Page 158 of Tiger's Voyage

“We need some new clothes and shoes,” I whispered.

Ren nodded. “You first.”

I had the Scarf drape a curtain across the corner of the room and asked it to replace my clothes with winter gear, put two pairs of socks on my frozen feet, and a thick pair of slippers over those. While I was changing, I had it make clothing for the boys too so they wouldn’t have to wait as long. Using my inner heat, I carefully ran my palms over my hair to dry. When done, I felt much better but was still shivering.

After Ren and Kishan emerged in new clothes, and the three of us were snuggled close together on a couch to keep warm, I removed a glove and tried to warm Ren’s hand. His hand gently squeezed mine.

“Don’t,” he said. “Save your heat for yourself. We’ll be alright.”

I nodded and stuck my nose deeper into my wool scarf.

My teeth chattered, “Tttoo bad the Sscarff can’t mmakke heating blanketsss.”

I seriously pondered the possibility of warming a blanket with my hands for a minute and then discarded it. “Wwwell?” I asked Jnsèlóng. “Where issss he? You pppromised to introduce usss.”

“He’ll be here in a minute,” the dragon replied snootily. “It’s not like he was expecting visitors.” Despite his arrogant attitude, Jnsèlóng drummed his fingers nervously against the side table made from ice.

My backside was freezing on the ice couch. I shifted back and forth uncomfortably. Quickly realizing my problem, Ren lifted me onto his lap. He moved my legs on top of Kishan and wrapped his arms and coat around me.

“Is that better?”

I sighed. “Yes.” I pressed my nose into his chest.

Kishan frowned, but I held out my hand to him, and he pressed my gloved fingers to his lips with a grin.

Jnsèlóng was very uncomfortable watching this. He squeaked impatiently, “Where can he be?” Then looked at Ren slyly and said, “I really should be getting back to my treasure. Aphrodite gets lonely without me, you see.” He smacked his palm against his head. “What was I thinking? It’s almost dusting time. You know what can happen to certain metals if they’re not dusted every twelve hours.”

Ren looked up at him; his lips had been pressed against my hair a moment before. “Relax,” he said. “You made a deal, and you’re not going anywhere until we get our introduction.”

The golden dragon threw an angry hand in the air. “Bah! Remind me never to barter again with tigers.”

I snorted, and he narrowed his eyes.

“Or females.” He slumped in his seat, took out a bag of jingling coins and began counting them carefully while cleaning them with his sleeve.

We didn’t have to wait much longer before a tall, white-haired man entered the room.

“Jnsèlóng!” The white dragon’s voice pummeled us like sleet against a windowpane. “You know you should never bring anyone here unannounced! It is forbidden!”

The golden dragon whimpered, “I had no choice. They tricked the information out of me. It’s all the girl’s fault, you see. She—”

“Stop. I don’t want to hear one more word. I’ve told you time and again to give up your obsession with hoarding and bartering, and centuries later you still never listen. You never learn. Go away, and I will clean up your mess. Asusual.”

The golden dragon rose up quickly.

“And I don’t want to see your metal hide for at least two hundred years!”

“Yes, Yínbáilóng. You won’t hear a peep out of me. Thank you.”

Jnsèlóng glanced at us on his way out. I winked at him, and he squealed and ran the rest of the way. We heard the dragon’s heavy body enter the water with a splash, and it was gone.

The white dragon turned to us and smiled warmly. “He is so fun to frighten, isn’t he?”

I flushed and nodded.

“That was quite a clever trick you three played on him. It was very well executed. He’ll think twice before he barters again. Oh, he’ll still do it, mind you, but at least he will think twice, which is more progress than I’ve made with him in centuries.”

The white dragon moved fluidly across the room and bent his tall frame to fit the chair recently vacated by his brother. Crossing one leg over the other, he crooked his elbow on the arm of the chair and rested his head against his finger as he studied us. White hair was smoothed back from a prominent brow. His lips were thin and pressed tightly closed as he appraised us, but his wizened face was full of expression. His eyes were icy blue, almost translucent, and were full of curiosity. His demeanor and accent reminded me of a British professor.