Page 160 of Anathema
My mind puzzled over when I would’ve told him that, or how he might’ve known. In all our interactions, I couldn’t recall having mentioned the Corvugon egg. “I did.” The hesitation in my voice echoed the confusion still muddling my head. “Do you know if their growth rate tends to be rapid?”
“From what I have studied of the metaphysis of these bones, yes. Unlike the dragon, whose collagenous matrix shows a number of LAG’s, or lines of arrested growth, the bone that I recovered, which I believed to be that of the Corvugon, indicated almost continuous growth.”
I stared off, struggling to grasp what she’d just said. “I’m sorry, I have no idea what any of that means.”
“It just means that they are very much different from their dragon cousins. Yes, they grow very fast from, what I have gleaned.”
“Interesting. Would you happen to know if they’re capable of … well, if they have some sort of bond to those who hatch them?”
“It wouldn’t be unusual. I read of a woman who found a dragon egg while hiking in the Veritian Mountains. She hatched it herself and raised a dragon that, to this day, as I understand, visits her and allows her to hand feed it. And, of course, the drakes seem very bonded to Lord Rydainn. They’re very intelligent creatures. Some believe they’re even capable of communication.” With a raised brow, she shrugged. “The Corvugon is a bit of a mystery, but it would stand to reason. And in that case, you’d be very lucky. From what I’ve read, the Corvugon was fiercely protective of the Corvikae people.” Her comment brought to mind the stories Grandfather Bronwick had told me as a child about warriors who rode astride the beasts.
“Has anyone attempted to mount a dragon?”
Lips pressed together, she shook her head. “I don’t know why anyone would attempt such a thing. Unless they’d lost their senses. Dragons are exceptionally wild and unpredictable. And stubborn, as I understand.”
Rykaia strode into the room, coming to a stop just past the doorway as if catching sight of Allura. “Oh. I didn’t know you were busy. Again. Pardon.”
“No, it’s all right. I was just chatting with Maevyth. I should actually retire to my chambers.” Allura stood from the bed. “She’s all yours.”
Rykaia gave what I determined to be an insincere smile as the woman passed her. It was when she turned to close the door that I noticed she was carrying a dark bottle and two goblets at her back. One-handedly. An observation I’d have told her I found impressive, except that she swung around, eyes narrowed.
“The woman smells like jasmine all the time. What woman goes around smelling like jasmine all day long.”
“You do have jasmine oil in the bathing suites.”
“Yes. We do. But you know, at some point, women stink. It’s perfectly natural. Body odor, you know.” She padded toward the dresser, placing the goblets and bottle down there.
“What is your fascination with smells?”
“It’s what happens when you’re forced back into reality after years of blissful unawareness. Everything smells different. Everything sounds different.” She tugged on the bottle’s cork, failing to loosen it. “Everything feels different. I’m losing my mind over it, to be honest.”
I watched her struggle with the bottle, distracted by her comment. “What made you so unaware before?”
“I happened to be quite fond of tonics. Sleep elixirs, in particular.”
“Fond? As in, consuming them at bedtime every night?”
“Fond as in consuming them for breakfast, lunch and dinner.” Her face scrunched as she held the bottle between her legs and tugged harder.
“God … you must’ve been asleep all day long?”
“Well, see that’s the … unfortunate thing … about taking them all day.” Voice strained and muscles trembling, she held the bottle in a way that would surely send it crashing to the floor, the moment the cork loosened. “The body … yearns for waking hours … so they become less effective over time.”
“You must’ve been pretty unhappy to want to sleep all the time.”
She paused in her struggling and frowned back at me, as if I’d said something strange. “Well, that’s new.”
“I’m sorry if I said something wrong, I’m not the best with words.”
“You didn’t. Most people assume that I enjoy sleeping all the time. They never consider that I don’t enjoy being sad.” She took hold of the cork once again, and the wrangling ensued. “So, going back to all the things that I’m now flagrantly aware of … yes … I am bothered by her smell in particular. I think she does it on purpose.”
It was almost humorous listening to her attempt to deny her attraction toward Allura. “To bother you?”
“Why else would she meander around the castle smelling so fucking … delicious. It’s unnerving.” She threw her head back, groaning. “My gods! I want to strangle whoever corked this thing.”
“You like her.”
“What?” She scoffed and shook her head. “I just said the woman is unnerving. Have you been listening, or are your ears still clogged from all the noise your dragon made. You know, Kazhimyr asked if I’d heard something strange earlier. I had to lie to his face. Granted, I’m a beautiful liar, but … he’s so good at making me feel like I’ve done something wrong.”