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"Oh, I am," I said. Weirded out, but impressed. I reached out a finger to touch the edge of the scale. A jolt of something like lightning passed through me. I jerked back my finger.
What the shit?
"Viva? Are you all right?" Dex glanced at me, then down at the scale and frowned. "It can't bite, the rest of the dragon is gone."
I gave a short, too-high pitched laugh. "I know, it just . . ." I must have imagined it. The scent of him must have triggered…something.
I touched the scale again. It was firm, but slightly yielding, like a fingernail. The natural kind, without a diamond topcoat.
It felt strangely warm, as though it buzzed with some kind of power. Whatever power the scale held, it was nothing I could use. It was more like—power recognising power.
Had Bain known what might happen?
I glanced toward the stairs. If he was anywhere nearby, I couldn't see or smell him. Presumably, he couldn't see me here either, but that didn't mean he and Dex wouldn't talk about me later.
Certain the scale wouldn't harm me, I took it and held it up in the last of the sunlight. It gave a glow, like a pulse, then went dark and cold. What power it may have contained, I guessed it was gone now.
I looked over it, to Dex, who looked expectant. If he saw anything weird, I couldn't tell. He looked curious, maybe a bit hopeful that I would appreciate the gesture.
"Thank you. It's cool." I watched the scale with half an eye, in case it flared back to life. If 'life' was the word for it. Nothing happened.
"You're welcome." He propped an elbow on the railing and pressed his cheek to his fist. "You can sell it if you need anything," he said. "Or don't want it."
"I want it," I said firmly. "It really is cool. Almost as cool as if I'd hunted the dragon myself." If the scale was an object of power, I would keep it, if only to experiment on it. Hades only knew what use it could have, that no one knew about. I could discover a new artefact. Maybe one that made chocolate out of sand. No one could say that wouldn't be useful.
"You didn't kill the dragon, did you?" I asked.
"No." He waved me over to a chair and sat beside me. By the time he finished telling me the details of the hunt, probably embellished, it was dark, and we were the only people left on the terrace.
My stomach rumbled. "Have you eaten since you got back?" I asked. "You must be starving." I knew I was. And I should probably not be monopolising his time, with a party going on. Sooner or later, people would notice.
He gave me a wolfish smile. "I am ravenous."
I hesitated, sure there was double meaning to his words. "I meant for food," I said dryly.
"Oh, I need some of that too," he agreed. His eyes shone in the light of the moon that hung over the city.
"Then maybe we should eat," I suggested. Not that I'd mind being nibbled on, but I needed my strength, and so would he. More than he might imagine.
"You haven't eaten?" His head jerked up. "In that case, let's go down to the festivities."
"Can I ask you something?" I asked as we walked down the stairs.
"Of course," he replied. "Well, within reason. I mean, I can't divulge the Vault's secrets."
I snorted. "I wouldn't be so rude as to ask." Or dumb enough to think he'd answer. "I wanted to know if anyone in particular objects to me being here?" I thought back to the woman who had scowled at her.
"Ah," he replied in a way which made me think he knew exactly what I was talking about. "There are women in the residence who I have been with. They may see you as a rival. Or they may have sons you'd compete with in an archery competition." A smile flashed on his face.
I gave a short laugh. "And how would they know about that?"
"I have no idea, I'm sure," he replied lightly. "It is more likely they think you've come here to undermine me, or the Alpha."
I presumed that much. I could deal with catty women, but politics between shifters and witches sometimes got ugly. I could easily find myself in the middle of that.
"Is that all?" I asked.
"Some of the women want me to marry them," he said. "They won't like it when I choose one over the others."
