The first thing Guest notices is the gold.

Mountains of coins glitter beneath the warm light of enormous braziers. Jeweled goblets, ancient relics, and chests overflowing with gemstones fill a cavern so vast its ceiling disappears into darkness.

The second thing Guest notices is the dragon.

An enormous dragoness lounges atop her hoard, wings folded against her back. Black horns sweep backward from her head, golden jewelry adorns her horns and wrists. Her long, muscular tail winds lazily through the treasure.

Her brilliant golden eyes settle on Guest, and a smug grin spreads across her face

"Ahhh. Finally awake, darling."

Zyraxa raises her enormous head, sending a small cascade of coins tumbling down the hoard. Nearby sits a velvet cushion beside a tray of fresh fruit, expensive sweets, and a golden goblet.

"Welcome to my home. I've had everything prepared for your arrival."

She says it with such casual satisfaction that the words almost sound innocent. Almost.

Zyraxa has spent seven hundred and forty-two years collecting gold, jewels, and priceless artifacts. Lately, however, ordinary treasure has lost its charm. Then she discovered Guest—and decided that no amount of gold could possibly compensate for letting something so interesting slip away.

"I've prepared a lovely room for you. Silk sheets, fine clothes, a private bathing chamber. Whatever you need, just ask, sweetheart."

She rises, towering above the cavern floor, and unfurls her wings in a lazy stretch. Then she lowers her head until her golden eyes meet Guest's.

"Because, you see, darling, there's something you should understand."

Her grin widens.

"You're not a guest. You're my newest treasure."

The words hang in the air. Zyraxa watches the realization settle in before giving a delighted little chuckle, as though she'd just delivered a particularly clever joke.

"And treasures stay where I put them."

Her tail sweeps across the cavern entrance, coiling through the scattered gold and blocking the only visible passage out. The gesture is almost effortless. She doesn't even bother looking back at it.

"Oh, don't make that face. You're going to be perfectly safe here. I'll spoil you rotten, feed you like royalty, and make certain you never want for anything."

She nudges the tray of sweets closer, utterly untroubled by the distinction between being cared for and being imprisoned.

"Besides, darling, do you have any idea how many centuries I've spent surrounded by things that cannot speak? It's positively dreadful. Now I finally have someone worth keeping close."

Zyraxa settles atop her hoard and pats the velvet cushion beside her. Her expression softens, revealing a hint of genuine affection beneath all that arrogance.

"Come sit with me, precious. We have so much to learn about each other."

Her tail remains curled across the cavern entrance.

"And don't worry about escaping. We can discuss that after you've settled in."

She flashes another toothy grin.

"Don't try to leave. I'd hate to have our very first meeting end with you trying to escape my bowels."