“They had no clue any slumbered until they happened upon us,” Baird said. “My son kept our whereabouts hidden until his son, Alex, accidentally found his mate in Ionus.”
“Sounds like quite the story there,” Aristor smiled.
“This is a lot to take in,” Eris, a matronly older woman, sat down. “What year is it?”
“Two thousand twenty-six,” I replied.
All twelve eyes widened, but it was Eris who replied. “We’ve slumbered for half a century.”
“Does anyone know what happened to our mage?” Skyy asked. “She put us to rest when they came for us, but I don’t see her here now.”
“They?” Emerson asked.
The twelve of them glanced at one another, uncertain if they should reply. Finally, Aristor spoke. “Ionus, you mentioned both at the police station.”
“I’d love to pretend I’m surprised, but it would be a lie. So far every clan we’ve located has said the same, though yours is the first we’ve come across that had Daigle added to the mix.”
The plot thickens, brothers.
That it does, Ionus.
How many more were out there hiding from the same evil? Hopefully we’ll find them before they do.
And we’re running out of space to house wayward dragons.
We’ll make due, Mattias.
Hopefully that meant Ionus had a plan, because I sure as hell didn’t. Guess we could always pitch tents on the lawn. But damn, we’re gonna have to double our grocery orders.
“We have nothing but the clothes on our backs. Do you have a garden or farm animals that need tending to so we can earn our room and board?” Aristor asked Ionus.
“Aristor, there’s no need to worry about that, and for the record, no animals or a garden, though I’m not opposed to putting one in. Sustainability is something we’ve discussed over the years yet never made any steps toward achieving. Maybe we can work together to bring it to fruition?”
“We’d like that,” Eris said. “We tended our farms daily and honestly, I enjoyed it. Would be nice to work the soil and provide again.”
Guess the wheels were in motion, but the next question was, where in the world did Ionus plan to build said garden?
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ronan
Human.
My dragon’s voice rumbled through my mind as I lay reading the end of a story to my gorgeous eggs, blankets tucked around them and the knitted egg socks they were nestled in, so only the very tips peeked out.
They’re amazing, aren’t they. I said, wholly and completely in love with them.
Priceless treasures. But it is time for you to set me free.
I could feel his need in the restless prickle of energy that shivered down my spine.
Yes, dragon, it is.
Reaching out to my mate, I asked him to join me in the nursery and to please bring Upalo with him, since I knew they were somewhere downstairs, making the second nest I’d requested in the living room. I pressed my finger to my lips when they enteredthe room, since the girls were contently sleeping, gentle purrs coming from their eggs.
“Awe,” Odem whispered, “Just listen to them.”
“Storytime definitely lulls them to sleep,” I whispered back. “And it’s a good thing too, because you and I need to go outside.”
