After a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure no one was paying attention to them, Ava approached the door and tried to push down the handle. Of course, it was locked.
But Lilly was already beside her, pulling a piece of wire from her pocket. "Let the expert handle this."
Curious, Ava watched how skillfully the girl proceeded. "I never thought I'd say this, but I want to learn that too."
"Of course." She lifted the wire to explain the process, but Ava waved her off.
"Later. Now we need to disappear inside the shop as quickly as possible." Especially because Marcus was nervously rubbing his hands and looking around in all directions.
The little one worked on the lock. It clicked right away, and the shop door sprang open. They quickly went inside, silently closed the door behind them, and held their breath.
No one could have been in the store for weeks. A thick layer of dust covered the sales counter, and bright sheets were stretched over various objects and furniture to protect them from dirt. Even the floor was covered with dust particles, so they left clear footprints. Nevertheless, they urged each other to be cautious.
While Lilly curiously lifted the first pieces of fabric, uncovering an armchair, a dresser, and a shelf, Marcus snuck towards the passageway leading to the storage area and the upper floor. Meanwhile, Ava kept watch at the door. Discreetly, she pulled the curtain aside and peered out onto the street, but not a soul was in sight. No one seemed to have noticed them. Wonderful! If the unkempt appearance of the shop was any indication, the other rooms were likely abandoned as well, and they had found the perfect hiding place.
Marcus returned after a few minutes. "No one's here."
"Then we'll stay." Ava locked the door from the inside. They no longer felt any danger of being surprised by the house's residents. Instead, they now had to avoid being discovered by passersby or city guards.
Carefully, she took the dragon egg out of her bag. "How are you doing, little one?"
"Better. We're safe now, right?"
"Yes, we are. Don't worry. You can grow in peace while I watch over you."
A smacking sound echoed in her thoughts, as if the young one was sinking into a restful sleep. Instinctively, Ava pressed the egg to her chest, causing the purple glow to intensify.
Lilly came over and looked at the egg with a smile. "We should check if there's a sleeping area upstairs where you can put it. We could surround it with blankets and pillows to make it feel like a nest."
"Good idea." She didn't really think it mattered to the dragon, but it sounded nice, and she was glad Lilly had a task that made her happy. Especially after the events of the past few days. Who would have thought that the girl's life by Ava's side would become even more dangerous than it had been before?
They climbed the narrow stairs to the upper floor, which contained a kitchen, a bedroom, and a living room with windows facing the street. Marcus had followed them and nodded towards the sofa, which was adorned with several cushions. "You can have the bed, I'll sleep there."
"Thanks." Ava smiled at him, causing his gaze to linger on her. She didn't want him to misinterpret her gesture. To avoid giving him false hope, she walked over to Lilly, who was already in the bedroom, putting her plan into action. She had formed a nest from all available pillows and blankets and pointed to it proudly.
"Ta-da! The most perfect and safest dragon nest in the world."
"He's going to love it." Ava placed the egg in the hollow and gently stroked the scales. Immediately, the glow became even stronger, shining so brightly thatthey would have had to drape a blanket over it at night to be able to sleep.
Lilly sat cross-legged on the bed, observing it curiously. Her proud expression resembled that of an older sister excited about her new sibling. "Are you sure it's going to be a boy?"
Ava nodded. "His voice and his manner tell me so, I don't know why. Somehow I just know."
"Makes sense. You're the guardian, after all."
Totally logical.
Ava stroked the scales again. "Tell me, why don't you touch the dragon egg?"
She shook her head vigorously, moving back a bit. "I would never dare to."
"Why not? And why doesn't anyone else dare to? Except for Kilian and me, no one has touched it."
"Because we all have too much respect for it. Kilian is an exception. After all, he's a dragon fighter. A dragon bound him, so he was found worthy."
"I'm sure you're worthy too, Lilly."
But the girl waved it off, her movements tired and jerky. "I wouldn't risk it. Just look how beautifully it glows. I don't want to be responsible for making it stop."
