A dragon for your thoughts (now published so sample only)

Chapter 11 - Dragon siblings

Chapter 11 – Dragon siblings

"So, what happens now?" Millie asked, once they had landed back in his lair.

"I will begin my search for the Pearl of Antoinette," Duane stated, as he turned back into a man.

"What exactly am I supposed to do?" She asked uncertainly.

"You must stay here, in my lair where you are protected."

"And do what?" She waved an arm around.

"Kevina can come and keep you company." He hedged around answering.

"What about on the weekend? I have Jake, so I can't be here," she pointed to the cave

"On the weekend, I shall put off my search to allow your nephew to be cared for. I will have to stay with you in your own home on those days." He shuddered, as if the thought was horrific.

"You will?" She asked in surprise.

"Yes." He nodded decisively.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"I noticed the night we met that your nephew is important to you. I would never deny you time with him.

"I really appreciate your thoughtfulness," she said on a yawn, before puzzling over his earlier words. "Why don't you feel cramped in here when it's the same size as my actual home?"

"My lair is just beyond, which makes this feel somewhat spacious to me." He shrugged elegantly.

"I guess that makes sense," she still sounded doubtful. "I think I might try to sleep a bit more now."

She began to drowsily drag her body up the stairs, while her mind bubbled with everything she had endured today. Knowing that she had to stay here alone tomorrow woke her mind up in a rush, as she made it onto the landing.

"Camille, do not stress," Duane said from behind her.

"I don't think I know how to stop myself somehow. In one day, my known world now includes dragons," she rubbed her forehead. "I don't even know what happened back there either." She frowned as she considered the last hour.

She walked to her room, pondering the fact that Duane had complicated her life in so many ways. She wasn't sure exactly how she was going to cope with this strange new world.

"I was given some potent truth this evening, and I used it accordingly," Duane shrugged, as though it was a tiny matter.

"Duane, you just told your sister that she's evil. I'm not disputing that because she wants to eat me, so obviously she's evil. But..." She scrubbed at her forehead.

Duane reached out and looked at her directly, "Her shell is grey, which in turn makes her evil."

"How is it so cut and dry?"

"Grey shells are normally smashed before they can develop." Duane closed his eyes, and titled his head away from her.

"And Cerise's wasn't, why?" She demanded.

"We are a slowly dying race. None of my siblings have had any hatchlings, nor have any other dragons in the world. My parents must have looked upon even a grey egg as something to celebrate. She was the last to hatch in a very long time." Duane told her sadly.

"Okay, I didn't realise that was the issue. I can see where your parents would have had trouble deciding what was morally right." She assured him.

"That last dragon will not die for hundreds of years, but if we cannot breed then we are still a dying race." Duane shook his head, sounding upset.