Page 30 of Here Be Dragons

Carly

I never did figureout how that darned key worked. No matter how hard I tried, all I got was that annoying TV tone. Disappointed, we portaled back to the estate.

I didn’t think I’d ever get used to staring into a darkened portal and stepping in anyway. I’d seen portals being used in videos before, but you could always see right through to the other side and into the ornate homes the Wizards of the WEC owned, as they portaled in for interviews.

The portals to and from Desmon’s place were pitch black. It was kind of creepy. But same as last time, I made it to the other side in one piece. I recognized Desmon’s library right away. The place was simultaneously grand and cozy, and I longed to curl up in one of the big, comfy armchairs with a good book.

Elana greeted us and asked if we were hungry. I was still stuffed from my enormous meal earlier, even though it had been hours, but Desmon was hungry again.

Note to self: Dragons ate alot. I’d been sure we’d never finish all the food at the Starving Aardvark, but Desmon had polished off every morsel from the platters and plates. He almost looked ready to lick the maple syrup off the bottom of the plate, but had restrained himself.

I excused myself to have some much-needed alone time with Q-Tip. Too much had happened in the last twenty-four hours, and I needed some time to process everything. It felt a bit like going backward after the whole shower incident, and my libido was annoyed with me, but my logical side won out.

I still didn’t know how I felt about possibly being in a relationship with a dragon yet, especially one who burnt men to a crisp like it was just another weekday and took hundred-year naps. My head was a mess, and I figured I needed several fifty-minute sessions with Q-Tip before I could even try to unpack it all.

Desmon was clearly disappointed by my rejection of his offer to join him in “his lair” tonight, but understood.

I found Q-Tip lying in the middle of the fancy carpet like he owned the place.

“Hey, buddy.”

Q-Tip glanced over at me and sighed dramatically, like I had interrupted a super important train of thought.

“Ugh.” I rolled my eyes. “Don’t give me that, you little butthole.” Q-Tip already had a bit of an attitude and seemed to think everything should revolve around him, and the gourmet hay and snacks were perhaps not helping.

I stepped over the fence, picked him up and settled him across my lap. “Don’t get too used to this. It’s only temporary.” Then I launched into all the complaints and stresses I’d collected since I last saw him earlier today.

“A hundred years! I mean, this guy’s naps are longer than my lifespan. And I was having lunch with him like something could happen between us. What the hell was I thinking?”

Q-Tip looked at me and sighed again, so I started to give him scritches around the base of his ears, where he liked them best.

“I know it’s stupid. But it was so nice to have him hold my hand and ask me my opinion on the statue like it mattered.” NowIwas sighing. “He makes me feel like I’m…worthy, you know? Today, when I was with Desmon, he really made me feel sexy and pretty. I think he honestly finds me attractive. I don’t mean just a little. I mean, I think I’m his jam.”

I’d stopped petting Q-Tip, and he took offense, pawing at my hands to continue.

“I don’t know what to do, Q-Tip! If I just go with the flow, I could completely lose my heart. If I don’t, I might lose out on the experience of a lifetime. What would you do?”

Q-Tip, suddenly sick of all the attention, hopped away, found his favorite stuffed toy, which had luckily been brought over from the apartment, and started humping it, all while maintaining eerily focused eye contact with me.

“Hump him. Okay. Got it.”

Q-Tip had always been a great listener but horrible at giving advice. Usually, it was go grab a snack, hump it, or kick it into submission. Sometimes, it was poop on it. None of these would help me in this case.

I still hadn’t called Dana, and I’d promised that I would once I got settled in Darlington. The thing was, I wasn’t sure what to tell her. Everything that had happened was so far out of left field that I couldn’t believe it was happening myself. If I called Dana now and started telling her about dragons, demons, and magical artifacts, she might think I was losing it and fly in from New York for a wellness check.

There was a knock on my door, and I opened it to find Elana holding a teeny, tiny salad.

“I thought maybe my new furry friend might want a little something.” She peered into the room, looking hopeful. Her eyes brightened the moment she saw Q-Tip.

I remembered Desmon saying that she got bored being stuck at the estate all the time.

“I’m sure he’d love some fresh fruits and veggies,” I said, inviting her in.

As we watched Q-Tip rummage through the salad, looking for his favorite—blueberries, paws down—I decided to ask her a little bit about herself. “So, how did you end up living here with Desmon?”

“Short answer—my husband is on the WEC.”

I frowned. I’d seen members of the Wizards’ Elder Council interviewed on TV. Think secret society of powerful men working with the church back in the day to control everything, and you’d be close. Except itwasn’tback in the day; they were still doing it, pretending it was for the good of all mankind. They gave me the creeps.

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