I Married A Dragon (Prime Mating Agency)(18)
Kaida just stood there, gaping at me, a mix of shock and disbelief etched on her face.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked, unnerved by her intensity.
My question seemed to snap my Ejaya out of her dazed state. She shook her head and averted her eyes while blushing even more. “Nothing,” she mumbled under her breath. “So, you expect me to share your bed every night?”
I nodded. “Yes. Unless you really need some time alone.”
“I see.”
I frowned at her less-than-enthusiastic tone. “Is that a problem?”
She shook her head. “As long as you don’t go back to squishing me, we should be fine,” she said, in a slightly teasing tone.
I scratched the scales below my right horn and bowed my head in embarrassment. “I was just in withdrawal. No more smothering, but I will still hug you.”
The amused, almost tender smile she gave me awakened the most pleasant warmth in my chest.
“You’re cute,” she said in a gentle tone.
“I am?” I asked, stunned. I’d been called many things, but never cute.
“Yes, you are. It’s quite unexpected seeing how badass and intimidating you looked when you were fighting those portal creatures.”
That “badass” term sounded illogical to me. But I had read it enough in human literature to understand it held a flattering meaning. I loved receiving these praises from my Kaida.
“Speaking of portals, let’s go down into the city. I want to show you your new home,” I said with enthusiasm.
“Sweet! Let me put some clothes on and pull out my jetpack.”
“No!” I said in a tone that brooked no argument. “No jetpack. I will fly you down in my arms this time.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “Is that just another excuse to hug me?”
I chuckled. “No, it’s not, although I welcome that additional benefit. However, aside from the fact that it will be easier for us to talk that way, it will also be safer,” I explained. “Like every other city on Dramnac, Oddran is unstable. Rifts can occur anywhere at any time. I must first show you how to recognize them so you don’t get sucked into a phase shift by accident.”
“Okay, that’s a valid argument,” she said, looking somewhat chastised. “I’ll be right back.”
I let her go to put on some clothes. I seriously dislike her need to be dressed. Sure, it was the way of her people, but it made little sense on Dramnac. Whether dressed or naked, she would draw attention as an off-worlder, but even more so because of her clothes. Her footwear made sense as, without them, the softness of her feet would undoubtedly result in many injuries. But our warm climate otherwise made clothes pointless, if not inconvenient.
Oh well, with time, I intended to convert her into not wearing any, at least inside our lair. I didn’t want any obstacles between us when I held her, however small they were.
Kaida did quick work of getting dressed. When she came out of our nest, I groaned inwardly at the extensive amount of fabric she’d wrapped herself in. Biting back the urge to complain, I took her hand and led her out onto the terrace. At least, the obnoxious coverings that cheated me out of fully feeling her thankfully didn’t snuff out her exquisite scent.
After picking her up in my arms, I pressed my nose into the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply.
Kaida wiggled in my arms while giggling. “That tickles!”
I didn’t pull away immediately, rubbing my nose on her neck for a few seconds more, while she continued giggling. I eventually stopped and lifted my head to look at her, hiding none of the happiness I was feeling in that instant.
“I love the sound of your laughter,” I said, my eyes locked with hers. “I love how little things like tickling you fill my hearts with joy. Merely being next to you makes me want to smile. Thank you for allowing me to finally experience what the simple happiness of companionship feels like.”
The strangest expression flitted over Kaida’s face. For a moment, I almost panicked at the air of sadness in her eyes, as if she wanted to cry. But then she smiled, lifted her face towards mine and gave me the sweetest kiss on the cheek.
“This is only our first day,” Kaida said in a gentle voice. “I will make sure you get to experience as many of the social things you have missed out on as possible.”
I smiled, pressed my lips to her forehead, then took flight, hugging her middle. Thankfully, my Ejaya didn’t fear heights. Eyes wide, sparkling with awe and excitement, she marveled at the surreal landscape of Oddran.
As a Shadow Lord, my lair was among the highest floating plateaus of the city. All around us, countless other plateaus of varying sizes floated at different heights on a wide radius around the black gate below.
“Is each floating island someone’s personal property?” Kaida asked.
“No. Like me, most nobles and the very wealthy have private plateaus, unless the plateau is too large to house a single lair. Then there can be multiple owners sharing it,” I explained, pointing at one such example below us. “You see this one? There are twelve families sharing it, but that plateau has a surface of nearly two-hundred square meters.”
“Right. So having twelve families on the same plateau means they are poor?” Kaida asked.
“Not necessarily,” I replied, loving her genuine curiosity about the city. “The fewer people on your plateau, the higher your status. However, the height of your plateau is even more important than its size or how many people share it. There are twenty-six levels, my lair being located at the highest one with only four other plateaus. The plateau of these twelve lairs is on the seventeenth level. They have a higher status than those two lairs sharing a plateau on the sixteenth level.”