Page 16 of Escaping my Dragon

“This is boring,” I interrupted, displeased by the attention the inseminator paid her. “Who cares about a dream featuring a cave? Me, I’ve had visions of a mountain shaking.”

“So what? Mountains shake all the time, especially right before a volcano blows,” was her tart riposte.

The retort had me recoiling. So much for Pollita leading in my affections. Guess I’d be concentrating more on Persephone from now on. She would know how to treat someone of my mighty stature.

“Tell me more about this cave. Did it have any defining features? Maybe a symbol carved in the ice?” Shamash asked.

“There is one oddity. One of the walls isn’t like the others. It’s more grayish in hue and not as slick. Almost textured.”

“Like, say, scales?” Shamash prompted.

“Only if the scales were as tall as me, and even the dinosaurs never got that large,” she tittered. “Do you know why I’m having this dream?”

“No but I’ll wager it’s related to the one Abaddon keeps having and why Astaria insisted we meet.”

“Seems like we’ve much to discuss. Let us do so over some refreshments,” Pollita offered.

A dinner that did much to mollify. For one, Pollita’s servants fawned over me. They obviously recognized greatness. Two, the food offerings proved delicious. Roasted chicken seasoned with spices and dripping with fat and juice. Plump fruits to sweeten the tongue after, and a potent nectar Pollita called Pisco—a grape brandy—that had me blinking as my vision doubled and my step wavered.

“Fabulous feast,” I slurred as Polly led me through the network of tunnels that honeycombed her cavern hideaway.

“My servants are most excellent,” she agreed. “If you don’t mind, I took the liberty of housing you with me since the other chambers lack proper accommodation for our kind. The previous inhabitant never received dragon guests, hence why I only have the one suite.”

Share a room? With Polly?

Gulp.

I quickly sobered. “I shall be a perfect gentledragon,” I promised.

“Well, that would be a shame,” she cooed, “seeing as how we’re finally together.”

Double gulp.

Wait? Dragons didn’t canoodle like humans. Or did they…

I soon got my answer.

The next morning, Shamash eyed my strutting steps and the equally saucy Pollita but said nothing about the night we’d spent together. Instead, he chose to circle back around to the reason for our visit.

“These dreams you and Abaddon are having appear to be a portent.”

“I figured as much. Are we in danger?” Pollita asked.

“I believe so, seeing as how even Tiamat was concerned. While unclear what she knew, Tiamat called the threat The Destroyer, and her fear of it is why I suspect she used subterfuge to fertilize a clutch.”

“She wanted loyal allies to stand by her side,” Pollita wrongly assumed.

Shamash shook his head. “To steal your strength.”

Pollita blinked her beautiful, jewel-like eyes, so pretty I wanted to pluck them for my hoard. “What do you mean, steal?”

I cleared my throat. “Apparently, it is possible for a dragon to consume the flesh of another to acquire their gift.”

“It doesn’t always work, though,” cautioned Shamash. “And the attempt has resulted in more than one battling duo both dying due to grievous injury.”

“Wait a second. Our egg layer was going to eat us!” squeaked Pollita. “How rude!”

“Tiamat wasn’t the maternal sort,” Shamash offered with an apologetic shrug.