A Destiny of Dragons (Tales From Verania #2)(110)

“Whyyyy,” I moaned, trying to get that image out of my head. “Do you have to do that?”

“Yes,” Kevin said. “Obviously.”

“Whatever. I need to have a chat with our good friend Ruv here.”

“Do I need to make myself scarce?” Kevin asked, but he sounded like that was the last thing he wanted to do. It was good to know he didn’t trust Ruv either.

“Actually, I think you should stay. Because this probably concerns you too.”

“Ah,” Kevin said. “The whole thing where I’m the chosen one and will save the world and be given much treasure as a thank-you. Got it.”

I sighed. “Sure. Why not.”

“You are an odd mix,” Ruv said, sounding amused.

“How’s that now?”

“You. The dragon. The unicorn and the giant. The knight. The gods must have a sense of humor if they have put the fate of the world on your shoulders.”

“I don’t know if you’re complimenting us or insulting us,” I said slowly. “If it’s an insult, fuck you. If not, thanks, that’s a very nice thing to say.”

His smile widened. “She didn’t expect you to be as you are.”

“Vadoma?”

“Yes. And I think it threw her off.”

“She thought I was going to fall in line and do whatever she said.”

“You’re here, aren’t you?”

And that—dammit. “It wasn’t her.”

He arched an eyebrow at me.

“It wasn’t just her,” I amended. “It was… everything else.”

“What she showed you,” he said.

“Yeah, I guess.” And a thought struck me again, one that I’d let stew in the back of my mind. “Of course, she could have just showed me what she wanted me to see. Magic is manipulation, after all.”

“Perhaps,” Ruv said. “After all, she would want the most powerful wizard in an age doing her bidding, don’t you think?”

“That doesn’t really make me feel any better.”

“I didn’t know it was supposed to.”

I frowned at him. “The whole enigmatic thing you’ve got going on? Stop it. It’s annoying, and I don’t give two shits about it.”

He laughed. “Comes with being the Wolf to the phuro.”

“Being groomed doesn’t mean you get to act like a mysterious dick.”

There was a flash of something on his face that told me I was treading on dangerous ground. “I wasn’t groomed,” he said tightly. “I was chosen because of who I am. I didn’t need to change to fit others’ opinions of me. I’m not you, Sam.”

Ouch. And maybe deserved. But still. “No. You’re not me. And I’m not you.”

He shrugged. “I noticed.”

“The sexual tension just drips between the two of you,” Kevin breathed. “This is like my own private erotic show. I don’t have any money, but will you take requests? And if so, what are your hard limits? How do you feel about object insertion?”

“Against,” I said at the same time that Ruv said, “Depends on the object.”

I gaped at him.

Kevin purred. “I like the desert.”

“How did we even get here?” I asked. “And why do I always end up asking myself that?” I shook my head. “Stop distracting me. I am here for a very specific reason.”

“And what would that be?” Ruv asked.

“The dragon. Vadoma said you were an expert in it.”

He hesitated. Barely, but it was there. “Expert might be… a misnomer.”

“Really,” I said. “Shocking.”

“I don’t know that anyone could be considered an expert in dragons. We can’t exactly talk to them.”

“Hi,” I said, pointing up at Kevin. “Remember me? I can talk to dragons. And because of me, they can talk to everyone else. What does it look like?”

“Serpentine,” he said. “Long and thin. The scales are hardened and the color of fire. The wings on its back are small, but they’re useful when it dives from the air and into the sand, burrowing deep into the earth below. It has razor-sharp spikes that line its back that can flex if attacked from above. It does not have legs, but it moves quickly, especially on top of the sands. Its given name is Jekhipe. It means ‘oneness.’ Because it is one with the desert.”

I paled as I swallowed thickly. “So. What you just described sounds like a gigantic flying snake.”

“Exactly.”

“I don’t like gigantic flying snakes. Or, really, any snakes at all.”

“Ah. Well. Hopefully, you’ll get over that shortly. I’ve always heard that to conquer a fear, you have to immerse yourself in it.”

“That sounds like a terrible idea,” I said. “Why would anyone do that?”

“Because they choose to. You, on the other hand, do not have a choice.”

Godsdammit. “When was the last time you saw it?”

Ruv’s brow furrowed. “Saw… it? What do you mean?”

That didn’t sound good. “When did you last lay eyes on it?”