Page 45 of Dragon Unbound (Dragon Kings 3)
Cullen pointed to the first dish. “Insalata Caprese. It’s made with buffalo mozzarella—a cheese—then a tomato, and topped with a fresh sprig of basil and seasoned with salt and olive oil. It’s a simple Italian salad.”
Tamlyn’s mouth was watering before he finished. She found a fork and knife to cut a slice. The instant she took a bite, there was an explosion of flavor in her mouth. She wanted to devour the entire plate, but there was so much more on the table.
“That was delicious.”
Cullen grinned. “I’m glad.”
She pointed to another plate and the interesting things on it. “What about this?”
“Ah. A classic dish from France. Cognac shrimp with beurre blanc, which simply means a butter and wine sauce.”
Tamlyn speared a shrimp with her fork and took a small bite. The flavors together were amazing. Once she swallowed, she ate the rest of the shrimp and looked at him to choose the next dish.
Cullen looked over the table and pointed to one. “Haggis is a staple in Scotland.”
“What’s in it?”
He opened his mouth, then closed it. “Perhaps it’s better if I doona tell you.”
Tamlyn shrugged and cut into it. The minute she put it in her mouth, she wanted to spit it out. Somehow, she managed to swallow it. “I think I’ll pass on that.”
“I figured,” Cullen said with a laugh. “Try the smoked salmon. It’s a fish.”
She shrugged and took a bite, nodding with pleasure. “I like this.”
“It’s also from Scotland.”
“What’s that?” she asked and pointed to the large, round piece of food.
“That is an American cuisine, though it originated in Italy. The Americans made it their own. It’s called pizza. It’s—”
It smelled so good she didn’t wait for him to finish, just picked up a slice to put on her plate. She thought about cutting it but ended up bringing the small end to her mouth and taking a bite. “Oh. This is good,” she said around a mouthful.
Cullen shook his head and sank into the empty chair. “I’m surprised you waited until last.”
She laughed and put more into her mouth. She studied him as she chewed. After she swallowed, she asked, “How did you become King of your clan?”
Cullen paused for a moment. “With difficulty.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“It’s the truth,” he replied. “The Garnets had been at war with the Black clan. Neither clan could get an advantage for verra long. It was a war that should no’ have ever happened. Our King let the power of his position go to his head. I felt the call from the magic before we began the war, but I was young and unsure of what I felt. Once he instigated the war, and I saw so many of my clan die, I challenged him. I was still young. My older brothers thought I’d lost my mind. My parents were so shocked, they couldna react. My little sister offered to hide me.”
She watched as a smile pulled at his lips when he spoke of his family. It’d never entered her mind that he’d had family, though it should have. She was embarrassed at her thoughtlessness. Tamlyn took another bite of pizza, enthralled with his tale.
Cullen’s brown eyes met hers. He picked a piece of meat from the pizza and popped it into his mouth, licking his fingers. “Our King had been challenged before. I watched each one. All dragons did. It allowed me to study him and his moves. His downfall was underestimating me.” Cullen took a deep breath and released it. “Our battle was brutal. His first strike knocked me flat. Everything hurt so badly, I didna want to get up. But I had to. We fought for hours. The longer I remained, the more I saw the fear in his eyes. The only way a King takes the position from another is with death. I didna want to end his life, but it’s what the magic demanded.”
He looked away, his eyes going distant. “I delivered the killing blow. He fell hard, but he wasna dead. He motioned me close as he lay dying and told me he didna understand why the magic had taken the position from him. The light went out of his eyes before I could answer. I’m no’ sure what I would’ve said anyway.” Cullen sucked in a breath and lifted his gaze to her. “I immediately contacted the King of Blacks, and our conflict ended that day.”
She swallowed the last of the pizza and smiled at him. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, but it appears the magic was right in choosing you.”
“Maybe.”
Tamlyn had been eyeing the mark on his arm. She jerked her chin to it. “What is that?”
Cullen glanced at his biceps. “A tattoo. Do you no’ have them there?”
“I’ve never seen one, but I’ve not gone many places. Why do you have it?”
“Every Dragon King has one. Tattoos on my realm are popular. Some humans are covered with them. But none have the mix of red and black ink that marks us. All of us have a dragon on different parts of our body.”
She let her gaze roam over the dragon that covered his entire arm from head to tail. It appeared as if the dragon were crawling up Cullen’s arm. The head of the animal rested on his shoulder, while its wings were slightly spread, and its tail dangled to his wrist.
“I like it,” she told him.
He winked at her. “I think it’s a good thing my shirt is long-sleeved to cover it.”
They shared a laugh. Tamlyn’s gaze returned to the table. The only thing she hadn’t tasted sat in the middle. She raised her brows, waiting.
“It’s a dessert from Mexico,” Cullen explained. “It’s called tres leches cake.”
“I need to taste that.”
He took pity on her and cut her a slice to put on her plate.
The bite was divine. She couldn’t even spare a word before she had to have another taste. When she looked up, she saw Cullen watching her with a peculiar expression she couldn’t quite name. They had an easy silence, despite the tension she’d felt earlier after asking how he’d lived so long. She wasn’t going to bring that up again. If he didn’t want to talk about it, she wouldn’t press him.
Tamlyn sat back now that her stomach was full. “Thank you for this. I want to eat more of it later.”
“You wanted to know how I’ve lived so long.”
Her smile slipped. “You don’t have to tell me.”
“The truth is, I’ve no’ thought about it. We do what we have to do, and the Dragon Kings have to survive. We must protect our realm. Now that we’ve located the dragons, we doona have to worry about that anymore. Yet, that opens up other concerns. We’re powerful, and beings like us tend to have a lot of enemies.”
She glanced at the floor. “I can imagine.”
“You can no’,” he said, though there was no anger in his words. “We lost our purpose when the dragons left our realm. We believed at first that they would return, but as the centuries turned into millennia, we realized we clung to a false hope. Our focus shifted to protecting ourselves and Dreagan at all costs. There are times I couldna handle our life, and I’d find my mountain and sleep.”
“Sleep?” she asked with a frown.
“I’ve slept for thousands of years. It’s easier than walking among the mortals sometimes. If a dragon goes too deep in the dragon sleep, they can slip into that dream world and never return.”
Tamlyn drew her legs up against her chest beneath the blanket. “Is that what you wanted?”
“A few times I wouldna have minded it. Being this age isna an easy burden. I’ve seen so verra much. Sometimes, it doesna affect me because I know things will change eventually. Other times, I can no’ sit by and do nothing. Yet, nothing changes for me.”
“You really can’t die?”
“Only by another Dragon King.”
Her eyes widened. “Do you all fight often?”
“We’re brothers. We bicker, aye, but we doona battle to the death.”
That was something, at least.
“I doona know how long I’ll walk this realm or another. I could live for dozens more millennia, or I could die tomorrow. I was given this role as a Dragon King for a reason, and I never let myself forget it.”
