Page 2

CHAPTER TWO

U pon returning home, he was elated to discover that everything he touched did indeed turn to gold. Even his clothing had become golden during his encounter with the dragon. As he grasped the doorknob, it shonebrightly.

Pressing a hand to the simple wooden door, he watched in delight as it transformed into a resplendent ornament. He then moved his hand to the building, awed as the bricks shifted one by one, gold traveling up the wall until the entire manor glinted and gleamed in the light.

This was better than he’d ever expected! Overjoyed, he rushed to tell Mama.

When he called her outside to show her how Everrose had become pure gold, she was incredulous.

“What illusion is this, Aurie? What have you done?” Her eyes narrowed.

“It’s a gift from the dragon, Mama. Come, I’ll show you.”

She shook her head but followed him into the rose garden. “What did you give the dragon, and how is a golden building helpful?”

“It’ll make us rich, Mama!”

Surely then King Iver would have to return his title and his land.

But his mother was not so easily convinced. “I don’t want to sell Everrose. This is our home now. It has been in my family for generations. Besides, a little money is unlikely to change the king’s mind about restoring you to your rightful place. You don't need that man’s approval anyway.”

His jaw tightened. Deep down, he knew she was probably right, but he refused to accept it. The need for power his father had instilled in him remained as strong as ever. Without his title, he was nothing. Though he didn’t agree with the king or even like him, he still craved the man’s approval.

“He must give me my title back. You’ll see, Mama, everything will be better. But we don’t have to sell this manor if you don’t want to. Anything I touch will turn to gold. I can make as much gold as I want.” Eager to show off his new skill and prove to her how helpful this gift would be, Aurie reached out and touched a lovely red rose, one of his mother’s favorites.

Surely, she would be delighted to have it turned to pure gold. He couldn’t think of a more perfect thing. The rose beneath his fingers glinted and shimmered, spreading the metallic hue from the delicate petals down to its stem and encompassing the entire bush.

Mama gasped.

Aurie grinned, sure that he was hearing a sound of delight and awe. Except when he turned, her eyes were filled with shock and something far too uncomfortable.

“It’s gold, Mama, genuine gold! See? I merely have to touch a thing for the spell to work.” He grinned and touched another plant to prove his point. Surely, she could see the wonder and beauty of such a spell. The dragon had been most generous.

“Aurie, what—what happened to you? How did you do that? What did the dragon do?” Horror and concern filled her eyes.

He shook his head. This was not something to be horrified over—it was a gift. This was exactly what they needed to change their circumstances. To finally have the life they deserved. Why couldn’t she just see that?

He tried to impress upon her how this was going to change their bad luck, but she only looked more horrified, if that were possible.

Liquid gathered in the corners of her eyes.

Blast! He had done this for her. This was supposed to fix things, not make his mother cry. With time, he hoped she would see how much this would mean to them.

“Can you turn it off?” she asked, a tear leaking down her cheek. He stepped toward her, wanting to wipe it away, but she quickly retreated. “Don’t touch me, Aurie. What if you turn me to gold?” She held her hands out to protect herself.

His eyes widened. He had never considered that contingency.

“Aurie, you must be extremely careful about what you touch. Don’t you see how dangerous such a thing can be?”

“It’s fine, Mama. I’ll wear gloves.” Searching his pockets, he found a handkerchief and wrapped it around his hand to demonstrate. “See, nothing to be afraid of.” His fingers brushed another rose bush while safely encased by the now-golden handkerchief. Except the leaf shimmered and hardened, the green yellowing to gold. He caught his breath as the entire plant turned to gold, just like the rest.

“Oh, Aurie! You must give this—this magic back. You can’t live life turning everything to gold. How will you eat?”

He shook his head vehemently. “No.” His voice was harsher than he expected. “I won’t take it back. It will be fine. The dragon wouldn’t have made it impossible for me to eat.”

This only made Mama’s cries intensify.

Concern twisted his heart, but he quickly stuffed it down. “This will change everything for us, Mama. You’ll see.”

While his mother refused to appreciate the dragon’s gift, Aurie was determined to make the most of it. There might be some slight drawbacks, but the gold was worth it. Though he could no longer touch his food with his bare hands, their new wealth meant that he could have Mrs. Calla cook gourmet dishes for everyone to enjoy—they’d eat like royalty. All it required was the use of a utensil. Nothing as dramatic as his mother feared.

I nitially, Aurie had thought golden furniture quite delightful, a far sight better than it was before. However, he quickly learned just how uncomfortable gold furniture could be. Sleep was rather difficult upon his once plush feather bed. While the fabric of the mattress remained flexible, the feathers inside became sharp once turned to gold, crunching and poking him the whole night through. He began sleeping on the floor and sitting in chairs that had been entirely wooden before he transformed them. This proved easier to endure than the constant poking. It seemed a small price to pay for such wealth.

Their once simple cottage in the middle of nowhere had become quite grand, the gold glistening beautifully in the sun. Aurie wanted to sell it and buy a bigger home for his mother. Truthfully, he wanted to win back the home they’d lost. Unfortunately, that land was tied to his title, and wealth was not enough to sway the king to buy back what he’d lost—though he’d certainly pocketed the gold Aurie had sent him. The King’s displeasure ran deeper than money.

News of the king’s decision brought Aurie low once more. Would he never find value again? He consoled himself by turning even more things into gold, starting with the garden. The lone rose bush needed the enhancement of more golden plants. Before he had quite realized what he was doing, his mother’s entire rose garden, along with all the plants surrounding it, shone a brilliant gold. He stood watching the sunset, elated at how the gold glinted in the evening light.

He may not have regained his worth, but perhaps he could bring his mother the beauty she deserved.

He went inside to find more items to transform; though he was careful to leave several of the couches and other pieces of furniture so his mother would remain comfortable. Perhaps it would lift her spirits to redecorate. They could purchase whatever she wished—cozy items to accent the gold. Yes! He was certainly wealthy enough now.

As Lyra came in to clean the room, his thoughts turned to his servants. Hadn’t her mother mentioned a sister who had a new baby and no money to pay the taxes? He could send some of the money off to help Mrs. Calla’s family and even Galen—he had been a most stalwart steward. Not to mention the people of his village who were in need. There was no end to the things money could do. He didn’t need the approval of the greedy king!

Still caught up in the dazzle and gleam of all the gold, he was shocked to discover himself quite changed when he awoke one morning a week later. It was incomprehensible. Everything suddenly looked much too small—the colors strangely vivid. His golden blanket had shrunk, barely covering him. The space around him felt tight and cramped. As he clambered to his feet, something whipped him from behind. He turned to find an iridescent scaly tail attached to his body!

A snort of astonishment escaped his lips. He reached for his mouth to find the source of that strange sound only to discover paws instead of hands, with claws curling at the ends of his fingers. He stepped backward in shock and felt something flutter at his back. What had happened to him?!

The new maid who’d just come to light the fire in his bedroom screamed and fled.

Her scream startled him further, making him turn toward the door. As he did so, his tail whipped round the room, slammed into the mirror, and brought it crashing to the ground. A snarl flew from his mouth, shocking him to silence. The mirror’s golden frame was broken beyond repair, the shattered shards scattered across the floor reflected strange shimmering scales.

What had become of him?! Unable to fit through the door, he awkwardly unlatched the large double wide window and squeezed his way outside, using his unfamiliar wings to coast to the ground and hurry to the pond.

A dragon’s reflection—foreign and terrifying, three times his usual size—gaped back at him. Sharp pointed teeth filled an uncannily reptilian muzzle. Gilded horns grew from his head, and spines lined his back. Iridescent scales with golden undertones had replaced his skin, shimmering with a rainbow sheen. A small flame-shaped marking—pure gold and no larger than a drachma—gleamed on his chest. Only his blue eyes remained the same, the last trace of familiarity in this monstrous new form. The dragon’s warning rang in his ears. Be careful that you don’t allow greed’s flame to consume you or your heart will be mine. You will forget your humanity and become a creature who only loves treasure.

Unfamiliar claws brushed against the marking on his chest as his heart beat a painful rhythm. Had the dragon meant that literally? Had something happened to his human heart, transforming him into a dragon? Would he remain like this forever?

Fortunately, this fear proved unfounded. He remained a dragon for only half the day, turning back into himself by evening. The only evidence of the change was the small gold marking on his chest, slightly to the left—directly over his heart. His mother was quite upset over this new development and became even more vocal in her demands that he reverse the curse, insisting that all the gold was tainted, anyway.

“This must stop, Aurie! You aren’t sleeping, you can’t receive physical affection, and now you’re changing into the same monster that put this curse upon you. You cannot live like this! I cannot live like this! I just want my boy back!”

“I’m not a child anymore! Turning into a dragon now and then isn’t the worst thing. I find that I don’t mind it, and if you’d let me, I could show you just how fun it can be, flying in the sky. Besides, I’ve been sleeping just fine. The golden touch doesn’t work in my dragon form and it gives me magic, Mama.”

“Do you even hear yourself, Aurie? You have become a monster!”

“No, I’m not!” he growled, his voice sharp. “Dragons are perfectly respectable! People go to them for advice all the time. Plus, my mind is still intact while in my dragon form. A dragon is the reason you are currently enjoying the level of wealth and comfort you have today! You should feel indebted to the dragons!”

“Wealth, I already told you I don’t need! I need you, Aurie, not gold! You must reverse this curse before it is too late. What if the dragon takes over and you never return to your human form again?” She moved dangerously close to him, her eyes pleading.

Aurie backed up, his fists clenched, his jaw hardened. She didn’t understand. “I can’t reverse it, Mama. It is a part of me now. I don’t understand why you don’t want me to buy you a larger home. We could be living like royalty now. We needn’t hide away in this tiny cottage. You’ll never need or want for anything again.”

“I never said I wanted any of this! We were fine with what we had before.”

“When we were destitute? No. I lost everything!” He threw his arms out, voice raw with emotion. “I could barely afford our food, let alone provide the comforts you were accustomed to. I was a failure, just like Papa always said I’d be. I’m all you have now, don’t you understand? I need to take care of you to make Papa proud! Even King Iver could see the failure I was and stripped me of my title!” His eyes flashed with anger as he stepped closer. Pain gripped his heart, a bitter reminder of how far he had fallen.

“Oh honey, you cannot base your worth off anyone or anything, especially not the king. Even with all the wealth in the world, he won’t give you your title back. You are a wonderful man and were a wonderful lord over Sovia, putting the needs of the people first. Unfortunately, King Iver doesn’t care about the people. You know this, and you can never make that man happy, nor should you try. Keep being you!”

Moisture built behind his eyes. He blinked it away. She couldn’t be correct. He refused to accept the loss of his title and land, no matter how much he disliked the king. How could he make any kind of difference without it? How could he help make any changes? He was nothing now. A nobody. “I’ve helped make things better for us.” He gestured to the glistening room around them. “How can you not see that? With money, I’ve been able to hire staff, helping them make a decent living as well. Money helps everyone.”

“Those who aren’t too afraid to stay.” She muttered so low, he wondered if she had meant for him to hear. Her eyes sought his. “You sound like your father. Life isn’t about gold, Aurie. You can still find happiness without it.” Her words clawed deep, causing a physical ache. He never wanted to be like the haughty man his father was.

He pressed a hand to his smarting chest. “And yet we need money to survive. Would you rather live on the streets begging for food? Because that’s where we would have ended up if I hadn’t sought help from the dragon!”

“That’s enough!” She slashed her hand through the air, cutting off any further words. “I don’t want to hear any more. Can’t you see this curse is destroying you?! You aren’t the man I thought you were! You must reverse this spell before it consumes you, twisting you into a man even more unrecognizable. I just want my son back.” Her tears were falling heavily now. “If you don’t do something about it, I will leave. I cannot continue on this way.”

He drew in a sharp breath. Her words pierced him more powerfully than any weapon. She spun on her heel to storm out of the room. How could she say that? Why couldn’t she understand that he had done this for her, for his people? Money made everything possible.

“Wait!” He rushed after her, but she kept going. “Stop!”

She shook her head, refusing to stop or turn around. “I won’t change my mind, Aurie.”

Unthinking, he reached out to stop her himself. She had to listen to reason. He couldn’t allow her to leave like this. He couldn’t stand for her to think of him thus. He was not his father! It wasn’t until his hand brushed the skin of her arm that he remembered why he could touch no one—especially his mother!

He hastily dropped his hand as his eyes widened in horror. “Mama!” He choked on his desperation, unable to stop the gold from traveling up her arm and consuming the rest of her body. It was too late! She turned to solid gold, frozen in the act of leaving him, proving her point more profoundly than anything she could possibly have said.

His mind fought to recall the dragon’s words as anguish engulfed it. There had to be some way to reverse this!

The tears he’d been battling fell down his face unrestrained as he cried out. His sobs, raw and desperate, bled into the agony of his soul. His body vibrated as claws sprouted from his fingers, his shoulders broadening with raw power, until a deafening roar tore from his throat—echoing the pain of the monster he had become.