his upper lip and went on. “But who’s to say I can’t have my own experiment? Yes, all of the
Disgraces currently in the Pedigree are either already mated or being courted by dragons far
more impressive than I, but… there’s still hope. There are Disgraces out there no longer tied
to the Pedigree, and I’m sure they’ve been as overlooked as me. My sanctioned period in
which I can produce a clutch is coming to a close, though, so I’ve no time to lose. It’s of the
utmost importance that you find me as many of these aged-out Disgraces as you can. One of
them will surely be tolerable.”
Finch had no idea where to start, so he began at the end. “Why do you need to tolerate them,
sir? Do you mean for breeding purposes?”
The whites shone all the way around Hugh’s eyes. He looked both panicked and excited. “No.
That’s not it. According to what I’ve heard, there’s a very real possibility I’ll end up mated to
her. Or him, I suppose. One can’t afford to be choosy when it comes to what bits they’ve got
between their legs. Not given the circumstances. But it is absolutely imperative I can stand
being in the same room as them for any amount of time if we’re to spend an eternity together.”
“Indeed, sir,” was all Finch could think to say.
“So you’ll do it? You’ll make a list of aged-out Disgraces that are still of child-bearing years?
I’ve no idea how many of them exist. If the list is too long, just give me the females, but please,
be as thorough as you can. My future happiness depends on it.”
“A-All right, sir. I’ll get to work immediately.”
“Good man,” Hugh said, beaming. The smoke had stopped tumbling from his nostrils. “I knew
I could count on you.”
“Thank you, sir.” Finch gave Hugh a short bow, then left the room. As he walked down the
hallway to his personal office, Finch made peace with the thought that, despite Hugh’s wishes,
the list would never be absolutely complete. One name would never appear on it, no matter
how thorough he strove to be.
1
Hugh
Hugh squinted at the file folder on his desk. “Is this everyone?”
“No, sir.” Finch cleared his throat, sounding uncomfortable. “Due to non-compliance, I was
unable to obtain information from the Diamond, Onyx, Gold, and Topaz clans. In addition, my