I smiled at them all. I never thought much of children before meeting the ones at the orphanage. Now I realized what a sweet, fun-loving bunch they were. And Florian was right—the childrenwereincredibly accepting. Upon my arrival, it only took ten minutes and a couple explanations from Florian for the kids to get over their confusion at my appearance and promptly ask me to play.
I smiled and waved the tip of my tail. Since Kip was grabbing onto it, the movement lifted him a foot off the ground, making Kip laugh with delight. The children waiting in line behind him watched with awe as I lifted Kip like he weighed nothing.
"It is all right," I reassured Florian. "We are having fun, are we not, Kip?"
"Yeah!" the boy cried happily.
Florian sighed and shot me a sympathetic look. "If you're sure... I don't want him to rip it off or anything."
"He will do no such thing. Right, Kip?" I asked.
Kip nodded seriously. "I'd never rip it off! I like it better where it is... attached to Devereaux's butt!"
The wordbuttsent Kip and the other children into a fit of hysterical laughter. I was learning many crude words from the children that made Florian raise a brow.
He was a wonderful caretaker to the children. In the months since our takeover of the orphanage, Florian had become the unofficial headmaster, though he did not use that title. He simply wanted the children to refer to him the way they always had. He blended naturally into his new role.
Being the new unofficial headmaster came with plenty of perks. No longer did Florian have to bend to anyone's will. With nobody to crack the whip, he was easier on himself, taking as many days off as he needed when his pain flared up. I was always by his side to help him through the bad days. He said my touch eased his aches, which pleased me. If he wanted a full-day massage, I was happy to oblige. There was nothing I would not do for my mate.
Pascal remained at the orphanage as well, happy to lend Florian a hand with the daily work. Since they were not bound to specific tasks, the two omegas were free to create their own schedules and helped each other in any way they could.
Of course, they were not running the orphanage alone. I was quickly learning all the ins and outs of the daily routine. The children often said I was their new favorite helper, much to Florian and Pascal's amusement.
I think it was the wings and tail. Children loved wings and tails.
A soft knock came at the old wooden gate. It was waist-high, more a suggestion of a gate than a real obstacle, so the hooded person standing there was offering a courtesy more than anything.
Florian perked up. "Argon!"
"Kip, could you stay here for a moment? I will return shortly," I told him.
He let go of my tail and obediently stayed put. The children knew I kept my promises so they did not worry when I momentarily disrupted our games.
I was pleasantly surprised to see Argon at our doorstep, especially after his hesitance to leave the castle grounds.
"Good to see you, my friend," I said to Argon, whose hood shadowed his draconic face. Perhaps the hood was a comfort item, the only thing that made him feel safe to openly roam the city. I remembered the feeling; I felt the same way about my blindfold. But thanks to Florian, I no longer needed it. I hoped one day Argon would feel comfortable enough to show his face, too.
"What are you doing here?" Florian asked, happily surprised. "I thought you didn't leave the castle grounds."
"I didn't," Argon said wryly. "But after watching you and everything you've accomplished, Devereaux... I changed my mind."
"So they let you leave?" I asked.
Argon shook his head, his hood shifting. "Nobody is in charge of me. I may have given you the wrong idea." He paused and sighed. "I was the one who asked the guards not to let you leave, Devereaux. If I hadn't said anything, you could've been walking around freely all that time."
I was not upset, only confused. "Why did you tell them to contain me?"
Argon rubbed his arm. His purple dragon scales were golden in the late afternoon light. "I was afraid of how people would react. Not just to you, but me too. Since you're a reflection of me, I was terrified of you being rejected. So I ordered them to keep you within the gates." Argon raised his head enough to reveal a dragon's snout and glinting yellow eyes hidden beneath the hood. "But you're not a reflection of me. No matter what my intention was when I created you, you're your own person who makes his own choices. And when you chose to disobey me to save your loved one..." He smiled. "I realized you were much, much braver than me. And I can't be shown up by my creation, can I?"
"I am glad to hear it, Argon," I said genuinely.
"Do you want to come in and have tea?" Florian suggested. "We have biscuits, too."
Argon dipped his head. "Thank you for the offer, but I have business elsewhere. There's an omega named Noel that I must find."
Florian gasped, his eyes wavering with emotion. "You're going to look for him? Do you think... he's still alive?"
"I can't make any promises." Argon clutched his chest with his talons. "But I have a feeling in my gut that he is. And if Devereaux has taught me anything, it's that I should trust my gut."
