I watched her read, her legs curled on the settee, pillows propped behind her shoulders. "Do you play chess?"
She gave me another treasure I hoarded-her smile. "I play checkers."
"Humph. Chess is the game of kings. I do not play a child's game."
She innocently gazed around the room not looking at me. "I see no kings here."
That was why I enjoyed her so much. She liked teasing me and keeping me on my toes, or talons depending on my form. "I shall teach you and maybe in twenty years, you shall be competition."
"Twenty years?" she scoffed.
"It will take at least that long to train your human brain in the game of warfare."
"Only if I may teach you checkers."
"Humph, when you beat me, I shall learn your silly game."
We moved to the table holding my chess set. The pieces were heavy gold and silver, the board black and white marble. I'd stolen it from a king in a faraway realm. The fool thought he'd captured a dragon. I challenged him to a game for my freedom. He'd agreed, and I won. The set was not part of the bargain, but I swiped it before he knew of its loss. No one holds a dragon without losing something. Usually their life.
I carefully explained each piece and how it moved. "We will play a slow game and I will help you if needed. I will not be so giving the next time, so beware and accept your defeat with grace."
"Yes, my lord, oh great one. I will bow at your feet when you take my king."
Her teasing made me laugh. I watched her study the board with a burning intensity. The game began. It took me little time to understand she played a mean game of chess. My hand landed on hers when she tried to move her knight. "You lied, you have played before."
"Never, but I've watched." She captured my rook.
I switched gears. She was a worthy opponent.
An hour later... "Check." The delight in her voice angered me.
I was dragon, I did not lose a war game to a female playing her first time or even her hundredth. I looked at the board with nowhere to go.
"Did you expect me to allow you to win?" She pushed her luck. She did not want to tempt an angry dragon.
I swiped the board and pieces from the table-my human roar not nearly as fulfilling as my dragon's. Tearing my clothes from my body, I avoided her gaze. Anger clouded my mind. I strode from the room when I was completely bare and jumped through the window, running for the ledge of the perch. Now my roar was louder. She beat me. A fluff of nothing, harebrained female won. I would have swirled around a few times and allowed my anger to cool, but I heard her laughter and saw her standing at the doors. I spewed smoke and fire. I knew what I was doing, and allowed the fire to end twenty feet away from her. She wasn't afraid. She laughed louder.
When I got like this, it had scared Bethanne. She hid in her chamber and waited for my fury to dissipate. Acasia challenged me. I swooped behind my lair and came at her from the top, out of her sight until the last second. She screamed when I grabbed her, but laughter soon replaced her fear. My anger left, melted with her playfulness. I flew her to the lake, and hooking my talons under her arms I slowed my flight and dragged her feet through the cold water.
"No, no, Bastian, it's ice cold."
I dropped her. The water reached her neck.
Her scream filled the night air. "I will kill you for this, you stupid dragon."
I made a circle and plucked her from the cold lake and sat her on the bank. Her teeth chattered and her body was blue. The gown she wore was wrapped around her legs like a second skin.
"Yyy...yyyou...arrrrre...crrruel."
I moved closer and enveloped her between my legs, settling her against my chest. I pulled the magic in and released heat from my body. My scales glowed with the warmth, and her shaking diminished.
"Remove your gown and you will be warmer." I had ulterior motives, and she would figure that out soon.
Her teeth stopped chattering and she pulled the dress over her head and let it splat against the ground. Her arms grabbed my chest, barely covering half of me, but it felt good.
"You vex me, female." I didn't mean to sound pitiful, but it came out that way.
"You needed your ego taken down a tad."
"Not by a slip of a girl."
"I love you, Bastian. Cranky loser, huge ego, and all."
My body went completely still. I couldn't love her back. It hurt too much.
"Ow, you fool, that hurt."
The words startled me from my thoughts. "What hurt?"
"I kicked you and now my foot hurts. The proper words, you stupid dragon, are... 'I love you too, Acasia.'"
I couldn't say it. "We must get home. It is late and we travel to Sarn's home tomorrow." I knew I ruined her good mood. She said very little the rest of the evening and went to sleep on her side of the bed without snuggling.
***
Acasia
He did love me. And if I said it over and over, I would make it true and believe it. I dressed for the trip to Sarn's lair with care, learning from my last ride. The garment, which Bastian told me was named blue jeans, was soft and supple. They formed over my legs and ass. I chose a light flowing, almost see-through top. The front swooped low, so I added a gold chain with a large black stone that matched Bastian's human eyes. The coolness of the stone rested between my breasts.
Bastian walked into the room naked. He stared, looking me up and down. "Stay by my side. Do not go more than a foot away."
He didn't say he liked what he saw, but I could see in his eyes that he did. "I shall do as you say, dragon."
"Of that I have no doubt. You would not enjoy being Laryn's concubine."
If Bastian didn't love me, that's all I was to him-a concubine. I shook off my sour thoughts. Of course he loved me. His stubbornness only kept him from admitting it.
A large leather bag sat on the ledge outside his room. After he threw the saddle over the side, he took a dive in human form and flew back up after shifting.
My curiosity was killing me. "What's in the bag?"
He gave me an impatient grumble. "We play cards and I must bring gold and jewels to gamble. Clothes are also inside for me."
I adjusted the straps across his chest and might have tightened them a little too much, but he only grunted. I ran up his tail and landed in the saddle, loving the feel of the jeans and the freedom of movement they gave me.
"Did you bring gold for me to gamble with?" I couldn't keep the excitement from my voice.
"No. This is a game for dragons," he blared.
I imagined him rolling his eyes. Someone was in a bad mood and it wasn't me. What he wasn't saying was that his dragon's game of cards was too difficult for a little human. "I'm very good at cards; let me know if you need help."
He launched himself over the edge, diving down while I screamed with the thrill. I would make him take me riding again in a few days just for the fun of it. I loved this feeling. Bastian ignored my attempts at conversation, but I wouldn't allow him to ruin my mood. I decided to sing.
Sweet little baby don't you cry, we will sing a lullaby. Sweet little toes go in the air, fingers run through shiny hair. Pat your feet and clap your hands, fly away to pixie land. Sweet li...
"Quiet. That infernal racket is driving me mad."
"Insufferable oaf." I couldn't hit him because it only hurt me. I was sick of his mood and hoped it improved when he saw his friends.