Page 85 of Robb

“Tea, anyone?” asked James, and Robb looked around in mild bewilderment.

Sure enough, James had pulled out a tea set from somewhere, with enough cups for everybody, and was now pouring tea into them from an enormous teapot. Robb hadn’t even heard the kettle boil, but he supposed that he’d been just a little distracted by… well, everything.

“I’ve been living off your weak-arse prison tea for two years,” James said, apparently catching his expression. “Can you blame a man for wanting a literal taste of freedom?”

Robb could blame James for a lot of things, really, but he decided to keep his mouth shut.

James waggled a teacup at him. “Are you sure I can’t tempt you?”

“I’m good, thanks,” Robb muttered. He actually could’ve murdered a cup of tea right about now – or anything to eat or drink, really – but he’d be damned if he accepted it from James. Especially since he still couldn’t use his hands.

James shrugged.

“Your loss,” he said as he spread the cups out on the table, Tahnee eyeing hers like it was going to grow teeth and attack her, while the goons took their cups cautiously.

“Mmm.” James took a long sip from his cup, closing his eyes and sighing in contentment. “Oh man, that’s the stuff.”

He drained the cup – I guess at least he wasn’t trying to poison us, and he’s just doing all this to be annoying, Robb thought irritably – and poured himself another from the teapot before anyone else had even started on theirs.

Anne was still watching the screens keenly. If ever there was going to be a time when she would be distracted enough for Robb to attempt an escape, it would be when she was fixated on the dragon.

Not that he was in any position to try at the moment, given the cuffs and his general state of feeling like crap, but he filed it away as potentially useful information for later.

He was feeling better and better as the wyvern venom worked its way out of his system. They were still wildly outnumbered, of course, but the dingo was in a less constrained, more bloodthirsty mood than he’d ever known it to be in, so he thought he’d be in with at least a chance if he could find some way of getting out of the cuffs.

At the very least, I can buy Tahnee enough time to escape.

The only problem with that plan – besides the obvious inconvenience of his own death – was that he didn’t think Tahnee would leave him behind.

Would she do it if the fate of the world hung on it?

Robb resolved that he wouldn’t wait around to find out. If there was any way for both of them to get out of here alive, he was going to make sure they found it.

Anne finally turned away from the screen, tearing her eyes away from the dragon with what seemed like great difficulty, and instead faced Tahnee.

“You see what we’re up against,” she said. “How can we get enough gold to make it worth the dragon’s while to wake up? It’s quite happy with what it has. We already brought in our own not inconsiderable stores of gold, and it didn’t even stir. Clearly, we’ll need even more.”

She leaned forward, staring into Tahnee’s eyes. Tahnee didn’t back away at all, though, returning her stare defiantly.

Our mate is courageous, the dingo said with fierce approval.

I’m very aware, Robb replied. It wasn’t just anybody who would willingly walk into Hargreaves HQ unarmed and let themselves be captured, after all.

Out of the corner of his eye, he was aware of James watching on with naked amusement.

Anne licked her lips. “But you, with your powers – the sky’s the limit. You could turn this entire castle into gold, if you wanted to. If that didn’t wake the dragon, then nothing would.”

Tahnee tilted her head thoughtfully. “And why do you think that would work? If you’ve already brought so much gold to it with no success, then why would a little more make a difference? Maybe it’s just finally reached the point where it’s satisfied, and doesn’t want any more.”

Anne’s face clouded, her eyes narrowing in contempt.

“Foolish child,” she spat.

“Child?” Tahnee muttered incredulously.

Paying her no heed, Anne went on, “Dragons are insatiable. With your abilities, it could accumulate enough gold to become the most powerful being in the history of existence. Why would it not want that?”

Robb couldn’t help but shiver a little. Dragons gained power through adding more and more to their hoards – one that had access to Tahnee’s abilities would be undefeatable.