Dragon Tamer

Chapter 10

I shrugged, avoiding his eye contact. "No rush. He doesn't want me guiding him. I'm a worthless dragon fucker."

She glared at the sheepish prince, slipping her arm behind my back to lead me to the healing hut.

"Actually," the prince said, stepping in front of us, "can we talk?"

Changed his mind, did he?

Too bad for him. I'd seen his true colours. I didn't want anything to do with him, much like all our dragons. He could switch guides, but it wouldn't change who he was.

Sticking my chin up, I passed him. "Nope."

"What do you mean, no?" he demanded, following us through the streets. Damn it. I was hoping he wouldn't clue in that I was too hurt to fend him off. "We're talking," he decided.

Sighing, I let Amelia open the door to the hut for me and trailed in behind her; the prince was hot on my tail. "I guess we are."

I sat down on the bench while Amelia lit the candles. The sun hadn't quite set yet, but it would be soon, definitely by the time she's finished with me.

The prince stood in front of me, arms crossed and adamant I listened to him.

Suddenly the confidence and swagger deflated and he sighed heavily, averting his gaze to the floor. "So, I think I might have been hasty to judge you and your methods. I'm sorry."

"And?" I pressed. If he thought I was going to make this easy for him after he ridiculed my work and insulted me he was sorely mistaken.

He chewed on his lip, a light glare in his eyes when he lifted them to me.

Amelia came to my side. "Off with the shirt. Let's see what that dragon's done to you." She gave the prince a pointed look to turn his gentlemanly gaze away.

He didn't.

Not caring if he was looking or not, I pried my shirt off, revealing the dark bruise across my chest and undoubtedly my back where Zellar's tail had caught me and thrown me into the wall. Amelia hissed, taking in the full extent of my injuries.

"How do you do it? I'd be crying my eyes out by now."

"It's not as bad as it looks." Or maybe I'd gotten used to being bruised and beaten. Taming dragons wasn't a walk in the park. Untamed dragons were vicious. They had killed many tamers in my village. It was a risk we all took whenever we approached a dragon.

She shook her head reproachfully at me. "You're crazy."

"So I've been told." I straightened up so she could get better access to my injuries and looked at the prince, who was slowly taking in the bruises, cuts, and scars splattering my torso with concern, surprise, and possibly respect--a new look for him. "Go on. You were saying?"

He frowned at me, pursing his lips in distaste. Well, he could suck up a little pride if he wanted my help. "I'm sorry for the way I treated you," he went on reluctantly. He sounded like a stroppy child that had been forced to apologize. "I shouldn't have assumed you couldn't do your job because you were a woman and talk to dragons, even though they can't talk back to you. Clearly it gives you an advantage over your brothers."

"And?" He was getting warmer to what I was fishing for.

His dark green eyes narrowed into a sharp glare. The orange tinge of the candles lit his hair up with golds and bronzes; it added more tone to his skin too. I imagine that's how he'd look in the summer, training in the sun all day with his brothers. "And I'm sorry for letting Amber get to me? She has you all wrong."

"And?" I pressed. I hadn't expected him to bring up Amber, but that had been nice.

He groaned and shifted his weight with an eye roll. "Alaric was right. I am an idiot around beautiful women. You make me the stupidest man alive."