Page 88 of Always Say Yes to a Dragon

Elle flushed bright red. “Three months is really short for humans. And Az and I have only been seeing each other for two weeks.” She glanced at my mom and added, “The fact that Az is so sensitive and understanding of our cultural differences is one of the things I like most about him.”

Both my parents’ mouths drew in.

Udar barked a laugh. “Asensitivedragon? And will he just roll right over when another dragon makes a demand?”

“If I were that weak, I’d never have claimed Kilinis.” Or held it against Udar’s attempts to sneak in.

“Yes, we’re very proud of Az’zael,” Dad said.

Anything else I might have said emptied out of my head, my claws tightening on Elle’s hip. I had never heard either one of my parents say something so nice, and I didn’t know what to do with the praise.

Smoke puffed out of Udar’s nose.

Elle ran her fingers over her necklace. “He’s done a lot to be proud of.”

I nuzzled into her hair, pleased all over again by her defense and the garnet earrings in her ears.

She glanced between all the dragon faces, licked her lips, and said, “I was so intrigued when Az told me his parents were the dragons who had claimed Sutton. It was the first city to get claimed in modern times, right?”

My dad preened, his wings snapping back. “Yes, they’d been struggling, and Rasonu and I had just written an extensive research paper on claiming cities as an ancient practice. We’ve always been a bit more sociable than other dragons, and the idea appealed. When we met with Sutton’s city council, they agreed.” He gave a wry grin. “We made a few modifications from the old ways, for modern concerns, of course. No need to roast invaders anymore.”

“You also didn’t let Sutton keep their city council,” I pointed out. After Diego had mentioned it, I’d done a little digging into the specifics of my parents’ governing practices. What I’d found had reminded me why I’d never asked for their advice when I claimed Kilinis.

My mom chimed in. “Honestly, Az’zael, they were running their city into the ground. They spent so much money on public safety and infrastructure, but their intellectual development was pitiful. It was better that we took control.”

“It took some time, and we had to beverytough on some of the whinier humans, but Sutton’s thriving now,” Dad said.

Udar glanced at me. “Sometimes it’s best to get it over with quickly and deal with the consequences, right?”

Elle wrinkled her nose. “Weren’t there a bunch of protests the first few years you took over?”

“And a lot of residents left,” I said. If I’d tried my parents’ smash-and-burn method, Udar’s power grabs might have had more of a chance of working.

Udar glared at me. I flicked my wingtips at him.

My mom sniffed. “We don’t need quitters in our city anyway.”

Elle patted my chest. “I think it’s great that Az is so willing to get outside input. It’s the mark of a true leader to recognize that they can’t know everything. He’s instituted a lot of new programs and initiatives.”

“Well, he certainlydoesn’tknow everything,” said Udar.

Elle gaped at my brother. I ran a thumb over her hip.

Everyone else took a sip of their drink.

I sighed. “Would you two like your gifts?” I always won our exchanges. It was a surefire way to change the subject to something thatwouldn’tmake me look like an idiot.

Udar and I exchanged a glance around our parents’ backs. The same one we always exchanged at family gatherings. It said,I didn’t get you anything. Same for you? Good.

Gifts were for people we liked.

Dad waved a hand. One of the servants appeared with an elaborately wrapped package. I handed each of my parents a wrapped package as well. Elle glued herself to my side, and I prayed my parents didn’t discover some new way to humiliate me.

I tore open the packaging to reveal a thick, leather-bound book—quality binding, but the paper itself was nothing special. Then I read the title.Understanding the Dewey Decimal System, Its Theory and Practice.

My insides turned hollow, and I wondered if it was possible to drop dead on the lounge floor.

Though I’d probably get a lecture about that, too.

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