Page 25 of The Forsaken Heir
“What’s it like living with humans?” Aurelius asked.
“The same as living with anyone else,” I said.
“Anyone else who doesn’t magically transform into an animal and have access to wellsprings of magic?” Aurelius responded.
“True,butthey have smartphones, self-driving cars, and satellites,” I said. “That’s a kind of magic in itself.”
“We deal with humans a lot, but fully immersing ourselves in that world sounds exhausting,” Aurelius said. “It’s pretty impressive that you’ve done it for this long. What’s the best part?”
I grinned back at him. “Oh, that’s easy. All the porn.”
Rasp sprayed a stream of wine out across the floor as he choked and coughed. Vincent’s eyes went wide with surprise. Aurelius, for his part, understood I was purposefully being a smart-ass and bantered back.
“Ah, yes. The majestic epitome of cinema,” he said, swirling his wine in his glass. “I feel there is a certain elegance in the images they convey.”
He and I looked into one another’s eyes for several seconds before we devolved into laughter. I liked that Aurelius could keep pace with my humor. Most men didn’t get it. A quirky, quick-witted girl was all well and good in a sitcom or movie, but in real life, it seemed like men all wanted ladies who fit into a mold I had no wish to slot myself into. Aurelius didn’t seem to have that issue.
Rasp wiped his mouth and looked at us both. “Jesus, Aurelius, looks like you found someone with the same sense of humor you have.”
“Perhaps, I have,” Aurelius said, then looked at his two friends. “What questions do you have for our guest? I’m sure Elle would love to give you the answers to all the things you’ve wanted to know.”
“Do you guys pee outside?” Vincent asked.
“Excuse me?” I said.
“Well, wolves are similar to dogs,” he explained. “Dogs pee outside. Do you guys pee outside too?”
Rasp and Aurelius shook their heads in embarrassment.
“We use toilets, Vince,” I said slowly. “Like you guys.”
Vince nodded once as if confirming something with himself, then took a sip of his water.
“I always assumed, but I wanted to make sure,” he said. “It was a question that always bugged me.”
“Anyway,” Rasp said. “Who cares about what we want to know? Wolves are pretty well understood. Dragons like us?” he presseda thumb to his chest. “We’re the ones who are endangered. Is there anything about us you want to know?”
He looked so eager to please that I didn’t want to disappoint him by not asking anything.
“I do want to know something,” I said, turning to look at Aurelius again. “What’s it like being the prince?”
Glass halfway to his lips, he paused for the briefest second before continuing. Sipping his wine, he rolled his eyes toward the ceiling as if thinking. When he was done, he sat his glass down,
“It’s stressful,” he admitted, then glanced at the other two. “But it’s stressful for them too. Vincent here is the heir to the Beatrix family fortune.”
“Dad doesn’t like me,” Vince said. “He thinks I’m an idiot and a disappointment to the family.”
I gaped at him, glancing sideways at Rasp and Aurelius, but neither of them looked surprised or horrified at this admission.
“You see,” Rasp said, leaning forward. “Our friend Vincent’s dad is what I like to call a grade-A douchebag.”
“His father isdifficult,” Aurelius agreed, using a more diplomatic term.
Vincent shrugged and picked up a roasted chicken leg to take a nibble. “He can dislike me all he wants. I don’t care.”
Aurelius glanced at his watch and winced. “It’s nearly four in the morning, boys. I think it’s high time we let our guest get some shut-eye.”
“You don’t have to leave,” I said, standing up so fast that a wave of dizziness swept through me. I had to blink a few times to clear my vision. Too much wine.
