Page 18 of The Music Demon

Shy wasn’t sure whether to be delighted or terrified. On the one hand they were comical and precious. On the other hand they had sharp teeth and paws with lethal-looking claws at the end of their wings.

“It’s an uncharted dimension; a sort of nursery really. The dragons don’t live here. They come once every millennium or so because they can nest and hatch in peace. No dragon-egg predators. When the babies are ready to solo and old enough to defend themselves, they’ll return to their world of origin. A mated acquaintance told me it’s a hit with the femmes.”

With her attention fixed on the flock of small dragons charging straight for them, Shivaun wasn’t watching Lyric as he conjured a cotton candy machine. Thinking it might be prudent to opt for getting behind Lyric, she glanced back.

Eyes wide, she said, “Is that…?”

“Cotton candy.” Lyric grinned as he wound a spool of airy pink sugar onto a cone shaped like a unicorn’s horn. He pulled off a little tuft and handed it to Shy to sample. “For my best girl. Dragons love it, too.” Lyric looked behind her just as a shadow the size of a house fell over Shivaun. “Hello, mama.” As he handed a stick of cotton candy to the first baby dragon, he told Shivaun. “Here. You try it.”

Shivaun felt her heart racing. She sensed a presence at her back, ancient and immense although she didn’t understand how she knew that. Her human muscle memory felt an acute awareness that her left hand was without bow while her right hand itched to reach upward toward a quiver that wasn’t there and pluck out an arrow that, also, wasn’t there. But she found that she didn’t need to summon courage to steady her heartbeat. The demon’s demeanor gave her reason enough to relax.

So. Without looking over her shoulder, she stepped forward to learn how to wind cotton candy onto a stick.

Lyric grabbed her and gently positioned her between himself and the machine so that she was facing both the machine and the mother of a dozen colorful and demanding dragon babies. Shivaun didn’t try to stifle the gasp that took her breath. If she’d ever seen anything more magnificent, she couldn’t imagine what it might be.

The dragon’s scales were a mixture of deep blue and green iridescence. When she moved one way she appeared to be more blue. When she moved the other way, more green. Her eyes were sapphires set on fire. Her wings gray, tipped with gold.

Taking her hand, Lyric demonstrated how to quickly serve cotton candy to eager dragons, while whispering in her ear. “Dragons have an affinity for our kind, Shivaun.” The dragon arched her beautiful neck and then stretched toward Shivaun as if sniffing. “Don’t be afraid. She’s curious. She may never have encountered a female demon before.”

The dragon pulled back with a small huff and nudged one of the more demanding babies who was trying to cut in line.

Shy took over the task of serving cotton candy. The little dragons grabbed what was offered and squatted on haunches nearby, cone clutched between their paws while they licked with long forked tongues. When the last baby grabbed his prize, Shivaun’s eyes wandered to Lyric who was petting the mom, murmuring sweet nothings about her exquisite beauty.

The mighty female dragon was eating up the sweet flattery. Now and then she bowed her neck, nudged him as horses are sometimes inclined to do with humans. The invitation for more petting made him laugh, which in turn enchanted Shivaun as much as the dragon. She decided on the spot that the demon’s laughter made her list of best things ever.

When he saw that his date was watching, he smiled. “Want to pet her?”

Shy shook her head. “No. But I’ll swirl another cloud of pink sugar if she wants it.” The dragon huffed softly. “I’ll take that as an aye.”

When Shivaun completed the biggest cone she’d made, she said, “Do you want to give her this?”

“Come give it yourself.”

Shivaun looked dubious. “Does she, em, breathe fire?”

Lyric laughed like it was a stupid question. “What? No. She’s not part salamander. There are many species of dragons just like there are many bipeds. As you know, we can look alike and be very, very different.”

As Shivaun approached, the dragon raised her head so that she towered above, but reached out to take the stick, careful not to cut skin with claws.

“She’s curious about you,” Lyric said. “She’s never seen a female demon before.”

“Guess that makes us even. I’ve never seen a dragon before.” Without taking her eyes away from the mighty creature she’d thought to be mythical, Shivaun whispered with wonder, “Is this the most magical place in the world?”

“I’m not good at rating things. There’re lots of wonderful things to see and do.” Lyric waved his hand and the machine vanished. “Let’s leave them alone. I don’t want to over-socialize the young ones so that they’retootrusting of strangers.”

“Alright.”

He took her hand and an instant later they were far below the cave where the dragon was raising her young on a beach that looked like it was made of fine crushed pink granite.

“Is a walk on the beach too cheesy?”

She noted, with satisfaction, that he had not let go of her hand. “I do no’ know what’s meant by ‘cheesy’.”

As he encouraged her to walk along with him, slowly, he said, “Trite. Cliché. Overused?”

“Hmmm. I guess, if walks on the beach are cheesy, it must be because ‘tis timelessly romantic.” She grinned.

The demon raised his chin and seemed to study her for a couple of beats. “Those of us who are into lyrics, have a world of admiration for romantics.”

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