“Wow,” Beth said softly.
Estelle heaved a longing sigh, watching the two winged wolves chase each other through the sky. “I really wish I could shift.”
“You will, one day.” Finley took her hand, squeezing in reassurance. “And you too, of course, Ig.”
Ignatius didn’t say anything for a moment. His gaze lingered on the bright gold wolf as she spiraled around her mate.
Rufus cocked his head. Beth, Finley, and Estelle looked at him, then at Ignatius.
“Ig?” Beth said. “Is something wrong?”
Ignatius’s throat worked. “I… need to tell you all something.”
* * *
They all sat cross-legged on the grass, listening. Even Archie didn’t interrupt, or ask questions, or turn into a bear.
“So… that’s it,” Ignatius finished at last. He was pale in the moonlight, shoulders around his ears. “Now you know.”
“Oh, Ig,” Estelle said. “That’s awful.”
“Well, it’s not like, theworstthing in the world,” Flora said, sounding like she was trying to convince herself of this fact. “I mean, most people can’t shift. It just makes you normal, really. There’s nothing wrong with not being a shifter.”
“There is if you’re meant to be the heir to the most powerful dragon clan in America.” Ignatius scrubbed a hand across his face, then glared at them all fiercely. “You can’t tell anyone else.No one.”
“Of course we won’t.” Finley put a hand on Ignatius’s tense shoulder. “And don’t give up hope yet.”
“Lots of people don’t shift until they’re teenagers,” Beth agreed. “Or even later. Just look at Buck and Honey.”
Archie nodded vigorously. “Yeah, even if you aren’t a shifter now, you could still get bitten by a hellhound or something.”
“Now there’s an idea.” Flora frowned, her forehead wrinkling in thought. “How could we convince Buck to bite Iggy?”
Ignatius hugged his knees. “I don’t want to be a hellhound, though. It wouldn’t do any good. I have to be a dragon to lead my clan.”
Finley and Rufus exchanged glances.
“Ig,” Finley said slowly. “I think youarea dragon. Or some kind of mythic shifter, at least.”
“Haven’t you heard anything I said?” Ignatius snapped at the other boy. “I’ve tried! If there was anything there, I should have felt it by now. What makes you think there is?”
Rufus smiled. He touched Ignatius’s wrist, bare skin to bare skin.
*Because,*he said in Ignatius’s head,*you can hear me.*
CHAPTER44
THREE WEEKS LATER…
“Idon’t wanna go hoooooome!” Flora wailed. “I wanna stay at camp forever!”
She wasn’t the only one in tears. The whole central square was thronged with campers clinging to counselors or each other, making their goodbyes and promising to keep in touch.
“I’ll miss you too.” Honey patiently handed the wombat shifter yet another tissue. “But I’m sure your moms are missing you even more. Aren’t you looking forward to telling them all about your adventures?”
Flora sniffed soggily. “I guess.”
“I’m sad that summer’s over, but I’m also glad to be going home,” Claire said. “I can’t wait to show all my family what I can do with my shift form now.”
