“I’m avoiding a time paradox. Since I know that it has already happened, I need to ensure that ithappens. That’s where I was going after Sasha and Noel’s wedding, and Cullen was asking when he could do it again, which means that we have already done it.”
Apollo squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head, as if nothing had yet sunk in. “You said you were getting ready for bed.” He looked at her. “That’s what you told us before going upstairs at the bed and breakfast.”
Maya blushed and looked down. “I just said that to get you guys to leave me alone. I was actually heading to my shop.”
“Please, Daddy! I want to go out too!”
To her surprise, Apollo seemed to accept the situation far faster than she expected. As he looked between his daughter and Maya, he asked, “Are you sure a five-year-old will be safe?”
“I swear that your daughter will not be harmed. Cullen seems like a great kid, but he’s a bit too eager, so I clearly chose something that will ensure he doesn’t hurt himself.”
“He’s still a decade older than Misty, so safety is a very different consideration for my daughter.”
“I have something she can do. Will you allow her to paint?”
Apollo looked at his daughter, who was looking up at them with wide eyes. Instead of arguing with Maya, he asked, “Misty, how would you like to go paint some animals?”
She started bouncing, her curls going all over the place as she clapped and started screeching, “Yeah!”
Maya smiled. “She’s very enthusiastic. I hope that she’s able to retain that well into adulthood.”
“Me too,” Apollo murmured. He looked at Maya as they followed Misty out of the room and into a long hallway, “Are you sure you are up for it? I mean, you are barely able to walk on your own.”
“That’s one of the benefits of time bending. Existing twice in one place strengthens me. Don’t ask why, because I have absolutely no idea. I just know that I generally feel stronger when I do it. Until I return.”
“Will there be a strong adverse reaction when you return? Will you be considerably weaker?”
“Very likely. But I’ll deal with it when the time comes. For now, I just want to make sure the timeline continues as it should.”
Apollo didn’t say anything in response. Instead, he looked as calm and composed as usual.
The three made their way through the house. When Apollo stopped and told someone that he was taking Misty out for a bit, Maya took in their surroundings, and she learned a bit more about the shifter who had kept her from permanently dying. If the red-eyed woman was to be believed, it had been far more difficult than Maya had anticipated. Her eyes took in decor, and she realized that it was large, but very much a home. All of the places she had lived in were more like museums than residences. Even the Strifes had hard rules about toys and cleanliness. Apollo’s house wasn’t like that at all. While it wasn’t messy, and toys weren’t strewn about the place, there were signs in every room that a child lived there. She looked at the walls, noticing the many pictures of Apollo and people who she guessed were his family judging by how similar they all looked. She also noticed Cosmo in several of the pictures, looking just as mischievous as she remembered.
So he actually won Naomi over, huh? That will be an interesting relationship to watch. I guess I should start planning her wedding. There’s no reason to wait for her to realize it’s needed. Knowing her, she’ll be afraid that asking for help is a burden.Maya sighed as they exited the house and moved out onto an expansive backyard. Her eyes widened as she took the place in. The idea that Apollo had any need to use her for anything suddenly seemed utterly ridiculous. He clearly had money, and he definitely was not the kind of person to seek power. She turned to look at him as he watched his daughter.
Maya was startled when he looked at her. “Are you sure you will be okay to go somewhere?”
“Um, yes.” She licked her lips and took a step away from him, her body already feeling much stronger, more like it was when she’d left the wedding.
He didn’t look sold on the idea, but he didn’t argue with her. Instead he turned to his daughter. “Misty, honey, you are in charge of helping Maya, okay?”
“Yes, Daddy. I’ll keep her safe.” The look of determination on the kid’s face was precious, and Maya could see a slight resemblance to Apollo in the look.
Apollo stepped away from them as Misty hurried over and took Maya’s hand. They both watched as his tall, muscular body started to shift. Unlike her own, his transition was entirely smooth and very quick. One second he was a handsome man standing in front of them. The next, he was a large yellow and gold dragon with eyes bigger than her head. Maya stared at him as Misty pulled her hand forward.
“Come on, pretty lady. I want to paint.”
Maya looked down at the little girl. “Oh, yes, of course. I’ve just … I’ve never seen your father as a dragon before.”
“He’s very pretty. I wish I was sunny yellow. It’s much better than gray.”
Without missing a beat, Maya replied, “You are beautiful as you are, Misty. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else. Okay?”
“Okay,” Misty said, twisting her mouth a little as she looked back at Maya. Then the child brightened up. “I want to paint.”
Maya smiled, “I know, kiddo. Come on. I need you to show me how to climb onto your father because I haven’t ridden a dragon in a very long time.”
“You are probably a really pretty dragon too, huh?” Misty walked over to Apollo, who had lowered himself to the ground. “Like this.” She grabbed some scales and pulled herself up onto his back.
