Page 93 of The Heart of the Dragon

"Nothing. I don't know. Just thinking about home and everything I left behind." I had a hunch while some of my emotions were processing, there would be others that would catch me off guard.

"Do you regret coming here with me?" he asked quietly. Almost reverently. I could feel the tension in his voice and it chipped away at my heart. There was a need in him that pulled at me.

"I don't regret anything. I'm annoyed that you weren't completely honest with me but any decision, rash or not is worthy of my belief in it. It was made for a reason."

"You're such a noble little thing. You would make an excellent queen."

I reared back so I could see his face, and the seriousness of it shocked me. "Why would you say that?"

"Because it's true." He pulled me back in his arms and nestled me close again before he continued. "It's simple, really. Your practical mind would serve a kingdom well. Couple that with your kindness and desire to learn and I believe you are the perfect combination for a queen."

"That's quite a compliment. Although I am not looking to be a ruler. I lack the knowledge of the realm and the experience. I'm afraid I would make a mess of things."

"And that is why you would be perfect. That desire to do a great job is more than anyone can ask for, and it's certainly more than they get right now.”

"I'll have to take your word for it. But honestly, I'd rather hear you talk about something more basic. Will you tell me what it was like growing up here?"

He was silent for so long I wasn't sure he was going to talk at all. But the silence between us wasn't horrible either. With my ear pressed to his chest, I could clearly hear the solid beat of his heart and the steady in and out of his breaths with the occasional rumble of his chest. I imagined that was his dragon. They were one, but they were also two and I had both looking out for me right now.

I found it truly comforting and snuggled closer.

I was drifting towards a deep sleep when he finally spoke.

"You already know time flows differently here than in the human realm, but for me it's been..." He paused. "Well, it feels like a lifetime since I was a dragonling. And the memories are both harsh and vague."

"Because of the time flow?"

"A little. But that doesn't mean you should worry too much. Honestly, you won't notice any difference unless you cross back over."

"How long have we been here?" He didn't ask what I meant, we both knew I was trying to wrap my head around how much time had gone by in the one day we'd been here.

"Several years."

I gasped. I'd known this would happen, but imagining it happen and actually having it happen were two very different things. In a few year’s time, the whole world could have changed. My parents would have moved on by now. Hopefully John got his car back. And my regular customers would have given up on me by now. And my cottage could be gone...

"Don't mourn the loss. Life here can and will be as rich as it would there, I promise. There are so many kinds of people to meet. Magic to learn. Not to mention species of plants I'm sure you've never heard of let alone seen."

He was right, of course. But...

"But none of that can happen if we don't defeat your uncle."

"We will. This has been coming for a very long time. It's time. I can feel it."

"Have you ever fought back before?"

"Yes. When I was younger. I assume that's why he locked me down with a spell. By the time I hit puberty, he could no longer control me. I did what I wanted and when. Fear and beatings only got him so far."

"And yet those are still his weapons of choice. Why didn't you want to stay with your brother?"

"Because he doesn't feel like my brother, and despite everything, this is my home, and I want to be here."

Because of that conviction alone, I wanted to learn everything I possibly could about this realm. But I wanted to see it through his eyes as well as mine.

"Do you have a favorite place to go here?"

He laughed, a lovely low rumble that passed through his chest and against my face, creating a tingle low in my core. "I do," he said. "There are caves that ring the edges of the realm. Some as part of the dark forest and some not. Those ones not in the dark forest led to the most magnificent pool and waterfalls that are more than big enough for a dragon. And on a clear day, the water sparkles and teems with magic energy."

"That sounds lovely. Can we go there?"

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