consisting of one dress, a pair of pants, a shirt, and a spare pair of boots.
She was glad to have the heavy pack off her back. Darius and Daniel had carried their provisions as well as their clothing, so she guessed she shouldn’t complain, but they were a lot bigger and stronger than she was.
Dearra plopped into a well-upholstered chair and closed her eyes. There was nothing to do but wait for the promised bathwater to arrive.
***
She wasn’t sure how long she had been soaking, but the water was now only lukewarm at best. It was full dark outside, but it always got dark early this time of year, so that was no way to judge. She knew she had nodded off and she should get out and dress for dinner. She could be called for at any time. Keeping the king waiting was not the best way to start their visit. If she waited much longer, someone was likely to show up, and it would be embarrassing to be caught lounging.
Too late , Brin laughed.
Dearra started to ask what was too late, but then there was a sudden knock at the door. She only realized she had forgotten to lock it when Darius let himself in and stopped dead in his tracks upon entering. Dearra slid lower into the tub and scooped the last of the feeble bubbles to better cover herself.
Darius took a tentative step into the room, and without turning, used his foot to close the door behind him.
“What do you think you’re doing? Get out!” Dearra yelped.
“Hmm, I don’t know,” Darius teased. It’s not every day that an opportunity like this comes along.” He started to circle the tub with lazy, cat-like grace, stalking his prey, but he was mindful to stay far enough back that he couldn’t really see anything.
“Brin! Say something!” Dearra demanded, trying to lower herself even further into the now cool water.
Oh, sorry, Dearra. You’re right, I should say something. Brin cleared his throat and deepened his voice slightly, taking on a formal tone. Now, Darius. You should leave at once. You are a bad, bad Breken…of course, if you leave now, I will think you a pathetic excuse for a man.
“Stupid dragon,” Dearra growled. “Darius, I have to get out of the tub. They will be calling us to dinner at any moment.”
“No, I think I like you better trapped. This is ever so much fun.”
Dearra sat up slightly. “Trapped? You think me trapped?”
“Well, in a matter of speaking, Dearra. I do sort of have you at my mercy.” Darius chuckled.
“You think that, do you?” Dearra almost purred, and her eyes flashed gold.
Darius ceased his circling. He had known her long enough to know you didn’t antagonize her further when her eyes blazed like that. The dragon blood that flowed through her veins made her unpredictable, at best, when she was in one of those moods.
“Now dearest, you know I was only teasing. I was just having a little fun since I knew I had you stuck in the tub, and there wasn’t anything you could do about it.”
“Really?” She said the word as one long drawn out sound and raised a brow at the haughty man before her.
Oh, oh, Brin said.
Dearra planted a hand on either side of the tub and rose from the water in a slow, languid movement. She pulled her hair back, wrung the water from it, and daintily stepped from the tub.
“Not trapped, after all, I guess,” Dearra said, squaring her shoulders and refusing to cover herself.
Darius backed away from her so quickly that he bumped into the side table, almost knocking the vase of flowers to the ground. He managed to right the vase before it was lost, but when he spun to leave, he tripped on the rug at his feet and went sprawling. He didn’t even look back to see if she was laughing, but just got to his feet and sprinted for the door, opening and closing it behind him in one fluid motion.
Dearra picked up a towel that had been left for her and wrapped it snuggly around herself.
Dearra! Brin said harshly.
“Hmm?” she asked.
Your Breken is showing.
She didn’t respond, but
She was glad to have the heavy pack off her back. Darius and Daniel had carried their provisions as well as their clothing, so she guessed she shouldn’t complain, but they were a lot bigger and stronger than she was.
Dearra plopped into a well-upholstered chair and closed her eyes. There was nothing to do but wait for the promised bathwater to arrive.
***
She wasn’t sure how long she had been soaking, but the water was now only lukewarm at best. It was full dark outside, but it always got dark early this time of year, so that was no way to judge. She knew she had nodded off and she should get out and dress for dinner. She could be called for at any time. Keeping the king waiting was not the best way to start their visit. If she waited much longer, someone was likely to show up, and it would be embarrassing to be caught lounging.
Too late , Brin laughed.
Dearra started to ask what was too late, but then there was a sudden knock at the door. She only realized she had forgotten to lock it when Darius let himself in and stopped dead in his tracks upon entering. Dearra slid lower into the tub and scooped the last of the feeble bubbles to better cover herself.
Darius took a tentative step into the room, and without turning, used his foot to close the door behind him.
“What do you think you’re doing? Get out!” Dearra yelped.
“Hmm, I don’t know,” Darius teased. It’s not every day that an opportunity like this comes along.” He started to circle the tub with lazy, cat-like grace, stalking his prey, but he was mindful to stay far enough back that he couldn’t really see anything.
“Brin! Say something!” Dearra demanded, trying to lower herself even further into the now cool water.
Oh, sorry, Dearra. You’re right, I should say something. Brin cleared his throat and deepened his voice slightly, taking on a formal tone. Now, Darius. You should leave at once. You are a bad, bad Breken…of course, if you leave now, I will think you a pathetic excuse for a man.
“Stupid dragon,” Dearra growled. “Darius, I have to get out of the tub. They will be calling us to dinner at any moment.”
“No, I think I like you better trapped. This is ever so much fun.”
Dearra sat up slightly. “Trapped? You think me trapped?”
“Well, in a matter of speaking, Dearra. I do sort of have you at my mercy.” Darius chuckled.
“You think that, do you?” Dearra almost purred, and her eyes flashed gold.
Darius ceased his circling. He had known her long enough to know you didn’t antagonize her further when her eyes blazed like that. The dragon blood that flowed through her veins made her unpredictable, at best, when she was in one of those moods.
“Now dearest, you know I was only teasing. I was just having a little fun since I knew I had you stuck in the tub, and there wasn’t anything you could do about it.”
“Really?” She said the word as one long drawn out sound and raised a brow at the haughty man before her.
Oh, oh, Brin said.
Dearra planted a hand on either side of the tub and rose from the water in a slow, languid movement. She pulled her hair back, wrung the water from it, and daintily stepped from the tub.
“Not trapped, after all, I guess,” Dearra said, squaring her shoulders and refusing to cover herself.
Darius backed away from her so quickly that he bumped into the side table, almost knocking the vase of flowers to the ground. He managed to right the vase before it was lost, but when he spun to leave, he tripped on the rug at his feet and went sprawling. He didn’t even look back to see if she was laughing, but just got to his feet and sprinted for the door, opening and closing it behind him in one fluid motion.
Dearra picked up a towel that had been left for her and wrapped it snuggly around herself.
Dearra! Brin said harshly.
“Hmm?” she asked.
Your Breken is showing.
She didn’t respond, but
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