Page 21

CHAPTER 21

“T here are shifters in other countries, too,” Pollox informed me as the tower slowly came into view. “Pyren has phoenix shifters and Termarth has sea serpent shifters.”

“That’s on the other side of the world, though,” I pointed out. “We barely hear anything from them.”

“I’ve been to Pyren once,” he told me, then shot me a wicked expression that made him look even more devilishly mischievous. “It’s a long flight. One day I’ll take you there.”

“I’d like that.” I stared up at the tower balcony high above us. “So…can you shift back now? Otherwise it will be hard to get up there.”

“I think so. Stand back; it gets hot.”

I retreated while Pollox transformed back into his usual, enormous self.

“Are you hungry?” Pollox asked.

“Very. We could go back to the cave instead. I’m craving some of that pudding the table makes, and I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be alone right now. You might have some of that poison still left in your blood. I might need to help you.”

Pollox beat his tail against the ground a few times before he simply said, “I think that’s a good idea.”

“You could try the food if you shift back to a human, you know,” I told him on the way back. Would he know that I wanted more time examining his human face? “And if you keep shifting back and forth, wouldn’t that help burn the poison out?”

“It takes a lot of energy to shift, and the poison is already out, or else I wouldn’t have been able to shift back.”

“You could still try the food. It’s good.”

“I know.”

We landed at the cave, and I slid off his back, much more gracefully than the first time I’d attempted it. “How do you know? I’ve never seen you eat anything.”

“What, you think I would enchant a table and not use it? I don’t exactly have many human guests to entertain.”

“You have me.”

“So I do.”

“It would be poor manners not to join me for dinner.”

“I’ve been with you during dinner many times.”

“But I’m the only one eating. I wouldn’t mind a human-looking companion, even if you’re still a dragon on the inside.”

“It takes a lot of effort to shift,” Pollox grumbled, but he transformed back into the man I’d seen before and joined me at the table.

The table, which had previously supplied me with all my favorite foods, added several more dishes, including an exotic one that smelled so spicy my eyes watered.

“That one is my favorite,” Pollox said, spooning it onto his plate. “It’s native to Pyren. They’re known for their fire peppers.”

“How fitting for a dragon,” I said, portioning out some of the milder foods for myself and keeping an eye on Pollox. After his poor coordination with running, I’d expected that using cutlery would be just as awkward, and yet he managed with no trouble. “I assumed that you just flew off to eat sheep when I was in the tower or something.”

Pollox paused in chewing the peppers. “Can you promise to keep a secret?”

I nodded.

“I don’t like eating live animals. I almost always use this table.”

“But…but the sheep! The lords have seen you steal oxen and sheep and things. I saw it myself.”

He tsked quietly. “Stealing is such a crass way to describe what I do. I claim things; I don’t steal them. But I usually just take them and drop them at farmhouses where I know there is a need. I don’t want to watch anyone starve, not when I can stop it. If the lords aren’t taking care of their hoards, I’ll claim them as my own and care for them.”

“So when you need to eat as a dragon, do you just tell the table to give you hundreds of pounds of meat?”

“No. I don’t like the bones crunching. As long as no one is around, I just shift to human and dine like normal. It’s sort of hard to explain, but as long as I’m full when I’m human, I’ll stay full when I shift back to a dragon. It’s like the food multiplies just like my size and weight does. But this way, it takes less time, is much less messy, and human foods have a wider variety of flavors than just endless pounds of raw, unseasoned meat. It gets rather dull to eat the same thing over and over.”

I couldn’t help laughing. “You’ve been sneaking off to eat as a human?”

“It’s hardly sneaking if it’s in my own cave. I can do whatever I want, Your Snack-sized Majesty.”

“Oooh, Snack-sized Majesty, I like that one. Now, your royal lizardness, why didn’t you tell me about all this before? I thought we were friends.”

“Is that all we are?”

My heart leapt into my throat and obstructed my ability to breathe normally. “What else could we be if you refused to tell me such a big secret?”

Pollox ran his finger around the rim of his goblet. “Staying in dragon form is much less complicated. You sought me out as a dragon, so it can be deduced that you wanted a dragon companion, not a human one.”

“But don’t you see? This opens up a whole new set of possibilities.”

Pollox’s head snapped around faster than he could dive out of the skies. “What do you mean?”

I began ticking off on my fingers. “We can pretend you saved me from the oh-so-fearsome dragon or you could pose as a guard and…”

“Oh.” Pollox turned away, shoulders hunched.

I caught his hand. “There are all sorts of things we can do now that I know.”

“I have no interest in staying human when our same arrangement was all you wanted,” Pollox snapped. “I need to organize some of the treasure while I still have hands instead of claws.” He stood abruptly and stomped off down the hall.

Oh scales, he wanted to be significantly more than friends. I stared at his abandoned plate of food. Did I want that from Pollox? He was my best friend, and he knew more about me than anyone else, even Father. He certainly was attractive and had never once been afraid of me or intimidated by my antics. I always enjoyed snuggling up with him at night, at least as a dragon. He had a witty sense of humor, but…

Griffin’s face swam into my mind, fuzzier and less memorable than before. He had been nothing but sweet and honorable. He risked his life to rescue me. A flame of resentment licked at my chest as I remember that it was he who had shot Pollox. But also, he was doing so to protect me, not knowing that Pollox would never harm me. I couldn’t fault him for that. Nevertheless, I regretted my hasty signing of his letter. I didn’t want to give him any false hope. Between the two, I wasn’t sure who I would choose.

Could I be happy with a life on the run with Pollox? At least with him, I wouldn’t be pelted with overripe fruit as Father was, hated for ruling and blamed for every wrongdoing. I pressed the heels of my hands into my eyes. Why couldn’t life be simpler?

Pollox didn’t return to the table, and I eventually left through the wardrobe. If Pollox didn’t want to talk to me, there was no reason to stay. If he genuinely wanted a relationship with me, he wouldn’t sulk in his treasure room. That was dragon behavior, and a dragon and a princess would never work out together.

* * *

It was mid-morning before Pollox turned up the following day. I hated how long I’d stayed up the night before, unable to sleep while hoping that Pollox would come to apologize. Then after I’d finally given up hope and gone to bed, I found it impossible to sleep and tossed and turned all night, plotting out snarky retorts for if Pollox did ever show up to address his childishness. Because I didn’t want to think about the dragon, I tried to revive my early fantasies about Griffin, but I discovered that it was impossible to focus on his face; it was always replaced with Pollox’s, no matter how hard I tried to forget his features.

Stupid dragon. How could he expect me to rush into some sort of romantic relationship with him when I’d just barely found out he could shift? He could have at least extended me the courtesy of talking about things before he left to sulk, but at the same time, I was grateful for the solitude. I didn’t know what I wanted anymore. If I were to choose someone to be in a relationship with, there was no comparison. Pollox cared for me, he cared for the orphanage, he was willing to be painted as a villain if it meant helping those in need.

Most men I’d met would eagerly seek praise for their accomplishments, but Pollox didn’t. He always did what he thought was right, no matter what anyone else said, and I admired him for it.

A knock from the inside of the wardrobe startled me out of my reverie.

“Rapunzel?” Pollox’s human voice called, slightly muffled by the wardrobe.

“Come in.”

He stepped out onto the rug and held a bouquet of roses out to me. “I wanted to say that I’m sorry for my behavior last night.”

I took them, surprised that he would know that giving flowers was a traditional human custom during an apology. “Thank you. I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m just still adjusting to the notion of a dragon shifter. It’s a new concept for me and I’m trying to process it.”

He nodded. “That’s understandable. I’m afraid that human emotions are very complex and confusing for me.”

“What exactly is so confusing?”

Pollox stared intently at me, and my heart raced. The smoldering look he gave me was going to cause me to burst into flames at any moment, I was convinced.

“Do you want the truth, or a simple answer?”

“The truth.”

Pollox’s jaw clenched. “The simple answer would have been that being a soft, highly edible human is a complete waste of time for me, but the truth is…I care about you. I wasn’t lying when I said you are the most valuable part of my hoard, and I treasure every moment with you. But then, I see you with that squire and I can’t”—he clenched his fists—“I can’t handle it. The idea that you would pick him over me is terrifying and infuriating, and it’s easier to stay a dragon all the time. It’s why I didn’t want you to know that I can shift, but now that you know, I want my feelings to be plain.”

I turned to busy myself with arranging the roses in the vase beside my bed, unprepared for such blunt honesty. It was a slight shock, but also relieving in many ways. Without him employing the same subtle social cues that most humans used, it removed a great deal of the stress of trying to dissect the true meaning behind hidden words and vague statements. “Jealousy is a normal human emotion, you know.”

“I don’t want to be jealous,” Pollox whispered. “I just want you. But I’m afraid that if I ask you to choose between us, you won’t pick me, and I can’t stand the thought.”

Oh, scales. Earlier that morning, I had spent so much time and energy being angry with Pollox’s pouting, but his openness managed to melt away all my planned frosty comebacks. If he was willing to be completely honest, I could be too. I swallowed and turned back to face him. “I don’t like cold silences like what you did last night.”

“In my defense, I’m very new to being a human.” Pollox reached out and traced his finger along my arm. Veins ran from his shoulder to wrist, standing out noticeably on his biceps and forearms. The temptation to run my fingers along those veins grew with every second he was near me.

“You seem to have the apologizing bit down fairly well, all considered. Quite frankly, I’m impressed that you knew about the flowers and everything.”

“Ah. Well, I can’t take full credit for that. One of the things a farmer left on his offering table some time ago was a book that I read last night. That helped a lot.”

“What book?” I asked curiously.

He blushed slightly. “Umm, I think it was only intended for male farmers to read. It’s not really your type of book.”

“Now I have to know.”

He ran his tongue over his teeth. “The title was How to Harvest a Wife: The Art of Wooing Women. ”

I burst out laughing, all my former anger forgotten.

“Ah, yes, making a woman laugh was part of the prescribed method,” he told me, unable to suppress his smile. “That was in the chapter titled ‘Fertile Field Flirting Tips.’”

“Oh, are you flirting with me?”

“I’m doing my best. Is it working?”

“Yes, it is. I must say that I’m udder-ly speechless. What else did it tell you to do?”

He guided my hand onto his torso and ran his fingers up the side of my gown. “Let’s see…flowers, making her laugh, I’m also supposed to write you a love letter that doesn’t look like chicken scratch, but I didn’t do that yet.”

I adored how Pollox was always so warm to the touch. “It sounds like this book has a great deal of wisdom. Anything else?”

“I need to not smell like a barn.”

I inhaled. “Congratulations, you succeeded.”

“And I’m also supposed to only pick a woman I get along with.”

“Ooh, I’m not so sure about that. I’m downright unreasonable sometimes.” Whatever magic that book had taught him was working on me. I found myself sinking into Pollox’s arms.

His hand supported my low back, drawing me closer so the space between us slowly disappeared. “I already knew that. It’s one of the things I like most about you. I’m not saying you have to choose between us. I’m saying that I’d like a chance to prove myself.”

“You’ve already been a friend, a partner in crime, my confidant…what else do you have to prove?”

“I can prove to you,” he whispered, dragging his gaze up my neck to fix on my mouth, “that I always take care of my hoard. I can prove that I can make you happy.”

How could a dragon make me feel this way? Any more of this longing would become painful. Kissing other men in the past had always felt like a job or some sort of chore. While I had enjoyed their kisses from time to time, being here with Pollox felt vastly different. A kiss from him would actually be significant. Did I deserve it?

I leaned into his hold on me and ran my hands slowly up his chest, savoring the feel of solid muscle under my palms, then snaked my arms up to his shoulders, inviting him to close the tantalizing distance between our mouths.

“I’ve never kissed a human before,” Pollox confessed, almost inaudibly.

“And I’ve never kissed a dragon before.” I hesitated, then went boldly on, “But I want to, whether a book tells me to or not.”

Time ground to a halt between us. His gaze never left my face, and flames danced in his eyes, alive with eager anticipation. I could feel the heat of his scorching breath between us and wanted it even closer. If Pollox waited any longer, my heart was going to beat right out of my chest, or else I would fly into a thousand pieces.

I clutched at the front of his tunic, pulling with just enough pressure to convey my willingness. That was all it took. Pollox leaned in the rest of the way and pressed his lips against mine. It felt as though fire blazed through me with an electrifying charge. Delicious flames were consuming me, and I didn’t want them to stop.

My arms crept around his neck as I stood on tiptoe, the better to reach him, and my body pressed against his as I eagerly kissed him back, returning his enthusiasm. It was impossible to resist curling my fingers into his hair, wanting to extend this kiss forever. This time, the passion didn’t dwindle and die as it had with other men. It grew with every second, and I swooned as I lost myself to the moment.

His grasp around my waist tightened until I was nearly lifted off my feet. His kisses became more aggressive, as if he was desperate to experience the fullness of the sensation that humans so often raved about. One of his hands lifted to cradle the back of my head, holding me close enough to keep our lips pressed firmly together.

Pollox pulled back first, releasing me enough that I could catch my breath. His eyes were wide. “Is this what it’s always like?”

“Typically, there isn’t this much heat.”

“Is that bad?”

“No, this is a very good thing.” I pulled him back toward me again and repeated in a quieter tone, “Very good.” My thought from after first meeting Pollox, about how flying was better than kissing, had been completely wrong.

The cool breeze blowing in from the open window to our sides made the furnace that was Pollox bearable to hold. Judging by the impatience with which Pollox returned to kissing me, perhaps he didn’t think that every human practice was useless after all. There was no comparison. Griffin was sweet, but Pollox, impossible, snarky dragon that he was, had an iron grip on my heart.

“Rapunzel! Rapunzel, are you there?” Griffin’s shout echoed up to where Pollox and I were still locked in an embrace.

Pollox froze, his lips pressed against the curve of my neck. “Can I please just eat him?”

I swatted at his chest. “No jealousy, remember? Who was I just kissing, him or you?”

He sighed heavily and pressed his forehead against mine. “Fine. I’ll come back in a few minutes to get rid of him.”

“No eating him,” I called softly after Pollox as he clambered back into the wardrobe. Once the door closed, I crossed to the balcony. “Griffin?”

“Rapunzel!” Griffin didn’t have his usual ropes with him, and I breathed a sigh of relief that I wouldn’t have to rappel down a tower again. “I’m coming up!” He reached into the satchel slung over his shoulder and pulled out an object, too small to be seen from this height. But the moment he touched it, he began rising into the air, without any ropes to support him.

I turned and looked at the room. “Quick!” I hissed at it. “Look like the prison from before!”

The room hurriedly rearranged, and not a moment too soon. Just as the final chain clinked into place, Griffin came level with the balcony and stepped beside me. “Is the dragon close?”

“I don’t think so; he’s off hunting.” Off hunting for more flirting tips in his book, no doubt. “How did you get up here?”

Griffin held out a small purple crystal ball. “I sent away for this as soon as I heard you were in a tower, and it just barely arrived. It’s a levitation crystal. There aren’t many.”

I really ought to figure out a way to repay Griffin. Who knew how much he had spent or what he had sold to purchase the dragonsbane and the levitation crystal?

I inspected the crystal. “That’s incredible. So it makes anyone float?”

“Anyone. And you can control the speed and direction simply by thinking about it. But we need to hurry, before the dragon comes back.”

“Right.” I cast an eye back at the tower room, rather tired of the same routine over and over. What was Pollox’s plan for the future? We wouldn’t be able to repeat the same swindle endlessly. How could I put an end to these rescues when I didn’t want to be rescued anymore?

“My deepest condolences about your father,” Griffin said solemnly.

Time froze and I forgot about everything else. What had he said? What did he mean, his deepest condolences? Father couldn’t be…

“I—is—is he… sick?” I finally stuttered.

The squire’s eyebrows rose as a slightly baffled expression crossed his face, replaced soon after by deep pity. “No, he…he passed away recently.”

“No.” My head moved from side to side as if in a stupor. My mind went numb, stupefied from the shock of the news. Fuzzy squiggles swam across my vision, and I collapsed onto my knees, my chest suddenly tight and constricted as I fought for air.

Griffin knelt beside me and patted my back, telling me that he was sorry to be the bearer of bad news. My ears weren’t working properly. His words washed over me, as garbled and unintelligible as if I were underwater. All I wanted was for this little charade to end so I could discuss everything with Pollox. A pox upon that dragon, why hadn’t he shown up yet?

“You…you’re lying!” The accusation burst from me. It couldn’t be true! Father was in perfect health—he had the best physicians in Rookwyn at his disposal. He couldn’t just keel over and die, just like that. Who was Griffin, acting like some supposed rescuer, rushing in to “save” me then throwing heavy information around like that before we were even on the ground? He must be the sort of pathetic man who reveled in causing others pain, the sadistic, self-centered… I threw an ugly look at Griffin, then felt my denial begin to trickle away. His face was contorted in anguish, just as mine was.

“I’m so sorry, Princess, truly I am.”

As much as I wanted to be angry and rage, my hostility slipped away like water in cupped hands. What reason did a lowly squire have to lie to me? He had simply been trying to express his sincere condolences. I was the one who should be apologizing for hurling accusations when he had merely been trying to give sympathy.

“I’m sorry—” I began in a cracked voice, but he cut me off immediately.

“You have no need to apologize. My father also died unexpectedly many years ago; I know how you feel.”

Now guilt was piled onto the complicated mess of emotions all battling for predominance in my mind.

“How did it happen? How did my father die? He was in good health.”

He bit his lip, clearly unwilling to divulge more information when his earlier statement was causing me so much grief. “That doesn’t matter right now. We need to go.”

“ Tell me .”

From his hesitation, I already knew. His words only confirmed what I feared. “There was an uprising after he refused to give out rations, and…and…”

“The people killed him?”

He bowed his head in acknowledgment. The air was evaporating from around me. I was falling…falling into a black abyss…

“Princess? Princess! Princess Rapunzel—” Griffin’s voice echoed in and out of focus as I struggled for breath. I tried to pay attention to what he was saying but could barely manage to stay conscious.

“Wha— what?”

“I am sorry to do this to you right now, but we really do need to get going before the dragon comes back. There will be time to grieve later.”

I nodded mutely, barely registering what I was agreeing to. Griffin wrapped his arms securely around me and took out the levitation ball. After so long of wishing that Griffin would hold me, the action no longer held any allure. I wanted Pollox.

Once on the ground, Griffin grabbed my hand and led me over to the horse tethered at the edge of the field. I obeyed the pressure without thought. The rest of the familiar scenario played out almost exactly as it always did, but it was as though I were watching it from someone else’s perspective. Pollox arrived in a blaze of glory, terrifying the horse and causing it to bolt before anyone could mount it.

I couldn’t even work up the energy to do my usual part in this acting. Pollox must have noticed that I wasn’t myself, because in between emitting a jet of flame that caused Griffin to run, yelping, back into the forest and flying off to pursue the terrified squire, he paused to nudge me gently with his snout. I stared off into space and placed a hand on Pollox’s scaly side, wishing more than anything that he and I could be alone so I could give in to the grief that was threatening to swallow me whole.

Pollox chased Griffin away, then came back to find me huddled on the ground, unable to do so much as move independently. What would happen to the kingdom if I didn’t return? Would Lord Morvain seize control? Would it be absorbed by a larger kingdom? I had been so selfishly concerned with my own future that I’d neglected the entire kingdom. What did it matter that Pollox and I snuck out at nights to give gold to those in need? A kingdom needed a ruler in order to function correctly.

“Rapunzel?” Pollox scooped me up, flew into the air, and gently deposited me on the balcony. “Rapunzel, what’s wrong?”

I let out a ragged sob. A tear dripped down my nose, hot and salty, as it cut a track through the grime coating my face. I drew in a shaky breath, trying to control my emotions. Pollox, still in his dragon form, lumbered about on the stone roof of the turret, checking all around for any signs of additional visitors. Once he was satisfied that we were done for the day, he turned his attention to me.

“Rapunzel, what is it?”

Another ragged breath. Pollox was right—human emotions were too painful. My shoulders shook as shuddering sobs began to wrack my body. I didn’t want to do anything but wallow in my misery.

A blaze of heat washed over me as Pollox transformed into a man. The moment he crouched next to me, I threw my arms around his neck and squeezed my eyes shut as I choked out the news. He returned my gesture, wrapping his powerful arms securely around my waist to hold me as I cried, head tucked under his chin.

An icy hand had gripped my heart, and I couldn’t understand it. My father and I hadn’t been close for years. I had despised the way he ran our kingdom, so why did the news of his death hurt so badly? I had already accepted that he would never be the man he used to be, but perhaps that was the pain of it—it was like he had died twice.

My surroundings swam in and out of my water-logged vision. For the last several months, I had been conning other kingdoms out of treasure with no communication from Father. Had he genuinely hoped I would return, or was it all for show? What would he have said to me if I had come back? I had left without so much as a farewell letter, and now, I had no way of knowing how my disappearance had affected him. Had he thought of me in his last moments?

I clung to Pollox, my tears pouring down my face and soaking his chest as my sobs deepened. The grief engulfing my body was all-consuming, and if Pollox hadn’t supported the majority of my weight as he kept his arms firmly wrapped around my waist, I would have collapsed. He didn’t say a word, just continued to hold me and rub my back.

Eventually, we sank down to huddle on the stone floor of the balcony, my head resting on Pollox’s chest. My emotional bank was depleted, but the extended crying seemed to have purged my mind of the immediate shock, leaving a residual sorrow in its wake.

“What do you want to do?” Pollox asked after I’d cried out all my tears.

“I don’t know. I can’t leave the kingdom without a ruler. They need me.”

Pollox continued to hold me. “I think it’s time you escaped for good.”

“I don’t want to leave you.”

He cupped my face in his hands. I’d never been so grateful for the comforting heat that soaked into my skin from where he touched me, bolstering my confidence. “You’re still a part of my hoard, even if you go somewhere else. This isn’t goodbye. But if what you need is to go back, I’ll do everything in my power to make that happen.”

I sank against him with a sigh. Already, the weight of ruling a kingdom was settling back onto my shoulders. For all the dislike that poured in on me and my father, I still cared. I would be able to implement new policies that would help the citizens, not hurt them. I could be like Pollox, always caring for my hoard to the best of my ability.

“I’ll take you back to where we first met,” Pollox told me. “You can go back and reclaim your throne.”

“You don’t want to talk me out of it? It could be dangerous.”

“A dragon would never abandon its hoard. I think it is the right thing to do to go back and care for them. Now that your father passed away, his hoard belongs to you.”

“They usually call it a kingdom, not a hoard. What about you? What will you do?”

He shifted his position, arms still wrapped around me. “I’ll come by in a few days. Maybe I’ll pass myself off as a dragon tamer and say that I tamed the mighty Pollox and that now, he only does my bidding.”

I let out a choked laugh. “That would be very handy to have a dragon readily available. I just don’t know how I’m going to turn the kingdom around. Father did a lot of damage with his greed.”

Pollox paused. “May I ask you something?”

“Always.”

“Were your father’s parents greedy as well?”

“Yes. I suppose it’s a learned behavior when people are in power. It seems that every ruler nearby is affected by it now.”

“By George,” Pollox swore quietly. “He was telling the truth.”

“Who was?”

He let out a long sigh. “I told you I had an ancestor who was able to curse human bloodlines. There is a story that was passed down through the generations about my great grandfather, who fell in love with a human. She rejected his feelings, and he cursed her bloodline that any ruler would have a dragon’s greed until the bloodline died out or until reparations were made.”

The story of the long-ago princess’s kidnapping came rushing back. “What was her name?”

“I can’t recall. Something like Sariah or…”

“Sabra?”

“Yes, that’s the one. Do you know the story?”

Not even Pollox’s warmth could combat the chill that overtook me. “I hadn’t heard it exactly like that before, but yes. Sabra was my great-grandmother. We were told the dragon kidnapped her.”

Pollox let out a noise similar to his thrumming when he was a dragon, but it sounded far less frightening when issuing from human-sized lungs. “No, she pretended to have feelings for Falkor and promised that if he helped her, she would marry him. Once he gave his help, she rejected him and married a man. For a time, I wondered if you would do the same thing to me. Did your father seem different before he took the throne?”

“Yes,” I breathed. “He used to care so much more, but that means”—I buried my face in my hands—“that means I’ll be affected by the same greed that my father had now that the kingdom is passing to me. My ancestors married royalty from other kingdoms; no wonder all the rulers have become progressively more greedy, and it’s all the people who are suffering.” I assessed my emotions. Was it already taking place? Had I already become uncaring and selfish now that Father had died? When had it happened?

Pollox gently pulled my hands down. “You are not affected the same because you’ve made the reparations. You treated me as an equal, as a friend. And now, I hold that oath fulfilled. You and your descendants won’t be plagued by that greed any longer.”

“You can do that?”

“Yes. Now, you can go back and be the kind of protector that your hoard needs.”

I touched his face. “You really need to start learning the human words for things.”

“You already use dragon terms. You claimed me for your hoard, too. As such, anything I have is at your disposal. I’ll get some things in order then come for you.” He stroked my hair. “We can make this work. You’ll be a wonderful queen.”

I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around Pollox’s neck. “You’re the best.”

Pollox returned the pressure. “I’ll never actually let you go.”