"Jossie, she was a bitch to us because her boyfriend tried to hit on you the first day of the class."
"Nuh-uh, he was hitting on you." We both break out into laughter at our differing perspectives on what happened last year when we both took a Romanian Studies class.
"God I miss you." The thought sobers me. And for the first time, I realize I'm in a strange country surrounded by strangers who don't really understand me the way the people I left behind do. Like Jossie does. "Two weeks. Two weeks in Prague."
"Absolutely. Oh, my bus is pulling away. I have to go, bye bestie."
And just like that, she's gone. And the fact that I miss her settles even heavier on me. A breeze blows over me and causes me to sit up. Did Sofia leave one of the windows open? I pull the heavy drapes back but they are all shut and locked securely. How strange.
I make my way back to the bed and flop down on it. This really is a beautiful room! Done in bright reds and deep blacks with hints of gold and silver, it has to be the prettiest room I have ever been in. I run my hand over the thick brocade sewn into the heavy blanket under me.
It's ebony with a scarlet dragon on the front, almost like a family crest or something. The material is so soft it reminds me right away of how long I had to travel just to get here. So many long hours. My eyes start to close when the mystery wind blows against me again.
What in the hell? I sit up and try to stop the trail of goosebumps from going all up and down my body. I swear I feel like someone is watching me. I'm fully aware of how stupid that sounds and I would never tell Sofia about it for fear she would think I am just some loony American kid having a laugh at the culture of this beautiful place. But that disquieting feeling is enough to send me running. Surely Sofia needs me for something or could use some help doing a chore or something.
Chapter Three
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Jossie
It's funny how creeps can be creeps no matter where in the world you go. That's all I can think about right now as Dillion regales me about how hot he is and how I should be thankful he's taken an interest in me. I'm not. I'm not thankful or listening. In fact, some would consider what I'm doing right now rude. I have my head down reading through the lore and myths of the tiny village we're about to stop in.
Me and my best friend decided that this was the year. The year we take a break from college and go out into the world and find out what’s out here instead of just reading about it. She went off to Romania to learn more about life there and I decided to take a bus tour of England.
Yesterday we spent a day and night in the village that is currently owned by an eccentric billionaire and his wife and learned from our guide that, legend has it, is the spot where the myth of the Viking berserkers took rise, men who could change into wolves and bears on the battlefield and protect their mates viciously. Now that’s a man I would listen to if I ever met one of those.
Not that I'm delusional. I realize that stuff doesn't really exist and that the myth was just about men who wore the skins of animals when they fought and might have been a little unstable but it would be neat if it was all true. Lillie always tells me I read too much romance. As if you could ever do such a thing. Besides, what harm does it do to dream about magical things like fated mates and men willing to fight for their women?
I would nominate Dillon to be eaten first if it were true - just saying.
"So do you want to go?"
Oh shit. My eyes widen and fly to his. I wasn't listening to anything he said and now he knows. "I'm sorry what did you say?"
He gives me a cross look that is halfway between disappointed and pissed. Neither one of those he has any right to feel. "I said, do you want to go check out the Hole or not?"
Oh! I know what he's talking about. It's the thing I was just reading about. The Dragon's Hole. Legend says that underneath the ground is a system of caverns that is the home of a dragon that sleeps, guarding its treasure and waiting for some poor soul to fall into its lair and become its snack. There are rumors of people going missing there all the time.
What would I do if I had a dragon that would do anything for me? It's not like it's a foreign concept, have you seen some of the romances I read? Out of all the paranormal romances that I read the dragon ones are my favorites. All that snarly fire-breathing badassery on the outside and inside they're the softest ones. They would do anything for their mates including moving the earth and skies. How freakin' sexy is that!
Maybe Lillie is right. Maybe I do read too many romances if I'm pining over a relationship that is impossible to have. But my fake dragon lover is a lot sexier than Dillon who is, even now as he awaits my answer, staring at my chest. But he asked me if I wanted to go see the Hole and I really do. I wonder if the tour is going by it or if some of the people on the bus are just going to go once we stop in town.
"Sure, why not."
Chapter Four
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Jossie
It doesn't take me long to figure out once we stop that Dillon meant just the two of us, not everyone else. I barely walked into the hotel before he was dragging me off. So now, I'm standing in front of a huge ass hole with a huge asshole and the two are not to be confused. One, the hole is more interesting than the asshole. I want to go closer to it to take a better look but I'm also super scared that if I go any closer, I'm going to fall in.
"You want to have sex?"
What the fuck? "Do you realize this cave is thought to stretch all the way back to the edge of the next town? It runs the whole length of the village. Isn't that cool?" I mentally fist-pump myself for diverging from his stupid question. Maybe he won't ask me again. I mean, how the hell can someone be so clueless? It’s not like I'm leading this moron on or something!
"That's cool but are you going to have sex with me?"