Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 147649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 738(@200wpm)___ 591(@250wpm)___ 492(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 738(@200wpm)___ 591(@250wpm)___ 492(@300wpm)
Their blue-and-black mottled shells are transparent in places. And sometimes, when the heart light inside throbs just the right way, and the little buggers are in a particularly wriggly mood, I can see the outline of a tiny muzzle or a bit of wing.
How soon they will hatch depends on many factors. Heat, humidity, and, of course, desire.
For it is desire that drives a dragon.
“Hel-looooo?”
I perk up at the sound of a distant voice drifting down from the upper floors.
“Tomas?”
“Pie?” I get up and cross the dungeon until I am standing at the bottom of the stairs. “I’m here. Are you coming down?”
“Um… am I allowed to come down?”
“Your home is my home, so my home must be your home. Isn’t that how it works?”
“Mmmm… is it?”
I chuckle. “You’re so adorable. Now, stop being silly and come down the stairs.”
She hesitates. “Well, I’ve been down there before and you tried to burn us alive.”
“When?”
“When Pell was stealing scales for that banishing spell.”
“Oh.” I chuckle again. “Well, I was a dragon, Pie. Now I’m a… something else. I will not burn you. That’s ridiculous. I barely breathe any fire at all these days.”
“Barely?” Her voice is still distant. “You burned Granite Springs to the ground.”
“Pshaw.” I wave a hand in the air. “That was but a burp. A bit of indigestion.”
“Indigestion? Did you… eat something I don’t know about?”
“Stop being silly. Get down here.”
The faint sound of footsteps echoes down the stairwell until finally she peeks her sweet face around a corner and brightens when she sees me. “Well, you still have arms and legs. That’s a good sign.”
I throw my arms up with flair. “May I present to you my extremities!”
“And you still look like Tomas.”
“The same face you have known and loved.”
She comes all the way around the corner and plants her hands on her hips. “Huh.”
“What?”
“You look the same.”
“Why would I change?”
She shoots me a look. “Because you’re a dragon. I’ve seen it.” She points at me. “You burned the crap out of me with your hellfire. Pell had to rub magic gel all over my back to soothe it.”
“I bet you liked that.”
“Hmm.” She considers this. “It did feel pretty nice. But it was a super-stressful time, so I didn’t really get to enjoy that part. Are you busy?”
“Not at all. And even if I was, I would not turn you away. You’re my first visitor since Madeline came to live here.”
“Speaking of…” Pie’s eyes dart around the dungeon. “How is she?”
“Oh, don’t worry about her. She’s adapting wonderfully and resting comfortably.”
“Ooookay. Anyway. Batty just had a long conversation with Pell and me, but we can’t understand him, of course.” She continues her descent, holding up a piece of paper. “I need a favor. If you’re up for it.”
“A translation?”
“Yeah. Batty has been going on and on about all kinds of things and we have no clue what he’s talking about. So I figured I’d come down—to check on you, of course, but also to get you to translate this convo we just had. If that’s OK, that is. I don’t want to interrupt you and Madeline.” Pie’s eyes dart over my shoulder, then squint a little in the darkness, trying to see Madeline in the shadows. “Are you sure she’s OK?”
“She’s quite well. But not the same, of course.”
This makes Pie cringe. “Not the same… how?”
“Would you like to see her?”
“Will she burn me?”
“She can’t breathe fire yet. So you’re good.”
“Yet?” Pie continues her descent. “But she will one day?”
“Most certainly. She’s dragon through and through. Come look. Even her face is covered. This is unexpected, but quite delightful.”
Pie stops when she reaches the bottom of the stairs, then looks over her shoulder nervously.
“Pell doesn’t know you’re here, does he?”
“No. He wants me to stay away from you.”
I grin, suddenly flooded with warmth, and extend my hand to her. “But you can’t, can you?”
She takes my hand and shrugs her shoulders in that cute way she does. “I can’t. You’re just… one of us, Tomas. We’re a team now, ya know? And that means I need to make sure you’re OK.” A pause here. “You are OK, right?”
“Darling, I am better than OK. I am marvelous. We’re starting a family.”
Her smile wavers, and then I get a gulp and the brave face. “A… family?”
“Indeed.”
“I don’t understand. How—”
“Eggs, my dear. Eggs.”
“Yeah, but… she laid eggs? Already?”
“Oh, my, no. Madeline won’t be fertile for hundreds of years. These were leftover eggs. From that time before.”
Pie’s brow furrows. “OK. I need all the information on the eggs, of course. And con… grat… ulations? And while I do adore you”—she brightens, smiling bigger now—“I have questions, Tomas.”
“I am happy to answer them to the best of my ability. So ask all the questions you want, Pie.”
“OK, well, before I get to that, how about you just translate this for me?”