Page 175 of The Discount Damsel

“He’s your cousin? But you look—” Millie choked off that line of description and yanked back her hand. Stuffed it in her pocket for good measure.

“All Komodo refer to each other as ‘cousin,’” he explained. “And in truth, we probably all are by some degree or another. While we’re not very rare, we aren’t prolific.” His gaze dropped to Millie again. “Though, not for a lack of trying.”

Bradley shouldered his way forward, forcing the Komodo to retreat a step. “We’re here for some help. Our dragon is sick.”

One golden finger waggled between the apprentice and the princess. “Ours? Or yours?”

“I’m my own person, thank you very much,” Dirk said snippily. “And I’m not sick. My friend is sick. I’m here on his behalf because, well, obviously he’s sick and couldn’t come himself. I’m very familiar with the symptoms of his ailment, so I just need to research or a thing or two to, um, self-diagnose. I-I mean, diagnose him.” He nodded vigorously.

“Just you?” Renaldo stepped over the threshold and placed a hand on Millie’s cheek.

“Sir,” Bradley snapped.

The Komodo ignored him.

Normally Millie would’ve batted him away and jabbed him with her hairpin, but she permitted the touch. His palm was warmer than sunlight after a week of rain. She started to feel gooey again, like steamed pudding. His thumb ran over her chin to the corner of her mouth, and his nostrils flared.

“Bit of seasickness, my lady?” he murmured. “We have tonics here. Our Komodo doctors are quite brilliant.”

“Oh,” she said breathlessly. “You do?”

The Komodo stepped inside the threshold, leaned out of sight, and she could hear the muted rustling of glass bottles amidst chopped straw. He returned with an amber bottle whose cork was sealed in red wax.

Millie opened her reticule, but his warm hand closed over hers. “Complimentary, my lady.”

“Th-thank you, sir.”

He smiled, eyes searching hers, but she only ducked her head and fiddled with the wax seal. Her hairpin could make short work of that.

Bradley cleared his throat loud enough to out-trumpet an elephant.

Renaldo slipped his hands into the opposite sleeves of his robe and bowed. “Apologies for the delay. The Komodo have taken a vow to assist those in need. A form of perpetual gratitude to those who have so graciously opened their home to this little embassy. The Library of Xandria would be happy to assist you . . .?”

“I’m Dirk,” the Mini Red volunteered. “Dirk the Dangerous.”

“Welcome, Dirk the Dangerous. This way.”

Dirk swooped inside, but when Bradley and Millie made to follow, Renaldo held up his hand. “This library is dedicated to preserving the knowledge and secrets of dragons. Humans may not enter unless they are given written permission by any one of the dragon queens or their sages. Do you have such a writ?”

They shook their heads.

“Then I must insist you wait outside.” While the Komodo was as sultry as ever, there was a threat veiled in his words as well as his enchanting eyes.

“But Bradley is my Designated Sorcerer,” Dirk protested.

“Is he?” Renaldo gestured Bradley forward.

When he was within arm’s length, the Komodo seized his shoulder and yanked him close for a sniff. The tip of his nose grazed up the length of Bradley’s neck, and the apprentice’s body thrummed with danger.

“My, my,” the Komodo purred. “What a surprise. Such a rarity we haven’t bothered to list it as an exception to the rule in three generations. You may enter, bonded one. But leave your bag outside.” Renaldo flashed a smile full of sharp teeth. “One thief ruins it for everyone, don’t they?”

Bradley sloughed off his knapsack, and the Komodo’s expression darkened when he handed it to Millie.

Renaldo rifled through the same basket that held the tonic and extracted a wooden token stamped with the image of a dragon reading a book. “You may linger upon the estate should you wish to wait, my lady, but wear this so none will bother you.”

Millie couldn’t very well manage to slip the cord over her neck with everything else in her hands, so the Komodo assisted her again, fingers brushing against her skin and igniting little sparks. She bobbed a curtsy in thanks.

When the Komodo returned his attention to Bradley, he was all frost. “Follow me.”