Page 55 of Mikoto and the Reaver Village
“Show me.”
Sinder eased up the hem of his tunic. Timur quickly knelt andtook over, hands tracing welts and abraded skin.
“No bones broken,” Sinder assured. Always a bright side.
“Who kicked you?” Timur’s voice was low, dangerous.
“Doesn’t matter.” Anger radiated from the battler, andSinder sighed. “Trust me when I say I was asking for it. And dragons usuallyget what they ask for.”
Timur’s expression abruptly closed off. “Sinder, are youafraid of me?” he repeated.
“Not … specifically.”
The battler rose to his full height. “The idea of me,” he quietlyamended. “You called me a dragon slayer.”
“Aren’t you?”
“I am a member of the Order of Spomenka.” His voicedeepened, and his accent thickened. “My heritage. My training. We arelegendary, yes? Do little dragons grow up fearing the storms we can bring?”
Sinder muttered, “I’m not a child.”
“What are your comfort colors?”
“Wh-what?”
Timur gripped him by the back of his neck, but before themove could register as threatening, he was pinching one of Sinder’s vertebrae.Then the one below it. As he added more pressure, Sinder fluted an oath, hiseyes crossing.
“Can you raise your ridges in speaking form?” Timur asked.
Sinder leaned into the man, head lowered. He trilled a weakprotest. Humans weren’t supposed to know this stuff.
“Which of the winds do you favor?” Timur continued. “Whenwas the last time you were properly oiled?”
“Why?”
“Why do I want to know? For your comfort.”
Sinder shook his head. “Why do you knowat all?”
Timur’s other hand began working in tandem. “I am a memberof the Order of Spomenka. We only know what’s been entrusted to us. Who do youthink teaches us your ways?”
Swearing miserably, he filled in the blank. “Dragons.”
“I started living among dragons when I was fourteen. Most ofmy early training revolved around pampering and pleasing dragons. I was a haremattendant. I was a healer in the heights. I made friends and helped three of yourbrethren gain the sky.”
Sinder looked up then, stunned. “They let you into theheights?”
“Not many humans learn what I know.”
“Tracking and trapping and marking.”
Timur hummed an affirmative. “Don’t forget pedicures.”
Sinder snorted. “Only if Fend goes first.”
In silence, Timur convinced him. Even Juuyu didn’t knowthings like this. Sinder probably wouldn’t have told him if he’d asked. Butthis Spomenka had him in his proverbial coils. Long-ignored instincts stirred,and Sinder crumbled under the weight of his need.
“Please?” he whimpered.
