~❦︎~❦︎~

Chapter XXXV - The Same Shade of Blue

~❦︎~❦︎~

Wrapping his black cloak around her bare body, Sir Claudius ushered Heart of the Flame onward.

"You're too kind," she said, covering up her chest with it, although leaving the slightest notion of cleavage.

He nodded, then marched in front of her. She followed.

"So, Sir Claudius," Heart of the Flame cooed, "what do you say, when we get back to the castle in a few minutes, and you turn into a dragon, how about you and I have a little talk in our native tongue. Shall we?" She batted her eyelashes, her orbs flashing back-and-forth between blue and pink.

"No," he replied, curt, without emotion.

She was taken aback. "Pardon? Why not?"

"I don't like my native tongue. I much prefer human language." He didn't even turn back to acknowledge her.

Heart of the Flame huffed and threw her arms in the air. "I can't believe it. A dragon who doesn't like his own native tongue? Surely not." Swift on her feet, she slithered up toward him until she was right at his shoulder. "Tell me why. I'm genuinely curious."

"Fine, if you're so interested." Claudius turned around, faced her, hands on his hips, and frowned. "Human language gets more across. You can say more. Express abstract concepts never even conceived by dragons. Discuss emotions never even felt by dragons…." He faltered, and a shooting star twinkled in his eye. "It's so beautiful, almost like music coming out of my mouth every time I speak. But dragons can't even comprehend music. See what I mean? There's so much more to human speech. So much beauty and heart." His face lifted and his eyes gushed with wonder before he caught himself and cleared his throat. "Excuse me." The man pressed onward, cutting through thick underbrush as he made headway back toward the castle.

Heart of the Flame squinted her eyes, skeptical. "Hmm… it seems you've forgotten something, Sir." She poked his shoulder.

Claudius batted her finger away. "What?"

"The beauty of dragon tongue."

"Hah! I laugh. How can something so primitive obtain any trace of beauty?" He grunted and his greasy black locks fell over his bright blue eyes, like the black of night cascading the last blue of twilight.

"I'm serious, Sir! Yes, human language can express concepts dragons can't conceive of. I know that. I'm fluent in human language, for God's sake! But," she pulled at his undershirt in an aggressive, hasty way—unlike Athena's gentle and unassuming touch, "what about certain… primitive, primal feelings that humans have? Humans are animals too, you know."

Sir Claudius rolled his eyes.

"Haven't you been reading lately? I bet you haven't even read Origin of Species yet. What a shame…." She clucked her tongue. "A worldly man, my foot!"

"Is that a new scientific novel?" he asked.

"Relatively new. It's been almost forty years," Heart of the Flame replied.

"I haven't bought a new novel in a long time." Sir Claudius shook his head. "Please, madam, your point?"

"Ah, yes." She continued walking, this time in front of him, and swayed her barely-existent hips. "Humans may be highly-evolved, but they have rawness and realness in them. And human language cannot express those feelings. It's too flowery, too posh." She stuck her tongue out. "Dragon language is to the point. We say what we mean and mean what we say."

"Don't forget you're speaking with a native," Claudius said, crossing his arms and frowning.

"A native who's forgotten. You've forgotten the raw and real beauty of dragon tongue."

"I don't consider grunts and growls… beautiful…."

Heart of the Flame's eyes warmed up—like somebody lit a candle in her pupil. "You've spent too much time with humans, Sir Claudius. You've learned to hate dragons."

"The same could be said for you, Heart of the Flame. You've spent too much time with dragons and learned to hate humans." He brushed past her shoulder and paced on, swatting away skinny branches.

The woman's face twisted and contorted, like an ugly little bulldog who couldn't have her way. Wrinkles lined her skinny and gaunt face. Underneath the facetious facade, that's all she was.

"Alright, Sir, I suppose I'll have to make a deal with you." She marked on, swinging her arms like a soldier and catching up to him.

"Oh?" He tossed his hair back over his shoulder but didn't bat an eye.

"If you give me a chance, a true chance, to re-teach you the beauty and significance of dragon tongue, then I'll allow you to reteach me your English. All the nuances. Everything you find beautiful. And maybe we can come to an agreement, Sir Claudius." She smirked, a determined and hopeful gleam in her eyes.

Sir Claudius glanced her way a few times, then brought his eyes back to the path Athena and he had made. "On one condition," he spoke.

"Let's hear it," she said, cackling like an old witch.

"Do not touch Athena. She was born a human and is now half-human, half-cat. Not a full púca. Of course, she will become one once she ascends to the spirit realm. But if you so much as lay a claw on her, I will banish you from these grounds, and if you show your face here again, you'll get what's coming to you."

"My, my," Heart of the Flame sang. "You are serious about her, aren't you?"

Claudius clanged his teeth together and rolled up his sleeves.

"Fine, I get it. I won't touch your little human-cat púca pet." The woman rolled her eyes.

Claudius snarled and Heart of the Flame threw her hands up in surrender.

~❦︎~

Athena paced up-and-down the Grand Hall. Her footfalls echoed in the numerous hallways and rooms. She had lit the fireplace the moment she arrived, and it crackled and popped. Blowing hot breath into her palms, the girl shivered.

Creaks and squeaks came from the castle entrance. Athena lifted her head and gasped. A light filtered in through the front door. She picked up her skirts, galloping toward the main entryway.

"Claudius! Claudius!" Athena yelled.

His tall dark figure made a shadow in the doorway. "Athena, are you alright?" Rays of light surrounded him until his face came into focus. He ran to her.

They embraced. He petted her hair and she nuzzled into his chest. "I'm fine. What about you? Are you hurt?" Athena asked.

"No, actually—"

"Ahem," came a voice clearing their throat.

Athena fell back out of the embrace. She pulled her hair around to the side and stroked it wildly. "Claudius…?" She trembled and her knees locked.

"Athena… meet—" Claudius winced and moved out of the way. He pulled a ghostly white hand out of the door and brought it inside, revealing a woman…. A woman wearing his cloak. It was draped around her thin frame. "Heart of the Flame."

The woman smiled at Sir Claudius, let go of him, then extended an arm to Athena. "Ah, yes, hello, Miss…?"

"Everleigh. Miss Athena Everleigh."

They shook hands. Scales from Heart of the Flame's fingers pricked Athena's baby-soft skin. The young girl rubbed her forefinger and thumb together, looking back-and-forth between her hands, this woman, and Claudius.

Finally, the Man in Black jutted in, stepping forward. "She's like us, Athena. Or, well, like me."

Athena's face fell. Claudius's eyes were always the tiniest bit bluer than hers, and this woman's eyes were the same color as his. Without a twinge of silver.

"Was she—" Athena stopped herself and faced Heart of the Flame. "Were you cursed, too?" Athena was a few inches shorter than Heart of the Flame. She kept her head down while still sneaking glances every now and then at the lady.

"Me? Why, no, no," Heart of the Flame replied, waving her hand like a magic wand and cackling like a witch. "I can't believe you never told her, Claudius."

Athena's eyes widened, and blurred with water; she looked like a baby. Her gaze fell on Claudius as she searched for answers in his face.

"Heart of the Flame," he spoke in a chiding tone, "we've talked about this. I didn't know blue-eyed dragons all had a unique gift."

"Gift?" Athena's head turned from one pair of eyes to the other.

"Oh, surely you must've had some idea!" Heart of the Flame pouted her lips.

"I. Didn't." Claudius stared the woman down, before moving back to Athena. "Darling, this is the dragon who attacked us a few moments ago. But do not fret, she is harmless. Mostly."

Heart of the Flame humphed.

"Do you… know each other?" Athena questioned, her voice frail and childlike, almost like when she first began to work at the castle.

Claudius sighed while watching her. "Athena, I did not know her. Apparently, and I did not know this, I am rather an infamous figure in dragon lore. Heart of the Flame sought me out because…" The man gestured for her to finish.

"Ah, yes, to begin a new clan. One where neither of us has to fulfill our terrible, terrible duties."

"She has to kill humans," Claudius said, wincing, and pushing his hair back.

Athena's eyes widened even further than before. She stepped back before running into Claudius's arms.

"No, dear, she's not going to hurt you. Anymore," Claudius snapped.

"I won't hurt you," Heart of the Flame said, "now that I know you're not human." Her eyes flashed and Athena whimpered.

"Yes, Athena is a púca. Going after you would be futile."

"Only… half-púca, Claudius," Athena said, gasping.

"Even so," the tall pale woman said, "you're not fully human. I thought you were at first, but I know you're not now."

Athena glanced at Heart of the Flame for a few more seconds before snuggling deeper into Claudius's chest. She stood up on her tip-toes and whispered into his ear, "I don't trust her."

Claudius turned his head. Heart of the Flame trailed her fingers up and down his long black cloak.

The Grandfather Clock sounded. It was almost time for transformation.

"It's time for you to go back home. You don't want your parents to be worried."

She nodded, backing away from him and swiftly flying out the door. She laid one good long look at Heart of the Flame before transforming into a cat and bounding away.

"Boy, she is a sprightly one," the woman said after Athena was out of earshot. "Alright, I admit, she is more than a pet."

"Stop calling her that," Claudius said while walking to the Grand Hall. He took one of the logs from the fire and used it as a torch to light up the way into the dungeons. "You can stay in one of the dungeon cells. There is plenty of space for you to stretch out."

"Well, you need to stop changing the subject, Sir Claudius," Heart of the Flame said. "I can tell you and Athena are much more than friends, which I don't mind."

Claudius furrowed his brows. "What do you mean: 'You don't mind'?" he asked.

"I mean, Claudius, if we're going to begin a clan together, we'll have to be mated, of course." She laughed, throwing her head back as though it made no difference in their lives whatsoever. "I don't mind if you have another half-human, half-cat lover. After all, it's not like you can brand her anyway."

Claudius's mouth fell open; he stopped in the middle of his tracks.

Heart of the Flame looked up at him. She arched her snow-white brows with bright markings in confusion. "Let me guess. You never learned about how to start a new dragon clan either."

He shook his head, his mouth open like a fish stranded on a desert-dry dock.

Heart of the Flame sighed and laid a scaly hand on his shoulder. "Oh, Claudius, it seems I'm going to have to teach you so much more about dragon culture than I thought."