Taken by the Dragon King Read Free Page B

on the desk and 70’s rock is playing quietly out of the speakers.
    A door rattles open, leaking the raucous sound of dogs and cats noisily seeking attention from the female attendant shutting the door behind her. A smile leaps to my face with happiness at the recognition of Ruby as she turns around to face us. Her eyes meet mine. She screams in delight, running over to give me an overly enthusiastic hug.
    “Melinda! I can’t believe you’re here! I mean, I know Fee said you were coming, but you’re actually here!” I can’t help smiling at her. Her energy is so infectious.
    “It’s nice to see you Ruby. Sorry for ditching you at the museum, but the key…” I say tentatively, “it worked.” Looking back at Asher, I can see he’s amused by Ruby and I instantly feel a little jealous. Before I even think about what I’m doing I pull him close and wrap my arm around him possessively.  “Ruby this is Asher, Asher this is Ruby,” I hastily make introductions. I wonder if I should have done something more formal for the heir of the Dragon Kingdom. Crap. I’ll have to ask him about that later.
    “Oh My God!” she squeals, jumping up and down excitedly before grabbing his hand and shaking it vigorously. “You’re… you’re… well you know who you are but I’m, well, you know, I’m Ruby.” She dips low into a curtsey, bowing her head respectfully. “My Liege.”
    Surprisingly Ash just chuckles and taps Ruby on her arm playfully. Is he checking her out? I have to fight the urge to pull him closer again.
    “No need to bow. I’m not the King, not yet anyway.” As she straightens up looking relieved he adds, “Thank you for your service to Melinda. It was invaluable in my escape.”
    “You’re welcome,” she responds excitedly, looking pleased with herself. What if he ends up liking Ruby more than me? She is really gorgeous, despite being slightly disheveled and klutzy. But what if he thinks that’s cute? Get a grip on yourself Melinda. This is Ruby. Stop standing here with your mouth open like an idiot!
    “Eh hem,” a familiar voice says from somewhere behind the counter. “She definitely had some help, my Lord.” Jax jumps onto the desk skillfully, not knocking a single thing off. “But I need no thanks. I am your servant.” The furry little guy dips into a low bow and I chuckle as quietly as I can. I wonder if everyone we meet is will bow to Asher. That could get old really fast. Instead of adding any ‘thanks for helping Melinda blah blah’, Ash just dips his head silently. I guess he’s not over the whole Cat betrayal thing yet. “They are waiting for you,” Jax breaks the silence pointing with a paw through the noisy door.
    As soon as we walk through the cacophony of animals sounds abruptly stops. It must have been a spell. Very clever. I see a smattering of animals in the cages, but they appear to be sleeping or happily chewing on a bone.
    We walk quickly through the animal holding room and pass through a set of double swinging doors that scream old school hospital. Instead of entering an operating room, we find ourselves marveling at a large atrium with a glass roof, sunlight shining on huge plants and birds flitting around our heads. Impressive. There must be some fancy magic going on to hide a room this massive. I wonder how they have enough magic up here to sustain the illusion.
    A small funny man wearing voluminous purple robes hurriedly walks up to us nervously wringing his hands. “My Lord,” he squeaks, bowing low before Asher. “Miss,” he adds with a quick glance at me before turning back to Ash. “We are so honored by your presence Your Highness, very honored! You must forgive us. Yes, forgive us you must for not having more of a fanfare for your arrival. We knew you would come but not when, no not when.” His nervous demeanor is making me anxious. I can’t help fidgeting myself.
    “It’s fine,” Ash responds gruffly, staring at the strange little man with a