“Umm... I would rather not discuss that with most of my parents present, thank you very much.” Raven’s eyes flash to those of her dragon—sapphire bleeding to dark blue, almost black with vertical slits that reflect the firelight like polished obsidian—and the look of horror on Thauglor’s face is absolutely priceless. The big guy goes pale, all color draining from his face. His mouth hangs open as he stares at his daughter, processing implications he clearly doesn’t want to consider.
“Got it...” Mina says as she tries to turn Thauglor away, physically pushing against his massive frame with both hands pressed against his back. It’s like watching someone try to move a mountain. “Carry on...”
“My baby is sweet and innocent... not my little girl... She’s not old enough.” We hear Thauglor’s denial carrying across the courtyard as Mina drags him away from us, her laughter—bright and knowing—mixing with his protests. Several of the older dragons chuckle, clearly remembering similar conversations about their own offspring.
Raven rolls her eyes dramatically and shakes her head, her bunny ears flopping wildly with the motion. “I’m thankful Daddy Ziggy wasn’t here. He would have phased me away to hide me until I was forty.” She laughs, and I can honestly see him doing exactly that—materializing out of thin air, grabbing her, and vanishing before anyone could stop him.
“Et tu, gentlemen...” Leander gasps as he tries to catch his breath after chasing Ziggy around the compound for who knows how long. Sweat beads on his forehead and dampens his hair despite the cool evening air. He bends over, hands on his knees, the pool noodle hanging limply from one hand.
“Daddy Ziggy said we had a dress code for tonight.” Raven purrs as she rests her hand on where I can feel the cursed egg resting under her costume through our bond. The warmth of Solaris pulses faintly, a steady rhythm like a second heartbeat.
“Was being an adorable bunny on that list?” Vaughn asks with a warm smile that reaches his eyes, the firelight catching the silver in his hair.
“No, but I didn’t want to be a shark. I wanted to be cute and adorable.” Raven’s smile is broad and genuine, her entire face lighting up with joy. I reach out to take her hand, my fingers lacing through hers. Her skin is warm and soft against my scales.
“You are cute and adorable every day, with or without the costume.” The words earn me a sweet kiss on my lips, her mouth soft and tasting faintly like the strawberry candy she was eating earlier. When she pulls back, she’s smiling so wide I can see the slight points of her canines.
“The reason I came over here was—has anyone seen my daughter?” Leander’s words cut through the cheerful atmosphere like a knife. Everyone freezes mid-conversation, mid-bite, mid-laugh. The temperature seems to drop several degrees as tension ripples through the group like a stone thrown into still water. “Isolde. I haven’t seen Isolde in over an hour.”
“Can’t her other clutch mates sense her?” Raven arches a brow, looking at Connor, who’s standing near one of the food tables. He shakes his head no, his expression troubled and drawn. She looks over at Salem, and he also shakes his head, his usually animated face gone serious and pale.
“You can sense your clutch mates?” I look down into my mate’s eyes, surprised by this revelation. She nods as if this should be obvious, like I’m asking if dragons can fly.
“Can Mina sense her hatchlings?” I look at Vaughn, then Callan, and finally Leander, hoping someone will say yes.
“Once the females cycle the first time, no.” Leander’s voice carries a weight of sadness and resignation that makes my stomach drop like a stone. “The bond breaks. It’s... it’s one of the hardest parts of raising daughters.”
Raven lets out a loud, piercing whistle that cuts through the evening air like a blade. The sound is sharp enough to make several people wince and cover their ears. Both Iris and Rebel materialize from the shadows at the edge of the courtyard. “Search for Isolde and report back.” Her voice carries absolute authority—the command of an heir apparent who expects immediate obedience.
Titan hears her whistle and comes walking slowly toward her from where he’d been grazing near the gathering, his massive hooves thundering against the ground with each step. The earth trembles slightly beneath his weight. “I need you to bellow so the other equines know we’re looking for my sister Isolde.”
He nods his noble head, his brown eyes meeting hers with understanding, and walks away from the group toward the highest point in the courtyard. Within moments, his alarm bellow sounds—a deep, primal sound that resonates in my chest cavity and makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on edge. It’s the kind of sound that speaks of danger, of urgency, of something fundamentally wrong. Birds explode from nearby trees in panicked flight, their wings beating frantically against the air. In the distance, I hear answering calls from other equine breeds across the property.
“Is he your familiar now?” Callan asks, watching Titan standing at the edge of the courtyard like a sentinel, his ears swiveling independently as he listens for replies carried on the wind.
“No, he’s my friend.” Raven’s voice is firm and brooking no argument, but then her talons extend with an audible snick—silver, curved, and deadly sharp. Without hesitation, she shreds the bunny costume off her body in seconds, fabric falling away in pink ribbons that flutter to the ground. She stands in just her tee shirt and leggings and the egg carrier for a heartbeat.
Quickly, she hands Hemlocke the egg carrier, and he holds the leather pouch to his chest. Her leather wings unfurl to their full, impressive span—easily twenty feet from tip to tip. Without another word, she leaps into the air, her powerful wings catching the wind as she takes flight. The downdraft from her ascent sends leaves and debris swirling around us in a small whirlwind, and I have to shield my eyes against the sudden gust.
“Best-case scenario, she took a nap somewhere or went to explore the campus.” Leander’s words sound hollow, and I can see the panic blazing in his eyes like a wildfire barely contained. His hands shake as he runs them through his hair.
“I’ll shift and run with you. Between us and Titan, we’ll be able to relay messages. Hopefully, we’ll find answers.” Hemlocke’s voice is steady despite the circumstances as he passes off the egg carrier toCallan, then he and Leander walk off toward the tree line where there’s space to shift. Both men are already pulling off their costumes, letting them fall behind them in their haste.
Looking over toward the main gathering area, Mina is beside herself, holding onto both Klauth and Thauglor at the same time. Her knuckles are white with the force of her grip, fingers digging into their arms hard enough to leave marks. Tears streak down her face, catching the firelight. Ziggy has gathered all the displacer beasts in one place to start searching—there must be at least twenty of them, their green eyes glowing in the dimming light like emeralds, their dark forms blending with shadows. I watch them blink out of sight one by one.
I walk over toward Thauglor, my ridiculous shark costume suddenly feeling absurd and constricting around my chest, making it hard to breathe. “What do you need me to do?”
“Where’s Raven?” He looks around frantically, his head swiveling as if he’s lost something precious. His sapphire eyes are wide with barely contained panic.
“She went to look for Isolde.” My gaze moves from Thauglor to Mina, then over to Klauth. Both ancient dragons look shaken in a way I’ve never seen before—vulnerable, afraid. These beings, who have lived for millennia, who have fought wars and survived apocalypses, are trembling with the fear every parent knows.
“She speaks every species’ language. If anyone can get answers, it’s her. Go join my daughter—we don’t need her to go missing too.” Thauglor’s command carries the weight of a general, but underneath I hear the plea of a terrified father. I nod without hesitation, already moving.
Without a second thought, I take off at a run toward the open space beyond the courtyard, my legs pumping as fast as they can. The shark costume tears away as I shift mid-stride, polyester shredding like tissue paper. My body explodes outward, muscles and bonesreforming with familiar pain. Silver scales ripple across my expanding form, each one catching and reflecting the moonlight that’s beginning to break through the clouds. My powerful wings unfurl from my back with a sound like sails catching wind, the membrane stretching between the finger bones. I feel the surge of power as my dragon takes over completely. My wings beat once, twice, carrying me higher into the darkening sky. The wind rushes past my scales, cold and sharp, carrying the scents of pine forest and distant water.
Now I need to locate my mate and make sure she doesn’t torch the entire continent in her panic to find her sister. Because if something has happened to Isolde, if someone has taken her, there won’t be enough of them left to identify when Raven is done.
And I’ll be right there beside her, adding my fire to hers.
