Draco snickered and resumed his seat. Pearl stretched out on Sawyer’s legs, a sign to Draco that Sawyer was doing better. Her instincts where Sawyer was concerned were very on point. When he was sick, she never left his side and curled up against his ribs close to his heart. Once he started feeling better, she moved back to her usual spot against his legs or feet.
“He’s working his magic on you,” Draco teased. “I can see it.”
That caught Sawyer’s attention. “Wait… you canactuallysee it?”
“My dragon can. I get hints but if I let him through, he can see it.”
“Really?” Henry asked.
“Yep. Which is why I didn’t know this place was warded when we first got here. Normally I would be more on guard but I wasn’t expecting it and I hadn’t been my dragon in a long time.”
“That’s kinda sad,” Sawyer said. “Was it because of me?”
Draco actually took a moment to think about his answer. He tried to never answer Sawyer’s questions by rote. “No, not entirely. It was more that I didn’t need him for anything, so I didn’t shift. He’s very much part of me, but it’s not like the shifters Henry grew up with.”
“Oh yeah,” Henry added. “My family has to shift at least once a month, more if they’re kinda high strung. Longer than that and it isn’t pleasant, believe me.”
“So the rules aren’t the same for everyone? Or like all magical creatures, um, beings? Magical humans? Humans who shift? What exactly are you all called?” Sawyer asked.
Before either of them could answer, Eduard entered the room. He hurried to the head of the bed and Draco moved back far enough to give him room. Eduard leaned over and looked into Sawyer’s eyes. After a moment, he sighed in relief. “You’re better?”
“Getting there,” Sawyer said. “I’m really sore, though.”
Eduard ran his fingers through Sawyer’s hair and cupped the back of his neck gently. “You had a seizure. You’ll be extremely sore for a few days. Dr. Jerrick said we’d need to be careful of any torn muscles or sprains so don’t get up without one of us here to help, okay?”
Sawyer nodded and Draco leaned further back into the chair with a smile. The way those two were looking at each other sent sparks of desire through him. Sawyer glanced his way, asking the question, and Draco nodded, giving him the reassurance he needed. Sawyer reached up and ran his fingers along Eduard’s jaw before kissing him gently. “I’ll be careful. I promise.”
Eduard stiffened for a moment, obviously realizing they weren’t alone, but then reached an understanding. He pulled Sawyer close once more and pressed another kiss to his lips. “Thank you.”
“Merlin’s beard, that’s hot,” Henry moaned.
Draco snickered and Sawyer pulled away from Eduard to shoot him a frown. “Did you just quote Harry Potter?”
“Oh come on,” Henry said. “I was a boy wizard. I mean my dads practically saidYer a wizard, Henrywhen they found me. Of course I was obsessed with Harry Potter.”
“When you put it that way, it makes perfect sense. Hey, do you think J.K. Rowling is one of you? Oh, she must be! That’s how she knows all that inside scoop on the creatures and—”
“No,” Draco said. “She isn’t. Well, maybe she is. But just… no.”
“Aww,” Sawyer said with a laugh. “You’re just mad because she used your name for the mean kid.”
Draco huffed and crossed his arm over his chest. “It wasmyname first.”
Sawyer laughed as Eduard maneuvered his way onto the bed, sitting with his back to the pillows next to Sawyer. Sawyer snuggled up against him while Henry moved to lean into his other side. Draco reached out and laid his hand on Pearl’s back, giving her a nice long pet while he and Sawyer shared a secret smile.
“Henry, with me,” Draco said after a moment.
“Where are we going?”
“To relieve Andvari on patrol so he can come in and spend some time with Sawyer.”
“Oh, yeah. Okay.”
Henry leaned in and nudged Sawyer with his forehead before sliding to the far side of the bed. He hurried into the bathroom, then through to the master closet where he reemerged hopping his way into a beat up pair of chucks.
Draco sat his hand on Eduard’s knee for a moment, then stood. He met the griffin’s eyes, gave him a quick nod, then went to guide Henry from the room. They found Andvari outside, sitting in the gazebo at the front of the house. When Draco had first seen the structure going up, he passed a bit of judgment. A gazeboanda turret room? The house was a mash up of Victorian castle with a side of farmhouse. It made no sense. Except now it did. Both additions gave them cover while allowing them to keep guard. Henry’s vision had known what they didn’t. Draco wondered if other parts of the house that he hadn’t explored yet would reveal more about the other guardians.
“You can go see Sawyer, if you want,” Henry said to Andvari, pulling Draco from his thoughts. “We’re going to patrol.”
