Page 157 of Finch

storming allied territories, sneaking into dragons’ lairs in search of clues, and interrogating

every Attendant he could find, Finch was finally his.

“I won’t do anything you don’t want me to, little bird,” said a new voice.

Hugh’s eyes flew open.

That voice… it was a dragon, wasn’t it? A dragon who was making Finch feel unsafe. With a

wounded bellow, Hugh launched off the floor and promptly bowled over Everard, who’d been

leaning over him. Everard went down with a startled shout, arms flailing. It was a pity, but not

enough of one to stop Hugh from charging forward to where Finch was standing. Once arrived,

he wrapped his beloved up in his arms. Finch startled—Hugh had approached him from

behind—but must have clued in to his identity quickly, because no sooner did he tense than

he relaxed.

“You, there,” Hugh said to the young Amethyst dragon threatening his Finch. “You leave my

Finch be. He wants nothing to do with you. I’ll have you know that any slight against him is a

slight against me, and a slight against me becomes a slight against my family, up to and

including my father, the esteemed Grimbold Drake. You will apologize for your wrongdoing

immediately.”

The young dragon before him widened his eyes. He tucked his hands into the pockets of his

trousers and cocked his head slightly to the side, the crop of dark curls on his head tumbling

across his brow. He wasn’t particularly large, as was the case for most of the British dragons,

but in Hugh’s weakened state, they’d be more or less evenly matched. Thank god for Geoffrey

and Everard, who’d insisted on tailing him after word had gotten back to the family that Hugh

had been apprehended in Belgium, having trespassed into a Sapphire dragon’s lair. Together

they would have the upper hand.

“I’m not sure I’m following,” the dragon admitted. “What should I apologize for, exactly?”

Hugh scowled at him. “You know!”

“I’m afraid I do not.”

“Fibbing will only make things worse!”

“Excellent. Then we shouldn’t have an issue.” The dragon removed his hands from his pockets.

Hugh braced himself to see scales and claws, but there were none. For now, the aggressor

remained human. “I have no quarrel with you or with your dragonet. I’m simply seeking the

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