Page 57 of When Roses Burn

“The dragon loves him,” Bertie said.

“That’s amazing. This further solidifies the fact that it would attack my mother if she tried to attack him. Was there a dragon visiting when they cast the curse?”

“We don’t know,” Bertie said. “We were in the woods, and while I’m fairly certain we would have known if a dragon arrived, there’s a chance it had just gotten here, and we weren’t aware.”

Outside, Knox swung himself onto the dragon’s neck and grasped its horns. Once he was settled, the dragon traversed the wall until they vanished.

“If you need anything, let us know,” Bertie said, as if Knox hadn’t just ridden off on a dragon.

It took me a second to get over my amazement. “How will I do that?”

“Knock on the door. Someone will hear you.”

I didn’t say anything, and through the reflection in the glass, I watched as she floated back to the door. A few seconds later, the lock clicked into place, and the tiny creature on the bed scampered out from its hiding spot. He walked to the end of the bed and sat with his two front paws in front of his chest; his nose twitched as he sniffed the air.

“Come have dinner with me,” I told him.

The small creature jumped off the bed and scurried over to the chair. He waited on the armrest while I settled into the seat. Once I was sitting, he squeaked and jumped into my lap.

“I’m sorry I got you trapped here with me,” I told him as I caressed the soft fur on his head.

His head lowered, and a small, almost purring sound issued from him as he leaned into my touch. Despite being locked away again, I smiled as I pet him.

He slipped out from under my hand and scampered up to my shoulder, where he rested a tiny paw against my face as if he were trying to comfort me. I leaned into his touch and the small claws resting against my cheek. I was sorry he’d lost his freedom, but I was also glad for the company.

“We should name you. Would you like a name?”

He lowered his paw and squeaked in response. It was almost as if he understood me, but that was impossible… wasn’t it? But then again, maybe not. I had no idea what kind of creature he was or what he could do. I could be looking for something that wasn’t there, or maybe he did understand.

“How about Squeaky?” I suggested. His mouth scrunched up as if he’d eaten something awful. “Chirpy?” Again, that look of distaste. “Sir Burrows-a-Lot?”

He squeaked with such outrage that I laughed. “Okay, we’ll come up with something better.”

He jumped out of my lap and onto the table, where he eyed the tray with interest. Then he snatched up one of the green beans and, holding it between his paws, nibbled on the vegetable.

Still not very hungry, I picked at the potatoes while he moved on to the meat. I considered where I’d found him while I pondered more name options.

“How about Forest?” I suggested.

He paused with a piece of meat in his paws before squealing in distaste and resuming his meal. “Not Forest then. We’ll figure something out.”

When I held out my index finger to him, the creature rested one of his paws against it; he left a streak of gravy behind.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Briar

A piercing howl jolted me upright in bed. I blinked into the darkness as I tried to ascertain where I was. It took a few moments to recall I was in the tower and a prisoner of Knox. On the other pillow, the creature stirred before settling into sleep again.

Outside the windows, the inky black sky pressed against the glass. Here and there, stars poked through the clouds, but they were mostly obscured. I also didn’t see any moons or planets.

Another howl pierced the air; a roar that lifted the hair on my nape followed it. The shadow dragon hadn’t created that noise; his bellows were far louder. It had sounded like a large cat.

Tossing aside my blankets, I looked over at the creature who remained curled up with his tail near his head as he slept soundly. I envied him his peace.

When I rose, the thin, baby blue nightgown I’d chosen to sleep in brushed my ankles as I approached the windows. Light from the lower windows facing out on the courtyard illuminated the space nestled between the walls and the castle.

Meandering trails looped through benches, assorted plants, trees, and statues. The sprites had been working to keep alive what they could, and some of the shrubs had a couple of pretty, night-blooming pink and yellow flowers.