Page 62 of The Baby Dragon Cafe
“Oh, interesting,” she said. “What’s up there?”
“It’s a kind of monastery? I don’t know how to explain it properly, but it’s a very spiritual place, and the people who live there live in seclusion and devote their lives to taking care of dragons and learning about them. It’s run by these novices who we call Sister or Brother out of respect for their knowledge and dedication.”
“Fascinating. I’ve never heard of it, so I didn’t know anything about it.”
“It’s one of those Drakkon family things.”
“Oh.” Something dark crossed her face for a moment, but it was so quick he thought he had imagined it. Before he could question it, she asked, “So what were you saying about the dragon’s first flight?”
“Right. There’s a ritual that is meant to help the baby dragon be a stronger flier, which is why my father asked when we would be going to Mount Echo. My mother called me about it as well, to remind me how important this developmental stage was for Sparky, and I know I need to do it for his sake but … well, I suppose it’s just a daunting prospect, one I’m not keen on undertaking, especially not alone.”
“I can go with you,” she said, as if it was the simplest thing. He blinked, taken aback. Her words filled him with comfort.
“That would be … perfect,” he replied, his stress ebbingaway immediately. With Saphira by his side, he reckoned he could do anything. “But are you sure?” he asked. “It would be a two-day trip, since Mount Echo is a bit hard to get to.”
“That should be fine,” she said breezily. “I have more staff now, and they’re trained enough that I trust them to hold down the fort while I’m gone, under the supervision of Lavinia, of course.”
Aiden exhaled a sigh of relief. “Okay, amazing. This is great!” He smiled, but the joy only lasted a moment. Instead, dread washed over him again as he remembered one key detail. His smile disappeared, and she frowned.
“What is it?” she asked, concerned.
“Oh, um … I forgot but, the sage, Mireya—she lives up on Mount Echo and is the one in charge of the ritual—is very traditional.” He cringed. “She’s really conservative.”
“What do you mean?” Saphira asked, furrowing her brows.
“In the olden days, raising a baby dragon together was only done by couples because the bond is so sacred,” Aiden explained.
“Oh,” Saphira said. “So you … want me to go? Alone?”
“No, no, of course I want to go as well, and I wouldn’t leave you alone, nor would I miss such an integral moment for Sparky …” He trailed off, awkward. “Unless you want to go alone?”
“No! I’d love for you to come. I thought maybe you wouldn’t want to because you seem so stressed about it, but we’ve been training Sparky together, so of course we should both be there.” She laughed, a little nervous as well. “But how would that work? Would this sage lady be offended that we aren’t a couple?”
He scratched the stubble on his cheek. “Yes, actually. I don’tthink she would do the ritual because she would consider it a mockery of the sacred bond.”
Saphira’s face fell. He was afraid she would back out, but she was right—they were training Sparky together, so it was important for both of them to go. Before she could say something, an insane idea popped into his head, but it was so crazy, it might actually work.
“What if we pretend?” he blurted out. His heart hammered with fear to have said the words out loud, but he wanted her to be there, for Sparky, and for herself. She deserved to be.
“Pretend?” She blinked. “Like … pretend to be married?” She looked shocked.
He was embarrassed to even suggest it. She was the one who said they werefriends, so maybe she didn’t think of him that way, but he felt like they had this connection, this special connection. It was undeniable.
Perhaps they simply needed some time away from everything to see if it was true. What better opportunity than a little getaway to the mountains?
Aiden had been to Mount Echo before, and the place was gorgeous: secluded and serene.
But maybe she didn’t want that? She was currently quiet, thinking. Aiden second-guessed himself. He contemplated retracting the offer, acting like he hadn’t said anything, but then a determined look crossed her face.
“Okay, yes.”
Aiden’s heart completely stopped.Oh my god. He wanted to ask her if she was sure, but was also afraid she would change her mind.
“If you think it’s best?” he asked gently.
“Yes.” She cleared her throat, and he noticed her cheeks were a little pink. “I mean, it’s for Sparky’s sake, right? He needs both of us there.”
“Definitely,” Aiden agreed. “No, absolutely. Yes.”
