Page 76 of The Dark Lord's Guide to Dating

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GIFTS THAT BREATHE FIRE (USUALLY WORK)

ARABELLA

I wrapped my cloak tighter around my shoulders just as the sun slid behind the walls. The east courtyard wasn’t much more than an alcove tucked against the fortress, a smaller offshoot of the main courtyard with the obscene pentagram. But I supposed the staff had to label each portal-to-possible-doom somehow, so “east courtyard” it was.

At first, I figured I was alone, but then I spotted Kazimir, his back turned toward me. He stood near the far wall, posture unusually rigid, almost as if he were… nervous? I almost laughed. The famed Dark Lord, nervous? Unthinkable. Yet something about the set of his shoulders gave him away.

He glanced over when he heard my footsteps, and summoned me closer. “Try not to startle anything.”

Naturally, I froze. “Should I expect something toothy?”

He angled his chin toward the corner. “Potentially. Best not to agitate it.”

Definitely toothy, then. I approached carefully. Against the stone wall crouched a large shape. At first, it reminded me ofa coiled shadow. Except shadows didn’t typically have ridged spines and leathery wings.

My pulse knotted. “Is that?—?”

“A juvenile shadow dragon,” Kazimir murmured, gaze flicking from the creature to me. “My beastmaster found her.”

The dragon’s eyes snapped open to reveal shining silver irises. Thin smoke curled from her nostrils, stirring the crisp evening air.

“She’s…” I couldn’t form any other word. “Beautiful.”

Kazimir sounded almost self-conscious as he spoke. “She’s yours. A late wedding present.”

I stared at him. “You’re giving me a dragon?”

He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “You’re the Dark Lord’s wife. It felt... fitting.”

I’d half-expected him to produce a cursed tiara or maybe brand-new shackles. But a living dragon? She was downright mesmerizing, her obsidian scales gleaming with each shift of her body.

I cautiously edged forward. “I’m clueless about dragon care.”

“Fortunately, my beastmaster isn’t.” His voice found that usual note of haughtiness. “She’s young enough to bond. Especially since you’ve got unusual magic.”

I hardly heard him. “Can I get closer?”

“Carefully. Hand out, palm up. Let her decide.”

He also mentioned the creature’s name—Nyx—and told me I could rename her if I wanted. I didn’t think I would. “Nyx,” I murmured. “Hello there, magnificent girl.”

Her nostrils flared, sampling the breeze around me. Then, with a sleek, serpentine movement, she slithered across the flagstones. My entire body braced in terror, but my heart pounded with something like wild, irrepressible joy.

Nyx paused inches from my hand, her breath hot against my skin. The shadow dragon’s black scales rippled, creatingan illusion of constant movement across her sleek form. Her nostrils flared, sampling my scent with interest, while those unsettling silver eyes—intelligent, ancient despite her youth—locked onto mine with unnerving focus. She smelled of lightning storms and charred sugar.

I swallowed nervously, waiting. Finally, after a few moments of steady puffing against my hand, she pressed her snout into my palm. A shock fired through my bones. In a sudden rush, I saw fleeting memories: webs of midnight clouds, the thrill of plunging through darkness, the thunderous echo of wings. The sensation stole my breath. When it passed, I realized I’d sunk to my knees, hand still cupped around Nyx’s muzzle.

Kazimir cleared his throat. “Looks like she’s taken to you.”

My vision blurred. I shook off the haze, blinking up at him. “I—I don’t have words for this.”

His expression flickered, something vulnerable there, gone in an instant. “Consider her yours. Regardless.”

Nyx rumbled deep in her throat, practically purring. I stroked her warm scales, a little awed she wasn’t just a coiled shadow that could vanish any second. “Is it right?” I asked softly. “Binding a wild creature like her?”

He crossed his arms, black coat catching the breeze. “She chooses, actually. From what I heard, she nearly perched on my beastmaster’s back to come here. And possibly tried to eat him. That bit is somewhat unclear.”

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