Nentres

 

Let the record show that I, the great fire dragon, was supposed to deflower all the virgins, hoard all the jewels, and burn all the habitats. I had maidens banging on my door. Life was excellent, with the exception of this pretty girl who wasn’t even remotely interested in me. She’d walked inside the room and paid more attention to my furniture and rugs than to me. And I was supposed to forgo my ball, forgo hundreds of women throwing themselves at me, and marry this Yankee cowgirl who didn’t even find me attractive?  I didn’t think so.

I addressed the cyborg matriarch, as the girl’s opinion seldom mattered in these circumstances. “Most women want to jump me on sight. You brought me a girl who would rather look at George than at me.”

George, the head of my household, cleared his throat.

“No offense,” I said to George.

“Mm-hm.”

“She’s just shy,” the cyborg answered.

“And an implant reject,” George added and looked pointedly at me, then at the briefcase near the cyborg’s mechatronic foot. He was trying to tell me something. I drummed my fingers on the couch’s armrest. The cyborg intended to bribe me, I believed, and she was smart enough to offer me the girl for free first, then see where it led.

I had nothing to lose by presuming the briefcase was filled with money or gold or family heirlooms. I’d never refused a good bribe, and I wasn’t gonna start now. Let the business begin. The girl…hell, I already forgot her name. It started with an A… “Annie, are you shy?” I asked her.

“No.”

“So your mother’s a liar?”

At first, she didn’t answer, then said, “I simply didn’t expect to be married off.”

Ah. Poor thing. Cyborgs could be vicious. I wondered if the Cy tech on their bodies took away some their humanity too. I smiled at the poor girl, making sure my dimples showed. The girl didn’t blink or swoon or sigh or at least whimper. This pissed me off. I’d never met a more indifferent woman in my life. “My answer remains the same. I need to keep my options open. I’ll marry only once. She’ll be someone who, at the very least, is interested in me and finds me attractive.” A lie. I would marry the spirit who would light my fire element outside the bedroom. In return, I would light her world on fire inside my bedroom. Mother Nature predicted the spirit would attend the ball, and so I kept my eye out for a woman who caught my attention. The problem? They all caught my attention, because I loved women. It helped I didn’t have to work too hard to get them, and I wasn’t gonna work for this little peach either.

Mechatronic fingers flexed, the noise grating on my foul mood. The cyborg reached into her pocket and pulled out a purple velvet pouch. She tossed it to me. “The girl’s dowry.”

My mood improved. I caught the pouch and weighed it in my hand but didn’t open it. I dumped it on the table. “You insult me. First you imply that the women are forced to come here. I assure you, they are all very willing. Apart from this one.” I pointed at the girl, who kept standing. She seemed frozen in that state. “And then you offer me…what? A few hundred grams of gold worth maybe ten grand? I wouldn’t buy a bitch for my dog for ten grand.”

“And besides, the girl’s nothing special. She’s simple and, frankly, would bore me by tomorrow.” Annie Trahan had the most exquisite black-rimmed green eyes, which stood in stark contrast with her flawless caramel complexion, small nose, and wide, puffy lips. Her kinky brown hair framed a cute oval face, and she had hips a man could grip real well when he fucked her doggy style. I found her pretty, another thing that annoyed me since she found me…plain.

But I needed to see the contents of that briefcase. The less interested I appeared, the more money the stepmom would offer me. I would take her money and dump the girl the moment I found my spirit. This cyborg couldn’t keep a reject who hurt her social status and blocked her Cy benefits. The girl couldn’t carry the Trahan family name and work at the bottom of the habitat either. My gut said the stepmom didn’t have a choice, which meant she would pay me every last penny she’d brought with her. If she was smart, she’d know to leave the jewelry on the table as well. It might be only a few hundred grams, but I hoarded jewels. All dragons hoarded jewels.

 I expected the cyborg to argue some more, but she reached for the black case and put it on the table. She spun it around, pressed a finger on the scan reader, and opened the case to reveal stacks of cash. I estimated a quarter of a million roges, which would pay for the ball.

I closed the case. I loved money, but I was pretty sure I could milk some more from this cyborg. “Nice. I ain’t offended anymore.”

The stepmom assumed her poker face, letting me stew on her offer.

“Have a seat, Annie,” I told the girl.

“Thank you.”

“Welcome.” Annie seemed scared out of her mind.

I had no need to buy brides or even accept money for brides, and I sure as hell wasn’t gonna force myself on one. “Would you marry me?” I asked her.