Page 19 of Sugar & Dragon Act I: Temptation

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“You’re taking a vacation to help Dago Midais?!”

Pax stared at Hera in disbelief, squeezing the teacup so hard that its cracking was more than likely. Gaiana put her hand on his arm, gently encouraging him to set it down, then tucked a red curl behind her ear and looked at her friend closely.

They had reacted exactly as Hera predicted.

“Heis supposed to helpme,” she said with studied calm, meeting the green eyes of the man on the opposite side of the table.

“That sounds even more suspicious,” Pax said, not reassured by her tone, nor by the garden scenery surrounding them, nor even by the proximity of his beloved wife. He let go of the cup, running his fingers through his mane of dark hair. The name “Dago Midais” influenced him like the sight of another predator influenced a lion patrolling its territory. He became restless. “He’s plotting something.”

“Certainly,” Gaiana agreed, but a smile lurked at the corners of her mouth like a fox waiting for the right moment to spring out of its hiding place. “But it’s nice he agreed to help you. He could’ve refused, after all.”

Hera smiled casually and reached for a cookie so her silence wouldn’t strike the eye.

“What might he want from you?” Pax wondered. “Are you doing any research that could benefit or harm his interests?”

Hera took a bite of the cookie and chewed silently for a moment. She thought she was well-prepared for this conversation, but her friend’s question made her realize that when it came to Dago Midais, she still managed to miss the obvious facts.

House Midais had been mining precious metals for centuries. Of course her new research could benefit Dago’s interests.

“I’m researching the healing properties of gold,” she said eventually.

“Gold has healing properties?” Gaiana asked at the same time as Pax crossed his muscular arms and said belligerently, “All is clear now.”

Hera ignored Pax and smiled at his wife. “Gold has antibacterial properties,” she continued, not faking her enthusiasm. “I have yet to confirm this, but I think it can reduce inflammation and speed up wound healing…”

Her friends gave her amused glances, signaling they saw through her verbal machinations, but Hera shrugged and reached for another cookie without interrupting her disquisition. She knew they would think about her words long after she left. The speed of wound healing was the only topic that interested healers and knights to the same extent.

Besides, she managed to distract them from things she wasn’t ready to talk about yet.

For now, no one needed to know that since Dago Midais had proposed to her, the list of potential projects within her financial reach had grown significantly.

XII Hera

As usual, when Hera arrived at Dago’s castle, she was greeted by a ginger cat.

“How do you always know when a guest will arrive?” she asked politely.

Pandorian flapped his little wings, but his gaze suggested that her question lacked panache. “I walk along the walls and look around.”

Hera felt heat rising to her cheeks, but since she was determined not to let anyone throw her off balance, she smiled sweetly. “Doesn’t that bore you?”

“No. I like to calculate the surface area of clouds passing nearby.”

Involuntarily, she felt a tug of interest. “Mathematical formulas aren’t too logical for you?”

“How could they be too logical?” The imp’s eyes widened in puzzlement. “Mathematics makes absolutely no sense.”

“Oh.”

A silence fell.

“Didn’t Dago tell you he invited me on a three-day trip?” Hera asked.

“He did.”

Pause.

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