Later that evening, Drago stepped out onto the balcony as the sun was setting on the horizon. He silently stood watching it disappear into the sea. It had been over a decade since he’d seen it.

A wave of sorrow held him in its grasp. In his mind’s eye, he could still see the majestic dragons of his people silhouetted against the brilliant, fiery sky as they flew and the sounds of their laughter rising up from the village below. Young dragons would be learning how to land on the cliffs while their watchful parents murmured encouragement. Music would fill the air as residents settled down for dinner and to share their day's adventures. Theron and the other guards would be jesting with each other and boasting of their exploits. Tonight, there was nothing but silence.

Well, except for the crashing of the surf against the rocks and the loud clatter of Carly dropping yet another item and muttering curses under her breath, he thought, turning to face the opened doors.

“I got it! Damn it, no I don’t,” she said in exasperation as another clatter struck the marble floor. “I need to get another set of silverware.”

“Let me take this. The floors are exceptionally clean after your rigorous scrubbing. I’m sure the set can be used,” Drago stated. He walked forward and took the tray of food from Carly and carried it out onto the balcony.

“I thought we could eat out here. I don’t know where you found all this food. It is amazing that you did because I could have sworn this place looked like no one has lived here for at least a year,” Carly exclaimed, bending to pick up the fork and knife that had fallen from the tray.

“Over a decade,” Drago corrected, turning to the small table and chairs that Carly had dragged outside.

“A decade! Wow, that’s like… a really long time. How come you are still here? Where did everybody else go?” she asked.

“Gone long ago,” he replied.

Drago placed the tray on the table, focusing on the colorful array. The plates were laden with the fresh fruit and vegetables he had harvested from the forests and overgrown gardens. The vegetables were sautéed to perfection. On another platter, fresh fish that he had caught earlier lay perfectly grilled to a golden brown on a bed of fresh greens. It had been a long time since he’d eaten such a feast.

Carly had insisted that while she might not be good at exercising, she was a master in the kitchen. From the delicious smells teasing his nose, he would have to agree. He pulled out one of the chairs and waited for her to sit down before he walked around the table to sit down in the chair across from her.

“Tell me about the place you come from,” he requested, picking up a spoon and adding some of the vegetables to his plate.

“Yachats? That conversation will take all of about two minutes. There isn’t a lot to it,” she responded with a wiggle of her nose.

“Then I look forward to an informative two minutes,” Drago replied in a dry tone.

Carly stuck her tongue out at him. Drago’s lips twitched. That had to be another first. He couldn’t remember any woman ever sticking her tongue out at him. He liked that Carly appeared completely at ease with him – enough even to tease him. With a shake of his head, he slid a piece of fish onto his plate. He began eating, savoring the burst of flavors from the fish and vegetables.

“Yachats is a tiny town. There are less than seven hundred people within the city limits. I can’t believe it was voted as one of the ten best vacation spots! There’s hardly anything there. Still, I guess it is pretty and there are some beautiful homes, cool shops, and a marina. I wish the homes weren’t so expensive. Jenny and I were thinking of going in together to buy a house, but what would we do if we fell in love with someone and got married? It would make it awkward, and there’s no way I can afford one on my own,” she added with a sigh before taking a bite of the vegetables.

“Where do you live then?” Drago asked, pouring the wine that he had retrieved from the cellar into their glasses before setting the bottle down and lifting his glass to sip from it.

“We’re renting a little house along Main Street. It’s really cute and we’ve got it decorated up. The landlord is a sweetheart and doesn’t mind as long as we pay the rent on time. Jenny teaches at the local school and I work at the bank. We don’t make tons of money, but we do alright,” Carly replied with a shrug, lifting the glass of wine to her lips and taking a tentative sip. It was a light, white wine, dry instead of sweet and surprisingly good considering she didn’t care for wine. She replaced the glass and pierced a piece of fruit with her fork before continuing. “The local Farmer’s Market on Saturdays is about as exciting as it gets. They have all kinds of fresh produce, seafood, and crafts for sale. I have a booth there and sell the jewelry that I make. I do okay during the tourist season. It gives me a little extra money. I’ve been saving it toward the purchase of a house. Once a month, they also do a movie under the stars since we don’t have a movie theater. Of course, they never show any of the newest releases. I told you, Yachats is about as exciting as watching grass grow. So, what’s your story? How come you stayed behind after everyone left?”

Drago glanced down at his empty plate in surprise. Placing his fork on the plate, he sat back to stare out over the city. The sun had set, but the edge of the world still had the glow from it. He hadn’t planned to tell Carly anything, so when the words slipped from his lips, he was surprised.

“Many years ago, the seven kingdoms were at war with each other. My guards and I were completing a last inspection of the isle before a storm arrived. The wind and sea had become turbulent, but in the distance I saw a familiar figure. It was Orion, the Sea King,” Drago murmured, looking out at the ocean.

“You mean there are others like you?” Carly asked in a hushed voice.

Drago shook his head. “Not like me – not a dragon. Orion is king of the Isle of the Sea Serpent. They live in great cities under the ocean but have homes on the island above them as well. They are merfolk, sea dwellers who breathe under the water,” he explained.

“Mermaids! Are you saying that mermaids are real?!” Carly exclaimed, pushing her chair back and standing up so she could stare out at the ocean in awe.

Drago pushed his chair back and stood up as well. He walked around the table to stand next to Carly. Together they stared out at the horizon for several moments. A cool breeze swirled up from the cliffs, and Carly shivered. Drago glanced down at her. He reached out an arm and pulled her against him. He raised an inquiring eyebrow when a grin curved her lips.

“If your mermaids are merfolk, then yes, mermaids are real – though, I don’t think Orion would appreciate being called a maid,” he chuckled, turning to stare out at the ocean again.

“Yeah, I guess a guy would take offense to that. So, you were doing a last inspection and you saw the merman,” she encouraged.

“Yes,” Drago replied. “Orion requested a truce between us. He told me the other kingdoms had agreed. The war had been instigated by his cousin. Magna was – is – a very powerful witch. She was much more powerful than Orion or I realized.”

Carly turned to face him. “What happened to her?” she asked.

“I don’t know what happened to her, only what she did to my people,” Drago replied, staring out at the ocean and thinking of that fateful day. “I heard their cries first. I felt their horror. Mothers and fathers watching their children become cold and lifeless, yet helpless to stop the spell. Even as they reached for loved ones, the spell overtook them as well, encasing them in stone. The warriors had no enemy to fight. They could not see the magical threads. We had fought the people from the Isle of Magic before, but this was different – alien to us. Our own powers, in our dragon forms, give us some measure of protection, but nothing could stop this. Magna’s magic was darker, stronger, and unlike anything we had ever encountered before. Many of my people fell into the ocean as they tried to escape. Others were frozen in their homes or as they were making their way along the streets. By the time I made it back to the isle, they were all gone. I could no longer hear their quiet murmurs or sense their presence.” Drago turned his head to gaze down at Carly with glittering, rage-filled eyes. “Magna stood on the cliff. The sound of her insane laughter danced upon the winds of the storm, mocking my inability to stop her annihilation of my people. She disappeared into the ocean before I could kill her.”

“Oh Drago, I’m so sorry,” Carly whispered, her eyes filling with tears. “I can’t imagine what it must have been like. What did you do? How could you survive such devastation?”

Drago lifted his hand and brushed it along Carly’s cheek, capturing the tear that escaped. “I cast a spell to protect my kingdom, moved my people into a safe place, and found solitude in the caverns far below the castle. There I slept, daring any to try to take the last stronghold of the dragon,” he murmured, gazing down into her liquid brown eyes.

She lifted a hand, brushing aside a lock of his hair that had fallen forward when he looked down at her. He liked the way she touched him. It was gentle, tender, yet hesitant. He slid his hand up to cup hers, raised her hand to his mouth, and pressed a warm kiss to the center of her palm.

“I wish there was something I could do to help you,” she said.

“You already have. You have awakened me.” His hand engulfed hers in a possessive hold and his eyes burned into hers. “I claim you as part of my treasure, Carly. I will never let you go,” Drago stated, watching her eyes widen at his declaration.

Carly gazed back at him for a second before her lips curved up into a brilliant smile. “What girl in her right mind would turn down a seriously cute dragon when he says something like that? Does this mean you’ve forgiven me for the broom incident earlier?” she teased, a mischievous twinkle brightening her eyes.