Page 34 of Sanctuary with Kings

"My memory," I said. The woods ran by quickly now, my steps carrying me farther, closer to Hywel, who was no longer shadow but a glowing ember in the night. The grass warmed and softened under my feet, mossy carpet and stones of gold.

Then my bed will be your respite. Come and sleep in my scales.

What had been distant was now directly in front of me, Hywel's towering form, his bright opal eyes watching me. A tangle of pillows and blankets and clothing sat cradled between his huge legs, and he purred and rumbled as I climbed into the nest.

"I'm glad you are in my dream," I murmured, curling on my side, stroking one hand over the heavy ridges that ran down his legs.

His head lowered, breath surrounding me, sweeter than I expected, lavender smoke and summer sun. I'd never fallen asleep in a dream before—it was a funny sort of idea—but it felt like sinking underwater, and my lips curved as I drifted deep into slumber.

* * *

Time seemedto pass in this new, restful sleep. I could feel the hours moving, but there was no disruption, no nightmare or dream, just quiet.

I woke with smooth, warm glass under my hand, my body cradled perfectly in swathes of fabric and goose down pillows. A wet coil stroked around my ankle and calf, warm and silken. I blinked and found that my bed was made of red dragon scales, recently waxed and polished by my own hand. Hywel's cavernous hoard glittered beyond his leg, and every minute or so a great heave of warm air stroked over my body.

Which meant…

I twisted and found the slightly open maw of the King of Dreams poised at my feet. A long, thick, black tongue extended out past the large teeth and fangs to twine around my left leg.

You wake.

I gaped at the massive jaw poised just past my toes, the spiked dragon chin tucked down against his body, his eyes turned forward and almost crossed to stare down at me.

"I…" I cleared my throat when no words rose to my tongue.

You were sleepwalking,blodyn bach.

It'd been a long time since I'd heard any Welsh, but the name he gave me was simple—little flower. The dragon's lips didn't have to move to speak, and his tongue continued to wrap and caress around one leg, teeth the size of my feet bared in what I swore was a smile. If he opened his jaw a little wider, the space offered would be large enough for me to tuck myself inside, crawl down his gullet. My body trembled in hysterical terror at the thought, distracting me from the equally chilling knowledge that I had wandered in my sleeping, down into the dragon's den.

I braced my hands against either of his legs and pushed to sit up. My toes pressed to the rounded thick bottom lip of his jaw and his tongue retreated slightly, just a single loop around my ankle, a slightly damp streak shining on my skin.

"You're awake," I said, stroking his right leg.

Shh, don't tell the others.There was a hint of mischief in his heavy words as they soaked into my head, almost a whispering note.

"Laszlo misses you."

Hywel rumbled, purred, and sighed, a deeper, smokier breath washing over me.Not for much longer.

I sighed with him and nodded. Good. After my dance with Laszlo, after sitting between him and Conall at dinner, their knees and thighs brushing against mine, it was almost like betraying my new friend to have this moment of speaking to Hywel.

You've been taking care of me.The black tongue twined again, this time smoothing higher. I stared into the fearsome jaws, the dark red gullet, and marveled at how long that tongue extended, how far back in Hywel's huge mouth it rooted.

"You've given me sanctuary," I answered, eyes flicking up to his, smiling at the picture of his slitted eyes narrowed to study, his flaring nostrils.

I leaned forward, rubbing my palm firmly against the center of his snout, pressing my lips together to withhold my laugh as his eyes crossed and then shut. His tongue unwound from around my knee but then flicked between my legs, batting at the skirt of my nightgown, nudging it up my thighs.

I met a divinity once. A Viking lad. The son of the trickster. He tasted delicious.

I laughed, and my eyes fixed once more on those huge teeth, so close to my own flesh. "How did you meet him?"

He snuck into my hoard to steal my treasure.

"And so you ate him?"

I licked him head to toe…and when we were satisfied, then I ate him.

I licked my own lips, my breath stuttering in my chest, and glanced down at the black tongue that stroked the inside of one thigh and then the other.

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