Page 15 of O Holy Spite
That’s when I notice the pen and notebook next to him. He must be working on translating what he can from the High Fae texts. It’s important we find out what we’re up against, so despite craving support during this crazy idea, I shake my head. “No, keep working. Lunchable and I are going to spend some quality time on our own.”
“As long as it doesn’t involve breaking furniture this time,” mumbles Felix from his spot on the opposite side of the couch. “We’d never get the replacement here in time for the semester.”
Glaring at the tiger as he pretends not to be amused with his barb, I huff a smoke ring. They really plan on poking me about that damn night for the rest of time. I blame Fitz for this and I will get my revenge on that psycho in due time. “Very funny, Raj. I note you’re all looking comfortable on the bare cushions since Raina hasn’t brought the coverings back from the laundry yet. You’re lucky Rennie got Percy to bribe the staff to work over break to clean them.”
His answer is a smirk and I’m about to retort when Dolly clears her throat. “It’s too cold outside for you all to wave your dicks around, so that’s where we’ll be going now. Don’t wait up!”
I chuckle as she turns on her heel, obviously recovered from her moment of self-doubt. It’s funny as fuck that putting one or all of us in our place seems to clear that shit right up, but I’ll take it. I didn’t like the aura of uncertainty surrounding her before and I’m glad she’s riled up instead.
Hopefully, this little trip will help ease her worry even more.
The chill in the air doesn’t bother me—the heat from my internal fire keeps me toasty—but I’m glad I had Dolly bundle up. She’s wrapped around me, absorbing it through her winter garb with the small pack on her back as we fly high above the radar of any human or supe towards our destination. I told her we were escaping somewhere farther away than just the edges of campus, but I haven’t revealed to her or the others exactly where I’m taking her.
Fitz is likely tracking her with his computer like an obsessed fan, anyway, so I’m not worried they won’t be able to find us if need be.
My dragon grumbles at that, not liking the idea of anyone being able to pinpoint this location. We’re headed to a very special place and it isn’t easy for me to overcome my natural urge to keep what’s here wrapped in a cloak of secrecy. Dragons are hoarders from the moment they crack the shell of their eggs and we do not allow the knowledge of what or where we store our treasures to become public, even to our clash. The human authors typically get that part right when they attempt to discuss us, but they often assign a spectacular, unignorable stronghold as the hiding spot which defeats the purpose.
Soft lips brush my scales as our girl murmurs near my tympanum, “I won’t ask where you’re taking me, big guy, but I am very curious. Plus, you’re like a million degrees under these scales and I know that means you’re excited.”
My dragon huffs and I smile at the puff of visible air it creates in the cold. He likes that she accepts our form this way, without a whit of hesitation, despite it being much less humanoid than Rennie or familiar like the cats. We’re bigger than all of them in full shift—though our gargoyle mate is taller—and bite size is barely the size of our head, but she hasn’t ever seemed put off or scared.
That’s a first—most wyverns and many dragons aren’t as big as those who are destined to become kings of their clashes.
A hand pats the side of my face and she leans in again, “I’m not sure how I know, but if you’re thinking I should be scared of you, I think I told you the first day we met that I’m not. I wasn’t when you had that tantrum and I’m not thirty thousand feet in the air, Aubrey. You’re a good man and your animal does not dictate the depth of evil. Look at my asshole mother.”
That earns her another huff, this one laughter, as my dragon delights in her acceptance. I’m also not sure how she knew what I was thinking about, but I’m delighted that she did. It makes my decision to share this with her feel even more right and now my animal agrees completely. He’s recognized her as his for a long time; bringing her to the place where this life began is simply another step towards making that claim real.
“Hold on tight,” I rumble. The sound of my voice in this form makes her shiver and I internally groan. This trip isn’t about fucking the shit out of her, but if she doesn’t stop that adorable shit, I won’t be able to stop myself.
Who am I kidding? I’m lucky to stop myself even when she’s being a brat, much less compliant.
“What is this place?” She gasps as I dive downward, aiming for the specially reinforced landing spot on the west tower. “Holy fuck, Aubrey.”
I don’t answer as we shoot down to the ankh carved into the stone that I use as my beacon. It took many, many years of fucking shit up before I found a way to strengthen the spot I use to keep my large form a secret so it wouldn’t get destroyed. The amount of times this particular tower has been renovated and rebuilt because I wasn’t careful is more than I’ll admit out loud, but now, it’s design has been perfected. My clawed feet touch down and I shake the snow off of my wings with a roar of pride. Lowering one into the position, I turn my head to watch our bunny slide to the ground with a giggle of happiness.
“Aubrey, this is a castle. You brought me to the tower of a castle. You’re a fire-breathing dragon.”
Looking at her in confusion, I tilt my large head and tuck my wings against my body as I watch her cover her mouth and almost dance with joy. “So?”
She literally cackles as she spins around in a circle with her arms out, her long rainbow hair flying around her amid the snowflakes. In her bright pink ski outfit, she’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen and my dragon is equally entranced.
“How do you not get it?”
When I don’t answer, just look at her like a very confused lizard, she giggles again and pretends to curtsey.
Perhaps she’s light headed from the flying?
“Aubrey, you just made me Princess Peach. And I’m standing on top of Bowser’s Castle.”
I blink.
Oh, Fitz is never going to let this one go.
Glow
Delores
Aubrey shifts in a blink, unconcerned with flashing me his tight ass as he leads me over to the almost invisible door in the wall of the landing turret. I watch as his hand melts into a weird symbol on the side of it, causing a series of whirrs and clicks to make the door spring open. When he turns back, I arch a brow and he smirks as he waits for me to enter.