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“Only hearsay, my dear, passed through the Delawares and Blades verbally from one generation to the next. And obviously we have these human aspects to our form.” She held out a chubby arm, then stuck out her foot in a little scrappy sandal, with its bright red shellacked claw tips. “So, we all know there are links… You know, mating bonds that must have happened way back. It would be good to know, but I guess we may never find out. But then there’s you. The bright light in our lives. Arriving like magic. A human mate for my Ethan!”
Cressida stopped at the doors of the elevator and gathered Min’s hands in hers. “Look at your lovely long white fingers. I bleached mine once to try and make them less green, but it didn’t work.”
“Bleached? Oh, Cressida, why would you bleach your skin? It’s so… beautiful.”
“You think so?”
“Really yes. And so soft.”
“We dragons probably have a bit of a chip… you know, about…” Her voice trailed off. Then she brightened. “You need to come and view my cave room. I have some wonderful pieces of jewelry that would suit you. And we must go shopping. I’ll help you choose a gown for the gala ball. It’s a very special time for me. I took over giving away the prizes after Clifton died. The yearly wheel-out-the-widow thing. Let the old girl make a speech and give out a trophy to a few up-and-coming monster businesses.” She tinkled a laugh. “I absolutely insist you let me help you choose a dress for the occasion.”
“Oh, yes, that would be lovely.” Min decided it would at least be different from her usual taste.
“I will have so much fun matching colors to your skin tone, rather than my awful sallow skin.”
Min wished Cressida would stop putting herself down.
“So, when?” Cressida blinked at her.
“When what?”
“When will we go shopping?”
Min opened her mouth to answer when suddenly Ethan appeared beside them. “Are you purloining my girl, mother?”
“She’s going to have lunch with me and then we’re going shopping together.” Cressida was still holding and squeezing Min’s hands, pumping them up and down in her excitement.
“Mother, please don’t monopolize Min. We need time together. Just the two of us.”
Cressida pouted. “But I need time with her too!”
“Yes, Mom, and you will have it. Minerva is here… for a while.”
Cressida looked alarmed. “A while? I thought she was here for good.”
Min felt Ethan stiffen. “We’re trialing living together, Mother.”
Cressida’s face drooped. “Dragons don’t do trials. They know at once when they’ve met the one. It… it vibrates through them, an energy. You must have felt it Ethan, it’s like nothing else. I daresay humans feel it too, yes?” She raised an eyebrow at Min, her golden eyes alight.
Min made enthusiastic noises and cast a look at Ethan, trying to ensure he didn’t upset his mom any further.
He returned the look with an eyebrow waggle that was both endearing and slightly… panicked.
“Mom, I have something rather urgent to discuss with Minerva. Alone.”
“Oh, poo.” His mother pouted. “Well, I will arrange for you to have tea and scones with me in my apartment later then. How does three o’clock sound?”
Min looked at Ethan for guidance. He inclined his head. “If Min wishes.”
“Of course,” Min said warmly. “I would love that, Cressida.”
With that, Cressida gave her a smacking kiss on each cheek and let her go, sashaying down the corridor in a blur of bright color.
Ethan huffed a sigh. “Sorry about my mom—yet again.”
“Stop apologising. She’s lovely. Why are you home? I thought you weren’t back until this evening.”
“I wasn’t planning to be, but something has come up, in relation to… us, and I need to talk it through with you.”
