Page 17

CHAPTER 17

M y unease slowly wore off as the room reverted back to my normal quarters and I wiled away the rest of the afternoon, waiting for Pollox to return. Maybe Griffin hadn’t understood what he had seen and Pollox was helping the orphanage. To anyone who didn’t know Pollox like I did, he could certainly appear frightening and intimidating. If only I’d had more time to question Griffin about what he’d seen.

Any time Pollox took a new ransom, he always placed it in his hoard, not at the tower. Without a second thought, I entered the wardrobe, closed my eyes against the unpleasant sensation, and stepped out into the cave.

It was empty.

I paced the floor, occasionally running my finger over my lips as I wished that Pollox had arrived later, and simultaneously wishing that Pollox would hurry up and get back soon so I could question him about the orphanage.

When Pollox did finally show up, it was well after sunset.

“Where have you been?” I demanded.

He flexed his wings, looking as proud as any preening peacock. “You don’t need to worry about the orphanage anymore.”

“Why not?”

“I took care of them.”

“How?”

Pollox sat, reminding me of a dog returning to its master, eager for praise. “You shared some of your treasure with them, as did I.”

“Pollox, did you claim them for your hoard?”

He tilted his head. “Of course.”

“But—”

“I care for my hoard, and I thought you wanted the orphans taken care of.”

“I do.”

“Then there’s no problem, right?”

“You can’t just claim people for your hoard!”

“I claimed you, and you claimed me. Isn’t it rather hypocritical of you to criticize me for something you’ve done?”

I ran my fingers through my hair, unsure of how to answer, so instead I asked very carefully, “What do you think it means to be claimed for a hoard? What does that entail, exactly?”

“When you claim something for your hoard, you promise to take care of them,” he answered simply. “I gave them gold and set up enchantments so they will live more comfortably. I also set up a charm so that if anyone tries to break in, I’ll be alerted. It’s the same one that I have around your tower so I know when someone is trying to come take you away. Now they will be safe, and no one will be able to take the treasure I left for their use.”

“Oh.” Clearly, Griffin had misunderstood whatever he had seen. “The squire who came today seemed worried about it, and you…you…”

“What?”

“To be completely honest, you scared me today with how you acted toward him. I thought you were about to bite his head off.”

Tendrils of steam curled up from Pollox’s nostrils, and his scales glowed the same deep red color of a live coal. “Was he the one up on the balcony today?”

“Yes, that’s Griffin.”

“He’s untrustworthy.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Didn’t you notice where he was reaching? I was protecting you.”

Clearly, Griffin had misunderstood what Pollox was doing, and I certainly wasn’t about to tell Pollox that Griffin had been trying to retrieve a hidden drug that I’d been given to weaken him. “I’ve met him before. He’s very nice.”

A deep thrumming emanated from Pollox and the temperature of the cave increased slightly. “So what does this squire do that’s so impressive? Fetch swords and polish armor?”

I frowned. “He’s very good at chess and he’s kind to me.”

“You think he could handle the sort of trouble you get yourself into? Not everyone can keep up with that.”

“I’m sure he would do just fine. He made it up to the balcony, didn’t he?”

“And screamed most of the way back to the castle,” Pollox sulked.

“You’re being ridiculous,” I told him. “Even if I wanted to be with Griffin, I’m a princess and he’s a squire. Nothing can ever happen between us. It’s just as likely that I’d marry you as Griffin.”

Pollox let out a snort of sparks and took a very long time putting away the sack of treasure he’d received as a ransom for Ivan and Griffin. I warmed my hands over the fire that licked the coals laid in the stone ledge that ran the perimeter of the cave.

“Do you wish to be held?” Pollox had emerged from the corridor leading to his hoard.

“What?” I distractedly pulled my thoughts away from the orphanage. “What are you talking about?”

The wing-like extensions at the end of his tail fanned out slightly. “Humans often want to be comforted physically.” It wasn’t a question. “Is that what you were seeking today with the squire?”

I shrugged indifferently. “Every girl likes to feel some muscle every now and again. I’m pretending to be a captive, but I’m not dead. I know all humans are ugly to you, but Griffin is very handsome to human girls.”

Pollox flicked his tail back and forth, as he always did when he was irritated. I grinned. “Are you feeling jealous? Do you wish that you had a lovely dragoness to snuggle with?”

“Certainly not.”

I walked my fingers up the leathery hide on his front leg and sighed dramatically, “Yes, you are. Just think—you could glide across the skies with her at your side, holding tails, romantically setting fire to all villages you see, but no amount of heat from the flames you belched forth would ever come close to matching the passion that you have for each other.” I batted my eyelashes and feigned swooning.

With lightning-like reflexes, Pollox lifted his leg and trapped me beneath his claws faster than he had shattered Prince Ivan’s sword that day, still taking care not to injure me. I squealed as I was flipped onto my back, then chuckled as I gripped the two talons beside my neck, the underside of his paw holding me to the ground.

“Do you really find it wise to tease a dragon?” His pupils flamed.

“Maybe not wise, but it’s fun. Would your lady friend glow ruby red to match your heart that aches for her? Do you pine in her absence?”

Pollox’s neck snaked around until his large head was right next to mine, and he blew a scorching heat wave into my face. I laughed and covered my eyes. “Just like I thought, you’re nothing but a big bag of hot air!” I coughed and waved a hand in front of my face. “And you have sulfur breath.”

“I think if you hadn’t run away, you would’ve been banished,” Pollox said as he withdrew his claws from where they were caging me in and turned around three times, preparing to go to sleep. “You’re a nuisance.”

“A beautiful nuisance.” I rose and brushed my dress clean.

Pollox exhaled sharply, several sparks showering from his snout. “Humans aren’t beautiful to dragons.”

“I bet you would consider a lady dragon beaut?—”

“I would not.” After Pollox was finished settling down, I climbed into my usual spot on his side and pulled his wing over me for a blanket, reveling in the warmth he provided.

Pollox rested his head on the stone floor, close enough to my hand that I reached out and stroked his head, tracing my fingers along the ridges over his eyes and along his snout. He lazily closed his eyes at my touch. I scratched the spot beneath his horns that he liked so much, then inclined my head to the hole that served in place of his ear.

In a whisper, I said, “If you go to sleep now, you can dream about wooing your drag?—"

“You’d best stop talking before I decide to eat you in your sleep.” He didn’t even open his eyes as he snapped back, but I could hear the amusement in his voice.

I laughed quietly and snuggled into the comfort of the heavy wing draped over me. “Whatever you need to tell yourself. But it would be disappointing if you lost half of our chaotic duo. We make a good team.”

The flames burning in the recessed ledge grew dimmer as we stopped talking. Just before I dozed off, Pollox spoke up again, in a much softer voice than normal. “If you wanted to go back with one of those men one day, I would understand.”

Relief that Pollox didn’t consider me a possession seeped in. “And leave my friend to keep all this glorious gold for himself? No way. I earned that treasure fair and square, and I am keeping my half to do with what I want.”

“You think we’re friends?” His gravelly voice barely registered with how drowsy I had become. Odd, how much he focused on that part.

I yawned. “Yes. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had. Now shut up and go to sleep.”

“I didn’t mean to frighten you today,” Pollox murmured, then I heard his jaw crack from yawning so widely.

“Well then, you failed miserably.” I rubbed my cheek against the dragon’s hide, still marveling at how soft it was despite repelling several arrows that day. Pollox’s snout nuzzled at my arm, and I wrapped it around one of the horns above his ear hole.

Several minutes passed in silence. I had nearly drifted off to sleep when Pollox spoke. “Can you at least express your appreciation at your fake rescues to those men without kissing any of them?”

“Why?” I murmured, barely processing his words. “It works.”

A tremor ran through his wing. “It just seemed superfluous. I don’t want you to be taken advantage of.”

I chuckled. “I’m the one taking advantage of them.”

“I still don’t like it. Those men…they don’t appreciate you. But rest assured that I won’t ever hurt you,” the dragon promised. “And I won’t allow you to ever get hurt either.”

As I drifted off to sleep, I felt at peace. Funny how, even after Griffin’s warnings, I didn’t doubt Pollox’s sincerity. Who could have ever guessed that I would feel safest around my kingdom’s greatest threat? He would never allow me to get hurt, and I would never stand for letting anyone kill Pollox and sell his parts to the highest bidder.

Griffin was wrong. I would never need the dragonsbane he’d given me.