Page 169 of First Light

“Every place has a shadow, Nêrys.”

“But Baywood?” A sleepy college town on the Northern California coast wasn’t exactly a hotbed of myth and legend. Except…

Carys narrowed her eyes. “Oh my God, Bigfoot is real, isn’t he?”

His chin jutted out and he narrowed his eyes. “I have no idea what that is. A creature with large feet? Do you mean giants?”

“Oh God, I didn’t even think about the giants.” Carys’s mind was spinning. “Would you be able to go through the fae gate by my house if you moved to California?”

“The Shadowlands are my home.” He took a breath and carefully nodded. “I should be able to cross any fae gate and return with your help since you are a native of the Brightlands.”

“So you’ll be able to dragon out when you need to.” She released a breath and the knot in her chest loosened. “I mean, it’s still not ideal, but at least you wouldn’t be tied up in this human body all the time. If you come.”

“That is not a question.”

Carys stood up. “Cadell, I don’t want you to lose your magic.”

“Then I will take you to Cymru. You can attend the dragon academy there. You’ll be the oldest student by far, but the children will be commanded to give you respect and the teasing should be minimal.”

Not even Cadell believed the words that were coming out of his mouth.

Carys forced a smile. “Well, doesn’t that sound like every childhood nightmare come to life? Absolutely not.”

Cadell crossed his arms over his chest. “Then you may stay in Alba.I’m sure Lachlan has not changed his affections. His feelings are quite sincere, though recent events have brought his feelings for Seren to the forefront of his mind, and he might?—”

“Nope.” She shook her head. “Definitely not that option.” She let out a breath and felt her chest tighten up again. “Not… yet anyway. How do we make this work?”

“I will follow you to Baywood,” Cadell said softly. “You will return to your life. We will find the fae gate, and we can cross there. Dafydd will find some way to send you trainers even in that place. Dragon kingdoms have many diplomatic relations, and I know of at least two in the Americas.”

“I’m not going to avoid the PE part of this whole thing, am I?”

“I don’t know what that means.”

She let out a long breath. “We can make this work.”

Cadell’s normally severe expression softened. “Of course we can, Nêrys.”

“What about your children?”

“There are others who will care for my young. Dragon lives are long, and they are never alone.”

“You’ll be away from them. Maybe for a long time.”

“That is the way of our kind. My children will understand that as they grow.”

She stared at Cadell, but the stoic expression on his face didn’t waver. “Okay.” She took another deep breath. “Okay.”

“Then it is agreed,” Cadell said. “We will take our leave here and return to the Brightlands.”

“You’re going to need… documents. Identity things. Paperwork. You’ll have to fly on a plane.”

“Of course. King Dafydd has an associate who arranges those types of things. I will speak to Mared.” His lip curled slightly. “And I’ll… survive the plane.”

She looked him up and down. “Maybe talk to Dafydd about that private jet, because I don’t know how you’d fit on a commercial airline.”

“These are details, Carys. We’ll figure them out.”

“Right.” She took a deep breath. “I’m stalling, aren’t I?”

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