I prickled at that suggestion. I knew many dragons back in my time without the ability to use magic. Hell, Iwasone.
“Right,” I said, not wanting to argue. “And he’s fine at school and everything?”
Gabriel blinked, like I’d said something strange again. “How so?”
“Er, with his magic.”
“He’s fine? I guess?” Gabriel glanced at his mate and shrugged. “He doesn’t get treated any differently than the other kids, if that’s what you mean.”
“Oh - yes, sorry, that was my concern,” I said quickly. “My child isn’t old enough to go to school yet, so I was worried if she would fit in.”
Gabriel smiled. “I’m sure she’s gonna do just great. Noah loves school so far. Don’t you?”
Noah nodded vigorously. Gabriel chuckled and nuzzled his son’s face.
A horrible mix of longing and guilt and sadness struck me. Seeing this happy family before me made me terribly aware of how much I missed being part of a family, of having an omega to love, and a child to raise. My life was shattered, broken to pieces - and I could never put it back together.
“Ice cweam!” Noah yelled.
“Oh, right.” Gabriel shot me a shy grin. “We better get going.”
“Or the little guys will start an ice cream mob!” Dante added, throwing Noah into the air. His son let out a gleeful cry.
I gave them a halfhearted wave and watched them disappear into the nearby shop. Inside were other families, all as happy and carefree as Dante and Gabriel.
Suddenly feeling weak, I clutched my aching chest and collapsed on a nearby bench. I shut my eyes, trying to block out the world I’d avoided for so long.
What was I doing here? What was the point of this? Was my survival these past four hundred years just a cruel joke if I ended up with nothing in the end? I had no mate, no family… Everything I strived to protect as part of the Knights fell apart.
And possibly because of my own actions.
The thought struck me hard. Noah, the young boy, was a mage. So were both of his fathers. And they looked utterly normal. Andhappy.No one was trying to attack them, or arrest them. The woman from earlier, Dr. Lynden, she too had spoken about magic so casually.
A tiny voice spoke from the back of my mind as I stared at my hands.
Was I wrong?
The future in the hands of mages was nothing like how I imagined. Cold dread crawled up my spine as the truth settled over me.
I was so, so wrong.
I needed to find Halo.
