Page 45 of Ava's Legacy of the Dragons
Kilian whirled around to face her. "You want to stay?"
She shrugged. "I don't suppose there's a hotel I can check into. And since you're sharing a room with me, my virtue shouldn't be in danger, right?"
His eyes glinted darkly. "Alright, then. We'll stay." He looked directly at her for a moment longer, making her heart beat faster. For that reason, she looked quickly at Marcus.
"You don't need to show me the kitchen, I'm tired and want to put down my bag. The little one is getting heavy. But it would be nice if you could take Lilly there."
Marcus had attentively followed their staring contest, but he remained unperturbed and just grinned. He tapped his finger to his imaginary hat and bowed.
"If it is your wish, oh fair Dragon Guardian, I shall hasten to fulfill it for you." Grinning, he winked at herand stepped outside. Which meant that Ava and Kilian were alone.
She felt even more nervous at the mere thought of looking up and seeing his dark eyes. To cover up the tension, she went to the door Marcus had pointed to.
"Let's see how big the room is." When she looked inside, she hesitated.
There was only one bed.
Kilian made a quick round through the house before coming to her. "There's no exit except for the door, remember that. Only stay inside while you sleep. Otherwise, you should be outside. The possibilities for escape are better there, even though I haven't found a second exit from the valley yet. But one exists, I'm convinced of that."
Ava had put her bag on the much too narrow bed, whose cozy pillows and fluffy comforter looked more than inviting. There was no second sleeping place, which raised the question of where Lilly should lie down. And how she and Kilian were supposed to fit in this bed without... well...
At the side stood a small armchair made of yellow fabric, adorned with red and green pillows. Kilian sat down on it, and it was an unusual sight: the armed warrior clad in black leather sitting on a colorful, cozy armchair. She grinned to herself before taking advantage of their moment of privacy to talk to him.
"Do you really believe these people want to harm us?"
He unexpectedly took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. "I don't know. There hasn't been a dragon egg for a long time, so we can only guess how the different parties will react to its existence. I don't know thesepeople, but I've learned that when it comes to magic and dragons, humans sometimes reveal their most abhorrent sides."
"Are you referring to the murder of the magic-born?"
He put his finger to his lips in warning and leaned forward, his voice barely a whisper. "Don't speak of that. We don't know what the Old Folk think about it, but most despise humans with magic. Which is no wonder, considering how many deaths Elora is responsible for."
She took the warning to heart, though she was still interested in the answer. Especially his opinion on the subject. However, they had to assume that the inhabitants were keeping an eye on them. Maybe there was even some kind of listening device in this room, which was why she postponed the conversation for later.
"What do you know about these Old Folk? Why are they considered legendary?"
Kilian leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, his muscles bulging. "They say the dragon guardians used to come from the Old Folk."
She looked up in surprise. "Are you sure? Because the way they... pay their respects to me suggests that I'm more of a curiosity."
"Because there haven't been any guardians for hundreds of years. The question is whether you're descended from them."
Waving dismissively, she sat down on the bed. "You don't need to create a mythical origin for me. It's okay. I've made my peace with not knowing my parents. With the fact that they didn't want me."
"It doesn't sound like it."
Her voice took on a sharp edge. "That's my business and it doesn't matter anyway!"
He studied her attentively, without blinking. Whenhe did blink again, it was as if he was breaking a spell. "You're right, it's none of my business, but the Old Folk will thoroughly investigate whether you might belong to them. And if there's even the slightest possibility, they'll use that as an opportunity to decide about the dragon egg and your future."
Ava sat up in alarm, but then grabbed her bag, took out the egg, and placed it in the middle of the bed. "I'll know how to defend myself."
"And if not, I'll be there to help you."
When she looked up, his gaze was unexpectedly gentle. At the same time, there was a promise in it that made her heartbeat quicken, however much she wished it didn't. She opened her mouth to say something when the door slammed shut and Lilly burst in.
"Man, I'm tired. I'm hitting the sack. Marcus said we're sleeping together in this room. I hope you don't snore."
As if on cue, Marcus appeared in the doorway, an innocent smile on his lips. "I really wonder how a dragon fighter is supposed to fit in that bed too. Maybe I should put you up with my neighbor instead. What do you think, Kilian?"
