AllFreeNovel
Share Us
There he went again, getting turned on like a horny teenager. He literally couldn’t recall when he’d last felt this way around a female.
He paced some more, flicking his tail—the natural response to arousal in a dragon. Reeling it in against his body, he took a deep breath, then leaned against a lamppost nonchalantly and pretended he was scrolling through his phone.
Finally, he saw his limo descending, the unmistakable flash of lights showing it was coming in to land. The traffic stopped obligingly, clearing space as Igor brought the dark green limo with its bright gold wings emblazoned on the sides onto the street.
The Blade Wing insignia always stopped traffic.
Folks waited as Ethan strode over and climbed in, and then they took off to a chorus of friendly horns. He liked that Motham folk loved his airline, that they saw him as a Motham success story.
“Sorry for the delay, sir.”
“Looks like it’s mayhem out there.”
“Grilka Gray, the fae singer, is playing at The Pod,” Igor explained. The Pod was the new arena, daringly built on the edge of the Wasteland. So far, there had been no ferals gate-crashing concerts because of the high levels of security.
“Well, you’re here now, and if you exceed the air speed limit a little, I won’t notice.”
“No problem, sir.”
They’d risen a little higher over the city now and Ethan could see it stretching out, the bright lights and winding streets of old Motham, the wall itself, and the long perimeter road that ran toward the city gates. There on the road not far from the gate, he could detect one lone lit-up building.
The Westerly Bookshop.
Surely she must be on her way by now.
Then his phone pinged.
It was his mom. His neck scales tightened as he read her message.
“Ethan, she’s here! And she’s totally adorable.”
CHAPTER 7
“May I help you out, Ma’am?” Vincent asked, offering Min his gloved hand. She took it and stepped carefully out of the limo, then looked up at the mansion in front of them and struggled not to openly gawk.
They were on a helipad, set slightly to one side of a sweeping gravel drive. In the center of the driveway was a huge fountain, lit up to make the tumbling water look like a rainbow.
Behind it stood an imposing four-story building, made of a white marble flecked with jade. Around the grand pillared portico were what Min initially thought were colored lights, but she quickly realized they were jewels, backlit to make them glow in myriad shades that matched the fountain.
It was totally ostentatious, yes, but there was no denying it was beautiful. Like landing in fairyland.
Vincent grabbed her bags, and in seconds a buggy arrived, as if from nowhere. A friendly lizard creature tipped his cap. “At your service, ma’am.”
Vincent put her luggage in the back. “I’ll leave you in Bradley’s capable claws,” he said, and hopped back into the limo.
Goddess above, how many staff did Ethan have?
When they reached the house, the door was opened by yet another reptilian species. Was everyone here lizard-kind?
She stepped nervously through the door, and barely had time to take in the grand hallway with its wide sweeping staircase before there was a sound from above.
Min looked up to see a full-figured female dragon standing at the top of the stairs, decked out in—unsurprisingly—a lot of jewels and a billowing silk kaftan, her head wrapped in a sparkling turban. Huge gold hooped rings hung from the frilled scales around her face and her lashes were long, possibly false, above slanting golden eyes.
“Oh my, oh my, you must be Minerva.” The dragon literally flew down the stairs, her wings flapping behind her. Up close, her eyes were even more striking, and as she smiled, her sharp white fangs sparkled.
“Darling girl, you’re here! I’m Cressida, Ethan’s mom, and I am so excited to welcome you to my humble abode.” A little fireball flew out of each nostril, and she quickly put a metallic-looking handkerchief to her nose.
“Oh dear.” She patted her nose with the hanky. “When I get excited, my dear… well, this is what happens. It’s a family problem. Ethan has it too, but he controls it better… Anyway, you have no idea how long I’ve waited, how long I’ve wished he’d meet a… a lovely… human… and here you are! Just look at you. So pretty. I feel quite teary…” A little sobbing laugh escaped her.
