Embers - Dragon shifter romance story, Chapter One (Patreon)

Well folks, here we are! It's Friday, so it's the first day of our series of smaller episodes. Each c.800-1000 word chapter will release here on Fridays until the story is done, and then I'll go back to Chapter One and release them on Tumblr.

Any warnings that pop up in the series will be put at the start of any chapter, but as with all my stuff, it'll probably be ridiculously fluffy... It's set in a larger town than Starfall Springs, though in the same universe, so that means quaint names, monsters are part of society (though attitudes vary from place to place), and it's modern fantasy, just like you picked in the poll. Thanks for voting in that, by the way - I love getting you folks involved and it's great when you let me know your thoughts.

Without further ado, let me introduce you to our male dragon shifter and our reader who is so far gender neutral.

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Stickybeak Cafe, on the corner of a quiet backstreet in the university town of Old Trollbridge was, as far as you were concerned, the perfect cafe. Run by a hummingbird avian who was the tiniest and friendliest person you had ever met, with iridescent green plumage and a gorgeously pink dash of colour at her throat, the quaint little place had become a regular stop on your morning route to work.

As you stood in line on a morning very much like any other, though you were running horrendously late, Lidaë was chatting with a customer whom you’d not seen before. At first you took him for a tiefling, with his six-foot-something height, elegant physique, and curved, ruby-red horns flecked with gold, but his skin wasn’t the grey, blue or red of many tieflings. He also didn’t appear to have a tail. He had long red hair with golden highlights that was tied up in a neat bun at the nape of his neck, just brushing the collar of his crisp white shirt.

You rather liked the smart waistcoat he had on, and admired anyone who could keep their trousers so immaculately pressed. Both of these last points gave you the immediate impression that he was a professor at the ancient university. In his left hand, however, was not a briefcase or a stack of papers, but a navy blue, leather music case, and in the same hand he also carried what looked like a flute case.

Your eyes widened when you saw it. It was like a sign from the gods. Your young niece was desperate to start flute lessons, and even if this guy didn’t teach it himself, he might know of a good teacher in the area.

Taking a deep breath, you waited for Lidaë to go and collect his coffee from her colleague and then you stepped forward to tap him on the arm.

“Hi,” you said awkwardly as he turned, a frown on an astonishingly handsome, finely featured face. His gaze was extraordinary, and confirmed for you that he was not a tiefling, though exactly what he was you weren’t sure. Piercing eyes of what looked like liquid gold with a reptilian pupil bored into you from behind perfectly round, gold spectacles.

“Yes?” he said in a smooth, rich, if perhaps a little clipped and terse, voice.

“I’m sorry to bother you, but I couldn’t help noticing that you’re a musician…?”

“I am…” he said warily, clearly wondering where this was going.

The fact that he didn’t seem very keen to linger and chat was painfully obvious to you but you tried not to babble. “My young niece is looking to start flute lessons,” you began but he cut you off curtly.

“I’m not a music teacher.”

“Ok, but do you know of any you could recommend? I don’t know the first thing about music and I don’t want to set her up with someone rubbish…”

He sighed and said, “Yes. I’m in a quintet with a faun who also teaches flute.”

Your shoulders dropped with relief and you grinned. “Can I give you my number and ask your friend to get in touch if they’ve got room for a new pupil? She’s earnest and well behaved. I don’t think she’d be any bother…”

He glanced at the clock on the wall and nodded. “Fine.”

“Thank you!” you gushed, scrabbling for a paper napkin, and as Lidaë reached over the counter and handed you a pen, you realised that the cafe had been aptly named. The owner was every bit as nosy and interested by the lives of her customers as her cafe name suggested. You handed it to him and he looked at it a bit like it was a dirty dishcloth, before folding it one-handed and sliding it into his waistcoat pocket.

He nodded a silent farewell, horns glinting in the spotlights in the cafe’s ceiling like semi-precious stones, collected his double espresso, and then he was gone.

You stared after him for a long while before Lidaë cleared her throat and buzzed her delicate wings at you in what could only be a little avian smile, and then she twitched her shoulders and leaned over the counter to hiss conspiratorially, “Well, that’s more than I’ve ever got out of him, and he’s been coming here for over a year now!”

“Who is he?” you asked as you stepped up to your spot at the counter and then placed your order. “I’ve never seen him before.”

“You’re running late, that’s why!” she laughed. “He’s a lecturer at the university I think,” she added as she took the coins you handed her and fished out your change.

“Music?”

She shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. Though he comes in here with a group of friends every now and again. I think they must be that quintet he mentioned. Adorable bunch. Particularly the goblin. He’s a sweetheart. Anyway,” she chirped. “Here’s your coffee. You have a good day now!”

“You too, and thanks.”

With that, you headed back out into the day outside, hoping that he wouldn’t be the ‘absent minded professor’ sort and forget all about the napkin in his pocket with your number on…

Chapter Two