Page 58 of Don't Fae With Dragons

He rests a gentle hand on her shoulder and I feel her worries start to melt. They’re still there, of course, but they’re softened by his comforting touch. She turns to him and embraces him warmly, pulling back with a sigh and a faux-confident nod just as the door swings open.

“Oh, my gods!” Mili cries out.

The person inside the doorway is a short and stout figure, with nearly-onyx skin and even darker eyes. They’re walking with a cane, but their eyes are sharp and seem to cut through us as they dart from me, to Port, to Max, and finally land on the faery.

They smile crookedly, then, and hold out a hand to touch Mili’s face. Mili chokes back a sob and throws her arms around her friend, who stumbles slightly backwards from the sudden impact.

“Oh, Realm’s Mother, I’m sorry, I don’t mean to overwhelm you,” Mili blurts out.

“Milica,” the person replies, “I have missed you.”

Mili whirls around to us with teary eyes and a wide grin, and says, “This is Chrysthinia. They’re my best friend.” She whirls back around to face Chrysthinia and asks shyly, “Can we come inside? I don’t mean to intrude.”

“Nonsense, nonsense,” Chrysthinia tuts, walking inside without a look back. Mili and the three of us walk in as they continue, “You are always welcome. Your lovely friends, too. Interesting energy, they have.”

Max glances at me with a raised eyebrow, and I shrug back, smiling widely at Mili’s relief and happiness. I whisper to him, “I can’t believe I’m finally meeting the townsfolk.”

He nudges my shoulder with a grin. “I’m happy for you, my friend. It’s good for you to finally meet your people.”

My people. I suppose they are, aren’t they? I am the dragon guardian of Ethelinda, after all –my parents always taught me that although I am their guardian, I will never be one of them. Perhaps it doesn’t have to be that way. This isn’t the time for those thoughts, though; I shake my head to clear my mind and make my way further into the bungalow.

CHAPTER 38: MILI

Once we’re all situated in the living area, and Chrysthinia has brought the hunched-over shifters and me our tea, they finally settle into their most comfortable chair. Usually, Chrysthinia offers the prized seat to their guests, but I insisted they use it since they’re still healing from their ailment.

I glance over at Cory, Port, and Max, and bite back a smile at the sight of the dragon shifters squished together in the cramped space. I always thought thatIhad a hard time in the small home, but seeing the three tall men, puts it into a whole different perspective.

They’re sort of cute all sitting together like that, too. Port is in the center, with Max and Cory on either side of him. His elbow rests comfortably on Cory’s thigh, and his other hand holds him up from its place behind Max’s back.

They look awfully comfortable, I think as I look at the two of them. I assumed they’d been physical, since Cory and I practically walked in on them bedding each other in the dining chamber, but they look genuinely safe in each others’ company. It’s sort of beautiful; I just wonder how Cory would fit into the mix –or me.

I clear my throat to compose myself and turn to Chrysthinia. “Tell me everything.”

“There’s not much to tell, my dear,” they sigh. “I was unconscious for most of the blight on the land. A few days ago, I started dreaming vividly –sights of powerful fire and rain, earth and air working as one to bring salvation to Ethelinda. The visions passed in and out of my mind rapidly, so fast I could not grasp them. Eventually, though I don’t know how, I woke up. The rain had finally come, and the illness was washed away.”

“We cast the spell,” I nod. “The healing rain –Cory and I called it together.”

At that, Chrysthinia raises an eyebrow.Oh, godsdamnit –they’re going to ask who Cory is.

“Who is this ‘Cory?’” they reply, lips pursed. “I don’t know anything about him.” I open my mouth to reply, but Chrysthinia interrupts, “You –Cory. Are you a wizard? A warlock? No, that can’t be it. You’re not a faery, that much is certain, which leaves one thing: you’re a shifter, are you not?”

I wince and turn to Cory apologetically, but I see that he’s actually smiling softly. I raise my eyebrows and glance between Max and Port, but both of them are looking at Cory just as surprised as I am.

“I am a shifter, but, more importantly, I’m the dragon guardian of the Ethelinda volcano.”

There’s a moment of silence, then Chrysthinia calls out, “Ha! Oh, I figured. That makes sense now, doesn’t it?”

“You’re not upset?” I ask, completely taken aback.

Chrysthinia shrugs and shakes their head. “He seems fine. No evil energy, nothing lunar. The Moon has been up to all sorts of tricks. She sent someone down to us, I believe, just before the blight. Someone wicked and vile. A warlock!”

My blood suddenly runs cold. If the Moon sent someone to us before Chrysthinia got sick ... it could have been someone I met. Oh, Realm’s Mother – it could have been Kar.Did I let the Moon in?

I hear pounding in my ear as I stand up without thinking, making my way clumsily towards the front door. I fumble with the handle before stumbling out into the overgrown garden, hearing shuffling and muffled words behind me.

Still, I can’t stop. I make my way across the yard, breathing hard as I focus on just putting one foot in front of the other, pressing onwards even though I don’t know where I’m going. My vision goes blurry as my foot lands in a small hole in the ground, and I fall to my knees as my leg gives out.

My blood rushes in my ears and my breath takes up all my hearing as I look down at my hand. It’s scraped badly, and I find myself entranced by the small scratches and pieces of dirt buried in my skin.

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