"Erin," I said haltingly, "I couldn't wait to ask you tomorrow. I want to know if you'll go on a date with me." My words hung between us, an offering laid bare in the quiet of her room.
Erin's hand froze mid-air, a delicate scarf clutched mid-fold between her fingers. For a terrifying second, I thought she might say no. Then her eyes met mine,wide and gleaming with something that made my dragon thrilled.
"Yes," she said, the word hanging light as a feather yet heavy with implications. "I would love to."
Relief washed over me, warm and immediate. "Tomorrow, seven p.m.?" I asked, my voice steadier than I felt.
"It's a date," Erin said, her smile blooming like dawn breaking.
I nodded as a grin stretched across my face and backed out of the room before I could give in to the urge to kiss her again. With each step away from her door, my heart thundered louder, matching the rhythm of a primal drumbeat calling me to the wild.
Once outside, I didn't hesitate. I crossed the street and headed toward the woods. Their shadows embraced me as I shed the constraints of human form. Muscle and sinew twisted and grew, scales erupted, and wings spread out of my back with a powerful snap.
A roar erupted from deep within my chest, shaking the leaves on the trees. I took to the sky, the wind a lover's caress against my scales. With every flip, every barrel roll, the thrill of Erin's eyes fueled my fire. I let loose a stream of flames, painting the night in bursts of gold and crimson, my dragon's heart alight with the promise of tomorrow.
Circling higher, the evening air cooled my heated scales a bit. The exhilaration hadn't dimmed—every beat of my wings was a rhythm set to Erin's 'yes'. That's when I sensed Skye, her own dragon form rocketing through the darkness toward me.
Skye.I called out to her mind, our thoughts mingling as easily as clouds in the sky.Erin said yes. Tomorrow night, she'll be with me. A date.
Hot damn.Her mental voice was a burst of joy that twined with mine. She looped around me in a celebratory dance of flight. Together, we soared, two dragons bound by friendship.
We came upon the manor, its silhouette a familiar comfort against the stars. Below, Aurelia stood like a sentinel, her gaze following our aerial ballet. We couldn't hide anything from her. She knew, she always knew.
For her enjoyment, we twisted and spiraled, a display of serpentine grace and power. Our shadows passed over her, our intricate maneuvers a silent tribute to her support.
With one last pass, we descended into the clearing, the transformation back to human form enveloping us in magic. With practiced ease, clothes wrapped around us, woven by spells as old as our lineage.
"Erin agreed to go on a date with me," I told Aurelia.
"Of course she did," Aurelia said, her eyes twinkling with shared excitement. We went inside the house and sat in the living room.
"Tomorrow night." The words spilled out as though they had a life of their own. My chest swelled with excitement. I'd never felt this way before, not in all my very, very long life.
Aurelia clapped her hands, the sound sharp and bright in the quiet room. Her face lit up with the kind of joy that could only come from a heart that loved deeply.
Skye was beside her, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Then we have to make it unforgettable. Why don't you take her flying? Imagine sweeping Erin off her feet and showing her the world from above. You could fly to Paris, or the beaches of Fiji..." She meant on an airplane, but for a tick, I thought she meant on my back. It was definitely too early for that.
Aurelia's hand fluttered like a bird coming to land, silencing Skye mid-sentence. "No, no. That's too much. Erin is grounded, connected to the earth and its simpler pleasures. Such extravagance on a first date would overwhelm her."
I nodded with a surge of relief. Aurelia understood Erin in a way that made me grateful. "I want to keep it simple."
"Simple can be magical," Aurelia said. "Why not take her to your spot?"
The suggestion struck a chord, resonating with a truth I hadn't realized until now. "That's perfect," I said.
Skye tilted her head, her expression one of curiosity. "Your spot? What place is this?"
"It's a clearing in the forest where I've gone since our parents passed," I said, my voice low. "It's where I feel closest to them, to our history. Only Aurelia has been there with me."
"Then it's settled." Aurelia's tone allowed no argument. "You'll take a picnic, a soft blanket, maybe a bottle of wine. Sit under the stars and simply... be. Share stories, laugh, connect."
"Perfect." The image of Erin's smile beneath the moonlight filling my thoughts. A simple date, but one rich with meaning. With Aurelia's blessing and Skye's enthusiasm fueling my conviction, I knew this was the right path.
"Let's get together what you'll need." Aurelia stood.
I followed her lead, my heart lighter than it had been in years. Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.
After we got everything—picnic basket, a list of food to make tomorrow, a bottle of wine and two glasses, a blanket, and miscellaneous stuff that Aurelia and Skye kept thinking of like wet naps—together in the kitchen, I waved goodbye to Skye and Aurelia, their faces alight with the joy of scheming for my date withErin. Stepping into the manor's kitchen, I grabbed my keys from the hook, the metal cool and familiar in my hand.
