knows nothing about me. And I know even less about him.” Was that even true anymore? I’d learned a lot about him in the last twenty-four hours. “And what little I do know makes me think this is a horrible idea.”

“Like what?”

“For starters, he’s a dragon. He still clearly thinks himself above everyone else. And let’s not forget he takes naps longer than I live.”

“That’s not a regular occurrence, I assure you. They miss a lot in those hundred years. That’s why it’s an effective punishment for losing the competition. It’s more like us falling asleep for ten years than a simple nap. They live a long time, but not forever.”

Realizing that he could get petted by two people instead of just one, Q-Tip stretched to stick his head out to me while keepinghis butt planted directly under Elana’s hands. He seemed to be adjusting to our current situation better than I was.

I imagined being forced to sleep for ten years and then waking up to find my bunny gone forever. How horrible! Not just for me, but for him! Q-Tip might be ten to fifteen years of my life, but I was hisentire existence. Would it be like that for Desmon and me if we got together?

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