Sam blinked. “You remember that?”
“I remember everything about that first time.” Rux’s voice was completely sincere. “The way you pushed your glasses up with the back of your hand because your fingers were wet, the little spot of foam onyour apron, and how you laughed when Mrs. Henderson apologized for being difficult.”
“I remember how gentle you were,” Urien added. “Patient and kind, even when you were clearly tired.”
“And I remember thinking I’d found something impossible,” Mabon said. “Something I’d stopped believing existed.”
Sam’s vision blurred slightly, and he blinked rapidly a few times to clear them. “I’m still not special.”
“You are to us,” all three said at the same time, and then they looked at each other and laughed.
Sam found himself smiling, too. It was impossible not to. “Does that happen a lot? The synchronization thing?”
“More than we’d like to admit,” Mabon said wryly. “The bond makes us...in tune with each other, sometimes embarrassingly so.”
“Tell me about your hoard,” Sam said, seizing on something concrete. “Why do dragons hoard things?”
Rux lit up. “It’s instinctive. Dragons collect what they value most - things that represent security, beauty, and power. Every dragon’s hoard is different because every dragon values different things.”
“Mine is books and art,” Mabon said. “First editions, illuminated manuscripts, and paintings by masters. I have a deep appreciation for knowledge and beauty preserved through time.”
“I hoard growing things,” Urien said. “Seeds from extinct plants, and cuttings from ancient trees, maintaining a living history.”
“And I hoard recipes,” Rux said. “Techniques passed down through generations, flavors that shouldn’t exist anymore, the memory of meals shared with people who are gone.”
Sam’s throat tightened. “Those are all beautiful.”
“A hoard isn’t about wealth,” Mabon said. “Though dragons often accumulate wealth as a side effect.It’s about surrounding yourself with things that matter.”
“And you wanted me to have part of yours.” Sam remembered the small gold bar left on his porch, currently locked in his desk drawer because he’d had no idea what else to do with it. “The gold.”
“It’s a traditional courting gift,” Rux said. “Although, probably too much, in hindsight.”
“You think?” Sam laughed nervously. “I nearly had a heart attack.”
“We’re not very good at human courtship,” Urien admitted.
“I noticed.” Sam speared a piece of chicken. “The garden was lovely, though. Even if I couldn’t read it.”
“I’ll take you flying,” Urien said immediately. “So you can see it properly.”
Sam’s fork paused midair. “Flying.”
“On my back,” Urien clarified. “I’m the largest, so that would be the safest for you.”
“I would be flying, on a dragon.”
“Only if you want to,” Mabon said quickly. “There’s no pressure for you to do anything.”
Sam took a deep breath. “Can we table the flying thing along with the egg thing? My brain is reaching the limit of what it can absorb in one evening.”
“Of course,” Mabon said with a smile.
Sam ate more risotto, buying time to organize his thoughts. “What about dragon society? You mentioned a Council.”
The mood shifted immediately as all three men tensed.
“The Council governs dragon affairs,” Mabon said, as if choosing his words carefully. “They are the ones who set and maintain the secrecy protocols. They also settle disputes and enforce our laws. They’re...traditional and very concerned with maintaining the old ways.”
