Treasure Ch. 07

"A week," he finally repeated grudgingly. "Very well."

"Will you be back before that?" she pleaded softly. "Tomorrow, maybe...?"

"Coming here two days in a row would be spitting in the face of fate," he said grimly. "Far too dangerous. Besides, I have business in the Whispering Mountains, and I'll be leaving tomorrow evening. I should return within three days."

Catherine's brows drew together in confusion. "What sort of business?" she asked. When Adeon spoke again, his voice was imbued with slyness.

"Earlier, you brought up the topic of dragon armies..."

"I seem to remember you scoffing at the idea," Catherine interrupted, and he let out a breath of a laugh.

"There are no dragon armies, Catherine, and I don't believe such a thing has ever existed. We're rather stubborn creatures." He paused for a moment. "However, since circumstances have become rather grim, dragons from all over the world are flocking to the mountains. We're gathering our numbers, trying to decide on a proper course of action. I'd like to lend my voice."

"Like a council of sorts?" Catherine wondered, and Adeon snorted.

"Nothing nearly that organized, I'm afraid. I'm sure it will be utter insanity." He dipped his head down to kiss her cheek again and then pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, and Catherine's body pined for his heat once he had risen to his feet. She followed him, her movements sluggish and weighed down by sadness, and in the dark, she heard him laugh. "Worry not," he murmured, and she could see his eyes glittering very close to hers in the shadows. "I'll return to this very window three days hence and regale you with all of the developments." His lips pressed briefly against hers. "I swear it," he said against her mouth, and she threw her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her and kissing him fiercely.

After several minutes, he seemed to summon enough willpower to wrench away from her, and she followed his silhouette to the window. "I love you," she whispered as he pushed open the glass panes. His teeth threw off sparks of reflected moonlight when he smiled at her, and her heart throbbed painfully in her chest when he lowered himself into a crouch on the windowsill.

"I love you, too," he breathed, and then he leapt from the sill and vanished into the dark. She quickly scurried forward to watch his descent, but he was simply gone, without a single noise or even a fleeting shadow. She smiled despite herself. Very sneaky indeed.