At the sight of the Folk Haven town sign, my throat tightens, the longing a more painful ache than any injury I sustained from the pits.
Almost there.
7
Present
Two months in this town,and I realize with a sense of trepidation that I’ve begun to settle in.
I stare at the bags from Bed, Bath, and Bargains, full from another trip to the store. My fourth since Esme showed me the place. Something keeps drawing me back.
I unpack every item but one, keeping it in the small plastic bag and clutching it tight in my hand as I descend the stairs from my apartment and circle around to the entrance of Fresh Feathers.
This isn’t what I came here to do, I remind myself.
I’m supposed to determine if Esme is happy with the life she has. If the sudden reappearance of a dragon mate would be a bad thing.
If I’m honest, I think I know the answer.
She has a thriving business. Friends all over town. Smiles for everyone.
What about love? Does she have that?
It’s the final question. The one I’m too much of a coward to dig into.
When I push open the shop door, I find she has customers. Not wanting to interrupt, I lean back against the far wall, waiting for my harpy to be free. When I pick up the thread of their conversation, my body stiffens.
“When are you going to make an honest man of me, Esme? You’re doing this town a disservice by letting me stay on the market.” A stocky white guy with a flirtatious smile leans on the counter.
I’m about to step forward, make the asshole back the hell off. But then I spy Esme’s affectionate smile, and my heart and feet freeze.
“A disservice? That sounds terrible. You’re saying I’m putting the entire town in danger bynotdating you?” From her playful tone, I can tell Esme is enjoying the exchange.
I want to set the man on fire.
“That’s exactly it. I’m a hot commodity. People are fighting in the streets, dueling for the chance to lock down this rockin’ bod.”
“Gods, Owen.” The man’s companion groans. “Can you stop talking about yourself for a single minute so I can pick up my pants?”
The flirter throws his arms in the air. “Help a guy out! You already have a winged woman of your own. Now, it’s time for you to be aliteralwingman and help me get mine.” Owen turns back to a grinning Esme, shaking his head in mock disappointment. “Seamus is so selfish sometimes.”
“This is why I don’t take you on errands with me,” the taller man grouses.
Owen and Seamus MacNamara. With their names, I remember the two selkies from my childhood, both a few years younger than me. We never hung in the same circles. But their parents own Float ’N Dive, the water sports shop, and they’rea certain kind of royalty in Folk Haven. One of the founding families.
I think my parents always resented the families that had that claim. The Blaythorns are rich, but they didn’t build Folk Haven. As a teenager, I didn’t pay much attention to the politics, so I have no idea if they were spurned in any way, but I do know they showed up at the Antarctic colony with all the pride they knew our name garnered.
Blaythorns were one of the founding families there.
Nothing to be proud of, as far as I could tell. What did they truly build? Witches established the protective barriers. The buildings are crude caves for the most part.
It is basically preserved land. Good fucking job if all you wanted was to protect animals.
But that’s not what dragons are. At least, it’s something I refuse to be anymore.
“Well, despite the very real and serious danger it might put the population in, I can’t help you. My answer remains the same.” Esme reaches out and taps Owen’s nose with a single finger. “Someone already has dibs on my heart. You’re too late.”
Too late.
