Page 11 of Curvy Girl and the Single Dad Dragon
"I saw a little girl breathe fire when she got upset," Luna says. "She called herself a dragon and mentioned that you are too. She said something about flying and treasure and your real age, all of which suggests we're not talking about a medical condition or some scientific anomaly." She leans forward slightly. "So, either I've lost my mind, or dragons are real and I'm sitting across from one right now."
I can't help but admire her directness. "Dragons are real," I confirm. "And yes, I am one. So is Ember."
Luna takes a deep breath, then lets it out slowly. "Okay then."
"Okay?" I repeat incredulously. "That's your response to learning that creatures from mythology actually exist?"
"Would you prefer screaming and running?" she asks with a hint of amusement. "Because I did consider that option briefly. But then I thought about Ember, and how scared she looked, and how relieved she was when I didn't freak out. And I decided that freaking out wouldn't be particularly helpful to anyone."
I shake my head in amazement. "You're taking this remarkably well."
"Trust me, I'm screaming internally," she admits with a small laugh. "But I've always believed there's more to this world than what we can readily explain. Finding out dragons exist is... well, it's earth-shattering, but also strangely vindicating."
"Most humans don't react this way," I tell her. "Their minds can't reconcile what they're seeing with what they believe is possible. They either convince themselves they imagined it, or they respond with fear and violence."
"Like Ember's mother?" Luna asks gently.
I look away, old pain surfacing. "Jenny... tried. She loved us both, but when Ember's abilities manifested, it was too much for her. She couldn't live with the constant fear. Not just of what we are, but of what might happen if others found out."
"I'm sorry," Luna says, and I can tell she means it. "That must have been devastating for both of you."
"It was." I look back at her, at her delicate features, wondering how this small human woman can sit so calmly discussing the existence of dragons. "You should know that by staying—by knowing about us—you're potentially putting yourself at risk."
"How so?"
"Our kind lives in secret for a reason. Humans have hunted dragons for millennia. For our scales, for sport, out of fear. Those days aren't as far behind us as you might think." I lean forward, wanting her to understand the gravity of the situation. "If certain humans learned about us, it would put all dragon-kind in danger. And anyone known to be protecting us would be equally at risk."
Luna considers this for a moment. "How many of you are there?"
"Fewer than there once were. A few thousand worldwide, perhaps. We're scattered, mostly solitary except for family units. We blend in, live among humans, revealing ourselves to very, very few."
"Yet here you are, telling me everything."
I give her a rueful smile. "Not quite everything. But more than I've told any human in a very long time."
"Because I already saw Ember's fire," she guesses.
"Partly," I acknowledge. "But also because..." I hesitate, not entirely sure myself why I'm being so forthcoming. "Becauseyou stayed. Because my daughter trusts you. And because my instincts tell me you can be trusted with this."
"Dragon instincts?" she asks with a hint of teasing.
"Yes, actually. Dragons have a sense about people. It's part of our survival mechanism."
She nods. "So, you can breathe fire like Ember, and apparently fly, which I'm having trouble picturing given your size. Do you... transform? Like in the stories?"
"Yes," I admit. "Though not as easily in populated areas. It requires space and privacy."
"And the treasure Ember mentioned?"
I can't help the small smile that tugs at my lips. "Dragons do have an affinity for precious metals and gems. It's not just a myth."
"And your age?" she persists, clearly fascinated.
This is where most humans struggle the most. "I was born in 1386."
Luna's eyes widen. "You're... 640 years old?"
"639," I correct automatically. "My birthday is in October."
