“No, they told me at the same time they told my parents. I just wanted to be here for the fun,” she said, scooping Fang up into her arms and giving him a happy kiss.
“Speaking of fun—tell me if there’s anything specific you guys want to eat and drink, otherwise I have little treats prepared for us,” Saphira said.
“And we can go sit outside,” Aiden added.
“Whatever you have prepared is good for us!” Lavinia said.
With a nod, Saphira went to the kitchen to let them know, while Aiden led the rest of them out to the garden, which was closed for the winter months. It was snowing lightly, the world white and bright, and Aiden had set up a big tablewith chairs and garlands of flowers, variations of white and pink along with greenery.
Aiden and Saphira’s dragon, Sparky, was beside the table, catching snowflakes on his tongue. He was full-sized now, too big to come inside, and he took up most of the space in the garden. When Fang and Motu spotted him, they flew over, and Sparky played with them.
“Oi, Sparky,” Aiden said. “A little help?” He gestured to the bonfire, and Sparky trotted over, easily lighting it. “Good boy,” Aiden said, petting him. Sparky licked Aiden’s hand.
Emmeline was always glad to see Aiden with Sparky. There was a time where the two didn’t get along at all, but now their bond was unbreakable.
Saphira came, and they all took a seat, gathering around the fire as snow fell softly. Shortly thereafter, one of the cafe workers came out with a spread of snacks: hot chocolate, s’mores dip, caramel popcorn, along with chicken patties and little fried potato samosas.
They sat and munched on snacks and chatted. It was a much-needed break from the chaotic week she had had. While her to-do list was constantly running at the back of her mind, when she was here with such delightful company, it was easier to just relax.
“Ginny, did you see the text I sent you last week about the Baby Dragon Book Club?” Emmeline asked. Ginny hadn’t responded.
“I did,” she replied now, not seeming interested at all.
“A book club for baby dragons? Ohmygod, stop, that sounds adorable!” Saphira said, holding a hand to her heart.“If I had known about it, I would have joined Sparky, but he’s not a baby anymore.”
“It could be good for Fang!” Emmeline told Ginny. “It’s supposed to help baby dragons socialize and make friends, as well as behave better.” While Fang was very well-behaved, she had noticed at Ginny’s birthday party that he only wanted to spend time with his rider.
Ginny groaned. “That sounds awful.”
“Come on, it’ll be fun! I’ll join with Motu!” He certainly could stand to be better behaved.
“Okay, fine,” Ginny acquiesced. “Fang could possibly do with more socializing. The other day...”
Emmeline went to pour herself more hot chocolate from the thermos just as the baby dragons were playing nearby. Motu knocked into her, and she jolted, hot chocolate spilling onto her hand.
“Ow!” she hissed, scalding the side of her hand.
Motu’s eyes widened.
“Oh no! Are you okay?” Saphira asked, alarmed.
“It’s fine,” Emmeline said, grabbing a napkin. She dabbed at her hand as Motu came to her side, licking where the skin was red. That helped to soothe the pain. Motu looked up at her with apologetic eyes, pouting, and she gave him a smile.
“It’s okay,” she said gently, touching his face.
“Does it hurt?” Aiden asked.
“I’m fine.” Emmeline forced a smile, not wanting anyone to worry even as her skin pulsed. “Ginny, what were you saying about Fang?”
As Ginny continued her story, Emmeline felt unsteady,though it wasn’t from the burn, but a memory, long buried and resurfacing now.
That night at the bookshop, the night she and Luke met. They had been there for hours, drinking the terrible tea as they talked about so many different things. A baby dragon had knocked into someone; their cup of tea had upended, heading straight for Emmeline’s hand.
Except the hot beverage had never landed. Luke had blocked the tea, catching it all in his own hands.
Emmeline had known she was just there as part of an elaborate plan to get revenge, but when he had done that, she had felt unmoored. As if he was somebody she could truly like. She had felt pity that they hadn’t met under different circumstances.
She had convinced herself it was just his way of tricking girls into thinking he genuinely cared—but even she could recognize the fallacy in that. Why let himself get burnt for her? His skin had turned red. She remembered that.
