She scrambled back away from him as his mass suddenly increased and filled the courtyard they were in. This wasn’t the first time she had seen him change.
Light filled the courtyard as he transformed and Patience covered her head with her arms to stop herself from being blinded by the light. In her time with Andre he had only ever transformed a few dozen times in front of her.
She still had her arm raised about her head so she didn’t see the tail snake out and wrap around her.
She yelped as the tail tightened around her waist. Andre bunched his muscles and launched himself into the sky yanking her up.
If she had anything for lunch, she would have thrown it up. Her stomach flipped over and finally settled when Andre glided through the air. She closed her eyes as the land bobbed in her vision.
Her hands clasped around the tail, but it became clear that it wasn’t loosening and she wasn’t going to fall to her death. She opened her eyes, but the wind made it impossible to see anything without tearing up so she closed them again.
She was glad that he had put the fur coat over her as it was bitingly cold. She wasn’t sure how long they were in the air, but she could tell when they started coming in to land, as they slowed down and bobbed a bit more.
Patience opened her eyes and saw the land rush towards them. Quickly she slammed her eyes shut and tucked in her legs. Covering her head with her arms, she prepared to crash into the ground. When they landed, she was gently placed on cold flagstones.
Because she had tucked in her legs, she rolled a bit and came to rest on her knees. She shook herself and slowly stood up.
A flash of light indicated that Andre had returned to his human form. Her legs were wobbly so she didn’t turn to him, but concentrated on maintaining her vertical nature.
Andre asked, “Are you all right?”
She turned slowly. “I don’t think people are meant to fly.”
He flashed one of his rare grins. “Come.”
He was already striding out of the courtyard so she called after him. “Wait.”
She stumbled after him out of the courtyard of a castle.
Glancing around, she couldn’t tell where they were. Though they certainly were no longer in the city. There were mountains around them, but they were generic looking like mountains usually did.
She stumbled again and Andre caught her. “Hurry woman, it is bloody cold out here.”
That was when she realized he wore only pants. His chest completely bare to the elements. She was wearing his fur coat so she wasn’t surprised he was cold.
Patience stumbled forward a little faster as her legs got used to being on land.
It was much warmer once they were inside.
Andre didn’t slow down as he led her into the castle.
She asked, “Where are we?”
He surprised her by putting his arm around her waist. “This is my home.”
She asked a little stunned by the abrupt changes in her life, “Your home?”
She looked around and mused, still bewildered. “I thought your town house was your home.”
He shrugged. “That house is just where I stay when I am in the human world. This was my first home here on this plane.”
Andre opened a door. “In here.”
She entered. It was a large bedroom. She spun around as Andre came into the room and closed the door.
He reached out his arms and said in a low serious voice, “Give me your hands.”
She hesitated. She knew from her years working with Andre that when he asked for something like this in that tone it meant something significant.
Her eyes narrowed. “What are you actually asking?”
He countered with his own question. “Do you think I consider you of worth? That I allow you to use your mind?”
That was an easy question. “Yes.”
He offered his hands out to her again. “Then take my hands.”
She reached out and took his hands.
Pain raced up her arms and she tried to pull back but his hands tightened. He pulled and twisted so her back was pressed against him and his arms wrapped around her.
His lips came to her ear and said, “Just breathe through it. It will be over in a moment.”
The burn on her arms and down her back faded away. Andre still held her.
She breathed out and after a moment she asked, “What was that?”
He shifted and pushed the sleeves of his fur coat out of the way so she could see her arms. They were branded and she gasped.
Patience turned her head to look at him and said, “You bonded to me?”
Dragons didn’t marry like normal people. They had to bind themselves to a woman as they weren’t entirely in this plane. Andre had explained once to a businessman, but it had only confused her at the time, but less so than the man Andre had been explaining it to.
Dragons had to bond with women and it was more than marriage. It was more than a lifetime commitment as dragons were essentially immortal and the bonding meant the women could live as long as the dragons.
She traced her fingers over the brand and looked up at him. “I said I wanted to marry someone I love.”
He snorted. “Of course you love me.”
Laughter bubbled out of her and she had to turn away in case he was offended. She knew he would be able to tell she was laughing by the shuddering of her shoulders.
He asked, his voice hollow, “Did I get it wrong?”
She shook her head. He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her slowly. “You have put up with me for six years. I’ve only ever kept an assistant for less than a year. I knew you had to love me to stick around.”
Patience huffed frustrated by his unusual astuteness. “Then why were you trying to marry me off?”
Andre shrugged. “I thought you wanted a human. I am a dragon.”
She slowly shook her head. Didn’t he get it? She looked up into his eyes. “But didn’t you want someone better? Someone who was more… I don’t know, worthy of being bonded to a dragon. You guys only pick the best for your collections after all.”
His eyes sparked as he answered, “I know.”
He just looked at her and she realized after a moment she was expecting him to spout something romantic. She also realized she was a fool. Romance was alien to him. He would never shower her with shallow romantic drivel and she wouldn’t want to wish it any other way.
She stepped back from him and said, “I want a raise. And I want more holidays. There is no way I’m going to be your assistant every day for the rest of my life without at least a decent holiday.”
Andre’s face warmed with a smile. “Of course.”
Out, On a Limb
La Brede was a small town that had boomed into a small city in a short lifetime. Almost all of the buildings were new and the streets wide to allow for the steam motors to roll through the streets. Maybe it was this nod to technology which had enticed Callisto to this particular city from all the ones she could have chosen.
At the moment she was in the oldest part of the whole city and the streets were narrow. The castle had been the seat of the La Brede family for generations. There were even scorch marks on one of the towers from a distant dragon attack to prove they had earned their place as humanities’ protectors.
Dragons hadn’t attacked humans in over eight hundred years but no one could forget that at one time humans hadn’t been at the top of the food chain.
Callisto was nervous as she followed the solider to the main audience hall at the La Brede castle. She was lugging her work case with her.
The soldier when he had greeted her at the servant’s gate had glanced at the large bag but he hadn’t offered to carry it or to check it. She didn’t have much of a good opinion about the soldier but that wasn’t entirely this man’s fault.
Her father had been a soldier and he had been a ripe bastard. The best thing Callisto had ever done was to take her mother to her uncle when she was twelve. As she re
alised her father was never going to change. Her mother’s uncle had looked after them and when her father had tried to take them back he had beaten the crap out of him. She still remembered that day with glee and fear, seeing her father beaten to a bloody mess by her great uncle.
Her father was still alive and out there but her mother was safe in another province and Callisto had a few surprises for her father if he ever tried to find either of them.
Her mother’s uncle had passed on last year. A sudden illness Callisto had thought until they had read his will. Apparently he had been living on borrowed time. She had been grateful that he had spent that time with her teaching her his trade.
He didn’t have any children so all his knowledge had gone to her though his things had been sold to pay off the last of his debts his long illness had incurred.
Callisto had been surprised by the summons to the castle. The Baron of La Brede was an interesting man, but not one who had ever called on her skills before.
His father had been a lawyer and had taught his son fairness which was unique amongst the noblemen. Some were only concerned about their luxuries. La Brede had made improvements to the farming and there was enough food to export to other districts making this city very prosperous. He was not well liked at the court that flocked around the Emperor in Versailles. So mostly he hid out here in what most considered the provinces and that had suited Callisto as well. Noblemen meant soldiers. And she didn’t want anything to do with soldiers.
When the Baron had summoned her she had come with the soldiers without any protest. He might be a well-liked man but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t throw her into a dungeon if she went against him. Besides she could do with the work. Not many people liked to hire a female tinker.
The soldier pushed open the door and motioned for her to enter. She stepped into the room and went still.
The Baron was walking slowly as he paced his hall. He was speaking with a man that stood much taller than the Baron. He was very broad of shoulder. His skin was a golden brown that wasn’t seen very often in this district. He stood at attention with his hands clasped behind his back and his legs set apart in a very familiar stance. But what drew her attention was the clockwork arm of the large man.
His left arm was made up of cogs and rods of bronze. He shifted and he flexed the fingers of the clockwork hand. She took a few steps before she realised that she might be interrupting. Before she could take the steps back to hide amongst the columns by the door the Baron noticed her and motioned her forward.
Callisto was shaking as she came to stand near the very tall man. He turned to look at her and she was shocked to see that he was actually a dragon. Those golden eyes were unmistakeable. The Baron had warm whiskey eyes that told everyone that he had a dragon ancestor. Most of the nobility were related to dragons in one way or another. It was not unusual to see dragons at court. There hadn’t been a dragon in La Brede in years. This one looked ready to eat someone.
The Baron said, “I had heard of your injury and thought you would like to avail yourself of the services of our clockwork maker but I see you had already managed to get a new arm.”
The dragon brought his arm forward and flexed his fingers and said in a deep slumberous voice, “It is sufficient.”
She knew the tone and asked, “May I?”
He offered his arm and she put her bag down to take a closer look. The joints were just superb. She couldn’t have done a better job. She pulled a piece of cloth that had jammed into one of the cogs and one of his fingers jerked. She apologised absently as she continued to study the workmanship.
She clicked her tongue in appreciation, “Whoever did the work was very talented. But I have a covering for this that will protect the gears. It is lightweight and acts like skin in many ways. I might even be able to work it into the matrices that are already in place so you can gain some sensation.”
The Baron clapped his hands in excitement. “Excellent. I knew it wouldn’t be a waste of time to call on you Miss Monroe. You can give an upgrade to his arm and send me the bill. It is the least gift I can give to my cousin.”
She glanced up from the arm and noticed that the dragon was watching her closely. She doubted that he was a real cousin to the Baron but the title might mean they considered themselves family despite any distance in the family tree.
The Baron said, “Tinker, you can use the engineer’s workshop if you wish.”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry my lord but it will be by far more efficient if…”
The dragon said, “Faisal.”
She continued. “It is will be more efficient if Lord Faisal came to my workshop in the city.”
The Baron looked past her to the dragon. He must have given some signal that he wouldn’t mind working in the city.
The Baron shrugged. “Well, thank you cousin for bringing your news, even if it is disturbing. You may rest now or you might want to go with the tinker to add to your arm. You can’t be sure when you will be called back.”
Faisal bowed his head slightly. He leant down and picked up her bag. She jerked with surprise and went to reach for it but was forced to follow the dragon as he spun on his heels and left the hall.
He asked, “Where is your workshop?”
He had really long legs so her pace was a little awkward as she kept up with him.
A little breathless she answered, “It is in the city. I take it you want a consultation now. It will take a while to make the modifications to your arm. Are you sure you want to start now. You can come whenever it is convenient for you.”
His voice was a low rumble. “Now is convenient.”
She realised she wasn’t going to be able to put him off so she led the way when they left the castle. By the time they reached her workshop in the city she was a little puffed as she had almost had to run to keep up with the dragon.
After her uncle had died she had come to this small city because of the signs of prosperity. As well as the fact it didn’t have many soldiers. She had rented a barn and had turned it into a comprehensive workshop. She hadn’t realised she had made that much of an impact until the Baron had summoned her.
Callisto motioned for him to put her bag down by the door but he came in and studied the large room. He placed the bag in a clear space by the door on the table. It was where she usually put it. She had to remember that he was a dragon and appearances were misleading.
She motioned him to a stool and asked, “Do you want something to drink? It will take me awhile to set up the machines that I need to get accurate measurements.”
He shook his head and continued to study the room. He moved around and poked things. She hoped he didn’t break anything but the fastest way to get him out of her workshop was to do the work.
She pulled out her light machine that could tell her measurements to pin point accuracy. She would need that if she was to make the casing. It was a little flexible but for best effect it would need to fit like a glove.
Callisto was almost finished setting up when he disappeared behind some shelves and she rushed after him. He had come to a standstill and was looking at the glass boxes that held the spiders.
He asked, “Are they poisonous?”
She shook her head. “I harvest their webs for my work. Here.”
She passed him a sample of the woven web material.
She explained in a conversational tone. “It is stronger than it looks. I also mix it with things like resin and laminate it for best effect.”
She passed him one of the finished ones and said, “This is what I’m going to use as your new skin.”
He tugged on it and said, “It is light.”
She smiled at the comment. “Yes. Weight becomes important when you start to put it onto a frame. For instance if I had to use a metal composite for your arm it would weigh a few kilograms. This will be milligrams instead.”
He held it up to the light to have a closer look. “Could you make something bigger?”
She shr
ugged. Though she was already using everything she produced from the spiders that she had now. “Sure. It would take time as it takes a long time to harvest the spider silk.”
He turned his gaze to her and she was jolted by the intensity. “Start. I will have a large commission for you if you do well with this arm.”
She wasn’t sure she wanted to do more business with the dragon. It wasn’t so far in human history that the dragons had been human’s main predator. She shivered and turned to hide her reaction from him.
She said, “Come to the seat. I want to have a closer look at that arm of yours. Can you tell me anything about it?”
Wyvern's Trim and other stories Page 2