Page 102 of Dragon’s Ending

For all I knew, he was feeling his way through the new way things were between us just as much as I was. And I had a hell of a lot to learn from him, now he was willing to share it with me. Maybe there was room for even more change than I dared hope.

I played idly with Ben’s hair, loving the way he snuggled even closer against me as I did. “I wish I knew what I did to make him see me differently,” I said, more to myself than to Ben. Because if I’d known what it took, maybe I wouldn’t have had all those years of being excluded, of helpless anger and wasted time.

He stilled, then sat up and looked at me. Oh no, serious historian face.

“You sound like you think it’s your fault that Rhodri couldn’t see what was right in front of him,” he said. “I don’t know why he changed, but it wasn’t because you weren’t enough before. Mortimer could see who you are. I could see—well, maybe it took me a little while to overlook your more… idiosyncratic qualities.” A grin lurked in his eyes before he grew serious again. “But don’t you dare blame yourself for Rhodri’s choices.”

I huffed, and drew him back down. Idiosyncratic qualities, my arse. “They’re part of my charm,” I told him, and filed away everything else he’d said to think about later. Or not.

“What do you think about this council idea?” I asked.

“You mean the council itself, or you having a role?”

“Both, I guess,” I said. Because if Ben disapproved of the concept, he’d probably have good reasons.

“Well, it’s unelected for a start, which isn’t great,” he said. He wasn’t looking at me, still tracing patterns on my chest. “But then, dragons don’t really do democracy. And from what I understand, the council would have the power to change anything it wanted, so it could always turn itself into an elected body.”

He sat up again, alarm on his face. “God no, don’t do that—you know what we’re like. It’ll be the biggest and strongest who’ll fight their way on and have their own way, bullying the rest of us into compliance.”

“Noted. No democracy,” I said. “Maybe a benign dictatorship?”

He lay back down, head on my shoulder. “That doesn’t make it sound any better, but yeah. With dragons, I think it’s the safest way.”

“Mortimer was careful to tell me he was selecting for other traits as well as strength,” I told him and he made a satisfied sound in response.

“And about me being a member?”

It was ridiculous how exposed I felt. I loved Ben. I trusted him absolutely. But asking like that, opening the door for him to say, in his kind way, that I had many strengths but I just wasn’t up to this kind of responsibility—I thought it would kill me from him.

“Don’t worry, it’s not like I’ll have time with all my very important meetings,” I told him quickly. “I’m actually being allowed to talk at the one with the Hargreaves, though I think Rhodri’s giving me a script.”

“Dominic,” he said softly, when he was sure I’d finished. “I think you’re exactly who we need on that council. You care.”

I swallowed hard and stared up at the ceiling with burning eyes.

“I mean, as long as you don’t start mandating sword-fighting or in-flight somersaults because you think it would be fun,” he added.

Now there was an idea. Before I could get too far down that road, Ben kissed me. “Do you want to do it?”

“Yes,” I said instantly. I really did. Even though I didn’t know exactly how it would work, I wanted this.

“Do you trust Mortimer?” he asked next.

“No,” I said, then hesitated. “But in this, I think I do.” I combed my fingers through his hair. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to take anything he says on trust without verification.”

“Well okay then, Councillor,” Ben said, as if it were that straightforward.

And when I thought about it, perhaps it was. Until the first disaster, anyway.

Chapter Thirty-eight

BEN

Having very thoroughly missed lunch, we grabbed some leftovers from the kitchen before heading back to the records room. There, I set Dominic to crafting a suitable reply to Teddy’s invitation while I got on with some work.

“I haven’t got any glitter,” he complained.

“Improvise,” I told him.