“It means that I have an incredibly long list of work that still needs to be done tonight and it’s Odessa’s turn to entertain you.”
Jax held a hand to his chest as he stood. “You’re getting rid of me?”
Dmitri shooed him away. “Leave the nest, little bird. Fly away.”
“You realize that you’re implying that this room is my new home?” He ducked as a wadded piece of paper went flying past his head.
“Find a new tree. Oh, and Jax?”
He stopped just before the door and looked over his shoulder. Dmitri was smiling, his shoulders more relaxed than they had been since Jax had met him. He lifted a pointed eyebrow. “Odessa might be your friend, but for Kovskia’s sake, please don’t forget to knock when you get there.”
Chapter Twelve
ODESSA
Odessa was no expert in dragons, but she was fairly certain they weren’t meant tofloat.
“Bean! I’ve already told you three times: stay here.”She spread her wings wide and steered her reckless charge away from the water’s edge.
Bean tilted his head, his iridescent black scales catching the sunlight and reflecting tiny rainbows as he moved. He seemed to have nearly doubled in size while she slept, now closer in height to a rabbit than a kitten, and his attitude and vocabulary seemed to have followed suit.“Why?”
“Because I need to check on the other swans, and I don’t think you’re built for swimming. I won’t be long.”
“I want to go with you.”
She let out a slow breath, reminding herself that despite his rapid progress in communication skills, he was still just a baby.“I’m sorry, Bean. You can’t.”
His eyes drifted past her to the swans floating on the far side of the lake, and his bottom lip curled down in the equivalent of a dragon pout.“Why do they get to go?”
“Because they’re swans.”
“I’m a swan.”
Odessa nearly choked on her own honking laughter.“You’re a dragon, Bean. You have scales and sneeze fire.”
“I’m a swan.”His voice in her mind was grumpy and stubborn, and if he were a child, she could imagine him crossing his arms with his brows drawn into a deep V.“Just like Mother.”
Her heart melted at the words, and she felt her resolve wavering.“I’m not your mother,”she argued weakly. “And you need to stay here. I promise I’ll be quick, and then we can go hunting in the woods for a snack.”
Bean’s eyes brightened at the prospect of food, reminding her of Dmitri during his teenage years.“I like snacks.”
Odessa breathed a sigh of relief.“I know you do. We’ll go as soon as I get back. Be good.”
She gave him an affectionate peck on the top of his head, then watched as he settled into the loose sand, tucking his legs underneath him and folding his wings back. Satisfied that he was going to do as he was told, she waddled to the edge of the lake and pushed off into the water. She had gone no more than a few yards when she heard a large splash behind her.
“Bean!”
She turned just in time to see the dragon’s head slip under the water. Her feet paddled quickly, sending her zipping back to shore. Her heart hammered in her throat, and she was thankful in that moment to be a swan, if only because she didn’t have to worry about trying to see through her tears. The thankfulness didn’t last longer than a moment, however, as a dark thought struck her.
If he sinks to the bottom, I don’t know how I’ll bring him back without hands or arms.
Just as she reached the place where she had seen him go under, Bean’s wings broke the surface of the lake, followed by his head and neck. He struggled for a few seconds, then, to her utter astonishment, settled. She could just barely see his legs and tail treading the murky water, and he pulled his neck back, arching it like a swan as his wings folded behind him.
“I told you to stay!”she scolded, fighting to breathe past the rush of adrenaline that coursed through her veins.“Why didn’t you listen?”
“I want to go with you.”Bean looked up at her with a sad, puppy-eyed expression.
“You…”
