Treasured by the Dragon

Ch 7: Lies

Cephias won't look at me when we share meals at the table.

The disinterest should thrill me. With his attention elsewhere, I can more easily escape unnoticed. Yet I find his averted eyes frustrating and even a bit painful. I want to feel him looking over me, devouring me.

Gods, why am I so weak?

Cephias has sent me straight to my room after dinner these past couple of nights and I'm left alone until morning. With nothing to entertain myself before bed, my mind wanders into places it shouldn't. In the cold of night, I recall how hot his body was against mine; how hard he felt against my thigh as I pressed between his legs; and how his heated gaze sucks the air straight from my lungs.

He is a beast. I know he is. I've seen him scaled with wings spread wide. But, gods, does it matter? It certainly doesn't when I think of him with my hand between my legs.

I need to get out of here before my touch-deprived body leads me down a dangerous road. It's time I put a plan into action.

"Jennit, I've been meaning to ask about something I overheard your mother say on my first day here."

The young dragon looks up from her work, sweeping out the day's ashes. I pivot upon my stool, turning away from the mirror I'd been using while combing out my hair.

"Oh?"

"Yes, she said your clan needs new blood for healthy children. If you are all family to one another—"

"We're not all family." Though assertive, her voice is quiet. She turns back to the hearth as if the matter settled.

"What do you mean? Even Cephias said he's related to everyone in the clan."

I put down my comb, giving up on the impossible task of detangling my damaged hair.

Though the dragons aren't necessarily roughing it out on this mountain, they are still lacking the amenities I've grown dependent upon. Perhaps that is what I yearn for the most. Not a return to family and friends, but access to the luxury I've taken for granted.

"Well, he is related to everyone, miss, but that doesn't mean we all are. For example, Andre and I aren't related. His mother was Lord Cephias's maternal aunt, and my father is his paternal uncle."

I try not to breathe a sigh of relief. I noticed Jennit's quick glances in Andre's direction during meals, while he watches her with a longing gaze. If they were related, I wouldn't proceed with my plan.

With that cleared up, I celebrate the gloomy desperation in my companion's voice as she lingers upon Andre's name.

"I suppose that means you could have a family someday then, right?"

She pauses her sweeping and looks over at me. A comfortable smile lights my face, brimming with innocent curiosity.

"I suppose so, but now really isn't the time. Even if there wasn't this tension over the lack of tribute—no offense, miss."

"None taken."

"I still wouldn't have time to make a proper gem. There's just not enough hands to keep this place in order and—"

"What do you mean 'gem'?"

I rise from my stool and trot over to her side by the fireplace. She meets me with a confused cock of her head and a pinch of her brow.

"Do you not give gems to the one you wish to court?"

"No, though we do something similar when we want to marry. We give each other rings as a symbol of our eternal love for one another."