Samantha and Rhys snippet

Humming, Samantha folded creamy linen over the contents of the whicker basket and then sang out, “Oh, Rhy-yss?”

“What.”

The tone was disgruntled at best, but someone of a less cheerful disposition than Samantha would consider it closer to irascible. Turning from the counter, she looked into large golden cat eyes that all but glared at her and then turned their balefulness onto something that struggled beneath one large and white-mitted paw.

“What do you have there, Rhys?”

“Some slithery something.”

“Well, let go of it and let’s get going.”

The warm summer breeze blowing through the cottage window blew long, ginger fur forward. “I’d just as soon not. It smells like rain.”

“Rain or not, I’ve a ham haunch I want to take to Cleo.”

“Cleo is big enough to see to her own food. She’s done so long before you found her.” Furry lips curled back. “’Sides, I am not a dragon keeper.”

Samantha’s laughter silvered through the cottage. “We’re not feeding her ‘cause she needs it. We’re bonding.”

“You have me. What need do you have to bond with a creature bigger than this cottage? A cold-blooded serpentine one at that?”

“Companionship, Rhys, for darling grumpy you and for me. And dragon magic.”

Rhys studied her face for a moment and then tilted his paw sideways until it was clear what he held captive.

“A lizard, Rhys?”

“Yes.” Leaning forward, he closed white teeth over the lizard’s tail and then bit deliberately through it. The severed end thrashed on the kitchen tile while the end with the head opened wide its mouth in a silent scream.

“Rhys!” she shrieked. “That creature is only a fraction of your size.” Her hands went to her hips. “It could not possibly hurt you, and it’s not anything you’d even consider eating. Why would you do such a thing?”

Rhys removed his paw, and they both watched as the tailless lizard streaked out of sight, and then he turned his wide eyes on her.

“What will happen to the lizard now, Sammy?”

“What do you mean?”

“I will tell you. It will hurt for a while, I suppose, if lizards feel pain in their tails, but it will grow a new one.” Tall ears twitched forward and then back. “You want to take me to dine with a lizard a hundred or so times my size. One that breathes fire.

Samantha huffed. “So?”

“Cats don’t grow new tails, Sammy.” His tail thumped the floor. “Nor do little girls grow new heads. Not even the witchy ones.”