Page 18 of Dragons & Dumplings
“Thank you for telling us his story,” I offered in his stead.
“Thank you for the wine.” Her pink tongue ran over her fangs. “I can guarantee it will be thoroughly enjoyed.”
“Do any traces of him remain in this area?” Yuri asked. “Any scales, any magic?”
“Hmm,” Agatha said thoughtfully, tapping one long, red fingernail on the table. “My family did not keep anything like that. But you may want to check the large cave to the north, where he made his den. It is possible that traces remain there.”
Yuri and I shared a glance.
“Then, this evening—” he started, but Agatha cut him off.
“Not tonight. You should investigate this matter tomorrow, in the daylight.” Agatha’s red eyes gleamed. “Tonight, the colony hunts. You do not want to be near the forest while we are hunting in it.”
The blood drained from my face, and even Yuri’s face looked paler than usual. “Thank you for the warning.”
After thanking Agatha once more, we rose and made our way back through the garden and towards the path that led back to Willowmere.
“I can see why Glacius tried to lay claim to the castle.” Yuri cast one last look at it before it was hidden from view. I slipped my hand into his—only partly to make sure he didn’t go back for another look.
I scoffed. “Why anyone would want to live without electricity is beyond me.”
He rolled his eyes, but his tone was light as he said, “You fire drakes and your modern conveniences.”
Chapter eight
Tastes & Teasing
Yuri
“Alright,nowIwantyour honest opinion of this one,” Mei said with her hands on her hips, as she handed the steaming plate of food to me. As I took it, my fingers brushed hers and lingered, almost of their own accord. I felt like a moth drawn to a flame, even knowing what coming close to it, toher,would do to me. Our differing temperatures clashed in the small booth, so that the food wasn’t the only source of steam.
“On a scale of one to melted ice sculpture, how spicy is it?” I eyed the plate of rice warily. I would prefer to preservemytastebuds, if at all possible.
“Erupting volcano.” She laughed when my eyes went wide. “Just kidding. Not everyone in town loves a ton of spice, so this Fire-Mushroom Risotto is very creamy. I’d even call it closer to warm than spicy.”
“That’s…reassuring.” I set down the plate and picked up my fork.
As I filled the fork with steaming rice, I distantly wondered if agreeing to her deal had been the wisest choice. Even gnawing on a frozen hunk of meat was preferable to chili peppers. Then again, Ihadlearned a lot about Glacius today, even if I had wanted to argue with what I heard, and I didn't exactly regret spending more time with Mei…
I put the fork in my mouth, and braced for the pain.
To my surprise and delight, I hardly detected any spice at all. In fact, the creaminess of the sauce hardly had any heat. And with the bursts of flavor from the chicken, it was actually incredibly good.
“So?” Mei leaned forward eagerly, her braided ruby hair falling over one shoulder and catching fire in the golden light. “What’s the verdict?”
“Surprisingly good.” I took another bite.
“Surprisingly?” She pouted, her lips snagging my gaze before I hurriedly returned them to the plate.
“What I meant is that the lack of heat and the rich cream taste really good to me,” I hurried to add.
Her smile returned, like the sun emerging from behind a cloud. “Really?”
“Really. I think this would be a great dish to serve to the folks who aren’t keen on lots of spice at the Feast. You could make a vegetarian version for the elves, too.”
“That’s a great idea!” Mei’s face lit up. “If they like it at the Feast, they might even become patrons of the diner! And then my parents will finally see—” She clamped her lips together.
“Finally see what?”
