Chapter Five
When Cynthia woke, her whole body felt sore. Her mind was hazy for a moment before memories of last night came rushing back. She looked around quickly, searching for her newfound lover, but he was nowhere in sight. “Sullivan?” she called out into the empty bedroom, but there was no answer.
A soft breeze rolled in from the open window, fluttering the golden-colored curtains. Cynthia sighed, wondering where he had gone. She was about to doze off again when she was possessed by the sudden need to explore. It was as if the corners of the room were calling out to her. Sullivan would come back eventually, she thought.
So she got up, but doing so, she noticed the mess on her chest. She groaned slightly, feeling her own juices seeping out of her. Images of last night flashed before her eyes and her hormones flared up once more. She noticed an open door and peered inside. To her benefit, it was a bathroom. She quickly cleaned herself up before padding back into the room. She started buttoning up her shirt that had somehow managed to stay on her body throughout the night.
Cynthia walked up to the fireplace first. It was made of a smooth, green-colored granite. Its white colored-swirls gave it a rich, elaborate pattern. She traced her finger over some of them, shivering as she felt just how cold it was. The fireplace itself looked like it had not been lit in a very long time. There were a few ashes on the bottom, but they looked like they had been there for ages.
Sitting on the mantelpiece were a few interesting artifacts. There was a strange-looking bronze statue of a monkey, sitting like Buddha. It had its hands over its stomach while another set of hands covered his elongated ears. Cynthia half-expected him to have another set of arms, to make him a Buddha/Kali hybrid. She stared at it a few moments longer, but she still couldn’t quite make out what it was.
Moving to the left, there was a beautiful broach, pinned to a rose-patterned upholstery. The peacock, engraved in what looked like near-tarnishing silver, looked almost lifelike. Its large, pluming feathers were a vibrant mixture of iridescent greens and dashing blues. Cynthia gently ran her fingers over it, smiling to herself. Sullivan sure did have a love for strange antiques.
Finally, Cynthia arrived at the center of the mantelpiece. Here, a breathtaking dragon necklace was settled in a glass display, which shone brightly as if someone had just finished polishing it. Each of its dark, raven black scales was carved into the onyx-like material. The dragon’s long, slender neck made up about half of the necklace, while the painstakingly detailed wings and tail made up the rest. Cynthia got on her tiptoes, pressing her face closer to the glass display until her nose was almost touching it.
Tiny rubies had been used for the eyes. Its tail had barge spikes that looked rather intimidating. Cynthia wondered how any craftsman could have gotten so much detail into a relatively small piece of jewelry.
She looked around the room, seeing that it was still empty. Cautiously, she took the glass box, holding it in her hands. She gently opened it, exposing the necklace. She held her breath and picked it up. It was cold to the touch. She was almost disappointed not to have the little dragon come to life in her hand. Instead, it laid motionless as her fingertips ran along the dragon’s spine.
Finally, she gathered up her courage and draped it around her neck. It was made in such a way that the dragon’s head was nuzzled against the hollow of her neck, his maw looking like it was about to set her heart on fire. The dragon’s tail wrapped around her neck in a choker fashion, while the impressive wings spread out across her shoulders.
Cynthia gasped as she finally let go, letting it settle on her body. Pure energy suddenly rushed into every fiber of her being. Her pulse quickened and her heart felt like it would explode. She nearly dropped to her knees, her mind clouded.
Suddenly, the necklace began to move. The dragon’s limbs stretched after centuries of slumber, its claws slowly clenching. Abruptly, they dug into Cynthia’s flesh, causing her to cry out. She tried to pull the necklace off her neck, but it was impossible. Somehow, the necklace had managed to attach itself to her body, causing her to panic.
Had she somehow stumbled onto a magical item? She cursed herself for not bringing her wand along. Once again, she tried to tug off the necklace, but this time the little dragon lifted its head and snapped at her. She quickly withdrew her fingers, reluctant to find out how sharp those teeth were. What was she supposed to do now?