I watched him undress in the moonlight streaming through the window, his lean muscle revealed slowly, his hard cock slapping against his stomach when he pulled off his pants. I watched him as he ambled closer, feeling the low, dull ache as need began to build inside me. That’s the thing when you have sex with someone you’re familiar with. You know how their lips will feel on your skin, dropping lower to flick over your most sensitive parts. You know how their calluses will rasp, how it will feel when they push their body into yours and it makes you only want it more. I pulled off my shirt and bra and he pushed me back down onto the bed. “Leave your jeans on,” he said, running a hand up my thigh as if to try and persuade me to disobey him. “We’re not having sex, we can’t. You’re still recovering. Let’s just lay here, you can talk to me and we’ll see where things go. You don’t have to go anywhere tomorrow, and I’ll be right by your side.”
A quiet settled over the room once he layed down beside me, both comforting and all-consuming. Neither of us said anything, despite Flea’s plans. Instead, it’s as if that early morning in the shop was being revisited. I curled within the safe harbour of his arms, arch my back as his hands slid over my bare skin. I tangled my fingers in his hair, let my palm glide along the rasping flat plane of his cheek. Our lips brushed fleetingly. There’s no need to deepen anything into a kiss, our bodies meeting at a thousand small points. The caresses dropped away at no specified point, until we lay still, hopelessly entangled in the other.
“I’m glad you came,” I whispered into the night, not even sure if he’s still awake. “I’m glad you’re with me, helping me through this. I’m sorry I never thanked you for coming to get me.”
“Tess…” my name said everything and nothing, it’s a whisper and a groan and a prayer all in the same sound. He pulled me closer so I’m tucked under his chin and I slowly drifted off to sleep.
20
Miazydar? As soon as my eyes open, I push out a call to my dragon. Usually, there’s a weird airy sensation, almost like a tangible mental space between him and me which we communicate in. I can feel my thoughts moving out into it and then comes his reply. Last night there was nothing. Having been with M for several months, I’d forgotten the hard, flat feeling of being unable to share my thoughts with anyone but myself. Now, I felt something shift. No response, no indication where he was, just a slight tugging like a fish on a line.
The bedroom door opened slowly, making sure the hinges didn’t creak. Flea crept in, carrying a mug of coffee, pausing at the doorway, looking over to see if I’m still asleep. “Is he back?” I asked.
His expression told me everything I needed to know. He shook his head. “No, we’ve looked. Some university staff have been by, inspected the eyrie. They’ve apparently sent out a search party to find him, but there’s not a lot of hope. We don’t know which direction he went in.”
“Or if they’re behind all this.” Flea looked puzzled. “If they’ve taken him somewhere, someplace where he can’t communicate with me, they could easily throw shade on me as some kind of incompetent who can’t care for her beast and use that as an excuse to sunder the bond.”
He blinked at this, then said, “They did seem quite concerned. We’ve seen a few dragons fly out to search.”
“Could be all smoke and mirrors. I need to go to the animal husbandry tutor, see if this poison is likely to affect him.”
“Tess, you need to rest.”
“I can’t rest! He’s out there somewhere, Flea! If he’s lost, if he’s hurt, if he’s dying I can’t just loll around in bed until someone gives me permission to move!” Jez stuck her head in, no doubt summoned by my shouts.
“What’s going on?” she asked him.
“Don’t ask him, ask me! He’s my dragon and he’s missing!”
“We know that, Tess and I get that that’s upsetting, but let’s turn this into a list of action items. What do we need to do to fix this?”
“Find a map of the local area, look for spots he might’ve gone. Find out where he might’ve taken the poison and whether it would’ve affected him. Find out where this poison has come from. God, even find out what the bloody Rozenrrath is. It seemed to throw the cat among the pigeons when he said that’s whose family he came from.”
“OK, we got a bunch of books and stuff from that Celestial Record place when we were in Damorica. Does this place have one of them as well?” Flea said.
“Yeah, it’s on the third floor of the main building.”
“Right, I’m on information reconnaissance. Jez, you want to flutter your eyelids at some of the staff and see what you can find out?”
She tugged down the already revealing neckline of her t-shirt and plumped the girls up. “I’m ready, willing and able.”
“Everyone goes around armed. Be careful, assume every person is hostile and meet back here as soon as possible.”
“So what do you expect me to do?” I said, struggling to get out of bed. I managed to free myself from the blankets and pull a shirt over my head.
“Go to the lounge room, have some breakfast and do some reading. I had a look through your pile, there're some books on dragon care. Maybe one will discuss what poisons affect them?” Jez said.
It wasn’t what I wanted. My fingers worried the texture of my jeans, picking at a small hole there. The idea of sitting down quietly was as appealing as sticking pins in my eyes, but I was going to do it. I dearly wanted to storm into Bhechro’s office, but I was still woozy and didn’t have enough information to do anything other than hurl vague accusations. I needed to be here when Keel turned up, anyway. He would have to have some answers.
Which is how I ended up sitting on the couch, my animal husbandry textbook open and a small pistol resting on top of the pile of books. I ran my finger down the list. Jillyweed, hex dust, Nineveh seeds, enam, elderberries… I chewed on a toothpick and kept on scanning. Who knew such big powerful creatures were vulnerable to so many substances? My head jerked up when I heard a loud knock at the front door. I picked up the pistol, not totally sure what to do with it. Should I shove it in my pocket? What if it went off? Should I tuck it under my armpit? Should I open the door with it in hand, just in case? Another knock came, so I ended up jamming it into the front of my jeans, hoping I didn’t shoot my fanny off. I probably looked really gangsta, my tank top rucked up and the gun peeking out of the waistband.
“What are you doing up?” Keel said. He was dressed in his uniform, the fasteners undone so you could see his civvies underneath.
“I’ve been sitting on the couch the whole morning,” I said, “trying to work out what the hell has happened to Miazydar. What do you know about dragons and poisons?”
“I hesitate to answer. What are you planning?”
“God, nothing like that. It’s just I’m worried he may’ve been exposed to the keletha that was used to poison the students and am wondering if that might be why he’s not home.”