I couldn’t wait for him to wake up. It felt as if he would never wake up.
The mural kept me busy, though. I was in heaven, being able to outline a beautiful war picture. Queen Maggie came regularly with snacks and just stared in awe at the outline that was busy forming.
“Elena, you are so talented.”
My cheeks reddened every time she praised me. “Was my mom or dad an artist?”
“Well, Albert had a great artistic hand, but he wasn’t a natural. It was your grandfather from your mother’s side. He could make the most beautiful things from whatever he got his hands on.”
“My grandfather?”
“He died way too young, had pneumonia. The Swallow Annex dragons only used to heal royalty, nobility and the rich. Not everyone was privilege enough to feel a dragon’s healing touch.”
“That sounds so wrong.”
“One thing that your parents changed. How was it to see him?”
The secret was burning in my throat, but I kept my promise. Dad couldn’t lose his dragon. “Amazing and magical. It was so real. I get why everyone loved them. A few minutes with my dad, and I lost my heart.”
The queen laughed. “They both had that ability to make people fall head over heels for them. I missed them so much.”
“I can imagine.”
The chat ended, and she left as I carried on with the scene in front of me. I kept a tiny part for my dad and Robert on here too. I couldn’t believe he was a dragon too.
Blake’s family came the next week. His mom was the doctor at the school and hugged me. “Oh, you are so beautiful?” She spoke as if she had never seen me before.
I squinted at her.
“My name is Isabel,” she said in a British accent. “I never thought he could submit like that. I’m so proud, meaning that he has more good in him than bad. Thank you, Elena.”
“You are welcome.”
“Hey, you.” Sammy pushed past her mother and flung her arms around my shoulder. “Is my brother still asleep?”
“Yeah.”
“Still in his dragon form?” She pulled her face.
“Yep.”
“Ewe,” she said. “Don’t look at me like that. His dragon form will give anyone nightmares.”
His mother and father laughed.
“He is beautiful,” his mother spoke.
“I second that,” I said, and Robert smiled.
The secret popped into my mind again and was burning to be released as Robert gave me a hug. I hated keeping the secret that my father was alive, but telling him now, while Blake was still sleeping, he would die. I’d promised my dad I would not let that happen.
The queen opened them with welcomed arms and it was weird that Blake’s mom worked at Dragonia Academy. The way she acted as if she hadn’t seen me before was also a bit unreal.
Sammy picked up on it and she told me the truth. The one at Dragonia Academy was her aunt, her mother’s twin.
“Twin?” My eyes skidded from Sammy to her mom.
Her mother laughed. “Yes, she is the doctor in our family and spends all her time at Dragonia.”
