Page 24 of Stolen By Dragons

Lydia caught my eye from her perch on the arm of a sofa, her expression mirroring my own curiosity and concern. After a moment of silent debate, I decided to break the ice.

"So," I said, keeping my tone light, "quite a day, wasn't it? I don't know about you, but I'm still trying to wrap my head around all this Dracarian magic business. And dragon shifters. And, well, all of it I suppose.”

Aria's eyes refocused, and she managed a small smile. "Yeah, it's a lot.”

Lydia nodded in agreement. "I still can’t believe we’re here, that we have some old magic in our blood. It feels interesting though. Like it’s combining with my panther side when I focus on it.”

“Same, like it’s heightening my power,” I agreed, twirling a strand of my silvery hair around my finger. "Though I must admit, the magic here is... intriguing. The stuff that the Dracarians wield, it’s more along the line of witches, but a hundred times more powerful and potent. Different from what we fae are used to."

That seemed to pique Aria's interest. "What do you mean? How is it different? What is fae magic really? You said it was like the elements in a way?”

I paused, considering how to explain. "Fae magic is... well, it's part of us. As natural as breathing. And yes, we harness the elements around us to wield magic, earth, air, water. We draw from nature, it flows freely, doesn’t deplete us, and our magic differs from witches. We can conjure magic with just thought, whereas they need incantations and spell-work, recipes and whatnot, and their magic tends to come from within. ThisDracarian magic is different, seems to be made by mental thought as well, but it feels more... structured, somehow. More rigid. Like the magic comes from within more than the elements and world around them, yet it harnesses both.”

"Fascinating," Aria murmured, then hesitated before asking, "What was life like back home for you, Zephyr? Before all this, I mean."

I grinned, always eager to share the wonders of my realm. "Oh, it was marvelous. We fae, we're all around, you know. Some cafes and businesses in your world have back doors that lead to secret parts of our world, or just parks and streets. Only we can enter, of course.”

Her eyes widened with wonder. "Really? That's amazing! You did say it was a plane of existence, and you told me a bit of it. It’s still hard to understand. So it’s pretty much just an unseen part of earth, right?”

I nodded. “Yes. Think of it like the earthly plane you know is the path between main areas and buildings in the fae plane. Yes, you can get to a lot of places entirely in the fae plane, but jumping into the earthly plane is more like a shortcut, and you get to be in the human world, which is enticing in its own way as something different.”

“Wow, that’s incredible,” she said.

“I’m part of the Summer Court. Our kingdom is hidden just outside the human city of Detroit, there’s several doorways all over Detroit that lead into it for the fae. It's a place of eternal summer, with golden trees and flowers that sing in the breeze. The air is always thick with magic, and time... well, time moves differently there. Slower. Then again, Fae live very long lives, we’re not immortal like vampires, but we can live hundreds of years before we begin to show our age.”

“That’s amazing,” Aria said softly, “and your home sounds beautiful,” she added with a hint of longing in her voice.

"It is," I agreed, feeling a pang of homesickness. “Hopefully I can show it to you sometime. Humans rarely ever step foot in the fae plane, but I think you would be the exception considering everything.”

“Really? That’d be wonderful!”

“Of course, when we get home, I’ll take you there,” I said warmly, and she grinned. “You too, Lydia,” I added quickly as Lydia watched me with intrigue.

“It would be fun, I’ve always wondered what it was like in your plane,” she said with a shrug.

“But what about you, Aria? What was your life like back on Earth?" I focused back on our special human companion.

She seemed surprised by the question, as if she hadn't expected anyone to be interested in her mundane human life. "Oh, well, I worked as a counselor at a community center. It was challenging but rewarding. I helped people work through their problems, find coping strategies..."

As she spoke about her work, I found myself fascinated. Aria had a deep love for the work she did, a drive to help others as much as she could. It was warming to see.

"That sounds like important work," I said when she finished. "You must have helped a lot of people."

Aria shrugged, but I could see she was pleased by the comment. "I tried. It wasn't always easy, but it felt meaningful."

"I can imagine," Lydia chimed in. "It takes a special kind of strength to bear the weight of others' problems."

Aria turned to Lydia, curiosity evident in her eyes. "What about you, Lydia? What's your story?"

Lydia's face softened, a mix of joy and sadness crossing her features. "Well, I used to be a flight attendant, allowed me to travel a lot. I met my partner while traveling in Peru. We... we bonded instantly. I was a stay at home mom when our kids were young, then started working locally in childcare afterwards. Thehours suited me better, and I could be home with my family more often.”

"Ah yes, the sacred shifter bond," I commented, unable to keep a hint of fascination out of my voice. The sacred bonds of shifters had always intrigued me. Connecting with someone on such a profound level, claiming them as your lifelong mate, it was the thing even the fae dreamed of.

Aria looked intrigued. "What's that?"

Lydia explained, her voice taking on a dreamy quality. "It's like finding your soulmate. You can feel each other deeply - emotions, sensations. You can sense your partner no matter where they are." Her voice grew sad. "Right now, though, I can't sense him. I know he's okay, I can feel that much, but it's like there's a wall between us. It's... tough."

"I'm so sorry, Lydia," Aria said softly, reaching out to squeeze her arm. "That must be incredibly difficult."

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