Page 64 of Dragon Cursed

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"Yes."

"What is the speed of this vehicle?"

"Sixty."

"Sixtywhat?"

"Kilometers per hour."

"— I see."

"We will be going faster than this in a few minutes."

"I see."

"My love."

"Yes."

"You have flown me on the back of your dragon, soaring above the clouds over the Atlantic."

"Yes."

"Surely a motorway is less alarming than that."

"On the back of a dragon," he said carefully, "no.Iam the dragon.I have complete confidence in my skills.I have control.The wind is like an old friend.The risk to your person, in my hands, is zero."He swallowed."I am not the car."

"You are definitely not the car."

"I mean, I am a passenger in a small tin box being piloted by a person I love at unsafe speeds on a black ribbon of road shared with other tin boxes approximately the size of houses, none of whom know that the woman pilotingMargeryhas become my reason for existence, a person without whom I would become nothing more than an angry, destructive monster.If they knew the danger they were in, they would be far more careful.Perhaps even remove their tin cans from the road until we have passed."

He breathed out, slowly, through his nose.

She glanced at him, her lips obviously pressed together to contain the mirth he saw reflected in her eyes.Her face softened."Oh, Alsander."

"Don’t be tender with me.I am holding it together."

"You’re not."

"I am."

"You're holding the seatbelt strap so hard your knuckles have gone white.And, uh — "

“What.”

“There’s smoke coming out of your nose.Not a lot.Just —”

"Yes.But we are still in the car instead of flying, as we should be.I have not used my magic to remove us from this deathtrap.I am holding it together."

"Try the dashboard.The dashboard is sturdier."

He moved his right hand from the strap to the dashboard.The dashboard was, indeed, sturdier.He kept his left hand on the strap on principle.

Internally, where Poppy couldn’t hear, he yelled at his dragon.Stop smoking!You’re making us look bad in front of our mate!

Tin can dangerous.Must stay ready.Mate will understand.

No.She is laughing.

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