Chapter 4
On the third day, Lonnie started spending more and more time in his human form.
He claimed it made talking easier. I was pretty sure that wasn't the whole story, but I didn't call him out on it.
Lonnie sat at the entrance to the treasure vault, watching as I catalogued the last batch of treasures.
"Item 3741, East Sea Blue Pearl Brooch, sourced from the Azure Coast, grade one," I muttered, scribbling it onto a thin slate with a piece of charcoal.
"How can you tell it's from the Azure Coast?" Lonnie asked.
"It's the iridescent sheen on the pearl. Only deep-sea oysters from the Azure Coast have that signature concentric shimmer," I replied.
His eyes lit up for a moment.
He hid it just as fast.
But I caught it.
"Item 3742, short sword made of red copper. Origin unknown, probably from the middle period of the Black Iron Era. The silk wrapping on the hilt is falling apart. It needs restoration," I noted down.
"That sword was my very first treasure," Lonnie said.
I paused, my charcoal hovering over the slate.
"I picked it up a hundred years ago, from an old battlefield that had been left to rot," he added.
A hundred years.
Sometimes I'd forget Lonnie was a dragon that would live for thousands of years.
I said, adding a note to the slate, "That should be marked as a special item. We'll put it in a separate category for things with sentimental value."
Lonnie didn't say anything.
I looked up at him.
He was staring at me.
He wasn't looking at the slate in my hand, or at the treasures behind me.
He was looking at me.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
He said, glancing away, "Nothing. You really take this cataloguing seriously."
"Comes with the job," I replied.
"It's like you're making yourself at home here," he said.
The tip of my charcoal snapped.
"Let me get you a new one," Lonnie said, standing up and heading deeper into the cave.
After rummaging around for a bit, he came back with a goose-feather quill that looked expensive. "Use this."
"Isn't this a treasure too?" I asked.
"Doesn't matter. Go ahead and use it," he replied.
As he handed me the quill, his fingertips grazed the back of my hand.
His hand was really warm. It was a feature of the dragon.
He pulled his hand back.
It was a bit too quick.
"The kingdom's probably already sent people to look for you," he said, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, eyes fixed on the cave entrance. "The knights or whatever."
"They're looking for the princess," I said.
"You're not on their search list?" he asked.
"I'm just a maid, Lonnie," I replied.
Lonnie lowered his gaze.
"If a maid disappears, the castle just brings in another one," I said.
The cave went quiet for a moment.
When Lonnie spoke again, his voice was low and a bit heavy.
"So you're not in a hurry to go back?" he asked.
"No point in worrying. Like you said, there's not a soul for a hundred miles in any direction," I replied with a shrug.
"What if you could go back?" Lonnie asked.
I looked at him. He wouldn't meet my eyes.
"You want to send me back?" I asked.
"I'm asking what you want," he replied.
I said, putting the newly catalogued item in its place and brushing my hands together, "If you want my opinion, the hidden clasp on your brooch, item 3741, is loose.
"It needs fixing. Want to handle it yourself, or should I take care of it?"
At last, he looked at me.
His amber eyes, pupils narrowed to slits, shone bright in the firelight.
"You do it," he said.