Dragon's Treasure (Dragons Awaken Book 1) Read online

  “Stay,” it said in a deep and raspy voice, the command seeping deep into Olivia’s muscles. The dragon snaked its way through a passage that its body had hidden from her view.

  Olivia obeyed, astonished that the dragon had spoken. The only movement she dared was to turn her head and look around. Not much was visible, since the meager light didn’t penetrate far enough into the surrounding darkness to reveal details. The cave wasn’t large; the dragon took up half of it and he couldn’t even stand up straight. It was a male, or so she guessed. It didn’t have breasts. Do female dragons have breasts? It is a reptile, right? Do female reptiles have breasts? No, I do not think so. But, reptiles do not talk either. Olivia hoped she was right or she would have to face an insulted dragon, a dangerous situation at best.

  She glanced down at the source of the light and the heat. It looked like a blob of some gooey substance that was slowly burning out. The ashes and remains beneath it spoke of a past fire, probably the one that had drawn her into the cave.

  Olivia cherished the warmth it provided as it enveloped her in a gentle embrace. She didn’t even mind the slightly acrid smell, so welcome was the warmth.

  Tattling, followed by heavy thuds, came from the direction the dragon had disappeared to. He returned, walking on four strong limbs, holding a wooden chair and some fabric in his mouth. Olivia eyed him, her brows furrowed and head tilted to the side.

  He put the chair down near the fire. Then, he approached her as if he were approaching a petrified foal. The two pieces of fabric he spread out slowly, close to her feet.

  “You didn’t run away,” he said as he tilted his huge head to the side, mirroring Olivia.

  “You are a dragon,” Olivia retorted while she studied him. His head was barely smaller then her whole person, all of her five feet and four inches.

  “Point taken.” He bowed his head slightly.

  “You could eat me.” The words slipped out before her brain caught up with the implications. Shut up, Olivia!

  “I could,” he said, sounding amused.

  “You could hurt me.” Olivia’s mouth took a life of its own, and she couldn’t stop producing the words, offering him unwelcome ideas. She frowned at herself.

  “Probably, but I truly wouldn’t.” His tone was soft and Olivia found his deep, slightly raw voice quite lulling.

  “Torture?” Olivia said and then cringed. It was becoming embarrassing.

  The dragon’s eyes bulged. “Now why would I do that?” A frown drew his brows down. He glowered and Olivia shrank into herself.

  “But-but… You… You are a dragon.”

  “Thank you for stating the obvious. Twice. Now, be quiet and don’t move. I do not wish to harm you.” After he issued the command, the dragon turned back to the chair and smashed it to pieces with his clawed hand.

  Olivia let out a startled yelp and covered her mouth with her hands. Her eyes widened as she watched the dragon shove the wooden pieces roughly towards the fire. The flames engulfed the wood, warming her even more. The fire now burned steady and its dance held Olivia mesmerized. She yawned, exhausted.

  She didn’t notice the dragon leave until he came back with a large cooking pot hanging from his fang. He passed her by and disappeared through the other passage. Olivia heard him bang the pot against the stone wall, and grumble under his breath. The sound echoed throughout the cave and a hysterical giggle erupted from her. This surely cannot be happening, not really… I must be dreaming. She expected to rouse from sleep any moment; she even pinched herself.

  When the world around her didn’t dissolve and she didn’t wake up from the dream, Olivia studied the fabrics at her feet. She picked them up. One was a simple, cotton, light-blue dress with long sleeves that could be rolled up and tied around the upper arms; the other was a soft, woolen, dark-green cloak. The two pieces of clothing, added to everything else the dragon had done, perplexed her even more.

  The most recent bout of adrenalin faded and she yawned again. She hugged the garments to her chest and watched the flames dance. The dragon had told her not to move, so she wouldn’t. A dragon… A real dragon, and I am still alive. The stories I have heard…They were real!

  The beast returned carrying the pot now filled with water. He put it down near the fire, the flames warming it.

  “When the water heats, clean yourself up and put those clothes on,” he said and returned to where he had been curled up when she had discovered him. He exhaled. Smoke billowed from his nostrils.

  Olivia sat near the fire with arms wrapped around her shins. Even though her knee ached, it felt good to bend her legs. She gazed uncertainly at the dragon on the other side of the fire. “Will you let me leave or are you planning to eat me later?”

  The dragon snorted. Smoke puffed from his nostrils and the gooey slime splattered around, lighting up part of the cave in candlelight-like fire.

  Fortunately, the goo missed Olivia.

  “What is it with this persistent idea of me eating you?” he said, words laced with agitation.

  Olivia considered him. More often than not, she guessed, people assumed he would harm them simply because he was a dragon.

  “I am hungry,” she responded and shrugged her tired shoulders. “And because—”

  “— I’m a dragon,” he said, to which Olivia smiled shyly and nodded her head.

  “Am I then to be your sacrifice?” Olivia blurted. She really should think before speaking, but she was tired and the anticipation of what the dragon might do with her made her nervous. She just wanted to know her fate so she could make peace with it.

  “My sacrifice? Hmmm… now that is a novel idea.” The dragon grumbled. He cleared his throat, probably not used to speaking. Who would speak to a dragon after all? He hesitated, but answered nonetheless, “You’ve heard one too many stories about dragons, Little One. As for you leaving, you’re safer here for now.”

  “Why do you care?”

  “If I let you go now, you’ll probably get yourself killed, which would make my… helping you save yourself from those wolves futile.”

  “All right. Then why did you save me from those wolves?”

  “Because you drew them to my cave...” It almost sounded more like a question than an answer. The dragon didn’t know which answer to supply; he wasn’t expecting so many questions from her just yet, but obviously her fear didn’t suppress her curiosity. It intrigued him, she intrigued him. He hadn’t interacted with a human in such a long time. Her tired, slightly downturned eyes would sparkle with inquisitiveness and then, just as quickly, turn dull and sad. That constant shifting interested him.

  The young woman merely raised her eyebrow and gave him a pointed look while she took off her abused leather boots, making herself more comfortable, hopefully assured she wouldn’t be eaten.

  “Fine,” he grumbled. “I wanted to talk, and I had a feeling… an intuition, that you would be the right person to make that possible.”

  The woman glanced up from studying her sore and blistered feet. She winced and wriggled her toes before asking, “Talk?”

  “Yes, to talk, Little One. You know, exchange intelligent words with someone else? I haven’t had a decent conversation in decades.” He puffed a longing sigh.

  “Decades? Why?” His personal inquisitor prodded further. She leaned back on her hands and straightened her legs in front of her, bringing her aching feet closer to the fire. He found the whole scene amusing, but her questions too probing.

  “Do you have to ask?” he said, dripping sarcasm. “People usually try to kill me to prove something. From some I steal so again they want to kill me and some are just plain scared – ”

  “Why do you steal if that makes people hate you and want to kill you?”

  “You ask an awful lot of questions. I think that is enough for tonight. My throat hurts, so I do not wish to speak anymore,” the dragon said. Her questions disturbed him. He couldn’t talk about it. No matter how much he wanted to and wished it was possible, he jus
t couldn’t the correct words past his reptilian mouth. Instead, he turned his head and faced the other direction.

  Olivia thought the dragon’s pouting amusing even though she was still wary of him. After all, he was a massive beast capable of who knew what. For a moment she pondered sneaking away, but fear kept her there. He might hear her, see her sneaking out and he could easily catch her. The dragon could then punish her, hurt or even kill her. But somehow those thoughts didn’t feel right anymore. As big and scary as he was, he didn’t give off the aura of menace, or danger.

  She glanced at him. The dragon was facing the other direction. His whole body rose and fell in a lulling motion to the rhythm of his deep and steady breaths. It appeared he was sleeping but she knew better.

  Olivia decided to use the moments of privacy while he was facing the other way. She stood up and peeled the dirty and torn clothes from her body. She kept an eye on the dragon, but he did not disturb her solitude.

  She threw most of the filthy, shredded clothing into the flames but saved the cleanest piece to use as a wash cloth. She dipped it into the water and washed herself as thoroughly as possible, scrunching her face at the stench, wishing she had her favorite lavender soap, and a real bath. She was careful of her wounds and cleaned them as best she could.

  She glanced a few times at the presumably sleeping dragon. She wanted to be sure he wasn’t looking. His scales gleamed and the shadows of the flames danced across his body. From what she had been able to see, he was magnificent, elegant with smooth scales and strong limbs. She found herself looking forward to seeing him in daylight and witnessing all his glory with his wings spread out and sunshine reflecting off his scales. Or seeing him whirl and soar through the air. Olivia wondered what it would be like to fly. Maybe he would let me. I should ask… or yet, better not, I do not want to get eaten.

  Once she finished cleaning herself, Olivia threw the improvised washcloth aside. With one last look towards the dragon, she dipped her head into the water. She wanted to wash all the dirt from her hair as well.

  The dragon heard the splash and turned his head back around. She was not as young as he had thought. Her body was a vision that left him wordless and his eyes transfixed, unable to look away, for he had been long deprived of such a sight. He had always preferred voluptuous women, and now he fantasized about the feel of her curves under his touch and the taste of her fair skin on his lips. Lips! Ha! He didn’t have those anymore.

  He could barely remember the last time he had held a soft female body in his hands, or had one wrapped around his own, but he remembered her name… Lucia. It has been too long. The glow of the fire caressing the little human’s skin did things to him. He shivered with an urge, a desire awaking deep inside of the forgotten parts of him. He wanted to run his hands over her back down to her buttocks, giving them a gentle squeeze. His eyelids drifted shut as he tried to imagine if she would feel as soft and velvety as she appeared. That was all he could do, just imagine.

  The dragon opened his eyes in time to see Olivia lift her head back up, splashing the water around. She smoothed her hands over her hair to squeeze out the remaining moisture. He let his eyes rove quickly over the front of her body and her full, perky breasts. He didn’t dare let his gaze linger, because if he looked any longer, he would be left staring and she would catch him doing so. That would create a whole batch of new problems. He shifted his gaze back around, just as she wiped the water from her eyes.

  The first thing Olivia did was look in the dragon’s direction. She had had a feeling he was watching her, but he was still facing the other direction. She huddled near the fire a bit longer, letting her body dry. Olivia just stared aimlessly at the flames and listened to the crackling and popping sounds.

  After a while, she donned the new dress and wrapped the soft woolen cloak around her shoulders. She pulled the hood up and over her still damp hair. After some squirming and turning, she finally settled on the hard ground while staying near the fire for the warmth it provided. She used her arm as a pillow and let her eyes drift shut.

  “Just one more question?” she whispered and her request lingered in the air.

  “Fine.”

  Olivia’s lips quirked up at the dragon’s irritable response. “What is your name?”

  “Kaden.”

  “Good night, Kaden.” Olivia yawned and welcomed the sleep that descended swiftly upon her.

  When the dragon heard her breathing even out as she succumbed to slumber, he returned his gaze upon her. She was so innocent, her features soft and peaceful until a shiver wracked her tiny body. She is cold. Kaden noticed the fire dwindling. He decided to take a risk, because he was a dragon after all, as the Little One would say.

  His tail slithered towards her and he wrapped it around her body, careful not to harm her. He half carried and half dragged her closer to him, and tucked her at his side. The dragon chuckled inwardly, imagining her reaction when she woke up.

  He covered her with his wing to keep her warm and whispered, “Good night, Little One.”

  Chapter 3

  Nausea tugged Olivia out of the dreamless sleep. Her stomach rumbled as it cramped painfully. She gave her lips some respite by moistening them with her tongue.

  Once her eyes fluttered open, she found herself under a dark, silken canopy. I must be dreaming still. Her pillow, too, brushed silky against her cheek, but not as soft. The surface she lay on though was hard, uncomfortable.

  She snuggled deeper into the warmth and pulled the cloak tighter around her shoulders.

  Olivia remembered her encounter with the dragon and didn’t feel the need to panic this time. He hadn’t hurt her thus far and, hopefully, he wouldn’t. She recalled falling asleep on the cold floor of dirt-covered stone. Not long after, the chill had seeped through the woolen cloak, making her shiver and interrupting her slumber. At the time she had been too tired to care but now she remembered being wrapped in a bubble of protective warmth after which peaceful sleep finally descended upon her. Olivia furrowed her brow once she became aware of the change in her sleeping arrangement.

  When she reached out with her hand and touched the surface she had been snuggling into, she recognized the source of the warmth as soon as her palm made contact with the reptilian scales.

  The silky warmth moved, and Olivia smiled. In all the stories and legends she had heard about dragons, the great beasts were always described differently and given various terrifying attributes, but one thing was always the same: they were all evil, ungodly creatures. Yet Kaden had proved to be anything but; he was caring and gentle. At least, he had been up to now.

  Her eyes popped wide open when she couldn’t remember thanking the dragon for all he had done for her. She was taught to have manners, to show gratitude. He twitched beneath her palms and Olivia felt the soft, lulling movements against her face stop and the sound of his deep, slow breathing cease.

  “Good morning, Kaden,” Olivia mumbled against his side, her lips almost brushing his scales. She had decided not to panic or throw any more tantrums; it would be useless. If he wanted to harm her, or eat her, he would have done so by now. He had only taken care of her, and she had no choice but to trust him.

  Kaden suppressed a shiver that wanted to show its appreciation at having female lips so close to his… scales. He sighed inwardly. He wondered about the change in her behavior but didn’t want to complain about it because he welcomed the female companionship. Any companionship. As limited as it was.

  “Well, it is almost morning outside. So yes… Good morning.”

  The sound of his soothing deep baritone reverberating through his body sent a shiver down Olivia’s spine.

  “Olivia,” she said through a yawn.

  “Hm?”

  “It is my name, Olivia. Well Olivia Violet Moore, most call me Olivia, my father calls me Violet.” She peeked out from under his wing.

  “Hmmm... Olivia.” His voice still sounded raspy from the lack of use. “Are you still cold? I should st
art the fire again.” The dragon gently extracted himself and tried to stretch but failed due to the size of the cave, which now included a human in addition to his gargantuan bulk.

  Olivia rose to her feet as well. She winced when her knee protested against the movement, then stretched her hands above her head. “I am actually quite alright. This cloak is warm… oh… which reminds me—” She yawned, squeezing her eyes shut as her mouth opened, and didn’t notice the dragon caressing her body with his gaze, looking her up and down as she stretched.

  Olivia turned to face him again and he diverted his stare, hoping she hadn’t noticed his silent appraisal. He would’ve blushed if he could. It had been too long since he had last been this close to a woman, and she had slept in his embrace all night.

  “Thank you,” Olivia said, tilting her head back so she could look up at him.

  “For what?” The dragon’s eyes landed on her again. He liked the way the short dark curls danced around her soft face, but he couldn’t stand that sad look in her bright blue eyes. The color reminded him of soaring high in clear skies. It was an exhilarating feeling, not an unhappy one.

  “Everything, of course.”

  Kaden quirked his brow up and almost asked for an explanation, but then he understood. “Oh, ‘twas nothing.”

  Olivia was about to argue but her stomach decided to make its presence known yet again. Blushing profusely, she looked down at her own feet, put a hand on her stomach and mumbled quietly, “I apologize.”

  “Why are you apologizing? You are merely hungry.” He shifted and snaked his head out through the passage that led outside. “It’s still raining. I should go and get you something to eat.”

  “Oh, no. I do not wish to impose any more than I already have. I will find myself some food.”

  “Nonsense!” The dragon’s voice shifted back to that cold and commanding tone he had first used with her. “The rain does not bother me, so you will stay. Keep warm while I go and get us something to eat. When I return, we will talk. Wait here.”